Note:

Hello my dearest readers! I know this chapter has been long-awaited, but it is finally here!

I want to thank again everyone who was kind enough to leave a review for me, and for the latest inspiration from Darkkitty9 who believed in me that I wouldn't leave this story unfinished!

Please enjoy this journey, and feel free to leave me your thoughts!

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Chapter 13 – Moon and Star

Thousands of mechanic centurions sprang to life – the golem-like constructs began emitting heavy steam that drifted skywards, which in turn gave movement to their limbs, while large metallic spheres transformed from previously immobile globes into deadly archers, rolling forward to their positions. The whistle of pressurized steam and the metallic screeching of the Dwemer battle devices filled the warzone in front of Red Mountain, making even the most restrained Chimer soldiers flinch at the sheer numeric magnitude of their enemy's machines.

After a moment of collecting himself, Nerevar managed to make out the disturbingly twisted expression of his once loyal ally, Dumac Dwarf-Orc, as if he was led by some distraught motives, without regard to reason or sanity. The Chimer King was at a loss as to what might have caused that drastic change in the other's demeanor, which seemed hardly possible in such a short time, but his attention returned to the danger at hand as the opaque steam rose high enough to completely obscure the Dwemer King's form.

"Alright, concentrate on their weaknesses and draw them away from the gates." Nerevar told his Tribunal, while taking a battalion of warriors and mages to stand their ground.

The constructs seemed to be strictly on the defensive, not advancing an inch forward, and intent on blocking the way for the Chimer to protect the gate. As soon as the order was given, the Tribunal sent its troops forward to charge at the wall of centurions. Several of the first lines of Elves were shot down by the centurion spheres, before the rest followed through and clashed with the warrior machines. No matter the numbers of the Chimer army, they would have hardly managed to handle the Dwemer devices had it not been for Sotha Sil's rigorous effort and endless enthusiasm about mechanics, which allowed him to teach all the troops about how to exploit the weaknesses of those formidable constructs.

The Tribunal soon unleashed another wave of heavily armoured skilled troops onto the battlefield, trying to get through to the back and take down the centurion archers. But that didn't go well. The battle was slowing down and Chimer warriors were falling much more numerously than Dwemer constructs. Protected by the centurion steam warriors, the mechanic archers were safe behind a powerful defense of huge spiked clubs on the arms of the steam centurions.

But the Chimer King had a plan. While the current assault kept the enemy busy and their attention at the front, Nerevar saw a moment of opportunity and abruptly drew his troops from the centre of combat over to the right side, signaling for Dagoth to follow suit. The troops under both of their direct command constituted well over a third of the entire army, which changed the entire positioning of the battlefield. Now they were turning in a semi-circle to flank the enemy from the right. Elvish heavily armoured soldiers protected the lighter armoured ones by positioning themselves in a perimeter around the Chimer mages and archers.

Cutting through the pipes of a particularly nasty steam centurion that had already managed to inflict several wounds on Dagoth, the raven-haired Chimer general effectively toppled it to the ground and called out to Nerevar.

"Open fire!"

They have thinned the lines of warrior centurions enough to find a small opening in their defense from the side of their flank. With Dagoth's shout, the Chimer King raised his sword to alert his troops, "Mages! Take down the enemy archers!" He called out in the midst of the deafening clashes of metal and flesh, to which Lieutenant Porat nodded, and executed the command without hesitation. In the next instant, Chimer battle mages blasted through the weak spot in their enemy's formation, freezing all the machinery in their path and blowing a good number of sphere centurions to bits.

With the right side of the enemy archers in the back slowly being eliminated, Dagoth's and Nerevar's troops seeped into enemy lines, placing pressure on them from their back, while the rest of the Chimer army started moving backwards as if retreating, which managed to pull the centurions away from the enormous gate of Red Mountain.

In this constant shifting of positions, the Elvish troops had soon surrounded the still numerous constructs. Without a good strategic leader though, the Dwemer machines were just guts without wits, and they had no real tactics and no real chance to effectively retaliate from a disadvantaged position, no matter how advanced and difficult to destroy they were.

It seemed that the Dwemer had realized this flaw, and decided to correct it.

Nerevar wiped the sweat off his brow after he disabled a couple more constructs, while they crushed to the ground in a steaming mess, and he turned around at the sound of the Great Gates opening with a heavy creak. It seemed that the entire area within was filled with countless Dwemer soldiers, armed to the teeth and positively enraged.

