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Machinations of a Lich - Chapter 5 At the end of Time Skana wasn't surprised to find herself immediately at Labyrinthian when she stepped out of Illias cave. She did not care if it was the eye who brought her there or if it was an effect of the reality collapse, all she cared for was getting into the Soul Cairn to remedy what Jyggalag had done. The sky above Shalidors Maze looked very much like the one in the Soul Cairn already, Skana knew there wasn't much time left anymore. Not knowing what would await her she drew her sword and kept it ready on her shoulder as she went further into the maze. Or what was left of it. Skana did not know how this place looked before from the inside, but she was sure nobody would build only one half of a labyrinth somewhere and put order crystals next to it. No, she was at the very rift where this reality connected to the Soul Cairn, Maera did not lie. She stopped abruptly, noticing someone familiar infront of her. "I should have known that cowardly bitch of a revenant would make you show up here." Skana snarled. The lich was unfazed by Skanas words and his hoarse voice could be heard. "I am surprised you recognize me in this form, there could've been a possibility i was the one you know as Skaal. It must be the eye, i saw it through the scroll." he closed analytically, but not hostile. Skana was too much in a hurry to ask herself about details, all she knew is Uthrang was infront of her, she would fight him, even destroy him if she must, there was no time for Uthrangs delusional bickering. She stepped up towards the lich, gesturing to threaten him. "Get ouf of my way Uthrang, i don't have the time to deal with you, but Shor help me i will if you force my hand. Your stupid game of power has doomed all of mundus and my life or what was left of it!" Uthrang didn't move a finger as he spoke."You misunderstand, i am not the Uthrang from your reality, please forgive me i didn't mean to irritate. I know of this reality and how it is just a fake. I have waited for you and you came, as my elder scroll had foretold. It also showed me what the real me had done. Even if i am not the original, it shames me deeply." After blinking perplexed for a few seconds at this realitys Uthrang, Skana sheathed her sword, she was ready to draw it anew though as something was still unclear. "And Maera? She is the same as her original." Uthrang shook his head, before he continued in a sad tone. "Maera...she was my wife in this artificial reality. She died of disease and i sought to be together with her once more. When i achieved undeath and the means to reanimate her, i did. But undeath changed her, her mind grew chaotic and all she cared for was causing strife and suffering. The undead council crowned me for achieving undeath on my own and we sought to remedy my mistake but my former wife eluded us so far." Skana was surprised at the story this Uthrang tells and the few similarities she sees in them. "So you're the equivalent of Skaal in this reality, wife excluded... and the undead council, the coldharbour council." After shaking her head she added;"Gods, this is such a mess." Uthrang emanated an etheral laugh, it sounded bitter but firm. "I don't know the details, but it certainly is a mess. I am well aware that this reality is insignificant, since i found the elder scroll. It is all an illusion, my past, my wife, everything. My wisdom is above my desires, so for the sake of mundus, this must end. As he continued to speak the lichs voice hardened. "I know you seek entrance into the Soul Cairn, the very core of this dimensional atrocity. I don't know how you will undo this disaster, but since an elder scroll allowed itself to be found, i refuse to believe that mundus will end. Creation itself is involved in this and it has choosen you to enact its will. I will open a portal to grant you entrance, this is the role given to me by the scroll, the rest is up to you, girl." Uthrang did exactly that, he opened a portal directly into the dimensional wall that halved Shalidors Maze like a barely visible giant sword resting on it. Skana immediately went towards the portal. Skana stopped, one foot already in the portal, waving with her sword. "It's a shame you're not the original, i hope your soul finds its place once everything is how it should be again, given that i can do it." Uthrang laughed almost as if happy."This dimension will collapse in mere seconds, i can feel it. But I have no doubts of your success, creation itself is with you. Now go, before it is too late!" Skana thought about how little this Uthrang knew what was with her and how brave he faced his end as she stepped through the portal. If only the real Uthrang would be like that. This all would have never happened. Skana found herself at the entrance to the boneyard, she was relieved not to have to travel through half of the cairn, time was of the essence, she discared the thought that Jyggalag was not aware of what she was doing. She entered the boneyard, it was as if all just happened yesterday. The crystal was still there, holding Skaadi and Skaal. The eye floating next to it, inert. It wasn't rotating like it used to. With one exception. Skana was shocked when she saw Ylfa nowhere around. She stopped in her steps as she remembered being imprisoned here for 3 years, a feral Ylfa would be more than she could take, even with the other eye of magnus in her posession, this would not be sufficient to shield her from her own emotions. If her heart would still be beating, Skana was sure it would've stopped now. As the fog on the ground shifted she saw Ylfa lying there. Through the eye she was able to sense that Ylfa wasn't gone yet. Just unconscious. Skana began to wonder how much time must have passed in the Cairn since Jyggalags appearance, as she did not fall unconscious with 3 years without blood. The sight relieved her though, her fear that Ylfa would roam the boneyard as feral vampire, attacking her, did not happen. "She is just unconscious." Skana tried to calm herself. Not being able to bear the sight, Skana passed Ylfa with closed eyes. "This will all be over and we'll have a day or two just for us, i promise, Ylfa. I still have to tell you something." she spoke on the verge of weeping. As Skana steered towards the center of the boneyard, she remembered the words from the being in the void. She had to find the spear. The spear was still there. All the time, untouched by Skaals devastating spell. Skana did not know how the spear was still intact after being subjected to magna-ge magic, but she did not care as it was only important that the weapon was still there. The closer she got the more foreign the spear occured to her, she never had a weapon of daedric craftmanship in her hands, a spear even less. Skana felt the weapon was inert however, whatever magic once resided in it was long gone. As she picked the weapon up, she remembered the feeling of it when it pierced her throat back in the solitude catacombs. The magic being discharged into her body. And she understood why the being in the void told her to use it. Daedric or not, it was propably the only weapon capable of withstanding magna-ge magic surging through it long enough to use it. A strange feeling overcame her as she was holding the daedric spear. It was as if she once stood here already with the spear in her hand, fighting someone. Something. It was a dwindling feeling, but she noticed the eyes were reaching out for each other. She had to shatter the crystal. Skana focused herself, trying to grasp the concepts of magic, she knew the eye would grant her the wisdom, wisdom that would never leave her again. Magicka surrounded her, seeking its way from her body to the spear, ready to reshape a small fraction of reality. The order crystal. She approached the crystal, eyeing it critically, trying to figure out where to hit. It did not matter. She could feel the other eye trying harder to resonate to hers, it was almost overwhelming. "Alright, here goes." She swung the spear at full force, with a war cry only a nord could perform, against the order crystal. The magna-ge magic discharged in a thunderous blast, the released magicka itself was so powerful, a screeching sound halled through the boneyard, much like the spell Skaal had cast in his duel with the auroran. The spear disintegrated in Skanas hands and everything became bright and blurry. She could literally feel reality being changed, the crystal began to disappear. The sky in the Soul Cairn flashed briefly red. Skana knew, Jyggalag was on his way. He must have felt the crystal being unmade. Skana went on her knees as the magicka of the eye surged back into her body, grunting in exhaustion and surprise. "There's still magicka left after this?!" Happyness overcame her though as she noticed Skaadi and Skaal standing infront of her. She almost jumped up after the magicka was done surging into her, gesturing agitated, speaking to Skaal and Skaadi. "You have no damn idea what i just went through!" Skaadi just shook her head at Skana. "Oh trust me we do, we could see all through Skaals eye when we were in that crystal and what the other eye saw in the void, this was just.. weird." Skaal eyed her with a serious look on his face. "Skana, remind me when this is all over to buy every hat in skyrim so i can tip it to you. We did not know what you all went through before you came to join the clan, even if this was in a different reality. You went through it twice and you're still yourself. I can only admire that." Skaadi spoke calm, almost sounding prepared for something. "Skaal and i both know what will happen. You better summon your friend from the void. Can't say i like what will happen though." Skaal didn't sound troubled either, just like his wife. "Indeed. I would explain it all to you, but that isn't necessary, the eyes will resonate in a few seconds and you will know it all. Unfortunately i can't help. I have to admit, this is something only you can do right now, i'm not good with swords and the eyes resonate to you and only you right now. It is the will of Magnus." Skana wanted to say something, ask the whys and hows. But when the eyes began to resonate, she was just standing there as in trance, she saw it all. 14 years passed in the Soul Cairn, Mundus is gone. Only the daedric planes where still there and she could see them all. Every daedra lord watching her with interest or amusement. Sanguine was having a party and held a toast to her, raising a glass on a table with his followers reveling. Vaermina stared at her from her nightmare realm, menacing with a glint of hatred that wasn't directed at her. Azura was striding through the flowered fields of Moonshadow bowing graciously to her. Boethia was sitting on his snake mount, with a smug smile, expecting Jyggalags plot will get foiled. Clavicus Vile who was having an argument with his better half Barbas, turning to her applauding in anticipation. Hermaeus Mora who stared at her greedily with his many eyes, intending to learn everything he can about what will happen. Hircine who was standing on one of the many high hills of his hunting grounds, howling