Chapter 80

---Two Days Later---

Completing Storn's request in a couple of days' time, the nine of us headed back to the village to collect our reward. As we headed back to the village from the Beast Stone, a dragon came down from the mountains to the west making a beeline for the village. Noticing a man riding on the dragon's back, I knew it had to be Miraak and one of his subservient dragons. Assuming he held the villagers responsible for the cleansing of the stones, the Ancient Dragonborn had likely come to punish them for resisting him.

Double timing it back to the village, as we came up over the ridge, we found the village in chaos. As children fled into their homes for safety, the men and woman grabbed their bows and began taking potshots at the two. Circling around the village, the dragon climbed high into the sky and proceeded to divebomb the settlement only to pull out at the last second. Generating powerful gusts of wind with each dive, the poor villagers were sent flying in every direction.

"You could not leave well enough alone, could you! Temporarily liberating the All-Maker Stones is only a minor setback, they will fall under my control once again soon enough.", Miraak shouted, "I give you a choice, serve me or face my wrath."

"We live and die as a free people. The Skaal will never submit to you or anyone else!", Storn shouted, as the village chief rallied their defenders.

"Then you have chosen death!", Miraak remarked, as his dragon banked to the left and came around for another pass, "Burn this eyesore to the ground!"

Sucking in a chest full of air, the dragon was about to unleash a maelstrom of fire upon them when I intervened. Throwing one of the twenty-ton stones at them, neither dragon nor Miraak saw it coming till it was too late. Slamming right into the dragon's head, the boulder completely tore it off causing its body to start tumbling through the air. Crashing into the hillside behind the village, Miraak was sent flying through one of the houses before coming to an abrupt stop when he crashed into the well.

"Who…who did that…!", he groaned, spitting out two teeth as he staggered to his feet, "WHO DID THAT!!"

"I did, you feeble minded fool.", I answered, as I approached him, "You have some nerve attacking a village under my protection. If you want a fight, you will have one!"

Turning toward me, Miraak immediately used Bend Will on me without any hesitation. Ordering me to stop where I was, believing he had control over me, when I continued walking toward him, the Ancient Dragonborn began to falter. Using Bend Will again, hoping it was just a fluke, he switched to Unrelenting Force when I shrugged it off a second time.

"Fus Ro- ", Miraak began to chant, before I put him in a Force Choke.

Hoisting him off the ground, Miraak began to wriggle around clutching at this throat. Removing a mask with a wave of my hand, the hideous old man glowered at me. Forcing my way through his pitiful mental defenses, I began rooting around in his head as blood began flowing from his ear, eyes, and nose. Taking all the knowledge Hermaeus Mora gave him and his knowledge of the Thu'um for myself, I tore everything that remained in his mind to pieces. Releasing him once I was done, he began babbling to himself like a madman causing quite a strong reaction amongst the villagers.

"What…what is wrong with him?", Frea asked, as the villagers took a few steps back, "Did you curse him or something?"

"His mind and will have been broken, shattered to pieces like glass.", I answered, "Do with him as you see fit, he has regressed back to the mind of an infant child."

Furious with Miraak over their forced enslavement, the adults grabbed their weapons and violently attacked him. Wailing on him with axes, clubs, swords, and war hammers, the old man's screams of pain fell on deaf ears as they exacted their revenge. Once Miraak was dead, his powerful dragon soul flowed into me further increasing my dragonic powers. Certain now that their enemy would never return, Storn came over to thank me with a firm handshake.

"Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for your help. Giving you a pickaxe and the knowledge to mold Stalhrim seems too little for what you have done for us, but we have little else to offer you.", Storn said, motioning for Frea to come over, "If you so wish, I can give you my daughter's hand in marriage."

"I appreciate your generous offer, but I must decline. The pickaxe and knowledge mean more to us than you will ever realize.", I told him, "If you still feel obligated to do more, crack open a cask of ale or mead and drink with us as friends."

"Now that we can certainly do!", the village chief Fanari Strong-Voice heartily agreed, "Bring out one of our best casks, and prepare some food for our- "

<Interesting, I sense a power within you that does not belong to this world, mortal. From where do hail?>

Turning our attention toward the source of voice, all of us found a large, tentacled eye floating over our heads. Immediately dropping everything, the villagers fled to their homes while my group ran to my side. Cowering in fear behind me, the eye's ominous presence had all of them on the verge of fainting from terror.

"Hermaeus Mora, cease your blatant attempts to threaten us! Harm anyone here and even the plane of Oblivion and your army of Dremora will not protect you from me.", I warned him, as I crossed my arms.

<Haha, it has been quite some time since a mortal dared to threaten me. If you know who I am, are certain wish challenge me?>

"Yes, Lesser Chaos God, fighting you will serve as excellent practice for my future battles with your kin.", I told him, as Force Lightning began arcing around me, "Now what will it be?"