Sotha Sil stopped next to Nerevar, having noticed the proceedings. "Looks like they don't like us playing with their toys…" The general pointed out teasingly with an almost maniacal laughter.

As astute as Sotha Sil's observation was, Nerevar could only clench his jaw anxiously and keep his gaze on the Dwemer. "Indeed. Keep all the troops where they are. We don't advance until they come to us." The King reminded his generals, before running back into the fray and keeping all of his soldiers focused on assailing the constructs while they could.

Immediately, the Dwemer Lieutenant gave the order to attack the Chimer – being all the more furious at the slow loss of their centurions. They rushed out in a wave like the darkness of oblivion itself, ready to swallow the Elves whole.

"Hold your ground!" Dagoth shouted.

It was as the Tribunal had suspected. The Dwemer were fearless when it came to protecting their own, especially the apex of their ingenuity. Just as Nerevar had witnessed countless times before, the Dwemer couldn't stand idle while their constructs were being dismantled. But the Dwemer were even more dangerous in this enraged state, and waves upon waves of them ran forward with a deafening war cry.

The Tribunal had only a few precious moments in order to organize their troops into their respective formations to hold off the attack, but in the fever of battle, they couldn't bring all of their troops into defensive organization quickly enough. Their partially successful effort did pay off though, since those who managed to do so in time had their shields at the ready.

The clash between the two armies was brutal. Any unguarded Elvish soldier was cleaved mercilessly by the Dwemer wave, and even the prepared troops were pushed back by the sheer momentum of their enemy's assault. Battle-hardened axes smashed through Elvish skulls, ripping flesh and bone. Chimer archers and mages rained death from above, piercing and blasting through the Dwemer.

More than in any other battle, Nerevar felt himself in a dizzying state. Blood covered his hands, face and armour – Dwemer blood mixed with his own and that of his comrades – and there was one thing that was running through his mind…

'These were our allies… friends…' That thought echoed through his mind in remorse as his sword made contact and delivered a fatal blow to a bearded Dwemer warrior. Then, a Dwemer axe lodged itself in his shoulder, making the Chimer King cry out in agony just before his assailant was evaporated by a blast of searing fire.

It was Dagoth, who quickly chanted a healing spell to tighten the flesh around the wound – but they both knew that magic as well as potions were running out quickly by now.

"Nerevar!…- are you alright?" The King's trusted general asked as he placed a hand on the smaller Elf's shoulder. Nerevar gave him a nod, and he nonetheless hadn't slackened his sword-hand, relentlessly continuing to defend himself from the powerful onslaught of attackers. It seemed that the fighting armies haven't moved at all from the tense position they were in, holding their ground in front of the Gates to Red Mountain. Soldiers fell in increasing numbers on both sides of the battle, but the Chimer were becoming outnumbered.

The amethyst-eyed Elf found some breathing space and threw a quick glance around to assess the situation. It was clearly worsening. The Dwemer have managed to take back a large portion of their undamaged constructs from the Elvish blockade, and they were pushing the Chimer troops into disadvantaged positions. When it came to brute force and impenetrable defenses, the Dwemer had the upper hand – although the Chimer tried to counter that through the use of a greater variety of troops – such as mages, archers and differently armed infantry.

This couldn't continue much longer – at this pace they were in danger of losing more troops than they could afford at this stage of the battle. They must try to make the Dwemer fight by their rules.

It took a lengthy while, but the gears of the Elvish strategy began turning. They finally managed to draw the bulk of the Dwemer army out of their courtyard and in pursuit of the Chimer troops, which were apparently retreating and skillfully led by Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil. Now that a good amount of the Dwemer troops rushed out of the centre of Red Mountain, Dagoth noticed a good opportunity presenting itself, since the number of their enemies thinned at the gates.

Clearing out a path to the King, Dagoth zapped an advancing Dwarf with elemental lightning, before telling Nerevar, "All is ready now."

The plan that they were going to execute now was the thin thread of hope on which this entire battle was held.

The biggest advantage that they had towards sneaking unnoticed into the Dwemer stronghold was the fact that they couldn't spot King Dumac and his High Priest anymore. It could mean that the two may have had some kind of a plan brewing as well, but at least it meant that no one was keeping their eyes on Nerevar and Dagoth. Regular Dwemer troops would hardly notice the disappearance of two Elves in the midst of all the massacre and chaos.

