3 C:3 ... one Last Lesson
Chapter 3: ... one last lesson
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Pov: Cinis
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It's been a couple of years since Mom (Nocturnal) put me up with William. But it could also be decades ago. If you are ageless and live in a forest where it is always night you lose all sense of time at some point.
The fact that I am studying and training from morning to evening does not help either.
Today William and I are going to have lunch together outside. That would be the first time since I've lived here. I am packing my shoulder bag with a few bottles of healing potions and my 'Infinium Magica'.
I have specially chosen my clothes for today. Long black trousers and sturdy, reinforced shoes in dark gray. My light gray T-shirt has a high neck and over it I wear a thin, knee-length coat in light brown made of light, finely woven fabric.
I even braided my hair in a loose braid and laid it over my left shoulder. I look in the mirror and go around in circles a few times. If my skin weren't a light ash gray and my eyes weren't black with orange irises, I could be mistaken for a normal 15 year old dark elf.
That I have small breasts and that I have kept my athletic shape is a blessing to me. The witches who live next to us always complain that they have back pain.
I look in the mirror one more time and then go down with slightly springy steps. William is waiting and nodding to me.
"Are you ready?" He asks me and smiles slightly. I just nod and smile happily.
He opens a portal (a vortex of fire) that is supposed to bring us to our destination. I walk through it quickly and every now and then I hop out of sheer excitement. When I step out on the other side I see a city wall in the style of the imperial (old Roman).
William comes out of the portal behind me and it closes behind him. As I look around I notice some soldiers approaching us. William seems concerned and gives me an inconspicuous wave of the hand to indicate that I should step back. Then he stands protectively in front of me.
"What in the name of the 9 divines does a Daedra do in front of my city?" Roars a soldier with the badge of a Decurio. At the same time his soldiers point their swords at me.
I raise my left eyebrows and lean on my left leg. A few of the soldiers raise their shields slightly and get ready to fight.
"Hey, William. I thought we came here to have lunch and not to massacre the legionnaires stationed here?" I ask loudly and give the soldiers a provocative grin.
"Damned Daedra brood." One of the soldiers scolds angrily. An Imperial magician comes running behind him and pushes his way through the formation.
"Get out of my way!" The magician screams almost in panic and the soldiers move aside.
"This is not just any Daedra. This is Cinis, daughter of Nocturnal." The magician explains quickly to Decurio and keeps looking nervously in my direction.
Of course I can't shut up and say a little too loudly, "At least someone with a brain." The legionaries react loudly and vulgarly to my statement. The insults and curses they throw at me are impressive in both their number and diversity. William, on the other hand, laughs out loud in the background.
"Lower your weapons!" The magician finally calls in the tone of command and stands between me and the legionnaires. Then he starts talking to one of the legionaries. He constantly watches me out of the corner of his eye.
The whole situation has now reached an embarrassing point. The Decurio has now turned bright red and is foaming with anger. As he takes a deep breath, probably to shout an order, William slaps him in the face.
"Shut up, please. She's finally in a good mood and I won't let you puffed up idiot ruin this. I won't go home with a bad-tempered Daedra." William snorts at him and looks briefly in my direction.
Throughout the uproar, a few residents gathered nearby to watch us. A little girl suddenly runs off and slips between the legs of the legionnaires until she stands in front of me.
"You look strange. Where are you from?" She asks curiously and looks me in the eye. Everyone present freezes and watches me nervously. The legionaries, on the other hand, walk in formation and slowly surround me.
"Didn't your parents tell you stories about Daedra? Or how to recognize a Daedra?" I reply with a slight smile and bend my knees to be at eye level with her.
"But Daedra are the bad guys. They are supposed to eat people, they have red skin and horns. But you are gray." She replies confidently and I nod slightly. This description actually applies to most of the higher daedra.
"In a way, you're right." I whisper and push the girl slightly towards the legionnaires. They then quickly bring the girl to her mother, who then quickly withdraws to town.
"I haven't done anything to anyone and am still treated like a Dremora (particularly vicious Daedra)." I complain with a slight smile and walk over to William.
