Promising Start

Looking down over the Vale from high in the sky, Rictus was impressed with its natural beauty. He really should have followed up with Serana, but something about the inner sanctum and that statue of Auri-El gave him a foreboding feeling. Besides, this gave him a moment to simply take in the great outdoors.

The amount of potential he saw in the Vale was astounding. Everything someone needed was all contained here, separated from the rest of civilization. He would be stupid not to take advantage of it. Having a location away from all prying eyes would give the Restored even more freedom in whatever they did. Naturally defensible, hidden, forgotten, abundant resources, no other major landowners, it was the perfect combination for growth and development. Once more of the foundation was lain, this would definitely become the main base for the Restored. White River Watch would still be staffed, but it would be more for appearances than anything else.

Many scouts had already begun scouring the area for important landmarks and resources. They had already found a number of silver, gold, and malachite ore veins, after only covering a small area so far. Their smiths and miners were already salivating at the thought of all those materials just laying around. Rictus may even have to do some recruiting for more smiths and miners with all the new surpluses. 'Maybe Korir would have some I could borrow or recruit. Something to consider.' The Vale was also filled with plenty of trees which would be a great boon for many of their other craftsmen. The trees here were large and the forests untouched which means plenty of options to pick from.

Adventuring parties and war bands were also taking care of some of the more problematic areas. Sabre cats, frostbite spiders, and ice wraiths were some of the more common threats. 'I really do like the coloration of those unique sabre cats. I bet it would make some very nice clothes. I could use some more casual wear.' There were some more serious threats though. Frost trolls were always a pain to handle with their extreme regeneration, which was even more powerful than regular trolls. There had even been sightings of some frost giants, which were an extremely rare subspecies of giants. They were slightly larger and more powerful than normal giants, but if left alone, they wouldn't really bother anyone. Entering their territory unbidden would show just how violent they could get though.

The biggest threat was the Falmer. Unlike the others around Skyrim, these possessed a greater intelligence. Rictus was not entirely sure why. Maybe it was the distance from any dwarven ruin. Maybe it was because they were in one of their holy places. Maybe it was simply because they were outside under the sun and no other races were here for them to fight. '…well until now I suppose, but them having an enemy is a fair price to play. Besides, I plan on helping the race as a whole recover. Surely that will make killing some for protection okay, at least I think it does. I'll have to follow up and meet this Knight-Paladin Gelebor. Maybe he could work as a template for any changes, something to consider.'

One big thing making the falmer such a threat here was their large numbers. The only other place he could think where there could be near this number would be in the vast caves of Blackreach. The ones here had entire communities and buildings, as well as hanging bridges connecting multiple small settlements. High numbers and better tactics would make the falmer here a formidable foe. At the same time, they would provide a great chance for the Restored to grow and develop in battle. This would prepare their new recruits for the rigor of war while giving everyone more experience against powerful enemies.

Rictus thought he could probably take out a large majority of them himself if he really tried. With his levitation ability, he could become a natural predator of the Falmor, since they wouldn't be able to feel or hear him coming. Not that he was quite ready to perform genocide on them just yet. Their tamed chauruses and chaurus hunters would also probably throw a wrench in that plan since they could see, but that was beside the point.

Suddenly, a loud chorus of roars shook the Vale. At the same time, he saw a couple of the scout's totems light up in distress. His eyes darted around searching for the source of the roars. He found the culprits flying above the lake.

Two massive dragons twirled through the air while hunting their targets. Each of them looked identical, almost like twins, which was a little weird since most dragons had some differences. They were orange with blue dorsal markings. Wide, flat ridges ran the length of their body and tail, beginning at the back of their skull. Instead of a maw filled with teeth, they had a more beaked avian mouth. Bulging eyes stood prominent on their head, taking in every sight without missing a detail. Rictus faintly remembered something like this happening in the game, but he wasn't sure on the details. Regardless, he would handle these beasties while his people retreated.

Going up even higher, Rictus ensured the dragons didn't take notice of him before he struck. In a burst of inspiration, or stupidity, he took a deep breath in before Shouting.

"DUR NEH VIIR!"

The giant undead dragon appeared in the sky with a burst of purplish flames. Finding himself midair, Durnehviir looked a little surprised, but let out a joyous roar regardless.