Bashing a nearby warrior with his shield, Nerevar picked out an invisibility potion from his belt, drinking it down and making sure that Dagoth had seen him do it. His general nodded and cast the spell of chameleon onto himself, effortlessly blending with the environment and still being able to attack without detection – such were the benefits of the illusion school, which Dagoth was very fond of.

The King and his general quickly pushed their way towards the huge metallic gates that were now wide open, and passed closer to the stronghold structures to avoid the bulk of the fighting. A few moments later, Nerevar noticed a spark of light on the door at the side building, and he recognized it as Dagoth's 'unlock' spell.

They both made it in just in time before their camouflages wore off. Dagoth closed the thick door behind them, abruptly cutting off the horrid mess of noises and sights from outside. It was easy enough to find this entrance, since over the time of their friendship with the Dwemer, the Chimer had enough time to explore the stronghold and this particular secret passageway was deemed as most effective when they planned this assault.

The two Elves exchanged glances and prepared their weapons, stepping to the side as a Dwemer patrol came to investigate the slight noise they heard. The two quickly dispatched of the guards when they neared, and they continued hurriedly down the hallway. Time was running out – they had to find the Heart of Lorkhan as quickly as possible, or else their odds were worsened by the minute, especially that the Dwemer could continue repairing their deadly machines on the run, in the middle of battle!

"If we just use it – we will have the power of a God!"

"But the experiments are not conclusive."

"We need to do something now!"

As the two Chimer went deeper into the stronghold, they heard familiar voices nearby, even if they were stained with a hint of insanity. No doubt it was the Dwemer King and his Priest talking.

Dagoth and Nerevar burst into the enormous chamber, before stopping and almost dropping their jaws at the sight before them. King Dumac Dwarf-Orc was there, along with the High Priest Kagrenac, and a platoon of their personal guards, and most importantly – the Heart of Lorkhan was right behind them! Far within the chamber, this unearthly stone glowed in the distance as if it was the centre of all existence. And perhaps it was? Its aura was unmistakable in its power but unidentifiable in its purpose at the same time. It was as if it wasn't meant to be understood, even if it was pulling Nerevar's attention towards it like nothing else did.

"You treacherous sharp-ears!" Nerevar was pulled out of his stupor by that name-calling that came from Dumac, just before the Dwemer attacked.

"Wait! We can stop this if you cease using the Heart! It is not yours to use!" Nerevar tried calling out to his long-time friend, but none of the Dwarves were listening, and so they had to defeat the guards that were slashing at them fiercely.

"You just want it for yourself!" King Dumac's features didn't even look like his own, for they were so twisted with a mixture of cruelty, fear and anger. And he wasn't listening at all – because he should have known that Nerevar cherished their peace and coexistence so much more than any attempt to rule over Resdayn.

"It is dangerous!" Dagoth cut in, referring to the Heart of Lorkhan, unable to watch Nerevar's continuous attempts at reasoning with the Dwemer King, who had clearly succumbed to insanity.

A blast of arcane magic smashed into the Elvish general and he hit the nearby wall, growling in both pain and anger at Kagrenac.

Nerevar gasped and made a move to help Dagoth, but his path was blocked by Dumac, who very nearly missed the Elf's head with his axe. There were only the four of them standing in the room now, and the battle had to be decided here.

Dagoth took on Kagrenac, both exchanging a barrage of spells combined with other forms of damage, while Nerevar fought sword to axe with Dumac.

He had no idea how long it had been, but holding an injured side and coughing up some blood, Nerevar spun out of the way to block an attack with his shield, before managing to press the edge of his sword to Dumac's neck. Both of them were bleeding badly by now, hardly able to stand on their feet.

"Please… let's put aside our differences…Dumac… please…" Nerevar huffed, his voice hoarse and his hand trembling with tension.

"Never!" The ferocious response was followed by an axe that cut deeply into Nerevar's sword-arm, making him scream in agony. The next few things happened too quickly – Dagoth was thrown down by Kagrenac's magic, and Nerevar slid his sword across Dumac's neck, making the Dwemer King fall down to the ground lifelessly. And then there was light – a blinding flash of light that felt like it could wipe everything out of existence. The last thing that Nerevar saw was Kagrenac lifting some special tools above the Heart of Lorkhan and tapping into its power.

When the light receded from the chamber, there was a sight to behold. All of the Dwemer that were in the room disappeared. As if they have simply vanished from beneath their armour that still lay on the ground.