her name together with his were-beasts. Malacath who eyed her with a stern look, letting out a warcry, cursing Jyggalags name, that halled through his Ashpit. Mephala was sitting on a giant spider web with her spider daedra, ridiculing Jyggalag for being blind to Skanas doings, letting her act in complete secrecy. Namira with her ever rotting and repulsive face, who was simply smiling at Skana. Nocturnal who was wishing her luck from her dark realm Evergloam. Peryite who was sitting on a volcano in the Pits, expressing his dislike for Jyggalags form of order with a massive roar of his dragonic throat. Sheogorath sitting on his double colored throne, who was balancing a giant cheese wheel on his staff, winking at her. Mehrunes Dagon who was striding through the Deadlands with his towering 4 armed body, commending her for her ambition to fight Jyggalag. Meridia who was throwing a tantrum in her colored rooms, being annoyed about the last survivors of Nirn being undead. Molag Bal in Coldharbour, who was threatening her not to fail, making a gesture at his neck, reminding Skana of her collar. And Jyggalag, who was striding through the void, closing in on the Soul Cairn rapidly, speechless, like a mindless machine set on a single target. The sight of Jyggalag brought her out of the all-seeing vision the eyes granted her, she knew it was only a matter of minutes until Jyggalag was here, almost commanding Skaadi and Skaal, her resolve hardened. "Go to Ylfa, I'll summon our friend and pray to the gods he is able to help!" Skaal nodded at Skana at went together with Skaadi to the unconscious vampire. Skana was focusing the infinite magicka of both eyes into herself. The eyes made her realize, this was no simple conjuration spell like one would summon an atronach, it was conjuration of the highest form, to pull something out of the void by sheer willpower. To force the void to give something up. As she focused, the feeling of remembering something, overcame her again, this time clear. She saw herself holding the daedric spear, pointing it at a several thousands of undead, striding through battlefields on different planes as a warlord. She was unsciously yelling the oath, the shades in the corrupted temple were throwing at her. "He swore! To serve!" Pointing her sword downwards, concentrating the magicka into the tip of her pale fire greatsword carefully enough not to disintegrate it, she continued to recite, yelling the next words through the Cairn, her voice was accompanied by an otherworldly echo. "He died! He prayed!" Finishing to recite she thrusted the sword into the ground of the boneyard, yelling the final words. "BETRAYED BY HIS LORD VENGEANCE HE SWORE!" Palefire was surrounding her suddenly. The palefire gathered around her, enclosing her in a bright shell of light, the memories occured again. She saw herself looking up to a woman, surrounded by a golden shine, expecting something, but the woman simply turned away with a dismissive gesture. It felt as if the magic was nearly crushing her, it was impossible for her undead body but for some reason she could feel the fire was cold, she was almost freezing. She saw herself again, cleaving a vampire lord in half with the daedric spear, the woman was watching again and turned once more away with a dismissive gesture, she saw herself bowing to the woman, the spear clenched in her fist. The palefire began to disperse and Skana suddenly realized, those weren't her memories. Those were the memories of someone else. Someone who served faithfully and never got a sign of acknowledgment. The illusionary feeling of cold disappeared in the blink of an eye and the palefire was once again surrounding her, loose flames dancing in circles. Another memory surfaced, she shaw herself dying, being torn apart by a powerful spell, trying to comprehend unusual ways of thinking and coming to the conclusion, she got betrayed. No, the being those memories belonged to got betrayed. Skana sheathed her word on her back, waiting for what happens next. The blue dancing flames began to concentrate on a single spot on the ground and a slow, monstrous, distorted, metallic and echoing voice could be heard. "I swore to serve my lord faithfully. I did so for aeons." And a giant skeletal helmeted head appeared belonging to what was stepping out of the palefire on the ground, slowly. The towering undead figure kept speaking as it emerged from the flames. "When i died, i prayed for acknowledgement, being honored by my lord as i had fulfilled my sworn oath to her." As the colossal undead warrior was standing in his full height infront of Skana, being summoned completely, it closed. "I felt betrayed for serving for aeons but never getting a single word or gesture of honor from her, she always dismissed me and all the others as if blind servitude was a certainty. In my final seconds i swore vengeance to her, i would return as what she hates most, her greatest champion becoming undead." The skeletal warrior paused for a moment before he continued with an iron voice. "Once, my name was Auronus. Champion of Meridia, Warlord of Dawn. I cast off those petty titles for i am so much more now. I dwelled in the void for centuries when i got nearly defeated here in the Soul Cairn. A true lord would never let his knights die. I renounce Meridia, i renounce my titles, i renounce the dawn. I pledge to oppose every of her actions in any way possible, furthermore, you who have summoned me, i pledge myself to you, i will annihilate all who would oppose you or cripple them, dying to try if my might is insufficient." Skana couldn't believe her ears and eyes, she was staring at the now undead Auronus for seconds before she could speak. "That's..entirely unexpected." after a short moment she regained her composure, asking;"And you can stop Jyggalag?" Auronus looked down to Skana with his blue burning eyes. "No, that i cannot, but i think you can. You know Nirn is gone. The collapse will expand and consume all daedric planes until it reaches Aetherius. Jyggalag will attempt to level the Soul Cairn himself due to your presence, you are a thorn in his side. When he does that, i will bind myself to him and banish you and him into the Void. I don't know what will happen to me or your friends but this will rob Jyggalag of a tremendous amount of his power when he annihilates the Soul Cairn. His might will be that of a dremora lord. You must defeat him, you bear the eyes, i don't know if that is enough to destroy him permanently in this state, but it is the only chance you have." Skana could not hide the skepticism in her voice. "I hope this works. Because if not, there won't be a chance for you to oppose anything anymore, Auronus." Auronus was sure of himself."The void teaches rarely, but it teaches well if it does, Jyggalag will not be able to resist me binding myself to him." As silently and out of nowhere like the first time, Jyggalag appeared, the same pose as before, his metallic bellowing voice could be heard. "Your resistance and actions are illogical. I will make sure to unmake this plane personally and with it, you will cease to exist." A kind of pressure could be felt in the Soul Cairn, increasing in intensity every second. It was Jyggalag, unmaking the Soul Cairn through his will. "There is only perfect order where nothing exists. The only logical course of action is to return Mundus to nothingness." Skana looked up to the giant daedra lord, she was annoyed by Jyggalags blabbering of logic and order, throwing a snide comment."Wonderful, can you at least end the world without talking all this nonsense? Even Sheogorath makes more sense than you do, besides, I think my friend here wants to tell you something." Auronus took word, his voice did not contain the friendlyness he adressed Skana with when he adressed Jyggalag. "Your logic and order are delusions of your own daedric personality Jyggalag. None of the others welcome you on their planes, you even got cursed with madness once, but it appears that wasn't enough. The byproduct of that was the only good thing you have ever contributed to Mundus. You would deny it, but behind all that order and deduction you embody, lies arrogance enough to fill Aetherius with it to the brim. And that will be your downfall." Jyggalag was completely unimpressed by Auronus speech. "The former auroran known as Auronus. You are one of the most illogical beings i have seen. A daedra becoming undead was never planned by the creation. If i would waste myself on something so irrelevant as celebration, i would celebrate annihilating you together with the rest of Mundus." Skana could hear Auronus laughing with his distorted voice. "We have played for enough time, at this point you're unable to stop the destruction of this plane. Creativity was never your strong side Jyggalag, this serves as your disadvantage." Auronus opened his jaw and a stream of lightning came out of it, directed at Jyggalags face. Auronus magic hit the daedra lord. Binding himself to Jyggalag, he commented snide. "I am afraid a large part of you will go together with the Soul Cairn." Jyggalag acting like his personality just replied. "Of course." The hole in the sky of the Soul Cairn became increasingly larger and Skana realized it's the void closing into the plane, the Soul Cairn would be gone in mere seconds. She thought about Skaal and Skaadi who were at Ylfa and watching. Skana did not know if Ylfa woke up or not, or if she would see them again. The thought of loosing everything did not make her sad, it infuriated her. She did not know if even if she defeated Jyggalag, Mundus would be restored or not. But she wanted to cut him into as many pieces as possible and crush his animus, that was certain. She could hear Auronus as everything darkened rapidly, the Soul Cairns existence came to an end. "Here it comes." Skana found herself back in the void, where she met the apparition of Auronus before. She tried to think about how to restore Mundus, and if it would be possible at all. Everything she knows is gone now, there was nothing left, only herself and Jyggalag. Jyggalag was standing right infront of her in his usual pose. Even that infuriated Skana. It was as if Jyggalag would literally view himself as the judge of everything. It made her mad. The daedra lord didn't made a move to attack. Instead he commented. "I always thought undead to be a crime comitted by Molag Bal. It is a miracle to me how something can be undead when death is something absolute for mortals. Your kind defies every logic." Skana drew her palefire great sword. Hell-bent on destroying Jyggalag. "Wonder all you like with that rusted iron brain of yours, in the meantime i will cut you into pieces before i destroy your animus." Jyggalag took a deep long breath, as if he required to breathe before he spoke. "In fact, you will be the last of your kind... for a few moments." and pointed his sword at Skana. Skana was angry, left with nothing. Jyggalag took it all from her. She swore to herself she would destroy Jyggalag, no matter to cost. She glared at her daedric opponent as she took an offensive stance, her resolve was adamantine. "Let's see if a daedra lord can bleed!"