"I can feel my strength returning each time I am set free from that prison!"

He tilted his head a moment before suddenly locking eyes on the two dragons who were now moving in this direction while roaring in challenge.

"Oh? Voslaarum and Naaslaarum? You do not cease to provide worthy and interesting foes to vanquish, Qahnaarin. It will be a pleasure to put these sahlo dovahs in their place."

Without another word, Durnehviir attacked. Rictus had been a bit worried about summoning another dragon to fight dragons, but it seemed his gamble had paid off this time. The fact the other two had both roared in challenge definitely helped things. Dealing with one dragon was a whole lot easier than facing both. There was a little more room for error now. He could tell the dragons weren't as strong as Durnehviir, which was a welcome relief. Not saying it was weak by any stretch of the imagination, just weaker.

"No time like the present."

Rictus rose farther up before he started his own downward charge at one of the dragons. He wasn't idle in his charge. Large metal spikes, longer than he was tall, appeared around him from his storage. Combining gravity and his telekinesis allowed him some truly impressive speeds. It didn't take long at all before he was right in front of the dragon.

Slightly surprised by his speed, the dragon still released a powerful fire breath attack. Rictus quickly dodged left as he felt the fire start blistering his skin as he shot past it. The dragon performed a quick barrel roll making Rictus adjust his aim. A resounding crunch proved one spike made contact at least. A pained roar bellowed from the dragon's mouth as it turned to pursue him. It didn't move quite as agile as before because of the giant spike sticking into its left leg. Seeing this, a cruel smile creeped onto Rictus's face.

Using magic directly on dragons was not a viable plan of attack for most mortals. Dragons had a level of innate resistance due to their nature. Casting any form of debuffing magic on them didn't work quite as well unless someone was extremely powerful. He could do it, but it wasn't very cost effective in the long term. Casting magic onto a magically attuned object stabbed into a dragon was a significantly easier task.

As the dragon neared, Rictus cast a powerful burden spell onto the metal spike sticking from it. The dragon buckled downward from the sudden increase in weight, spinning downward as it tried adjusting. Not letting an advantage go, Rictus dove after it while enhancing himself with dragonhide. Safety is important. Two more metal spikes appeared at his side.

The dragon righted itself just in time to get hit by Rictus's attack. The two spikes easily penetrating the first layer of scales and sticking themselves firmly in the beast. A whine leaked from its mouth as Rictus added additional burdens on the spikes. All the added weight and damage sent it plummeting to the ground.

He spared a glance over to see how Durnehviir was faring. The two dragons were exchanging shouts back and forth, with Durnehviir having the clear advantage in both Thu'um and physical prowess. Not worrying about that fight, Rictus turned his attention back to his prey right as it hit the ground.

A booming crack sounded out at the stone splitting impact which only drove the spikes in further. Rictus started channeling his magic into the surrounding stones, but the dragon disrupted him.

"GAAN LAH HAAS!"

He could barely make out the words before a wall of force impacted and washed over him. He stumbled back slightly from it as an intense wave of exhaustion and pain flowed through him. It felt like his stamina, magic, and health were being drained away at a rapid pace. Taking advantage of his hurt state, the dragon let out another fire breath attack. Reacting on instinct, Rictus fell through the stone beneath him as more stone made a barrier between him and the fire. As the effects of the shout faded, Rictus began his attack again as he shot out of the ground.

The dragon had already ripped out the spike in its foot and was moving towards the ones in its shoulders. It didn't get the chance as massive stone hands broke the surface and moved to restrain it. One clamped down on its neck, while the other came down like a hammer on a spike. Such force drove the spike all the way through the dragon's body and out the other side. It began thrashing around in anguish, trying to break free. Rictus was having none of that though.

More stone rapidly piled onto the dragon, trapping it into place. Unlike the first dragon he had fought with Mirajane so long ago, his powers had grown stronger and more refined. The stone continued piling on, compressing and reinforcing itself, as Rictus made sure there was no escape. He then pulled more metal from his storage which further reinforced the stone. At this point, the dragon was completely immobilized.

A loud thud startled him as he rapidly turned while preparing an attack.