"Your humor is bad at best and horrific at worst." William replied dryly and rolled his eyes. Over the years I've found that he has the humor of a dusty book.
"Can I go into town now?" I ask William and watch the Decurio's veins emerge on his forehead. Most observers have now lost interest and have left. The imperial magician, on the other hand, stands by us and extends his hand in greeting.
"My name is Marcus Horatius and I would be honored to invite you to dinner." Says the magician and looks at me intensely. His look reminds me of a hunter watching his prey.
"We are of course happy to be invited by you." William answers and stands protectively in front of me. Marcus' hand is still outstretched.
"Excellent." Marcus replies happily, turns around and starts walking towards town.
I follow him uncertainty and the Decurio follows us with 4 of his legionnaires. The rest of them stay at the gate, probably because they were originally assigned to guard duty. William, on the other hand, laughs softly and finds the whole situation amusing.
The city is pretty neat and clean. Magic lanterns are attached to lamp posts to light up the streets at night. The houses are all painted white and under the windows are small flags with the coat of arms of the imperial empire on them.
Marcus leads us along the main street towards the main square. As I look around, a man bumps into me and tries to reach into my pocket. Unfortunately, my bag is as daedric as I am. The bag has just bitten off his arm and is chewing on its prey with relish.
The thief is now lying on the ground screaming and holding the bloody stump. The Decurio immediately draws his sword and points it at me.
"You are hereby arrested for attacking a resident of this city!" He screams triumphantly, completely ignoring the bleeding man lying on the floor.
I'm stunned how stupid he is. Shouldn't he take care of the injured thief and then yell at me? The fact that the legionaries are undecided behind him and have not drawn their weapons is at least an indication that the Decurio is acting strangely.
I briefly raise my right hand and wave it slightly. His sword then begins to glow and melt. Sweat of fear now forms on Decurio's forehead and he begins to tremble slightly.
"The next one who holds a sword in my face catches fire." I hiss angrily and look challengingly at the legionnaires.
The legionaries then quickly withdraw but stay in sight. They drag their Decurio with them in the hope that he won't provoke me any further.
"You like to make enemies, don't you?" Marcus asks curiously and exhales heavily.
"I think she was quite reluctant. The last time someone held a sword to her neck, she burned the attacker to ashes. Even the area went up in flames." William replies proudly.
Over the past few years I have often experienced such situations and learned that such people only react to violence. Originally I objected to treating others like that, but after having had a few encounters with the slave trade, robbers and corrupt soldiers, my reluctance to use force has greatly diminished.
But I try to keep it up with as little show of force as possible. I don't want everything around me to go up in flames. Only idiots like Mehrunes Dagon and Molag Bal do that. But the two of them also have fun watching others suffer.
"Move your bum at last, Cinis. I want to eat today and not watch you stand in the area lost in thought." Says William to me and nudges me lightly on the shoulder.
"I'm on my way." I reply and roll my eyes.
Marcus then leads us to a tavern on the edge of the main square. Adventurers and travelers stand around the building. Some of them are watching us or looking at me with greed, but they immediately become alert when they see my eyes. Some of the younger adventurers nervously begin to play with their weapons.
Marcus walks through the crowd, opens the front door and enters the tavern. I follow him carefully and William stays close behind me. The interior of the tavern looks surprisingly clean and tidy. The heavy wooden tables are systematically lined up, and the chairs and benches are in good condition.
A counter is set up on the left wall and next to it is a door that should lead into the kitchen. Most of the other guests only look at us briefly and then ignore us. A high elf greets Marcus and speaks to him quickly and quietly. Then she leads us to a table under a window. I sit with my back to the wall, close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath.
The inside of the tavern looks different than I expected. Less broken furniture or fights than I expected in an adventurous tavern. There are also no trophies hanging on the walls. Just a few shields and pictures. It smells like fresh bread, fried meat, stew and beer.
While I look around, a somewhat plump imperial stomps towards our table. She doesn't look happy when she stops in front of Marcus.
"Marcus, my dear little brother. Please explain to me why a Daedra is sitting in my tavern and why you are accompanying her." She asks Marcus with a forced smile as she watches me suspiciously and I smile back in amusement.
