Calm Before the Storm [ESO RP w/VampireCat]

It was supposed to be an ordinary day back in Valenwood for Nayru; taking on her usual routine of gathering herbs and berries for her Bosmer family. Truth be told, the woman was of Altmer blood, and yet, it never bothered her in the slightest. The clan that found her and took her in as a toddler had loved and cared for her as if she were their own, and that was more than enough for her. Discovering her magic at a very young age, Nayru had become an apprentice to a master Sorcerer in order to learn how to master her new found abilities. She was an incredibly fast learner, and controlling her powers came so naturally to her; it gave her a confidence she had never felt before.

The days of rigorous training were both mentally and physically exhausting to the young apprentice, yet she refused to give up. With encouragement and support from her older brother, Beriadan, the silver-haired High Elf continued to improve, and eventually, she was no longer under the apprenticeship of her master. As the years went on, Nayru had become more independent and reliant on her magical abilities, using runes to enchant weapons and armor for anyone who requested if of her. Her future was supposed to be as bright as the sun itself. That is...until the horrors of the world outside the comfort of her forest sanctuary came to threaten and destroy everything that she held dear.

The day of her impending doom was an unexpected turn of events. Nayru had been captured and taken hostage by a cult that worshiped the Daedric Prince known as Molag Bal, and was to be used as a sacrifice along with many others. The silver-haired female felt a plethora of emotions, though one was more evident than the others. It was fear that took hold of her very being, and she had no opportunity to fight back. Unable to focus on the others that were held prisoner, Nayru felt the tears roll down her face as she listened to the ear shattering screams of pain and torment coming from her fellow victims. Thoughts of her older brother flooded her mind, realizing that he would never know what would happen to her, that they would never meet again...

As she stared up at the cloaked man before her, she shook her head swiftly, begging and pleading to be freed. However, the members of Molag Bal's cult would not be persuaded. With a dagger held fast in hand, the man raised it skyward with the blade aimed for her heart, and before she even had the chance to scream...

~*~

Silence was the only thing that filled the Altmer's ears. The rush of cold air fell against her skin as her blue eyes slowly opened to find that she was in a prison of some sort. Nayru didn't remember anything prior to how she ended up here, nor did she feel any pain. So many questions ran through her mind, until they were cut off by a cry of pain. Startled, the young woman rose to her feet and dashed towards cell door to see a much older woman fight off a demonic creature.

"Whoa, there! Are you all right?" The blonde Nord asked with concern once she reached her cell, causing Nayru to take a few steps back once she noticed that she had drew her weapon. "The name's Lyris." With a swing of her axe, the lock to Nayru's chamber came loose, and escape was the first thing that came to mind. "I hope you've still got some fight left in you. You're going to need it."

It was then that Nayru knew that she had to fight her way to freedom, yet it would come with a great cost.

As Lyris got Nayru from her cell, she mentally shook her head at the poor girl's state of dress. Her pale blue mage robes were torn and beyond repair, but they were all she had. Honestly, she was surprised she could tell the color by how dirty they were as well. Turning, she spotted a dead Dremora Churl, "Dead, must've been the runt of the litter," she muttered as she hurried over and looked it over. Damn, nothing of used except the weapon, "Go on, grab this. Keep it ready and stay sharp. This place is full of surprises," she explained and heaved her ax up to her shoulder, sprinting ahead to look for enemies.

The young woman was very hesitant at grabbing the Great Sword, yet she took the hilt in both hands and took a deep breath before lifting it up with her scrawny arms. By the Eight, this was heavy! With her eyes shut tight, a small strained groan left her throat as she did her best to keep the weapon upright, and immediately, memories of the past flooded her mind. She remembered her brother, who aspired to become a Dragonknight, and how he wielded Great Swords just as this. It caused a small melancholic smile to form against her chapped lips and tears to burn her eyes.

This was not the time nor the place to bring back such things! She had to be rid of this place, and fast. With a shake of her head, Nayru moved forward as fast as she could, yet she struggled to catch up to Lyris.

The two women crossed a prison guard first thing after going down a pathway, and as she was much farther ahead, Lyris took the first swing to draw it's attention while Nayru tried to heave the great sword over her head, taking one firm slash across it's back, "Good going! No time for celebration, though, come on," she motioned to her and they hurried along, but she hard a clatter behind her, "What's the matter?"

The sound of Nayru's heavy breathing filled the room, her body had collapsed onto the ground beneath her feet. "I-I can't carry this sword for much longer... It's too heavy!" She spoke breathlessly, brushing herself off before trying to lift it again with both hands on the hilt, only for the weapon to slip from her fingers and clatter to the ground again.