Immediately stopping his amused laughing, his whole aura changed abruptly at the mention of the words Chaos God. Getting serious now, the Daedric Prince opened a portal in front of me and beckoned me forth.

"Very well.", I said, turning back to my group, "Go ahead and start the celebration without me. I will return within an hour to join you."

Forcing themselves to stand up, the women meekly asked to join me. Shaking my head, I told them that this was something I had to do alone as I was the only one here capable of resisting their aura. Accepting my reasoning, they apologized for being useless in this situation.

"You have no need to apologize, all of us have areas in which we excel. Hold your chins high, the eight of you were able to stay out here without fleeing for cover. That is far more than everyone else here did.", I chuckled, "Enjoy yourselves and relax, leave this to me."

Nodding their heads, I turned around and stepped through the portal to the Apocrypha.

---Apocrypha---

Stepping onto the platform that I fought Miraak on in the video game, I glanced around the area and found that all eighteen Daedric Princes were present. Clearly agitated and ready for a fight, Azura stepped forward to speak while her brethren watched my every move.

<Mortal, tell us, how do you know of the Chaos Gods?> (Azura)

"The strongest four members of your kind, Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh are all currently waging a large-scale war against the free people of several galaxies. I came to this world to collect necessary materials and resources to combat them, and potentially vanquish them completely.", I answered, staring her in the eyes, "Presuming you hold no ill will toward me for being their enemy, we have no reason to fight one another."

Letting out a collective sigh of relief, the atmosphere lightened significantly. Stowing their weapons away, they seemed more willing to talk to me normally now.

"Judging by your reactions, you are no allies of theirs either.", I remarked.

<Most Lesser Chaos Gods are not their allies, they treat us all far worse than mortal kind. Over the millennia since our races awakening, each of them has routinely bound individuals like to insignificant worlds so we cannot obtain greater power. In case, eighteen this world nearly thirty thousand years ago.> (Molag Bal)

"My apologies, but how does binding you to this world inhibit your ability to gain greater power?", I asked, unsure how that worked.

Explaining the were trapped in the space that Nirn inhabited within the Immaterium, they were completely cut off from drawing power from anywhere else than Nirn. The Four Chaos Gods took amusement in the suffering of their weaker kin. Watching their kin wither away into nothingness as their power source died out brought them immense pleasure, but over the millennia they stopped caring and moved their attention elsewhere damning most of their kin to a slow death.

<The deities of this world were none too happy about our arrival, and at first, we waged war against one another. As conflict intensified the situation in dramatically worsened, nearly costing both groups entire existence. After a brush with near death, decided to share as unwilling give it other.> (Jyggalag)

"Well I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you may not have a world left to call home if the tide of war does not change soon.", I remarked, looking at each of them, "This world is certain to fall very quickly once they arrive, and both the deities and you will wither away to nothingness."

<How bad is it?> (Ithelia)

"As of this moment, three nations with thousands of planets in their dominion have been annihilated by their forces. Right now the Imperium of Man is barely holding them back along all their fronts, and the Galactic Republic and others are preparing to march to war as well.", I told her.

<Shit… > (Vaermina)

Taking a moment to judge if I was lying, they came to a very stark realization that I was being forthright with them. Looking at one another with worried expressions, even though they were bored out of their minds, none of them wanted to slowly wither away into the abyss. Turning to Hermaeus Mora and Jyggalag, hoping they might have suggestions, the two men shook their heads knowing they could do little to alter this predicament.

"Absolutely, I would not be here if I felt it was impossible.", I commented, with absolute certainty.

<What can we do to help you prevent this world's collapse?> (Malacath)

"I need knowledge or a tool to permanently kill your kin's servants, the Daemons. As it stands, killing them in the Materium will only temporarily kill them. They will eventually recover and return to fight against me again.", I said, "Do you have anything that can help with that?"

<I do.> (Meridia)

Tossing me Dawnbreaker, the Daedric Prince informed me that it could be used to permanently kill any entity from the Immaterium and undead. Thanking her for the blade, I swore to use to tear the four Chaos Gods and their forces apart. Please by my words, Meridia named me her champion bestowing a blessing upon me.

<I want in on this action! Find the pieces of my dagger, bring them to shrine, and I will bestow it upon you. When you see that bastard Khorne, use carve his eyes out!!> (Mehrunes Dagon)

Throwing their hats in the ring, any weapons the Daedric Princes bestowed upon the mortals of Nirn were offered to me on the condition I used them to slay their traitorous kin. Happily agreeing to their request, as it aligned with my goals, I promised to return them to Nirn once this war was over. Creating a pact with them to uphold my words, once it was in place, Hermaeus Mora opened a portal for me to return to Tamriel.

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