The amethyst-eyed Elf rushed to his companion as quickly as he could, kneeling beside Dagoth and dropping his weapon and shield in order to fumble in a desperate hope to find another healing potion on his belt. "Voryn… Voryn!" Nerevar called, his heart beating in panic as he touched the other male's face, his fingers brushing over the other's cheek and jaw, but Dagoth didn't open his eyes.

Oh please Azura… please let there be another healing potion…

Miraculously, he did find a small healing potion, and poured it over the other's lips and into his mouth, feeling relief wash over him as Dagoth coughed and groaned, opening his eyes and looking up at him.

"Thank Azura…" The King whispered, now feeling the tug of pain gnawing at him like Daedric jaws of madness. Once he was relieved to find his general alive, he almost lost consciousness on the spot, falling to the ground himself.

There was a deep wound on his upper right arm, as deep as to the bone, and his right side also had a gaping injury, not to mention numerous other cuts that bled him dangerously. He was in a half-conscious state, not really able to make out what was happening – he only heard Dagoth's voice, which was soothing in itself… whatever was he saying? Was he calling him? Was it an incantation? Oh his noble general… always there by his side… and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Finally, when the Chimer King opened his eyes and blinked away his dizziness, he could feel his pain ebbing away, and he saw Dagoth above him, cursing him for something.

"Damn you – fool! That was our last potion!"

Nerevar could only laugh weakly in response, reaching up to pull Dagoth closer to him. "Are you questioning your King…?"

Dagoth sighed and cracked a smile, wrapping his arms around Nerevar and burying his face in the King's shoulder, being careful not to hurt any of the remaining wounds. It was a miracle that he managed to gather enough energy to call for enough healing magic and to bring Nerevar back from the brink of death – because it had frightened him how badly injured his beloved was, and there was no way that he would allow anything to happen to him. He would have gladly given his own life a thousand-fold in order to save Nerevar's, and would have gladly committed a thousand sins to never let that happen.

"It seems… that the Dwemer had brought on their own end." Nerevar murmured, still unable to believe what had just happened, while tears nonetheless escaped his amethyst eyes for the loss of King Dumac and all of their people.

"We tried, Nerevar." Dagoth said quietly, knowing that this loss something that could never be fully mourned or healed. The raven-haired Chimer looked down at his companion, brushing his fingers over Nerevar's beautiful and blood-smeared face, brushing away his tears before leaning down to capture his lips in a heart-warming kiss, full of emotion. The battle was over – most likely. Even if the other Dwarves have survived outside of this chamber, they would not continue without their King. The Chimer won, by whatever means, and they were both alive. With the Dwemer gone, even if it was a sorrow that Resdayn had never known, the source of their danger was gone too, and they might live peacefully now.

Nerevar kissed his lover back just as earnestly, basking in the comfort that the other Elf gave him. After a few more moments, Dagoth helped him up to his feet, and Nerevar found that although his pain was dull, he still couldn't move quite as well as before, and his sword-arm was still weak. He was badly injured in the fight, and thus he would need extensive healing once everything settles in order to regain his strength and health. Right now he could hardly hold his sword without flinching. Putting his weapons away, the King came up to Dagoth, who was standing next to the Heart of Lorkhan.

"We should tell the others what happened and decide what to do next." The King said quietly, brushing a hand through his dark and purple-highlighted hair and closing his eyes with a deep sigh. They didn't know what had happened beyond this chamber, but Nerevar had a feeling that all the Dwemer troops might have had the same fate as the ones here… but it was something incredibly difficult to imagine. And he still loved Dumac Dwarf-Orc… and the pain of his and his people's loss perhaps struck him even more than the physical pain of his injuries.

"But shouldn't we destroy these tools at once? So that they might never be used for evil again?" Dagoth asked incredulously, turning to cast a questioning gaze at Nerevar. The source of it all wasn't gone yet, after all – the three tools that Kagrenac created were still here, scattered on the floor near the Heart. The enchanted gauntlet, hammer and blade, lying ominously close to the stone. These were the products of blind ambition, of the hunger for power and the desire to control and destroy. This was the core of evil itself, which had to be vanquished lest it would tempt anyone else.

Nerevar looked back to his companion. "We should. But we have to speak with the others first – we need to figure out how to destroy these tools safely." The Chimer King pointed out. He understood that these were the very tools meant to make Godhood for morals… but could they really destroy those things without even consulting with the rest of the Tribunal? The Tribunal had foreseen this war when Nerevar was too blind to accept it, and now perhaps they will have another piece of wisdom to share?