"Do you have any other way of attacking enemies? I can't give you my ax," Lyris frowned deeply.

Nayru pondered for a moment before it finally clicked. "Magic..." She blurted out, feeling a strange warmth form in the palm of her hands, a soft lavender glow emitting off her fingertips. "I know magic. It's not much, but it's all I have."

"It'll have to do," Lyris nodded and they headed off again.

They ran across some Argonians holding a door as it thudded and plumes of dirt escaped from the sides, "Keep moving! More guards are on their way!" one shouted raspily, his back to it, and Lyris coaxed Layru to keep following her. After moving through some more winding turns one more Dremora prison guard popped, and Lyris eyeballed Nayru, but wasn't about to stop, taking hacks and slashes against the monster. She was happy when Nayru was able to cast some magic, forming a crystal and striking it forward. It took several tries and some back and forths for this one to go down, but when they were done she panted as she smiled, "Good, good. I wasn't sure if you would be able to use spells, in spite of your mage garb. I'm glad you can. Come, let's get out of here my friend," the praise was swift, but there, and she motioned for her to keep following her.

They didn't get far before Lyris stopped dead and a magical projection of an elderly man appeared before them, "The Prophet!" Lyris gasped.

"Greetings, Vestige," the Prophet said, "Like you, I am a prisoner in this place. You must rescue me, and in turn, I must rescue you..." he faded before his voice spoke again, "Lyris...There is another...that can help...keep watch over them."

"Hold a moment," Lyris said to Nayru and sheathed her ax on her back. Another? What did the Prophet mean? "Come here, we need to talk," she continued when Nayru looked confused at her, "First...I didn't catch your name, if you said it. You haven't spoken at all. This is as good a time as any, I suppose," she sighed.

The young woman blinked a few times before she realized that Lyris spoke the truth. Not once has the young Altmer mentioned her named, and she bowed her head in apology. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Nayru Calibur." She told the older female with a small smile, then looked around the area briefly. "I never got a chance to ask but...where are we?"

"Pleasure, Nayru...and this place...is called Coldharbour," Lyris gave a small sneer at the name. It took some time, but she managed to get the questions and answers through with, and she led Nayru outside of the dungeons they were in. "The God of Steams can see every part of Coldharbour. We need to distract him. The Sentinels are connected. Destroy one, the others won't be able to see anything, but only for a time. We can take the time to look for some supplies if you need, however. It's not like the Sentinels are going to go anywhere."

With a firm nod, the young Sorcerer swallowed hard before speaking up. "I'll take a look around, and see if I can find anything useful." She said, then proceeded to move her feet forward to a different direction while Lyris went ahead. The entire area was crawling with demonic beings, and it brought a feeling of uneasiness to her. However, she had to be brave and find a staff she could use to help control her magic. Hopefully, she would be able to avoid the prison guards while doing so...

Nayru began to explore every nook and cranny of Coldharbour, and it was difficult to make sure she didn't get sighted by the enemy. Finding a satchel to store her treasures in, she packed away all she could find. She managed to take down a few monsters that threatened to stand in her way with her crystal attack, and found a hidden chest or two that contained pieces of armor that she kept in hand just in case. However, she had yet to find a Sorcerer's staff, and it frustrated her to no end. As she rushed to get back to Lyris, she noticed that the blonde Nord had fallen to her knees, unable to get back on her feet. No...!

With desperation and slight panic, Nayru moved as fast as she could to reach the older woman in time. Yet, she lost her balance when a prison guard managed to spot her, and fell to the ground. Looking up, the young Altmer could do nothing but watch in horror as the demonic beast prepared to attack her, only to hear a gargled cry of pain coming from it, seeing a sword slash across its back.

The daedra collapsed in a heap on the ground, and panting in the place behind it was a Bosmer. His outfit, like Nayru's, was nothing like it used to be, left with just the under pieces of what used to be heavy armor. He also had blood splattered all over them and he looked like he had been fighting quite a bit, his hazel green-brown eyes wild. Swiping a stray hair from them, he reached his free hand out to her, bending his tall body down to be within her grasp. His expression had gone from savage to concerned, determination set in his eyes, "Take my hand." It was covered with blood, but he barely noticed, too focused on her.

Biting her lip lightly, Nayru's gaze met his before she managed to regain her composure. Not taking any notice of the blood that soaked his hand, she grasped it gently with her own without hesitation, allowing him to help her get back on her feet. "Thank you..." She smiled.