Machinations of a Lich - Chapter 4 Reality Asunder Useful information for the reader: Skanas thoughts are written in red. Skaal absorbed the flames of his transformation to fuel his magic even further, emanating a metallic and etheral roar of rage. Auronus was just standing there, eying the lich as he was accumulating magicka. "I don't know why the architect allows you to use the eye, but know this lich. I can feel all of the lords watching us right now. One of them, not being welcome even among their own ranks. Should you defeat me, i am certain he will take action, due to his nature. Consider this a warning. Will you doom Nirn, or do you surrender and be destroyed to save it?" As Skaal began to shape flame in his arms, he ignored Auronus question entirely and spoke to himself, analyzing his opponent."Magical resistance present due to daedric nature, metallic surface, logical choice; intense heat." Skaals personality underwent a change when he transformed, being focused solely on magic now, his courtly manners and way of speaking being exchanged for cold logic and analytical thinking. "Follow-up depending on results. I sense no immediate retaliation or preventive measure incoming." When he unleashed his spell, the temperatures could be felt increasing significantly in the boneyard, a stream of such intense heat, the flames were almost white. The spell dispersed on Auronus iron body, merely throwing fiery sparks from the surface of his skin. "I see. An attempt to probe your opponent. It is been a while since i last fought a lich, but it seems your kind never changes." Skana couldn't believe what she saw. She could feel the intense heat even from where she was standing, a spell like that should have left less than ashes behind. "You have to be joking, it simply ..dispersed?!" Ylfa who knew more about magic than Skana was just waiting for something. "I have seen two liches battling in an Ayleid ruin, in Cyrodiil, two centuries ago. I left the ruin really quick after they were done testing each other and got serious." Skaadi was confident in her husband, for a good reason at that. "His phylactery is indestructible, so is Skaal now. Even if it would be possible, destroying the Eye of Magnus would propably unmake Nirn. Auronus is already dead." Contrary to what Skaadi said, Auronus is trying nonetheless, attempting to summon his kin to fight Skaal. "The warlord of dawn summons thee, my kin and army, heed my call! Let us crush this abomination together!" Skaal nullified Auronus conjuration immediately when he drew the magicka of the spell into his hands, crushing it, denying the Auroran any chance of help in the fight. "No, you don't." A loud screeching sound, as if iron scratched over plain stone, could be heard when Skaal charged his hand with unfamiliar magic."Analysis irrelevant, there is no need for old habits. Extreme measures are alway sufficient." What Skaal projected from his hand, was unreal, it looked like a dying version of mundus like it is seen often in study rooms of wizards, scribbled onto panels and blackboards, encircled by fire. It was incredibly loud and a form of pressure could be felt when he casted it, as if gravitation just increased its force in the Soul Cairn. The space around Auronus got twisted, torn apart and pieced together all at the same time when the spell hit him. This was magic belonging to no school known to man or mer, this was Magna-Ge magic. The projectile didn't just explode, the effect was surrounding Auronus until it began to twist him as well, tearing him apart at one end, without piecing him together at the other, like it did to the surroundings. Auronus spoke in a tone no one would ever expect from a daedra, while the spell destroyed him, sadness. "I see it now, i can see it all. All the planes, the realms, even aetherius. I served Meridia so long, but the sight of hers was never given to me. It is beautiful.." Auronus had trouble to speak as the spell did its work. "I was....blind... my...kind got never.... rewarded for our service. Yet ...we continued to... destroy...the undead...in blind faith...i wish.....i could......amend.....". The auroran warlord took the rest of his dying words with him into nothingness. Skaal showed no reaction to the aurorans dying speech as he viewed the boneyard for a few seconds. "It is done." When he changed back into human form, Skaal found himself back on his knees, exhausted. However it did not prevent him from giving a snide comment. "Shors bones, what a poet!" Skaadi was shocked and ran immediately over to her husband, never having seen him on his knees before after a fight worried her. "Skaal! Are you alright?" Skaal was about to get up when Skaadi reached him. "I'm fine Skaadi, i'm just not used to wield this kind of magic. I couldn't destroy his animus, i only managed to damage it, that auroran must've been ancient." Skaadi noticed that Skaal wasn't satisfied with the outcome. "Only. None of us could have done this, don't undervalue yourself so hard." Skaadi hugged her husband from behind after he got himself into an upwards position, speaking into his ear in a playful tone."Save the kneeling for later when we're back in the castle." After chuckling a bit to herself she added;"I love you, Skaal." Skaal visibly happy to be in the arms of his wife, just closed his eyes and savored the moment. "I love you too Skaadi." Skana just stared at the undead couple and thought about Ylfa and herself and when she should tell her about her feelings directly. Ylfa however seemed to read her like an open book when she asked Skana."Want to tell me something?" jokingly. It happened in a flash, just as Skana wanted to give Ylfa a matching answer, Skaadi and Skaal were encased in a huge strange crystal. Ylfa gasped as she ran together with Skana to the crystal. "No! No! No! This must be a bad joke. Auronus wasn't lying, but i never thought he meant...this. I've only seen in it books before." Skana thought Auronus prediction of doom for a cheap trick herself, just like Ylfa, but she had unlike Ylfa no idea what was going on. "So what is this? And how do we get them out there?" When Ylfa replied, the sudden, silent appearance of a giant humanoid figure in the boneyard, made her interrupt herself."Thats an order-" "-Crystal." The giant figure closed Ylfas sentence. The giant who materialized a great sword matching his size out of nowehere, leaning on it, giving him the charisma of a judge, introduced himself with a speech overflowing with formality. "I am Jyggalag, daedric lord of order. The actions of the one you know as Skaal have provoked my reaction. The laws of mundus are not to be touched by the lesser races and I disagree with the architect who has subjected one of his eyes to Nirn. However he has not shown any signs of objection. I am to restore order to Mundus hereby, judging you accordingly." Jyggalag lived up to his daedric personality of order and deduction. "The vampire and lich known as Skaadi and Skaal will remain in stasis for eternity, to prevent further meddling with the laws of mundus. The vampire known as Ylfa is hereby judged to remain in the soul cairn for eternity as punishment for collaborating with the former named beings. The vampire known as Skana, who became the cause of all this when the daedric lord of domination, rape, slavery, vampirism and corruption Molag Bal, also known as god of lies, turned his interest towards her, will have her past corrected. The event of Molag Bal taking an interest in her will have never happened, she is to remain a dead thrall reanimated by an imperial necromancer known as Illia. Before Ylfa and Skana could say anything, a portal swallowed Skana. Skana didn't know where she was, but noticed she was lying on a hard surface, she felt as if she just went through a door into somewhere unknown. Or rather, like her soul found the way back into her body. As she got up, Skana tried to recollect her thoughts about what just happened. She couldn't remember how she got here from the soul cairn. Her head felt like a sponge. Soaked in black mud. Rubbing her head, trying to get her thoughts together, she noticed her sense of smell was gone. The place seemed awful familiar to her as well. After she got up from the altar, she was perplexed when she noticed this was the room where she was reanimated years ago. Years ago. Her sense of taste was gone as well. When she tried to call out for Ylfa, she could only bring out a growling noise. After ultimately noticing that her fangs are gone, panic overwhelmed Skana. "This can't be. Why am i dead thrall again?!" Hastily she began to try to get her collar off, even more panicked as she remembered what Jyggalag said in the soul cairn. An eternity as dead thrall, the thought alone fills her with fear. She remembered being subjected to Illias sadistic whims every day even as vampire. It branded her. A scar on her soul that would take years if not decades to disappear and to be under the thumb of that woman again, is the last thing Skana wanted. "No! Gods, please no!" Illia entered the room, looking at Skana with her cold gaze. "Ah, at last, you're awake. How wonderful. At least one of you bandits withstood the ritual, i'm afraid your friends are dead." With a demanding gesture Illia pointed onto the ground infront of her. "Now, come over here like a good little thrall and kneel before me." Skana was paralyzed in fear when she heard Illia speaking after all those years, but her body moved on its own. She knelt infront of Illia as Illia had demanded. Despair was seeping into Skanas thoughts. "I don't want this all to happen again, why do i have to endure this again?" Another person entered the room and spoke with