Solitude Defense

{Fun fact, I got more powerstones on the day I was too tired to write a chapter than the day before... Anyway, I have officially removed a world from my list. I haven't mentioned it much, and I'm not sure how many of you were looking forward to HP world in the future, but I have removed it from the list for a number of reasons. If you would like to see the list of some of the worlds I have planned and would like to add your two cents, my discord is in the novel description.}

Yuri dressed to impress. He wore a cloak of his own design with the ability to change colors and shape from a cloak to a cape. The cloak could also disguise his mana signature and suppress his presence as long as he wasn't invoking it. He changed his cloak to a red cape and tied it around him with a silver chain that circled his collar. Underneath the cape was a set of white armor with silver outlines. The armor wasn't bulbous or heavy-looking, rather form-fitting with pauldrons that had feathery designs. Underneath the white leg armor and boots were black pants. Yuri didn't wear a helmet, he hated feeling claustrophobic.

After leaving a note for Tonilia, he teleported to the practice area when he was ready and lifted off. Jets of blue flame appeared beneath his feet and behind his back and a perfected ward guarded him against the elements while remaining invisible. In a few seconds, he was already off with a BOOM as he went supersonic.

Tonilia looked outside the window of her classroom to see a streak of white break through the atmosphere.

'God speed, Erebus' She prayed to herself.

"Flying really does put me in a good moon," Yuri could barely hear himself as the sea turned into a blue blur beneath him.

Yuri raised himself and saw the world. Solitude was barely visible to his left, so he steered clear of the ocean and righted himself hundreds of feet above The Pale. Entrances to Dwemer ruins and snowy slopes combatted the jagged mountains here and there. Before he had time to grow bored, Yuri had passed Dawnstar and was already beyond the Pale and in Dunstad Grove. Marshes and low flatlands swirled together in his vision. He looked down and saw a Stormcloak camp on the edge of the grove.

'No need to let a war perpetuate when the perfect opportunity to end it will present itself in three months'

Morthal was to his left and he passed it in minutes. Solitude had long been in sight. Its giant arch that spread over the river's outlet and the bay that held the Katariah afloat, its docks that dominated a great section of the inlet, and the farms that dotted the twisting road up to the city. Solitude certainly had the most advantageous location in Skyrim for numerous reasons.

To the Northwest of Solitude, however, Yuri could not only see but feel a dark presence gathering itself in the form of a black cloud slowly approaching. Wolfskull Cave must have served as a forward base for her imminent attack. Yuri slowed his flying speed and set himself down a hundred feet away from the first stone gate of three one must pass before reaching the actual entrance. Wooden stake barricades densely lined the sides, ready to be moved to block quickly.

Yuri felt it. In times of war, it seemed that most who could afford to do so had already fled the city. In other words, over half. The rich, the merchants, and the opportunists had fled for the hills and the soldiers of the Empire and guards of the Hold were forced to stay. Many of them stood atop the three towered arches preceding the cities keep, most of which saw a man descending from the sky before walking calmly toward them.

"Ain't flyin' a crime in the Empire?" A guard had nudged the soldier to confirm. The soldier shouted, "OI! Who goes there?!"

"Grandmaster Nightingale has answered the call for aid. Do not stand in my way." He continued his long strides as his Traveler's Grimoire floated out from behind his cape and opened to the page containing his favorite staff. A flick of his wrist and the Staff of Magnus flung out of the page and descended in his hand and became his new walking stick before the Grimoire closed and retreated into his inventory.

"Inform Legate Rikka," The soldier whispered to the guard beside him who bowed and ran to the tower beside him and pressed a button on a very bulky console with three buttons.

Yuri made his way past all the other arches who didn't get a signal and thus didn't ask him anything. He found the door and pushed his way in before looking to his right out of habit.

'You live another day, Roggvir. Or am I just late'

A husk of a city was presented in front of him. Patrons who couldn't leave went to the winking skeever, but otherwise, the streets in the front district were empty. It was longer than he remembered too, with a few alleys leading to more shops that children should avoid. After walking for a few minutes, the ramp to Castle Dour was just ahead and he took it.

Reaching the top, he found the blacksmith was still here earning his keep with every clang of the sparking hammer. The fletcher was not in sight. More of a hobbyist, he supposed.

In the courtyard surrounded by sprawling battlements, many men were in line firing at targets at the behest of a drill instructor. Many turned to look at the well-dressed mage, even the instructor, before he shouted for them to keep firing and approached Yuri.

Before he could, the main door to Castle Dour opened and Legate Rikka walked out to greet Yuri. The instructor saluted and stiffly turned around.

"Grandmaster Nightingale," Talos, he's young, she thought. "It seems you have come in our time of need. Care to join us in the war room?"

"I'd be delighted"

They made their way up the stairs and past a foyer before they were in a 20 x 15 foot room that looks like it was originally housing the plans for the civil war. A wall to the right held the map of Skyrim pegged with dozens of red and blue flags, Yuri knew what for. On the central table was a new map with a single black wolf carving in the same area Yuri felt the approaching Potema.

General Tullius, recognizable from his armor and thinning haircut, was at the head of the table as three other Legate and Captains stood around it in varying positions.

"Potema is less than two days out, if we don't strike now we will lose the initiative," Spoke one.