"Do not worry, Voryn, I will not allow such evil to be done again. And for that, you must stay here and guard these tools and the Heart Chamber. Let no one come in here." Nerevar instructed and turned to leave, only to be stopped in his tracks as his hand was caught by the taller Elf's and he was pulled back towards Dagoth.

"Don't leave, Nerevar. Please… just let's get rid of this now." The general insisted, to which the King only sighed and shook his head. "Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil have shown wisdom when I had none… I know what we must do… but I cannot do it without consulting them first."

Dagoth closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to compose himself. "I… don't feel well about this." He whispered, opening his eyes to look intensely back at his companion. "It's as if evil is still afoot."

Nerevar never took Dagoth's words lightly, and he had to admit that he felt a strange tugging at his heart as well. "I know what you mean… but that is why we must clarify this with everyone."

Dagoth couldn't take it anymore, and he simply protested. "You are injured."

"So are you. I'll call for the healers while I'm at it." Nerevar added with an amused smile, knowing that now his beloved Voryn was just trying to keep him close. He then paused for a moment, seemingly entranced by the man before him. "Have I ever told you that you steal my breath away?"

Dagoth smirked at that, touching the other's chin and leaning above him. "I think that's not the only thing that I stole from you…" He drawled alluringly, tilting his head and pressing his lips against his partner's – his partner in battle and his partner in life and beyond – and letting his mouth and tongue caress Nerevar's cavern as if he was tasting the sweetest of ales.

Nerevar emitted a soft sound of pleasure and slid his fingers through the other's obsidian hair, caressing his ear and pulling back with a breathy gasp of air, all the while Dagoth's hands slid down to his waist and the King wished that they weren't separated by such thick layers of armour. "I must go now. Stay here, my loyal Voryn, until I return." He managed to speak, and Dagoth's features darkened.

"I will do as you ask, but hurry back to me, my Nerevar."

The Chimer King nodded and stepped back, giving a loving smile to his general before heading out of the chamber. He would trust no one but Dagoth with these tools.

Once he was back on the desolate Red Mountain, he was overwhelmed even more by all the evidence of the Dwemer disappearing without a trace right there, while their constructs became deactivated and all of the their armour and weapons remained on the ground. So it was true! All of the Dwemer race was gone from this plane… impossible… Such was the power of a God… and no mortal should ever want to steal such a power.

The Tribunal greeted Nerevar happily – none of them were badly hurt – and he told them everything that happened. The Tribunal's expressions went from excitedly triumphant, to thoughtful and strangely calculating.

"Do you understand what this means, Nerevar? With power like this… we would be unstoppable." Almalexia pointed out.

"I could animate the most amazing of creations!" Sotha Sil cut in, drawing figures in the air as if designing some constructs already.

"Everyone will bow down to us… - to you." Vivec said with a grin, slapping a hand on Nerevar's shoulder, which made the King frown.

"You can take over all of Resdayn!" Almalexia said with an alluring smile, slipping closer to Nerevar.

"You must be confused – Kagrenac's tools must be destroyed. Don't you see that the Dwemer are gone forever for trying to steal a God's power?" The Chimer King burst out in shock and distress. His generals must indeed be confused in this mind-boggling situation.

"They just did it wrong." Sotha Sil said with a shrug.

Nerevar shook his head disbelievingly at Sotha Sil. The Elf just had to make fun of everything, didn't he?

Now Nerevar himself was mightily confused at his Tribunal's reaction, finding it difficult to understand why they spoke in such a way. Usually they all could come to an agreement… usually. Well, if anything, they needed Azura's help desperately right now.

"We should summon Azura for guidance. She can tell us what to do." The King decided and turned to head back into the Dwarven structure, leading the Tribunal into a large enough chamber where they could perform the appropriate ritual.

He hardly noticed that the Tribunal remained behind for a little while, though he figured that they were simply gathering the needed items before coming to join him in the chamber.

There was only one thing on Nerevar's mind right now – they had to destroy those tools, just as Dagoth said… just as his beloved and faithful mate had told him to do… but they needed Azura's help for that. Who knew if any tempering could accidentally set the tools off in a wrong way and cause another catastrophe?