Illia, Skana did not recognize the voice, but the name. "What common markings for a thrall, Illia. Did you learn nothing from Uthrang?" Illia gave a sharp reply as the other person clearly was provoking her. "Shut up Maera, just because Uthrang reanimated you as revenant instead a thrall, doesn't mean you're not serving him." Maera just snorted."We will see about that. It's none of your business anyway though. Now, shall we see how good you control that little pupped? There's still one of her friends left, I left him alive extra for the occasion." Illia was delighted to hear that and conjured a familiar great sword. "How very thoughtful of you. It should be entertaining at least." Illia commanded Skana to stand up before she handed her the great sword."Get up, you got a friend to kill." Holding her sword once more, Skana was just standing there, gritting her teeth and looking down. Depression began to gnaw at her. "Why? Why is it different from what i remember? I didn't got the sword here and i didn't had to kill a ...friend." Illia looked at Skana as she turned around to follow Maera."What a splendid expression, you are propably drowning in despair right now. Follow me, let's further that sensation of yours." Skana had no choice, she followed Illia and Maera into an adjacent room. They were standing infront of a kneeling man, one of Skanas friends, as Illia had put it. The man was shocked when he saw Skana. "Skana? By the gods what have they done to you?! Do you recognize me? It's me, Angvor." Maera was excited. "Command her to kill him! I so love it to see the look on their faces!" Illia obliged, apparently anticipating the moment herself. "Of course, kill him!" Skana did not recognize the man. Nor had she memories of him. But something in her was screaming not to kill him. When she talked to Skaal back in the castle, she thought she wouldn't care. She realized, this man is the only link left to her past. Skana wanted to say something, but she could only accomplish to growl. "Why can't i speak? Why can i not ask him who i was? Who he is?" Angvor looked at her, sadness adorning his face. "Skana, it's me Angvor. Don't let her turn you into a monster. You were always strong-minded dear, i know you can fight it." Skana felt the effect of the dead thrall spell controlling her again when she raised her sword to strike the man infront of her down. There was an emotion in her she could not discern, but it froze her in motion resisting the spells effect for a moment. Skana remembered that her vocal cords were damaged when Illia killed her the first time, she put every bit of effort into it to say something. "I....aahhng...sorrhg". Angvor smiled sad, knowing his words cannot prevent what will happen, but it seemed he understood what Skana said. "May the gods forgive you for i will. I hope we will meet one day again in Sovngarde, Skana." Illia grew impatient and she commanded Skana again with an almost agressive tone. "I said, kill him!" Skana felt her resistance against the spell dwindling. The spell kept pressing harder the more she tried to resist, she knew she cannot hold it for much longer, but she didn't want to kill this man. There was something in her that broke at the thought to strike him down. Before she could finish the thought, her arms were moving on their own, her sword slashed Angvor, but it didn't kill him. The palefire enchantment discharged and he writhed in anguish. When Skana looked into his face, she was on the verge to go insane, something broke in her, she did not know what, but seeing him in pain made her almost feel it herself. Not for long, The second strike was deadly and she wanted it to be deadly herself, to end that mans suffering. Skana was overwhelmed by grief for reasons she did not know. She dropped down on her knees, emanating bizarre noises due to her still damaged vocal cords, as she began to sob. No tear left her undead body though. "Why...? What did i do to deserve this? What did he do to deserve this?" Maera was irritated at the outcome. "Bah, that was far less thrilling than i have anticipated. To make it even worse, i think your thrall has a few screws loose, it has emotions." Illia lectured Maera with her own snide theories. "I intend to find out if emotions might not be able to shape how a thrall develops, surely Uthrang never needed to do this, since you're perfect and all that. But i do admit, it's not the outcome i would have hoped for.." Illia did something. As Skana knelt there in grief, she noticed her mind getting cloudy, her thoughts began to slow, it felt like wading through black mud. Mere seconds later, Skana collapsed onto her back and lost her consciousness. When Skana awoke, she found herself in a familiar place again. The cage in Illias hideout. The sticky black mud was still in her mind, albeit lifting, she couldn't grasp a thought long enough to keep it. "...this...the end...?" Illia and Maera had a casual conversation with a few snide remarks here and there, about torturing someone and witty banter about necromancy. Skana could hear the words but her mind was working too slow to make sense of them. "...daggers into her side... ... stretching rack!.... ...studying her bones...." As Illia noticed Skana being conscious again, she just looked at her and renewed the effect of the spell without having to say anything. Skanas eyes immediately became heavy and her thoughts came almost to a standstill. She was at her breaking point, she wanted to give in. A mindless thrall would feel no pain and perhaps Illia would overdo it one day and she could die the final death. "...don't...care.....anymore...." Skana closed her eyes, looking forward to embrace nothingness. Anything to escape what would await her. A hollow and morbid voice spoke in her mind. "In our final seconds, we realize what we want most, what we did wrong. Tell me Skana, are these your final seconds? I can tell you have done nothing wrong, but what do you want most?" Somewhere in the backyard of her mind there was still a spark of thought, remembering a person she had feelings for.. "...Yl..fa....?" The voice said nothing, but suddenly she saw Ylfa infront of her, with a questioning look on her face. "Who are you?" Skana was back in Castle Volkihar, but everything felt surreal. Ylfa would never ask her who she is, Ylfa knows her. "It's me Skana! don't you remember me, Ylfa?" But Ylfa walked away. "I know no one by that name and i don't meddle with dead thralls, we will tolerate you here, but you should go back to your master and serve him." Skana was shocked, she didn't understand what was going on. "Ylfa?.." But Ylfa ignored her, it was as if Skana wasn't there for her. Skana couldn't believe what happened. "No, this is wrong, this is all wrong!" But Ylfas words sparked an idea and she sprinted through the castle. "There must be an altar here, this is a vampire castle, there has to be one." She didn't had to search for long. The room was an exact copy of the one she was in when Molag Bal took her by force and turned her into a vampire in Coldharbour. Skana almost ran towards the altar, harboring hopes to be able to flee from this nightmare. "This has to work, please let this work!" She kneeled infront of the altar intending to present herself to Molag Bal. "Molag Bal, lord of domination. I come willingly to you, i beg of you. Let me serve you." Waiting for a response from the daedric lord, Skana kneeled for minutes infront of the altar. Nothing happened. Skana tried it again, she couldn't believe Molag Bal would turn down a willing slave. And it was better than beeing Illias torture puppet, even if mindless. This was at least a chance. "My lord, please. I beg of you, enslave me, take me, do whatever you want with me, i am yours, body and mind." As Skana realized Molag Bal wouldn't respond to her pleas, she dropped onto her side. She began to sob again, this time out of her own emotions. Depression overwhelmed her together with a sense of futility. "I don't want to live like this...what use is undeath when i only get tortured by the hands of a madwoman?!" When the morbid voice spoke to her again, Skana knew it wasn't Molag Bal. "There is a way out, there is always a way out. For some, it takes aeons to open its path and others are afraid to walk it. What are you?" Black mud clouded her thoughts again as she closed her eyes lying infront of the altar. When the fog lifted itself from her mind again, she was standing in meridias temple, surrounded by shades. The shades were repeatedly hissing the same words at her. "It's corrupted, it's corruped, take it, take it, free yourself, free yourself!" Skana realized the shades are referring to the Dawnbreaker. As she walked up to the podium, the shades became even more agitated, reciting some kind of oath. "He swore! To serve!" "He swore! To serve!" She took the Dawnbreaker from its podium without hesitation, to her surprise, nothing happened, the shades were speaking the truth, the Dawnbreaker was corrupted in this reality. As she eyed the blade with disdain the shades continued to recite. "He died, he prayed!" "He died, he prayed!" Skana saw her only option to prevent the future Jyggalag had given her. She thrusted the blade into her body. She knew it was weak to make a runaway in suicide, but there was nothing left for her. She had no intention of becoming Illias toy and Ylfa did not recognize her anymore. The few days she had with the Volkihar clan was the best thing ever happening to her since her reanimation. Jyggalag took it away from her when he altered her past, changing reality itself. It was strange, it didn't hurt, rather it felt comforting. As the world around her darkened, the shades were