"Cinis here came to our lovely little town for lunch and I thought your tavern would be the best choice." Answer Marcus with a broad grin and he and the woman start to quarrel.
"Was it a smart idea to follow him here?" I ask William quietly, a little worried. William is visibly amused by the situation and watches the siblings arguing with a smile.
When I ask, he looks at me briefly and thinks about it. Suddenly I get goose bumps and look at William in panic. Hopefully he won't act out his own sense of humor now. That usually has the consequence that somebody, somehow, gets harmed.
"The food here looks good and he's already invited you. At least he asked you out on a date." He then says out loud with an innocent look on his face. With his words the whole tavern falls silent.
"Marcus first had to bring in a daedra to go out with a girl." Someone shouts out loud and starts to laugh. "Do Daedra have a gender at all?" Another throws in and a third answers seriously "No." The last answer sparked a collective laugh. If the room were drowning in laughter, I would look angrily at William.
"Why a Daedra? You know that Malica likes you." Asks the woman with tears in her eyes and a tearful voice.
"I'm not into men." I mumble annoyed and take a deep breath.
Unfortunately, I must have said that a little too loudly because the man at the table next to us turns around and looks at me in surprise. "I think the Daedra just said she wasn't into men." He then says aloud with a big smile.
The tavern falls silent for a moment, only to break out into an even louder laugh after a brief moment.
"Not only does Marcus invite a daedra to eat. She's not even interested in him!" One of them shouts loudly and the other observers almost fall from their benches and chairs with laughter.
William seems very pleased with the chaos he created.
"It's all a misunderstanding." I try to explain to the woman and she looks at me doubtfully. After a short conversation, she just nods and offers me her hand in greeting.
"By the way, I'm Isabella and the owner of this tavern." She introduces herself and we shake hands briefly.
"You don't have to worry about Titus, the Decurio, by the way. He's a scraper, but he actually means well." She adds seriously, then turns to the bartender. She nods to him and he starts preparing a few drinks.
The high elf then brings four jugs of golden liquid. She looks at me hostile throughout. "By the way, the waitress is Malica." Isabella explains and looks at me with a raised eyebrow; when I sip some of the drink it tastes slightly fruity and has a pleasant aftertaste.
"Can I actually order something to eat at some point?" William finally asks and lights his pipe. Right now he reminds me of a well-toned Gandalf with a shorter beard and a fashion sense.
"Sure, what do you want?" Isabella answers professionally, pulling a pad and pen out of her apron.
"Two times the menu of the day and for me the butterfish with fresh bread." Marcus says quickly and William looks at him carefully for a moment. It is interesting to watch how the two drink together and insult each other with polite words.
When Malica brings us our food, she is visibly annoyed that both William and Marcus have already emptied 2 jugs. As she puts down the plates, she sees me reading the Infinium Magica and backs away in shock.
A pretty normal reaction to a book turning itself with its own tentacles. Or when you consider that when you look at it, it looks back with its eye swimming in ink and is surrounded by an aura of power and malice.
"Once the butterfish with bread and twice the dish of the day." She says scared and then quickly goes back to the kitchen. I look after her and shake my head slightly in amusement.
However, the smell of the food draws my attention. On the plate in front of Marcus is a fish fried in butter with a salad and a lemon on it. In front of me is a tray with a small bowl full of vegetable stew and a plate of grilled meat skewers. In the middle of the table is a small basket with warm bread.
While we are eating I notice how strongly flavored it is and how more and more the adventurers watch us carefully. When I look at one of them curiously, he gets up quickly and leaves the tavern. I look at William worriedly and he nods at me in confirmation.
"We should leave." He says quietly to me and gets up. I follow him and Marcus looks at us curiously.
"Where do you want to go?" He asks, scratching his chin, relaxed.
"It's getting late. We should leave then." Answers William and suddenly coughs.
I grab William by the shoulder and see that he is sweating profusely. The cough is getting worse every second. I've never seen him battered like this before. I take a healing potion from my bottle and give it to William. He drinks it, but the drink doesn't seem to have any effect.