At the moment, the Chimer King glanced down thoughtfully at his Moon-and-Star ring… which was forged by his once-friends, the Dwemer, and was blessed by Azura herself. He lifted his hand and pressed the ring to his lips, closing his eyes almost in a quiet prayer to the Lady of Oblivion. So many things have gone wrong… so many things that he hoped could be mended were not… and Nerevar was heartbroken. He was in pain emotionally, and he was at a loss about how he could hope for a united and peaceful future when there was only bloodshed? But he still hoped for it… and he hoped that Azura will help them and shine her light upon them.

And now all that he could think about was love. The love that he still held in his heart for the Dwemer, who he believed to have been corrupted against their will – the love for his people and his lands – and the undying love for Dagoth that burned within him with every breath that he took and gave him strength and courage to continue hoping.

It was only then that he heard Vivec's invocations, which sounded strangely different from before. His eyes fluttered open and he dropped his hand to his side, looking around at his generals. Vivec was chanting the incantation before him, Almalexia had already lit up the candles around the room, and Sotha Sil was standing nearby in his usual robes.

But there was something off.

Were those the proper words?

There was an almost putrid smell in the air, as if some manner of undead might be lurking nearby, and the candles gave off a strangely green tint, darkening the room with something akin to thin fog, and Nerevar was starting to feel an unpleasant buzz in his head.

"By all that his holy – what is this?" The King muttered and coughed over his words, and waited. But nothing happened. There was no light, there was no sound. Azura didn't come.

"What is happening? Vivec? Do you see this?" Nerevar asked in confusion and almost in panic, thinking that perhaps there was something else relating to the Heart of Lorkhan that they didn't know about. But something told him that it was not it. This was not the same aura as the Heart held – this was different… it smelled and felt like… death.

And his generals weren't answering. The King's amethyst-purple eyes quickly darted between them, taking a step back as he noticed that the Tribunal looked at one another and then turned to him with an expression that brought terror into Nerevar's heart.

"You were wrong not to agree with us… my Lord…" Almalexia hissed venomously right beside his ear, and then he screamed out in agonizing pain as something tore into the flesh of his back, right through the plates of his armour.

Nerevar managed to find enough strength to turn around and push her roughly away, making her tumble down to the floor as he took out the enchanted knife from his back, his eyes wide with disbelief and shocked horror. Almalexia tried to kill him just now – this was impossible! It must have been the poisonous air that was responsible for this insanity!

Wait… the poison was making him even weaker than before… and where did it come from?

"What- What is happening…?" Nerevar croaked – his throat felt dry and the wound on his back was making it hard for him to stand. And he had no more healing potions!

"King Indoril Nerevar – always as foolhardy as he is noble – can't even see what's in front of his face!" Vivec spat out spitefully, unsheathing his sword and beginning to walk determinedly towards Nerevar. "You are going to die."

Nerevar stumbled backwards and quickly took out his own sword into his weakened hand, gritting his teeth. "V-vivec? What has gotten… into you? What happened to all of you? Are you all so helpless in front of your greed for power and Godhood?"

Vivec scowled at those words, a nasty expression that he finally allowed himself to show to Nerevar's face and not hide it behind a mask of civility. But before he could retort anything, Sotha Sil sent elemental lightning towards the King, which threw him back against the wall and made his muscles spasm all the more painfully.

"Oh listen to him! He would have never agreed anyway! You're less fun than a dead guar!" Sotha Sil called out.

Nerevar's heart was beating like crazy in his ears, and with each heartbeat, he could feel his strength seeping away along with the rivulets of blood that gushed from his wound. "There are more important things than power. Power alone will never satisfy you." He breathed out, trying to reason nonetheless.

"Oh no? I'm sure it will, once we become Gods! You're just a fool, Nerevar. We won't let you stand in our way." And with that, Vivec raised his weapon and attacked – forcing Nerevar to defend his life as they moved around the room. Vivec managed to inflict more and more cuts and wounds on his body, making the King drop to his knees and spit out blood, his head whirling and his body feeling as if it wasn't his own anymore.

Voryn… Voryn… I need you…

It was the only name that circled in his mind – even if he knew that Dagoth was far away… even if he knew… that there would be no chance for him to see his love one more time…

And this pained him more than any physical torture, making him scream out his battle cry at the top of this lungs as he rushed to his feet with a wave of adrenaline and fought off all three of his assailants – who seemed to be shocked for the moment – before Vivec's ferocious expression turned even more sour in front of him, and he felt the length of the other's sword being abruptly thrust into him!