"Nayru, are you alright?!" Lyris hurried over to them, "I'm so sorry, I got stunned. You...thank you."

"Nayru? What an odd name for an Altmer..." he muttered, but then shook his head, his half-ponytail swinging behind him, "Let's get to a safe place before we talk. This way, I found a spot," he led them both across the bridge they had happened across, never letting go of Nayru's hand. They moved around a bend or two before they reached a small pond surrounded by a fence. He sat down in a far corner and finally set his sword down after holding it protectively, like a life-line, and also released her hand, washing both of his in the water, "Wasn't that an adventure?" he chuckled softly as he relaxed just a bit, and looked up at Nayru. Her skin wasn't as golden yellow as most Altmer, he noticed. In fact, it was closer to his own flesh tone, except while he was nicely tanned, she was pale. Parchment! That was what her skin reminded him of. Smooth parchment that had yet to turn colors with the sun or age...ah, what was he thinking? This was no time for admiration.

Nayru felt her chest ache at the absence of his hand, feeling the comforting warmth fade away as she took a seat beside Lyris. She watched him for a moment, admiring his toned muscles before glancing to the side nervously. Swallowing hard, she finally gathered the courage to talk to him. "Forgive me, but... I never got your name." She spoke up, her pale blue eyes meeting his own.

"That's because I didn't give it, pup," he arched a golden brow at her, "It's Tharsirion Duskvale. You may call me Thar, though. I understand my name is a bit of a mouthful." Her eyes were rather interesting. Pale blue but shining, like sunlight on ice, but they were far from cold.

"Well, Thar, thank you for saving Nayru," Lyris had enough of watching them oogle each other, "We've had enough rest, though, I think." Was this man the other one the Prophet spoke of? He as well wasn't like the others here in Coldharbour. He was very aware of himself and those around.

"Yes, I agree...I've been watching you fight when you cross those thralls, Magic, right?" Thar reached into the satchel he had and produced a staff from it, "I ran into two guards after an Argonian freed me, and took the staff of the mage. It's a destruction one, but it's the best I got. I also looked around and managed to pick up things you missed," he gave her some rawhide gloves that were finger-less and a new light armor mage robes. They were a rather grungry green color, but they were better than the scraps she had on.

"Thank you so much...!" She beamed, accepting the equipment with a bow of her head to show her gratitude. She then found a place to quickly change into her new garb, and once done, Nayru rushed back to the duo with her new staff in her hands. "By the way... You called me 'pup' earlier. Why is that?" She asked with a tilt of her her head, a little confused at the sudden nickname.

"You and Lyris here looked like a mother wolf and her pup. Puppies are often terrified of things much bigger and badder than them. Puppies also like to get into things, which you definitely were doing. It was kind of cute," Tharsirion snickered.

"Wait...how did you know my name? I didn't tell it to you," Lyris frowned.

"Before the Argonian rescued me, some old made projected into my cell and told me to look for you," Thar shrugged, "So I did, and I'm here, and we really should get on with it, shouldn't we?"

The young Sorcerer felt her cheeks heat up at the explanation, only for a small smile to form against her chapped lips. Soon, realization clicked in her mind, and she pulled out her satchel to take out a few pieces of heavy armor. "Here," Nayru spoke up, offering the equipment to Thar. "I can't equip these, but I figured you might put this armor to good use."

"That was the Prophet you spoke to, and yes, we should," Lyris agreed. So...he really was the other chosen. She was glad Fate had dealt a good hand, choosing a mage user who could use healing magic once she became more powerful and the one who could fight in her stead. They could sustain each other, and keep each other alive. She didn't have to worry too much anymore, and that relieved her. Once she left them, they would be okay.

"Fantastic!" Thar brightened at Nayru's offer and he jumped to his feet, "We'll get right on that, Lyris," he promised before walking off to the same hidden corner Nayru had gone and changed into the belt and grieves. They thankfully ad new under-armor to protect from chaffing, which he was thankful for. He still didn't have anything for his chest or feet, but that was okay. This was better than nothing, and he walked back, grabbing his sword, "Alright! Let's get this show on the road, shall we? Where do we need to go?"

Lyris simply pointed upwards, where there was a winding path that lead to the Sentinel's whereabouts.

~*~

"I need to swap places with the Prophet."

Those words echoed in the chamber for a moment. Thar wasn't phased by it. Of course there was a price. However, Nayru's reaction was explosive, and he jumped with a start. His eyes widened when he saw her tears spring forth and he felt his chest ache. She was the kind to get attached to people easily, wasn't she? He felt bad for her, but he listened to the exchange quietly.