"It's time we go home." I say worried and William has to lean on me now. I put 2 Imperial silver coins on the table and walked to the door with William. Marcus is still sitting in his chair and grinning relaxed at me.
I can feel William's heartbeat getting irregular. A muscular man stands in my way and I toss him across the room with a telekinetic push.
"The next one who stands in my way dies." I hiss loudly and all the people standing in the direction of the door move to the side. If it were up to me, I would open a portal right here, but the city has a barrier that prevents that.
When I open the door I am shocked. Dozens of legionnaires stand in the courtyard with their weapons drawn. William's skin color is now pale as a corpse, streaked with black veins and he is trembling badly.
One of the legionnaires in Centurion armor steps out of formation and smiles smugly.
"In the name of the emperor you are both arrested. If you resist you will be eliminated!" The Centurion roars and points at me.
Marcus meanwhile got up and walked towards me. He's still smiling but now it's not friendly anymore, it's malicious.
"You know that you cannot escape. If you allow yourself to be arrested peacefully, I will make sure that you do not have unexpected visitors at night." He explains in a calm voice but with an expression of lust on his face.
I take a deep breath and let all my suppressed power flow. In this state, I have limited control over the damage my magic or the influence of my spheres inflicts on the mortal world.
"Fuck you, you asshole." I scream furiously, tear the magical barrier and open a portal into the plane of the 'Eternal Twilight' (Nocturnal Realm). Then I toss William through knowing that Mom (Nocturnal) will find him immediately.
Meanwhile, the buildings nearby are slowly beginning to collapse and some of them go up in flames. A hot wind begins to blow through the streets, carrying ash and smoke to every corner of the city.
In a radius of 20m around me, however, there is still no wind, like in a protective bubble. The legionaries look around nervously and move closer together. Some of the adventurers, on the other hand, run out of the safe zone and disappear into the alleys and houses.
"What are you doing there?" The Centurion asks in a commanding tone, trembling slightly.
In the meantime the wind has turned into a burning ash storm with minimal visibility. The only safe place in the region now is my bubble-like zone. Anyone who observes the ash storm from the outside can see red lightning and flames inside it. An unnatural and destructive storm that devastates the whole area.
The Legion archers have now started shooting at me. Just that the arrows all burn before they can touch me. In my anger, I lose control of my appearance and transform into what is called the 'true form'.
My body crumbles into a four-meter-tall humanoid shape made of fire and ashes, while a hooded robe of black fire forms around me. Only my red and gold shining eyes are visible under the hood. In my right hand, a spear-like halberd made of matt black crystal with a thick and long ax head appears. The symbol of a blood-red solar eclipse is engraved on the blade.
All those still present see my shape and turn pale from fear. They know that they cannot escape and I will not allow them to.
The legionaries and adventurers raise their weapons in a last, desperate attempt to defeat me and rush towards me, screaming. With every swing of my halberd, I kill someone by decapitation, evisceration, or cruel mutilation while their attacks just slide through me.
In just a few moments I am surrounded by cut, mutilated and burned corpses and I have calmed down as much as possible. The storm subsides and I look at the city or what's left of it. Smoking ruins and cremated corpses trapped in ashes. A sight like in Pompeii, only that this time everything happened in a few minutes.
I return to my normal shape and wrap myself in a coat of smoke and ashes that is supposed to warm me.
As I approach the main gate, I see the remains of a woman trying to protect her child. The two died in each other's arms. A single tear runs down my cheek. This is the first time I've lost control and innocent people have paid the price.
But I feel no guilt for what I did. Just a little sadness that I wiped out such a young life. When I arrive under the gate, I open a portal to my home. I turn around again briefly and look at the city, then I step through the vortex of flames.
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POV: observer
Shortly after Cinis leaves town, Mages of all different races and factions appear. They examine the damage and the residue of the raw magical power that remained. Most of the magicians disappear after a while, but a few stay behind to study the remains of the city.
Rumors spread quickly across Tamriel about the destroyed city. The place where a new Daedra prince demonstrated his power for all to see for the first time and the region destroyed in the ash storm where the sun and moons now only shone blood red.