"NEREVAR!" Dagoth's scream echoed from the entrance of the chamber, and it was the only thing that Nerevar could register.

Dagoth had rushed to this room as soon as he heard the commotion, and yet what he saw was something that he could not possibly bear to witness. Vivec's sword was thrust all the way through Nerevar's chest. Dagoth's blood ran cold and he felt like he himself had died right at that moment.

Once his limbs were able to move, the obsidian-haired general ran into the room just as Vivec pulled back his sword, and Dagoth caught his King's falling frame in his arms, holding him both tightly and gently as he crashed to his knees, his eyes wide and absolutely spaced-out as he hurriedly traced the fatal wound with a trembling hand.

"N…Nerevar.. N-erevar…" He whispered, tears beginning to fall without end as he chanted healing incantations over and over… failing to mend the broken body of the one who was dearer to him than life, than death, than both Resdayn and Oblivion.

This cannot be happening – this cannot be happening… All the Lords and Ladies of Oblivion cannot let this happen…

"…Voryn…" The whisper was quieter than the wind, but Dagoth heard it, and leaned lower as Nerevar's bloodied hand slipped along his face, reaching up quickly to hold his King's hand against him in a desperate plea.

"Please don't leave me, Nerevar… please… I love you… I love you…"

"…I'm… sorry…" Nerevar whispered with his last ounce of strength, while the sight of his general near him calmed his confusion, terror and pain, and provided him with serenity in his last moments. There were so many things that he wanted to apologize for – for not having listened to Dagoth when he should have, for having failed both his people and the Dwemer in this pointless and sorrowful battle, for having been too blind to see the treachery of the Tribunal and the greed that lurked in their hearts, and most of all for leaving… for leaving the man who was the spark of hope, love and light in his life…

His life-force was now fading quickly… he was going numb now, and cold… and his blurry vision was now fading entirely… he wished that he had the strength to say how much he loved Voryn… and that there never was and never would have been any other who was very much a part of his soul. But he knew that Voryn knew it anyway.

Nerevar couldn't hear anything anymore, not even the sound of that sweet voice of Dagoth, who kept on whispering to him.

The raven-haired general pressed his lips to the King's one last time, as if wishing that by some miracle Nerevar would survive… that Azura might not take him away from this mortal plane…

…and then he felt Nerevar's last breath pass onto him, and he pulled back, his body shaking in shock as he looked at the lifeless body of his dearest companion in his arms.

And Nerevar's last words were 'I'm sorry…' – what a noble and bright soul… when Dagoth knew that he had nothing to be sorry about… nothing at all. He was perfection embodied… he should have been an immortal.

The reality of what had just transpired didn't sink in yet. Nothing sunk in yet. Dagoth's gaze was still terrified and he was still sobbing, while leaning down to bury his face in the King's hair, and feeling the deathly coldness of his flesh.

Impossible… impossible… impossible…

It was only the sound from behind him that snapped reality into Dagoth's mind.

"It's better without a King. We'll all be Gods. We're willing to offer you the same." Vivec took a step forth as he spoke.

"Just forget about him, once you're a God, everything will be easier. There is no pain, and all the power that you can imagine." Almalexia said, brushing off her clothing.

IMPOSSIBLE!

Dagoth jumped up to his feet in a rage that he never knew existed. His mind was screaming at him – Kill them! Kill them for Nerevar!

He turned around sharply, his gaze dark with deadly intent, as well as pain and torture that could never subside as long as he was alive. "You miserable murderers! You've murdered your King! You can go to the depths of Oblivion where you belong with all of the betraying scamps!"

And with that, Dagoth unsheathed his sword and charged. Three against one weren't good odds, but Dagoth's loss and fury allowed him to prolong the fight for much longer than the Tribunal had expected. He had even managed to critically injure Almalexia and almost kill Sotha Sil, but the three of them have overpowered him in the end.

Bloodied and near-death, Dagoth slumped to the ground, smashing face-first into the stone floor and remaining unmoving, because none of his muscles agreed to move. He welcomed the pain; he welcomed the end. If he couldn't avenge Nerevar, he wanted to be in as much physical pain as possible, and if he couldn't have Nerevar by his side, he wanted to die a thousand deaths. He had failed his King… he had failed to protect him, and failed to avenge him… in the end, what kind of a general did he turn out to be?