The moment she heard that Lyris had to take the Prophet's place, Nayru immediately interjected. "There's no other way?" She spoke up, an expression of anguish and pain etched on her face. Her stomach coiled at the thought of leaving the woman who saved her life behind, but in the back of her mind, the Sorcerer knew there was no other choice.

"I wish there was, believe me," Lyris placed her hand on Nayru's shoulder, "It'll be alright. Just focus on what you have to do. If Molag Bal isn't stopped he'll destroy /everything/ and /everyone/," she wiped tears from Nayru's cheeks.

"I'm ready when you are," Thar assured, clasping his hand on the Altmer's shoulder as well, over Lyris' hand. The agreement was made and Lyris moved over to the glowing rune circle.

"Once it's done, get moving, the Prophet will know where to go, but he'll need your guidance," Lyris said as she took a deep breath.

It didn't take long before the first guard showed up, charging at them, and Thar pushed Nayru behind him. They'd come up with a silent understanding of their fighting dynamic, and he brandished the shield he had found and his sword, meeting the Dremora head on. Thankfully Nayru, while she hadn't remembered any healing magic, had taken the restoration staff he'd spotted when they'd fought skeletons previously. She kept him going as more guards showed up, and when they were gone and Lyris screamed, he took one Pinion while she took the other. They stood back and watched as the Prophet and Lyris switched.

Once he managed to compose himself and stand using his staff to support himself, the Prophet looked at them with his blind eyes, "Thank the Divines, you are safe. There is that, at least...Lyris sacrificed everything, and we cannot let that be in vain."

Nayru stared at the imprisoned Lyris for a moment before turning to the Prophet, her brows creased with sadness. "Can we find a way to take her with us?" She asked, her hands clenched into tight fists. She felt helpless for leaving the blonde Nord behind, and it made her chest ache.

"I wish that were possible, but I promise you, once we escape Coldharbour we will find a way to rescue her together, Vestige," the Prophet assured.

"Vestige?" Tharsirion furrowed his brows in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

"That is the name I have given her. To you both. You are only traces of your former selves. A soulless pair. Empty vessels that long to be filled," the Prophet explained calmly.

Tharsirion didn't much care for that description, but he let it go, "Why are you called the Prophet?"

He smiled in a pained way, "That is what I have come to be called. My true name is lost - even to me. Years of torment have taken their toll." He lost the smile and gained a sense of determination, "Quickly now, we must make haste to the Anchor!"

"The Anchor...?" Nayru asked with slight hesitation, tilting her head to the side. She still had so many questions to ask the Prophet, but she knew they had to wait until they got out of Coldharbour safely.

"The Anchors are Daedric machines of the darkest magic. Their chains bind our world and pull it towards Coldharbour. I can use one of these Anchors to return us to Tamriel, but you must lead me to it," the old man said firmly.

Nayru's eyes grew slightly wide at the mention of going back to Tamriel, a glimmer of hope beginning to shine in her heart. If the three of them were successful in their escape, they could go home... She could see her family and brother again! "All right, stay close then." She said with a determined nod, looking up at Lyris for a brief moment before rushing off with the Thar and the Prophet.

Once they reached their destination, Nayru immediately felt a powerful presence in the room, and it caused goosebumps to form on her bare arms.

"There it is...the Dark Anchor Mooring..."

Thar heard the Prophet say that, and he stared up at the spiky circle, the crystals on the walls giving an eerie blue glow. Before coming in here he'd searched several pots and urns, managing to find some shoes for Nayru and other things. Pack secure on his hip, he gripped his shield tightly and they slowly moved forward. When they reached a certain point, there was an angry roar and the room shook. Stabilizing Nayru, he watched as blue flames erupted from the direction of the stairs that lead to nowhere.

"Well done, mortals, but thisss...is the realm of deatthh itselfff," the growling voice coming from the demonic entity chilled them to the bones. The armies of un-life are endlesss!" it summoned a creepy looking creature and it had skulls on each shoulder, a protruding spine, and it was made of ribcages and bones of other creatures that littered the area.

Tharsirion felt a cold sweat go down his brow, but he shoved Nayru far back behind him, shielding from the first blow and was knocked to the side. "Omph!" he grunted, landing on his back, dazed.

"No!" Nayru cried out, using her magicka powers to heal his wounds. Once done, the Altmer proceeded to try and weaken the deadly beast with her crystal attack, trying to distract it so Thar could have the upper hand and take the creature by surprise.