frantic, finishing to recite an oath to someone Skana didn't knew. "Betrayed by his lord! Vengeance he swore!" "Betrayed by his lord! Vengeance he swore!" Skana did not know where she was, but this looked very much like the form of afterlife the undead get. Everything was dark around her and even with her eyes she head problems to see in this place. "This must be the void." As she got up from a ground she could not see, she noticed something nearby. Something big. A giant humanoid figure, which seemed to be stuck in the invisible ground, with a body made of bone and a cloud of whirling darkness as head with two blue burning lights as eyes stared at her. The being spoke to her with the same morbid voice she heard in her mind. "Correct, this is the void, but you did not die your final death, Skana." Skana was perplexed at the being knowing her name."Why do you know my name? Who are you?" The being spoke, while its glowing eyes stared at Skana. "We are aquainted, but we do not know each other. That is not important. The matter of causality is important however. The one who caused this desaster was not you. Neither was it Stonefire. Jyggalag himself was it in his own arrogance. The Soul Cairn is now connected to both realities. You need to undo what has been undone." "Undo what has been undone? Only Skaal could do this and i'm not good with magic myself. But Skaal is..." Skana stopped to speak when a sense of futility went through her. The being however seemed to sense this."I saw it all. Do not despair little one. I was defeated aeons ago in another reality, but not in yours. Yet my reality is older than yours while it is not. I was shaped by the void to what i am now, but the one you know as Uthrang is a tricky one. Know this, Magnus has more than one eye, as you have two, so does he. Uthrang banished it into the void using an elder scroll. I am unsure how he managed it, for my sight does not reveal their mysteries." After a short pause a little orb manifested between Skana and the void being. "This is Magnus' second eye, it is blind and much of its power is lost however, it allowed me to form this pocket in the void, preventing myself being absorbed into it. I shall grant it to you, for i am sure you wish to return both realities being into one again. You must make haste though, both realities will collide into each other, destroying all of Mundus if unprevented." The small eye floated towards Skana and stopped above her hand, Skana could feel its power radiating, this small eye was almost overwhelming, she had trouble to imagine how Skaal could handle the other one. "Jyggalag would go that far?! But how can i stop it? I can only swing my sword, i have no idea what to do with the eye! And what do you mean with it is blind?." The being seemed to think for a moment before it continued. "A single eye cannot see through the void. Magnus did not object with Jyggalags intentions because he could not see them. Uthrang planned this all to take the lich Skaal out of the picture, but bringing Jyggalag into this was his miscalculation. By banishing the eye into the void, he hoped Jyggalag would make an appearance, placing bets on the most powerful of daedra lords seems logical at first, but Jyggalag goes to extremes to execute his sense of order. When Mundus would be destroyed, that is his idea of perfect order. There can't be disorder where nothing exists. A fatal flaw in Uthrangs machinations." When Skana touched the eye, she absorbed its power. The feeling was utterly overwhelming. She staggered when the immense amounts of magicka entered her body. "Shors bones! I feel like i'm about to explode, what insane power is this?!" "The tools of creation, little one." The being explained. "And this is just a tiny fraction, like a hair to yourself in comparement, of the power the god of magic wields, but enough of that. You don't need to be a wizard to use the eyes power. You can discharge it with a weapon of daedric craftmanship. Go to the Soul Cairn, where the spear still lies, use it to shatter the crystal, once the lich is free and the eye connected to him again, your eye will resonate to the other and Magnus will see what is happening. But be warned, the eye has only enough power left for a single reality shaping and Jyggalag will not stay idle when the time comes." Skana was frowning. "I don't know how to get into the Soul Cairn, and how can we battle Jyggalag? He's a daedra lord." The creature apparently has thought this through for a longer time, regarding Jyggalag. "I do not know how to enter the Soul Cairn, the order crystal is hindering my sight on it. But the revenant known as Maera knows it. As for Jyggalag, do not fret. I made a vow once and i intent to fulfill it. Summon me when Jyggalag appears, i will serve you as i have served my old lord." Not having any clue about magic made Skana repeat herself. "I told you, i have no experience with magic, i can't summon anything even if i wanted to." After a short pause, and feeling terribly awkward she added."Besides, Illia can command me." The void being being chuckled with its morbid voice. "You will find yourself rather resilient against the dead thrall spell with the eye in your posession. Also when the time comes and the eyes are resonating, you will know everything you need to summon me and more. No go, before it is too late!" Skanas mind became clouded again and she passed out. Skana found herself on a bloodied wooden table when she regained consciousness. Illia and Maera were discussing what to do next to her. She awoke in the middle of whatever sadistic experiment Illia was doing to her. "Oh look she's conscious again, what do you say? Time for the stretching rack?" Maera lifted Skana from the table and dropped her onto the ground like a wet stone. "Yeah, no blood in her veins anymore, time for the bones." Skana groaned in pain, they must have stuck all sorts of daggers and knifes into her, she noticed how weak she was, there was no blood left in her body. But she had no time for this. She crawled towards her cage in hopes to amuse the two sick idiots who were gloating at her, getting herself some time to recuperate. Judging from Maeras reaction it worked. "Aww how cute, the slave wants back into her cage." Illia just laughed as they both watched Skana crawling along the floor. She began to feel better when she almost reached the cage, feigning weakness to have Illia open the cage door and close it behind her, to gain a few more precious seconds. After Illia locked the cage door, she and Maera went into the antechamber of the cave to construct the stretching rack, at least that's what Skana was willing to hear from their conversation. This would give her enough time. Skana stood just there in her cage, concentrating on wearing the dead thrall spell on her mind down and regaining her strength. Much to her surprise it was easier than she had expected. After a few minutes, she felt like she could rip a mammoth with bare hands apart. She easily kicked the cage door open, making the lock fly away with a loud clanking sound. Skana knew Illia and Maera must have heard that. Skana had little time to search for her sword, she could hear Illia and Maera coming back to the room. Luckily Illia hadn't much places where she stored something as large as a great sword, Skana found it after a few seconds in the large ornamented chest standing next to Illias bed. As Maera and Illia entered the room, Illia couldn't suppress a surprised;"What in oblivion?!" when she saw Skana at her chest."You stupid corpse, get away from my belongings!" Maera just stood there, saying nothing. Skana turned around with her great sword on her shoulder, swiftly walking towards Illia, her face was a grimace of anger while she snarled;"Come here, you little strumpet!" Illia was sure of herself and the dead thrall spell, as usual. She stepped forward and pointed at the ground infront of her. "Get your ass here and kiss my feet, your stupid piece of dead flesh!" Maera warned Illia. "Illia, i don't think this is working." Illia ignored Maeras warning, seemingly insisting that the dead thrall is working. "I told you to get on your goddamn kn-" Was all Illia could say before Skana abruptly decapitated her with one wide swing of her great sword when she got close enough. Maera had Skanas complete attention now, being threatened at the tip of her great sword she raised her hands to signalize surrender. Skana wanted to know only one thing. "How do i get into the Soul Cairn?" Just like the one in Skanas original reality, Maera became snappy."Ha! The Soul Cairn. You must be looking forward to commit suicide. But that's not my problem when the crystal kills you, I'll be there and watch you dying. Be my guest, go to the maze at Labyrinthian, if there's anything left of it, that is"" Skana was satisfied with that answer, but came to the conclusion that killing Maera here and now might save her a lot of trouble later."You will watch nothing when i have killed you." Just as Skana was about to attack, Maera teleported herself away with a portal. Much to Skanas disappoinment, the Maera is this reality was the same wuss like the one in hers. Skana just snorted as she made for the cave exit, speaking to herself. "Figures. running away, now i know why Skaadi hates her." At the cave exit, Skana noticed it was day outside. She didn't liked the sun since the day she became undead, but at least it wouldn't burn her to a crisp like it would when she was a vampire. Being a vampire again. Skana missed that, but more than most she missed Ylfa. Her resolve grew with every thought, she has to fuse both realities together, if she ever wants to see Ylfa and her clan again.