It was hard to keep his eyes open, and then suddenly – there was a flash of light in the room. It came from where Nerevar's body lay.

And there she was… the Lady of Oblivion…

Azura materialized right there, to the extreme shock of the Tribunal, who tried to back away from her, because she had never looked this upset.

"What you have done here today is foul beyond measure!" Azura's voice echoed around the stone walls, heavy and condemning. "You will grow to regret it, for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."

She moved forward, closer to the centre of the room, opening her arms to the sides.

"Let this mark remind you of your true selves who, like ghouls, fed on the nobility, heroism, and trust of their King." She announced solemnly, and then something unbelievable happened.

Even in his dying state, Dagoth could focus enough to see that the Tribunal's skin turned from golden to ashen, as did his own, and their eyes became red like fire.

"So that you and your people might forever know your wicked deeds." It was done, Azura had cursed them for eternity.

"And I will use my powers over dusk and dawn to make sure Nerevar will come back and make things right again."

This – was a turning point in Dagoth's heart. Azura will bring his Nerevar back… he will return to him… Dagoth will have him by his side again…! So now… now he couldn't die… he had to survive for his Nerevar, to see him again!

But he knew about the state of his injuries now… he knew that he was going to bleed to death soon… and there was nothing that he could do about it.

What a cruel fate…

He could hardly even focus on what the Tribunal were saying now – they were laughing and reassuring that no one will be worshipping Azura once they become Gods. Dagoth feared that it might be true, but Azura didn't seem to listen to them much before leaving in a flash of light that engulfed Nerevar's still golden-skinned body, and the Chimer King had disappeared along with her.

It was then that Dagoth's strength slipped away, and he closed his eyes into darkness.

He had no idea how long it had been when he awoke, but he found that he was still alive… even if barely so… His muscles weren't working –he had broken bones and bleeding wounds… what could he do?

Wait… the Heart of Lorkhan!

He could tap into that energy to survive. If he can get there in time, he could heal and regain his strength there… he had to. There was no other way, and he wasn't going to die – not when Nerevar was going to come back to him.

The dark-haired and now dark-skinned general pulled himself in a bloody heap across the floor, and soon he noticed something lying on the ground where Nerevar lay before. There was only one thing left of him – his Moon-and-Star ring. Dagoth reached out to take it, wrapping his fingers around that precious, treasured ring, and it gave him the strength to pull himself all the way to the Heart Chamber.

Using his own knowledge of magic and tapping into the energy of the Heart, Dagoth managed to begin the lengthy process of tuning those energies to himself and trying to use them to his advantage.

After what seemed like days, Dagoth had enough strength to sit up and then stand up, and his wounds were healing, even if he noticed the appearance of a different sort of decay. He was feeling much different than before, and he couldn't leave the room without losing his strength. And there was something else; he felt the Heart's corruption seeping into him, filling his pores and clouding his mind, but he didn't care. He had to accept it and let it in, because he had a reason to live now.

By now the Tribunal have become their own self-righteous Gods, and he knew that they would do everything to stop Nerevar from returning. This was why he had to survive and counterbalance their efforts. They will not win. And they will pay for their treachery.

But every day of waiting was tugging with longing at his heart, and every time he looked at his ashen hands, he remembered that fateful day. It was still hard to believe everything that had transpired under Red Mountain, but it only increased Dagoth's resolve to become stronger and to interfere with the Tribunal – no matter what it took. Even if his body was decaying and the lands of Red Mountain were becoming diseased and blighted – he will endure, for Nerevar. He will cherish that ring, and he will make sure that Nerevar will be wearing it again on his delicate finger. He will help Azura in any way he could so that she can accomplish what she promised.

But for now… days stretched into years… and centuries… and Dagoth continued extending his life with the aid of the Heart of Lorkhan as he hung onto the hope of seeing his love again, and awaiting for the day when Nerevar will be reincarnated…

Secretly, through magical means, he kept ties with his House and the house of Indoril, and while those who lived under the surveillance of the Tribunal have long since gave up their worship of Azura, there were some who did not. Some did not live in the cities that the 'New Gods' have built for them – some lived in the wilderness and still remembered the way of honouring the Lords and Ladies of Oblivion.

With their help, Azura will have enough power to bring Nerevar back one day, and Dagoth was going to be there when his Moon and Star returns.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

The End! ….or is it?

Note: Thank you all for taking this journey with me – it has been a pleasure and an honour! And as you know, journeys never end, they only change in form!