While Nayru was taunting the Child of Bones, Thar managed to get himself to his feet and he charged at it's back, slashing at it and blocked a side-swipe successfully, and even disrupted an attack it was going to make on Nayru. More swipes and dodges, and the monster started to waver, "Almost..." he shouted, and while she summoned a crystal, he raised his sword for a charged attack with all his strength. Hitting it at the same time, it finally crumbled into pieces around them. Among the rubble of bones, Thar spotted something and reached down to pick it up. A necklace. He was able to sense some attributes from it...extra health? Looking at Nayru, as she was bent over heaving heavy breaths, he draped it around her neck from behind her.

The young woman could feel her strength returning instantly, noticing the necklace's weight around her neck before looking to Tharsirion with a small smile. "Thank you..." She said while managing to catch her breath, allowing him to help her get back on her feet as she turned to the Prophet.

"You fought well. Now, the Dark Anchor's portal is high above us. I will prepare a spell to lift us to it. First, however, you must re-attune yourself to Nirn in order to regain your physical form. To do this, you will need a skyshard," the Prophet promptly told them as soon as he had their full attention.

"What in the world is a skyshard?" Tharsirion arched a brow at him.

"A shard of Aetherial magicka that carries the essence of Nirn. Some link them to Lorkhan, the mission god of creation. If you collect and asorb it's power, it should restore your corporeal form. I will summon one of these shards for you to do so," with that, the Prophet headed over to the stairs, where an alter of sorts was. He cast a ritual spell, and a glowing blue crystal like the ones on the walls appeared.

Tharsirion wasn't done with looking around, however, and he looked at Nayru, "You look around the other side of this cavern, and I'll take this one. We'll meet back at the Prophet. Splitting up will get things done faster, and then we can go home. Of course, we'll trade supplies we find if it's more useful for you or me."

With a firm nod of understanding, Nayru soon turned to the direction Thar suggested and began to search for anything useful. After a few moments of scrounging through any urns or chests that were scattered about the place, the two reunited at the where the Prophet stood, and quickly exchanged items to one another. Nayru had managed to find a set of heavy armor gauntlets for Thar, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find anything else you could use. I’m pretty sure we grabbed all we could on the way here.”

“Yeah, I just found a bunch of lockpicks and ores. Some coin, too, which is surprising. The ores are nice, since I can blacksmith, but this place sure is Lockpick City,” he chuckled with a sake of his head, “All I managed to find for you is some homespun shoes...now all /I/ need is something for my feet instead of these flimsy sandals,” he looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes.

Nayru couldn't help but laugh gently at his statement, a small smile creasing her lips once she saw him wiggle his toes. "Don't worry, we'll find something for you once we get back to Tamriel. I can't wait to be rid of this hellhole." She said, then turned to the Prophet who stood next to the skyshard.

"Quickly now, collect the shard so we may return to Tamriel," the Prophet coaxed, sensing they were finished with their exchange.

Thar motioned to it first, "Ladies first," he said with a slight bow. He watched as she stepped up to the shard and she reached out, barely touching it before she was lifted into the air. His breath caught as he watched...she looked so gorgeous, bathed in a blue glowing light, the energy streams surrounding her body. It was over in a few seconds, the energy dumping her onto the ground, but he could've watched that forever. Stepping forward, he did the same. His body felt warm, and he could feel a piece of himself return to him. It was relieving as well as it was terrifying. It solidified the reality that he was dead and without a soul.

Nayru had felt the same as Thar when she had touched the skyshard, and it troubled her greatly. The fact that she had no soul made her chest ache and her stomach coil uncomfortably. With a heavy breath inward, she released it slowly before moving forward to stand beside the man with a sideways glance. "You ready to go home?" She asked with a smile, trying to ignore the empty feeling she felt.

The Prophet had gone to the stairs and was waving his staff around, but all Thar could do was grip his pack tightly on his shoulder, and he made sure all of his things were attached and secure, "Yes. I most assuredly am." He gave her a glance before walking over to the stairs, her by his side.

Of course, why would anything be a smooth ride? The moment Thar felt his feet lift off the ground when he reached the top stair, he panicked. He hadn't asked if they could be separated! They needed to know what to do, how to get their souls back, so they had to stay with the Prophet, didn't they? Heart hammering in his chest - he only just realized it'd started to beat again - he twisted his body in the air and reached for Nayru, "Take my hand!" he shouted, repeating words from before.

Without hesitation, the silver-haired Altmer nodded once and gripped his hand with her own, realizing that her own heart was pounding as well. They were moving faster with every second that passed, and eventually a flash of white light blinded her. She prayed to the Gods themselves that they would not get separated.

()