< Chapter 1 As Illia awoke at the next day, the mind clouding effect of the dead thrall spell on Skana got re-newed, purely through her will. She chuckled while walking over to Skanas cage and commanded her minion out of the cage, only to fixiate her with chains hanging from the ceiling, in a rather uncomfortable position. "Not that you'd mind bending over like that with these muscles of yours, right? Now, let's continue where we stopped yesterday." Illia proceeded to stab Skana in her side, again with the dagger. Over and over again, this time without taking any notes. "..hurts..." Skana did only moan in agony, similar to a generic reanimated undead. Illia stopped after what felt like an eternity. " You bled like a stuck pig my dear, but apparently there's no more blood left in your body, astonishing that you're still functioning." Illia stabbed Skana one more time, without any different result, there was no blood left."It's time we should move on onto more..serious tests." Illia unchained Skana, but not before giving the command to follow her into the next room of her lair. Skana obeyed, her body seemingly unimpressed by the loss of blood. This time, Illia excelled herself in terms of sadism when she fixiated Skana onto a stretching rack. "I'm going to grant you your consciousness for this, even allow you to scream." Illia laughed and began to operate the rack with a single magical gesture, at the same time she granted Skana her consciousness, lifting the mind-clouding effect of the spell on her. "I really have to commend these Thalmor torturers for inventing a magical rack, simply magnificient." The rack began to work slowly and Skana just realized what happened. "Are you totally snapped you necromancer bitch? by the gods and they call us bandits crazy! Get me off this.. thing so i can rip your head off!" Illia just grabbed her notebook and a feather and made a crude gesture, making the rack work faster. "I wouldn't call you lot crazy, but stupid seems appropriate, you threaten me yet you are in no position to do so, i will enjoy breaking you." Illia just smiled as she saw Skana fighting the rack, to no avail. "Can't you just turn me into a stupid puppet again? Argh, gods, i can't take this!" Illias smile became a wolfish grin with these words."But where's the fun in that? Ah, but fret not, this is all for a purpose. I just have to see what your body or to be more precise in this case, your bones can withstand and also, if they regenerate at the same rate." Skanas eyes widened at those words."Wait.. you don't mean...?" Her sentence turned into a scream when she felt the bones of her arms and legs breaking. Illia just took another note in her book, unimpressed by Skanas screams until she stopped the rack. "See? Was that hard? Now i'll kill two birds with one stone, let's see how fast your bones regenerate if your body is still getting strained. But for that we don't need the rack, you'd be useless without limbs to me" That said, Illia opened the shackles and carried Skana back into her laboratory, after all, she can't move with broken bones. "You are.. a damn.. sick woman!" Illia decided not to listen to her rantings. Back into the laboratory, Illia fastened Skanas hands with the ceiling shackles again just to have her lifted up, hanging from the ceiling. Skana laughed with a sarcastic tone."Oh fantastic, is that the part where you get your whip?" Illia lifted an eyebrow and chained two heavy iron ball-weights onto Skanas legs and smiled."Quite tempting, but i think these two should be enough." Skana choked on her sarcastic tone as she felt the iron weights doing their work. Illia just nodded. "You'll tell me when you feel just fine, unless you like hanging around." Illia became impatient as Skana said nothing the next hour. "Alright.. this takes too long, i think i'll have to break them a lot more if i want to make you more durable." Skana just hung there saying nothing. "Yeah don't play dead on me i know the spell is still working, i can feel it, but i guess i should get you down there, don't do anything stupid!" Skana tried to stand up, but her limbs failed her, the bones being not completely regenerated, breaking again. "Urrgh..i ..can't.." She was finally feeling some kind of unnatural weakness. Illia sighed and dragged Skana back into her cage. Illia was writing again into her notebook after she locked the cage door, speaking to herself. "one hour.. not fully regenerated..needs more improvement.." Illia noticed Skana was sitting in the cage. "Oh sitting already? Figures, after all your spine wasn't broken, but we'll get to that later. And i think we should work on your tone, i don't plan on letting you be a puppet, you're of more use to me if you know what's happening around you, you should adress me properly, after all you're my property now." Skana just snorted. "Go to hell, bitch." Illia closed her notebook and chuckled. "I think you are mistaking the word 'Bitch' for 'Mistress' here. Think about it, i'll give you a day to recover, i can do even worse things to you afterwards, not to improve your durability or anything, just for my entertainment and you'll be begging me for something generic as a whip. Take your time, i'm going to run some errands. Oh and you're not allowed to leave the cage or to break it open in any way." Skana just dropped onto her shoulder at the ground of the cage. "Whatever.." all she wanted was to close her eyes and wait for the pain to go away. A deep guttural laughter could be heard in the room surrounding her, but she didn't cared. Skana could hear Illias voice calling out to her and opened her eyes. "Wait.. did i..sleep?" Illia just shook her head. "No, undead don't sleep, but apparently you can fall into the same state vampires do at day, funny however that you did while sitting and a whole day too. In any case, i got something for you." Skana eyed the crude looking greatsword in Illias hand. "Great, i was already asking myself what you're stabbing me with next." Illia Just rolled her yes and opened the cage. "Get out, i don't use something that crude.. it's for you, ebony crafted by a master smith, so it can withstand the force you're going to be swinging this. Don't get your hopes up, this is purely for you to defend me. Now there's a little special to it of course." Skana stared at the sword and put on a bored tone."Oh let me guess, it requires my blood? I need to decapitate myself with it?" Illia just gave her the sword, only to see the sword bursting into blue flames. "This is called a palefire enchantment. It weakens enemies and drains their life force, fortunately for you it only works when wielded by someone undead." Skana couldn't help herself but to admit that she liked that sword. "Neat." Illia looked expectantly at Skana. "Well did you work on your tone or are we going to have a long day again?" Skana didn't liked what she was doing, Illia didn't command her now, she has to do it out of free will. But that rack was enough for her, so she kneeled infront of Illia. "Thank you, mistress." Illia eyed her with a triumphant grin. "Good good, i see you finally learn where your place is. Now get your ass up, we're going to Windhelm, i have business to attent to on Solstheim." Skana was curious so she asked. "Solstheim? What would you want on that island?" Illia corrected her. "What would you want on that island, Mistress. Is that for you. I'm having a dunmer named Ralis Sedarys running an excavation for me there, i'll most likely need to convince the second councelor that i'm interested in any the local problems, like this ash spawn crap they had running there last time. And now shut up it's a long way to Windhelm." There was that laughter again, only Skana could hear it, but she didn't said a word. Later at candlehearth hall, Illia was just sitting in a corner, observing the room. Skana sitting next to her on the ground. "Is there a reason why i have to sit on the ground like a dog?...mistress?" Illia just spat in her mug. "You just said it, i'm your mistress, i might let you keep your consciousness but i won't give you completely free control over your body and now we will follow that man over there, i saw what i wanted to see here." Illia and Skana followed the man to the shipyard onto his ship. Illia greeted the man dry. "Gjalund, you know why i'm here." Gjalund didn't stop hammering at his ship post, obviously trying to fix something. "Illia was it?" Gjalunds two sailors noticed the commotion. "Who's that cap'n?" Gjalund stopped hammering for a second."Everything in order boys, this is for coin, we're setting sail soon." Illia just put on a smug grin. "I see captain you know that asking questions is bad for business. Oh and don't mind Skana, she'll just sit over there" One of the sailors eyed Skana. "Woah Cap'n that's quite the outfit she has there." Gjalund just shook his head. "Forget it boy, i don't think you're into that sort of thing." "But ...?" Gjalund cut through his question with one word. "Necrophilia?" The sailor quickly turned to his business and didn't say another word. Gjalund just shrugged. "Exactly boy, we're traveling with a necromancer, that's all we need to know, we get the coin and we don't ask questions, now let's get our nutshell to solstheim!" Upon arrival Illia had to justify herself, apparently not the first time, infront of Adril Arano, the second councilor of Ravenrock. Skana just stood there watching, she couldn't say anything productive anyway. "Adril don't be so stupid, i know how proud you dunmer are but i can help with this Ashspawn menace." Adrils attention turned towards Skana. "Say, who's this? I'm not foreign to necromancy Illia, but last time you were alone and this clearly isn't an imperial so telling me one of your ancestors watches over you just to trick yourself into our traditions won't work." Illia got increasingly annoyed by the questions Adril was asking, but this was Morrowind, she had to follow the rules here unless she wants to mess with the whole Redoran guard. "This is, or was, a lowly bandit i scraped up somewhere in Skyrim. None of your business, she's my property, even by your laws, see her as a slave if you want." Skana wanted to say something but noticed Illia wasn't allowing her to talk at the