"It is only I, Qahnaarin."

He slightly relaxed as he turned away from Durnehviir. The dragon seemed extremely pleased with himself. Rictus couldn't help but feel that Durnehviir gave off a bit more power than he had before. Maybe it was from being out of the Soul Cairn? Maybe he had absorbed some of the power from the defeated dragon whose head he was currently munching on? Could go either way.

"Why have you not finished off Voslaarum?"

A greedy look appeared in Rictus's eyes as a red mist began pooling around him.

"An acquaintance of mine showed me a new ritual spell not long ago. This is the perfect time to try it out."

After looking closer at what Rictus was doing, a nod of understanding was Durnehviir's only reaction. Not paying the summoned dragon any more attention, Rictus focused his full attention on his captive. He was looking forward to the benefits draining the power of a dragon would bring him. More power coalesced around him as he began the ritual.

"What could possibly go wrong?"

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(Tower of Mzark, Deep beneath the surface)

"I still cannot believe you summoned a dragon. Just how big of a fool are you?"

"I told you already. I did NOT summon a dragon. It's not my fault that stupid falmer dodged and my Shout which just so happened to hit the giant orange orb on the ceiling. It was an honest mistake."

Ma'randru-jo shook his head as the annoying elf and small feisty woman began rehashing the debate they have been having ever since the event happened. He didn't understand where the two got the energy for it. Ma'randru-jo wasn't sure how long they had spent down in the cursed underground, but he was feeling the exhaustion from the top of his ear tuffs to the tip of his tail, even his fur was getting tired by this point.

Constant battles had kept them alert the entire expedition. Whether from falmer or dwarven automatons, there was always something ready for a fight. He had studied reports on Blackreach before traveling with the dragonborn and her party, but they had grossly understated the viciousness and coordination of both enemies. The dragon mentioned by the others was even blasted from the sky by a truly massive bolt of lightning after it had destroyed countless falmer and even a couple dwarven centurions. Ma'randru-jo was just glad they hadn't crossed whatever created that type of destruction magic. He already wasn't sure how any of them had made it this far. As his eyes darted to the figure leading them, he saw the real reason they had made it.

The dragonborn was the only reason so many of them remained alive after all this time. Sure, everyone on this trip was a powerhouse in their own regards, but she was a force of nature. Ma'randru-jo had witnessed plenty of amazing feats since he became a follower of Rictus, but this had been something else. Her grace, power, and mere presence was astounding. Before now, he would have claimed Rictus was the most powerful person he had every seen. He wasn't so sure anymore. A shudder went through him at the thought of the two of them going all out against each other. It was good they were working together.

His thoughts were interrupted as they went up a large lift which finally got them out of the caverns of Blackreach. It being in perfect working order truly spoke of the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the dwemer. Entering another ruined room, he easily picked up on the increased tension among some of the dragonborn's companions. As they moved forward, they opened a large door and froze at what was before them.

A giant, rounded metal construction took up most of their view. The feisty woman, Falla, let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Finally. We are here."

At her words, everyone sagged a little in relief. It had been a difficult journey, but knowing they were almost done rejuvenated everyone. The dragonborn turned and looked them all over before speaking in a commanding tone.

"Set up a camp here. As soon as we are done, we will take a short rest before moving on. It won't be long before we are out of this cursed place. I for one am looking forward to seeing the sun again."

A tired cheer went up at her words. Despite the positivity everyone else was feeling, Ma'randru-jo took notice of Mirajane's face. Unlike everyone else, she seemed even more tense and nervous now that they had made it here. Having a good idea what this whole expedition was about, he couldn't blame her. It wouldn't be long before she would confront Alduin, the World Eater.

Instead of worrying about it himself, he plopped down on a bench. Such matters were beyond him. If called on, he would try and help. Otherwise, he would leave saving the world to those better suited. Ma'randru-jo let out a sigh as he sat down his pack as the dragonborn went to get the scroll, walking like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Seeing her made him grateful he wasn't the one foretold of in a prophecy. Some may wish to be the Hero, but he was more than happy being a small supporting character.

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[AN]: So, we got a little update on the dragonborn. Won't be much longer now till Alduin. It should be interesting whenever that happens though.