"It's too late. Sending a garrison into those hazardous mountain ranges will take too long and we will lose more than we gain. Potema's dead army is less valuable than ours, every man counts. We have already been lining the whole way here with booby traps and archer units to thin their numbers. We should also stage an attack from the Military camp we have down the road they will be entering soon," Spoke another.

"We've already discussed this, a small-scale attack will do nothing to those numbers and will end in loss. We can only use the defensive position of Solitude as it was intended to use in a decisive battle. The citizens around the hold have already been warned to stay clear of this area. We wait"

"The enemy numbers over ten times us!"

"I don't care if their number is a hundred times ours, they're bags of bones charging at a castle."

The two Legate butted heads until General Tullius took note of who Rikka brought in.

"And who have we here, Legate Rikka?"

"Grandmaster Nightingale, General"

The two bickerers stopped to take a look at the rumored Lightbringer only to find a beardless boyish gigolo.

"This is the Lightbringer? He's my son's age, why did they send a milk drinker to a battlefield?!"

The other Legate said nothing but frowned and nodded his agreement. Rikka's face grew sour. Yuri directly ignored them with his chinned raised, and a deep and powerful voice came from the supposed gigolo that shook their skeletons slightly.

"If this is the type of conduct you permit in your Legion, then I may take a very early leave... General," Yuri leveled a haughty and pointed glare to the superior in the room responsible for the men.

Either this was unintentional or Tullius had planned to haze whoever the College sent to get them in line. Whatever the reason, Tullius was responsible.

"Apologize to the Grandmaster this instant, Legate Adventus. Captain Aldis. Grandmaster Nightingale has traveled a great distance at our request to aid in this defense, and he will be given proper respect!" He said sternly, even involving the man who said nothing. Rikka nodded in the background.

After the two stiffly apologized, Tullius relayed what may or may not have already been said. Potema was closing in fast.

"I agree with the attrition and defense plan. Most of the army is expendable to Potema, using smaller units to attack in the open will be a meaningless sacrifice. Potema herself may destroy those who approach quite easily depending on her state. Do we have information regarding her form?" Yuri asked.

"She seems to be as fleshly as she once was, if not a bit grey and pale. She tends to walk behind her army for protection, none of our assassination attempts have worked."

"It's a ruse, she can't possibly be weak enough to be randomly picked off. I sensed Shadow Magic on the way here."

"Shadow magic?!" Tullius exclaimed. "The College was right to send you then, this is much direr than we thought."

"Not as much as you think. She felt like a novice in Shadow magic at least. Shadow magic is devastating in the hands of a novice because it hates control, but she won't be able to defend against a skilled Light mage like me"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I'll lead the forward defense when she arrives. You may defend the city behind me," Yuri said and waited.

"...HAH?! You're just a mage! You can't possibly-!"

"Adventus, enough," Tullius intercepted. "But I can't help but share some doubt, Grandmaster. How can you ensure not only your own safety but the ability to hold back the enemy front properly?"

"Would you care to follow me?" Yuri interrupted, before turning around and going back down the stairs to the courtyard.

After an exchange of glances, they followed to see an exhibition with thoughts of 'this better be good'.

Yuri made his way out to the courtyard filled with archers practicing and garnered a few glances before the rest of the highest echelon of the Empire followed him out and the area saluted unanimously.

Yuri was still walking, so they quickly gave their 'at ease' and followed to the residential district before Yuri stopped at the top of the stairs. The blue palace was visible along with a massive yard of upper-class houses and one bard's college.

He raised his staff and his hand up in the Y position and closed his eyes.

One. Two. Five. Ten. Twenty seconds of silence followed before Adventus was about to speak up and Tullius was frowning. In the Blue Palace, Sybille Stentor whipped her head in the direction of Yuri and suppressed a gasp while her heart palpitated in fear. Falk Firebeard nearly noticed, Lady Elisif had already retired to her room in the middle of the day.

They had to wait no longer.

*FWOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH*

The wind buffeted the entire district and then some as a bright golden hand appeared and climbed over the edge of the city and grasped the wall. An elbow, a shoulder, a neck. Soon, a giant golden head raised itself above the wall of the city. It was Yuri's doppelganger. Another hand came out, and the giant Light Yuri rested its chin on its hand before leaning over.

What did this imply? It implied that a figure of the man who was raising his hand was standing in the harbor below Solitude and leaning on the walls hundreds of feet above it. This thing must be visible from Holds away with all the light it was giving off!

"Thi-This is L-Light magic, Grandmaster?" Tullius struggled to get out.

"Indeed. Fully physical, fully capable of combatting a few draugr. Don't you think?"

"Haha, yes I do indeed"

The residents who refused to leave their wealth or couldn't leave due to lack thereof all came out to see why it got so bright and found a giant. A few people pieced together the man it looked like at the top of the stairs or the rumors of a Lightbringer in Winterhold and word spread before Yuri even dispelled it.

Yuri made the giant turn and do a bow to everyone who could see it, and let it vanish into a waterfall of particles that drained into the bay.

'Reputation +1000? Not that kinda system, huh?'

He received no answer.

"Now, it would be in your best interest if you let me take the lead against Potema to avoid complications."

He received silent nods before Tullius got himself together and said, "Of course, of course. We'll be in your debt if you help us alleviate the burden on our troops.

Some Legates started lamenting about how they debated strategy for days, others wanted to ask Yuri to join the Legion for the Civil War among other connections. Yuri read through them all. Telepathy is a gift from God, unless you are the victim of course.

Two days later, Potema would arrive in full force.