moment. Adril stopped being so nosy all of a sudden, looks like he lost interested in his own game. "Very well, i assume you're not here to cause trouble. If you really want to help with this Ashspawn business, talk to captain Veleth. You'll find him at the Retching Netch at this time." Illia just sighed. "About time Adril, you take your position here too serious. Come Skana." Adril just snorted and greeted Gjalund. On their way to the Retching Netch, Illia and Skana met the captain of the redoran guard. "Captain Veleth, at your service." Skana noticed how Illia lifted an eyebrow and behaved a bit off, apparently she liked this Dunmer. "Oh my, such a handsome looking guard Captain you are, i heard you are headed to the Retching Netch?" Veleth was a bit puzzled at first but regained his posture shortly. "That i am m'lady, would you like to join me?" Skana was disgusted by the thought of Illia having a partner in any common way, she had pity with this Dunmer, but noticed that she still wasn't allowed to speak so she just watched in silence. But Veleth didn't seem to care for Skana at all, apparently also not foreign to necromancy, as dunmer are. Illia just made a pretty face. "Oh i'd love to, however i must speak to you about this Ashspawn problem you have here." Skana was actually rather glad that she was sitting in the corner, so she could focus on something else than a chirping necromancer and her guard captain. There was also that laughter again she kept hearing from time to time, but something was off, she felt as if someone was watching her. Illias words interrupted her thoughts. "Get up, we're going to rest the night here.". Illia eyed Skana expectantly again once they entered the room. "Well?" Skana rolled her eyes. "Well what?" Illia became slightly angry. "Well what, mistress, for you!" Skana kneeled down, obediently. "Mistress." Illia adorned herself with that triumphant and smug grin again."Good, you stay like this until i wake up, you'll kill anyone who's entering this room, the only person allowed to do so is Captain Veleth, oh and be silent slave." "Did that bitch call me slave?!" With these words Illia went to bed. At that moment, Skana could hear the laughter again in the room. "Yeah i'm sure that's funny, whoever you are" Against Skanas expectations the laughter turned into a voice. "A human enslaved as never before, conscious but undead. Unwillingly captured in servitude. This amuses me indeed." Skanas thoughts began to go haywire, she didn't expect to get an answer. "What the...? Who the hell are you and why can only i hear you and even more important why can you read my thoughts?!" The voice laughed again, in a calculating cold way. "I am the creator of the spell that turned you into this magnificient being. I am your true master." Skana laughed in her thoughts. "Great, what is it this time? an arch-necromancer? somebody from Illias funny little cult?." The voices amused tone changed into something so cold that even Skana could feel it in her dead body. "I am your true master, Skana. And i command you, kill Illia, she served her purpose. Offer me her soul!" When the voice said her name Skana could hear it a thousandfold in her head as if she was standing inside a giant bell and someone rang it, it was compelling, a force so strong, she had to obey no matter the cost and she wanted to. As she regained control over her body, granted by the force unknown which spoke to her, all she was thinking about were those hours Illia tortured her. With two quick steps Skana stood next to Illia and lifted her out of the bed. Illia instantly awoke and gasped for air as Skanas grip fastened around her throat. "Urghng, how is this possible, i command you! you dead piece of meat, let me down!" Skana stared into Illias eyes, a look that would even freeze the red mountain to the ground."There are things in this world, things you don't know of, things you don't understand, you opened the door to darkness and now i'm going to slam it shut, with your neck in between!" Skana eyed her victim like one does with an interesting insect. "Cast your petty spells, try to enslave me! I will crush your throat before you do. I told you i'll rip your head off with my bare hands. I was a bandit once but i always kept my promises, but where's the fun in that when it goes so fast, right?" Skana pounded Illia onto the bed, over and over again, until she was heavily bleeding from the impact on the wooden frame. Illia tried to crawl away, but only managed to fall off the bed on the other side. "Please...., stop! You will... kill me....at this.... rate!" Skana went around the bed and kneeled over Illia. "Take a guess why i am doing this, beg a bit more you necromancer cunt, beg before i choke the life out of you!" Skanas hand closed like the jaw of a werewolf around Illias throat. Illia just did that, she tried to do something with her right hand, but her strength waned instantly and her arm just dropped to the ground. "Thank the... gods, i'm about... to ......pass out.." She wimmered with a weak voice. Illia passed indeed out just after saying that. Skana didn't liked that. "I'm not done with you yet! You tortured me for hours if not days! Let me return the pleasure!" Then there was that voice again, shouting at Skana. "KILL HER! I DEMAND HER SOUL NOW!" Skana hesitated at first, killing Illia now would make her revenge rather short, too short for her taste, but then she remarked how this unknown entity didn't force her to kill Illia with those words. Skana smiled to herself and thought; "Finally someone who knows how this works." Skana lifted Illia up again and ripped her head off of her shoulders with her bare hands, effortlessly. The look at the face of Illias now detached head, showed Skana that she must've felt it. This pleased her. Skana dropped Illias head and body without further interest and left the room. "Now i want to know who you are." She asked the unknown entity. The voice laughed at her again before replying. "You shall learn of that soon enough, when you've earned your place in my little game. For now, you'll serve me and you will find that my leash for you is much longer than the one that necromancer had." "Do i have a choice?" Skana asked. "Several." The voice replied. Chapter 3 >

Chapter 2> Warning Picture and Dialogue-Heavy Story Foreword; Image quality may change, as i'm constantly trying to improve every aspect of a story i make. I wouldn't say i'm good or bad at stories, my imagination however goes some very weird ways which might offend some people. That said, if you dislike necromancy in any form or have a strong belief that the dead shouldn't be desecrated and reflect this onto other peoples stories or feel offended by anything BDSM/Fetish themed you might want to leave this story be and look at someone else's blog. I didn't put the Adult tag there for nothing. Useful Information for the Reader: Everything written in this color depicts what Skana is thinking. Prologue Skana was a bandit chief living at fort greymoor, leading her group of bandits and raiding traveling traders and caravans on the plains of whiterun hold. Life was simple and good for her, but that all changed when a necromancer raided the fort and obliterated the whole bandit gang. Skana was standing last and put up quite the fight but died eventually at the hands of the necromancer. Impressed by Skanas strength, the necromancer decided to test a new, rather experimental, reanimation spell on her, the dead thrall spell. Chapter 1 - Reanimated After hours or carrying the bandits corpse through skyrim into her lair, Illia was worn out when she dumped the corpse onto the altar. But her anticipation wouldn't allow her to rest, she just had to test this new ritual spell she's got a hold of recently. The dead thrall spell was unlike to any other reanimation spell, it would bind the corpse to the caster for eternity, prevent the minion from rotting away and even enable it to regenerate. The last effect, she thought, she had to test thoroughly. The thought of what kinds of experiments she could perform on a minion like this was thrilling her. Illia thought the details through before getting started, she dressed her future thrall to meet her twisted taste and applied magical shackles and a collar to the corpse; "Wouldn't want you to turn on me, if i make a mistake, right my dear?" She petted the corpse gently before she began to chant otherworldly words of conjuration and necromancy for the next hours to come. The ritual was taxing and required the highest degree of concentration, one wrong word and she could accidently kill herself or worse, destroy the soul that was still lingering in the dead body. After what felt like an eternity for her she finalized the ritual with the last phrase of the spell; " HIM SIL FENT ALOK DIIL UNAHZAAL ! " Illia could sense the spark of unlife that began to stir in the dead body, eyeing it impatiently. "...where.....am...i..?" Illia grew even more impatient as the seconds passed. "Open your damn eyes! I didn't do this for hours so i can examine some fizzing negative energy spark emanating from you!" "..she tells me to open my eyes....i have to open my eyes...." Illia eyed the thrall with skepticism;" Well, that's just like any other reanimation spell, now i need to see if you don't just crumble to dust after 240 seconds." As the seconds passed, Skana tried to sort her thoughts. To no avail, it was as if slick black mud was clouding her mind, disallowing her to think too far in one direction or another. "Colour me impressed, 5 minutes an still not crumbled to dust, this spell is something else. Now get up, let's see what an obedient corpse you are." " i'm compelled again... i have to get up....what is happening?" Skana finally saw the one, commanding her, although she didn't understand why she obeys this woman unknown to her. Her thougts went into strange directions. "...this woman...killed...me....?..." As she tried to speak, her voice failed her, all she could do was groan. "Whhhhhhhh...hhh..?" Illias eyes widened in anger: "SHUT UP! ON YOUR KNEES CORPSE AND SHUT. UP.!" Illia looked down at her dead threall with an annoyed look on the face:"Great, just great. A sentient one. I can't wait to hear that you want to be released every damn five minutes! But since you apparantly can understand me, know this, i won't release you ever! You are my thrall, my toy, i command you!" "...kneel... obey...?..." Illia kept going on, displaying her dominant side;"Infact.. i could get some useful advice from Falion how to erase your mind, turning you into the silent obedient corpse you should be. After all i don't want to repeat myself every day just to have you shut up." An evil grin hushed over Illias face. "You know what? Actually i want to test this... you know, necromancers can never know enough about their craft, i command you, get up and answer me! What is your name?" "...stand up....my..name..?..tell her..my..name..." There was still the slick black mud clouding Skanas thoughts, as she tried to answer. "Ss..hhh....shh...K..." No matter how hard she tried, her voice won't obey her even if commanded by the necromancer. Illia just shrugged, recognizing the problem; "I see, apparently i destroyed your vocal cords with my frost magic, given the spell i reanimated you with those should regenerate after a while. Best if i take you to Falion... i need some advice before i do anything with you, wouldn't want to accidently destroy my new toy. Follow me, we're going to Morthal.. not that you'd mind where or what that is..." "Morthal....where..?...what is going...on..?" As Illia left the fort with Skana, Skana could feel the sun shining on her, though her body stays cold. Something came back to her at that moment, like a small piece of a puzzle out of thousands, and she stopped, for a fractional moment being able to defy the necromancers command. "Ss..K...r..im.." "I'm in skyrim...not..sovngarde..." Illia didn't mind her thralls paltry try for speech and just yelled at her while walking;"Come on, move your dead ass!" About half a day on foot, Illia reached Morthal, being more worn out than her thrall. Skana showed no signs of exhaustion at all as Illia noticed;"Tsk.. this makes me almost want to cast that spell on myself." As she entered Falions house with her thrall, Falion looked at her as if he had expected visitors. "Is this what i think it is Illia? Are you insane, girl?!" Illia just shrugged and introduced Skana as her new favourite corpse to Falion. "Well, as you can see i managed to cast a dead thrall spell, quite impressive i might say, but i'm not here to earn praise, i actually wanted to ask-" Falion interrupted her with a rude gesture, signalizing Illia that she had overstepped bounds she better didn't.;" This once, i let this once go Illia, but i swear by every daedric lords name i will kill you, slowly, if you bring another dead thrall to MY HOUSE!, I'm stressed as it is with all these cretins in Morthal, what do you want? My blessing that your new thrall won't rip you apart because you ignored the fact that the dead thrall spells isn't fully explored yet?" Illia just pointed at Skana and commanded her to kneel again; " Does this look like she's going to rip anything apart aslong as i didn't tell her to?" "Kneel...again....rip..apart..?.." Falion was rather puzzled to see Skana obey in an instant;"Well, this outfit on her sure looks like you, but i admit, your ability to control her isquite impressive. I just hope you know what you do Illia, dead thralls have physical strength beyond that of a werewolf, whenever you go to bed or decide to... experiment on her.. i suggest you get some really solid irons to fixiate her. It's a dead thrall, she can feel pain unlike generic reanimated corpses and she will go at your throat if you overdo it, mark my words." "Control...me...i understand...must ..obey...no..." Suddenly Skana tried to speak again."Iii wwhh..l...k..ll..yo..u.." Illia eyed her minion with scientific interest; "Astonishing how fast her vocal cords regenerate! Did you hear that Falion?" Falions face turned into a emotionless grimace made out of stone when he heard the undead minion speak. "Illia.. don't tell me you did something funny to her already, because that sounded almost like 'I will kill you'." Illia just shrugged slowly to exaggerate how much she was interested in Falions oppinion, after all the corpse was her property now and she could do as she pleases with it. "You know Falion, actually i wanted to ask you if you know how to erase her mind, but seeing how she's developing i think i keep her that way, this will be so much fun to see her reactions when i experiment on her. Oh the things i can do to her..." Falion shook his head in disagreement. "I've seen my share of dangerous things when i walked the planes of oblivion, when i visited coldharbour i know why i turned away from necromancy.. coldharbour is full of dead thralls, destroying mortal souls in a frenzy and driven by lust for infinite domination over each other. If you are smart and i know you're not, try to do something positive with that thrall.. i'm not asking you to be a benefactor, just don't turn her into a mindless killing machine, it will backfire at you, big time." "Killing machine...nonsense...i'm..no killing machine..." Illia just laughed at him and turned around to go;"You're a fool Falion, a pupil has to succeed his teacher sooner or later! Come corpse." Falion just shook his head and turned to his arcane enchanter;" Illia, one thing." Illia stopped;"What?" Falion pulled his hood deeper into his face;"Remember, solid irons.." Illia giggled childish while opening the door;"Oh where's the fun without the good old cross and cage?" and left Falions house together with her minion. Illia could barely handle her own impatience on the way back to her Lair, the thought of experimenting again thrilled her almost to the point of hysteria. :"This is the secret entrance, remember it corpse, you might be guarding it someday, when i've found a better thrall, i consider you an alpha stage experiment after i gave it some thought, now follow me to my laboratory." "laboratory...i'm not your ..guinea pig.." This time, Skana was able to form more than just fractions of speech;"I..m...not...yo..ur...Ghhhh..h.." Illia wasn't surprised, given she knew how fast her thralls vocal cords regenerated, the regeneration ability will increase with each day in strength. "Oh my dear, i'm quite sure you ARE my guinea pig, you can't do much against it anyway, don't be so hard on you, enjoy it!" Maniacal laughter filled the room as Illia cracked for a few seconds. ;"Now my dear, get over there at that wooden cross!" "No i.. must.. obey... damn..this bitch!" Of course, Skana was compelled by the spell to obey Illias command. As Illia drew her dagger, a cold grin adorned her face. ;"Now then, let's see how fast you can regenerate from light to severe wounds, oh i will so enjoy this! You probably not, but i doubt you have an emotion for that anyway!" Illa laughed like a madman when she slowy drew her dagger over Skanas skin only to observate how fast the wound was closing, cutting deeper everytime, she took some notes from time to time, but the short pausings didn't made it less torturous for Skana. Skana just closed her eyes and waited silently until Illia was done. After what felt like several eternities of pain, Illia got finally tired and stopped slashing at her stomach;"Well.. interesting, the more i cut you the faster you regenerate, the wound is gone already again. Might even be able to fashion a regeneration spell with your tissue." Illia yawned and pointed at the cage next to the wooden cross. "I'm going to put you in there now, Obey, Corpse!" "Corpse... i'll turn you into one!" Illia eyed her minion in the cage with glee. "Looking good! Oh and don't run away my dear, we'll have much to do tomorrow. I'll be going to bed now, you won't move until i wake up. This is an order. Good night Corpse." "Call me one more time... stay in the cage... damn this obedience shit!" Due to Illias torture Skanas regeneration became overdeveloped, having her vocal cords regenerated while Illia was busy stabbing her with the dagger, Skana noticed the black mud is mostly gone from her mind, so she replied;" My name is Skana you crazy bitch and this spell of yours is loosing it's effect on my mind! " Illia just chuckled arrogant into her pillow; "Good night then, Skana" Chapter 2>

View File So I was using reanimation spell for funsies one day, then I heard the female moan and I wanted to smash my own ears in that they were horrible. So I fix it, using some audio samples from Freesound.org, and trim a bit, fixed the ANNOYING echo and converted into a FUZ for Skyrim use. Took about 20 minutes since I had no idea what I was doing. But now I've learned to much.. I feel so proud of myself. Link to the sample - (I've heavily edited it though, so it won't have that echo and loudness to it). https://www.freesound.org/people/11linda/sounds/168724/ I've included a sample mp3 file in a folder, and there's also the original audio track above. Credits 11Linda - for providing a great audio file. Freesound.org - for hostinig a great number of audio samples. Audacity - for a great, free audio-editing software. LaEspada - for converting for use in Skyrim This work is licensed under the Attribution License. Submitter LaEspada Submitted 01/28/2015 Category Other Requires Skyrim Obviously Special Edition Compatible

View File No fancy description here actually. This adds 2 versions of the Soul Cairn Keeper monster as recruitable followers into the halls of the dead in windhelm. One being the vanilla keeper monster, the second version wears ancient nord armor instead of dragonplate. These two fine gentlemen have identical stats to the vanilla keepers, you can however equip them with whatever weapon or armor you wish, armor however doesn't affect their appearance. How hard they kick ass solely depends on the weapon you give them. They work without problems with UFO so far, havn't tested other follower interface overhauls though, but there shouldn't be any problems as no changes to the actualy follower topics were made. Requires Dawnguard Credits Bethesda for creating Skyrim including its addons. The ideal masters for having keepers. The soul cairn for being the soul cairn. I like trains. Submitter Jormungandr Submitted 07/25/2014 Category Companions Requires Dawnguard Special Edition Compatible