[center][h3]Everything Remains As It Never Was[/h3][/center] [hr] On the horizon, before the first light of dawn kissed the lands, a trio of bright orbs burst forth unto the sky above. On land, another three burst from within the dense coastal forests. For those in the city who were awake to witness them, only a few understood their significance, but for the Legion, it is a sign of terrible things to come. They were coming. [i]Anvil - 24th of Second Seed [s]6:30am[/s][[/i] “You know, when I asked if you had companions who would be interested in my proposal, I wasn’t quite expecting you to be quite so popular.” Roux pointed out, setting down what was likely the last of the crates to be loaded before the [I]Intrepid[/I] would depart its moorings and set sail to the North, leaving the Gold Coast behind, and presumably, the war that had gripped Cyrodiil. Daro’Vasora glanced over her shoulder at the man as she checked over an itinerary and list of her companions that had agreed to come along, along with those who didn’t. The important thing was that they knew what ship was offering free passage if they had a last moment change of heart, but overall she was pleased with how successful Latro, Brynja, and herself had been in locating everyone over the previous day to let them know of the potential “job” and a chance to start somewhere without so much heavy baggage for them all. For the first time in a long while, Daro’Vasora felt hopeful for things to come. Even though she planned on ditching Roux at the earliest opportunity, she still felt that Hammerfell was where she was meant to go. For what reason, however, she couldn’t guess. “A deal’s a deal, these people have been through a lot, and if you want me to join you on your expedition and begin to trust you again, you won’t question it.” The Khajiit replied, most of her own gear stored away. In truth, she always enjoyed sailing and the respite from life on land, this was one of those few opportunities to approach things with a fresh body and mind. It was always easy to forget about the troubles of the world when all around you was just an endless blue horizon and the most breathtaking night sky. “Of course.” Roux replied with a smile, letting one of his crew members deal with the crate he’d carried aboard as he approached the Khajiit, “If they’re friends of yours and need a way to get away from the troubles of Cyrodiil, it’s not as if it’s trouble to take a few extra bodies for the voyage. We’ve the space for it, and I always make sure there’s enough supplies to last a long while in case of unforeseen circumstances like poor weather, or Kyne forbid, the ship bottoms out and wrecked. Hopefully most of them decide to lend a hand; we’ll all be richer at the end of it.” “Right.” She replied, whether agreeably or dismissively, Roux couldn’t say. The din of lookout bells began to toll, ringing out across the harbour from the watchtowers as shouting from the garrison suddenly broke out in alarm. “What’s that about?” Daro’Vasora asked. Instead of replying, Roux grabbed his spyglass, looking out towards the western skyline. “Oh, fuck.” “Ships?” The Breton nodded, handing the spyglass over for her to look, “Looks like the Dominion wasn’t content to gobble up Skingrad without a fight. They’ve only been itching for a war for the past thirty bloody years, the Dwemer invasion was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We need to prepare to sail, now.” Roux urged, barking orders at some of the crew on deck, who immediately began preparations. He turned back to Daro’Vasora, “Were you expecting anyone else?” In truth, only a handful of those she managed to contact the day before were here; others, she assumed, weren’t coming. However, if there was a chance to find any of them, it was at the [I]Flowing Bowl[/I]. The only person she knew wouldn’t respond well to seeing her again was Rhea, and as much as she didn’t care for the Imperial, she felt that the Imperial deserved to be given the same courtesy that she extended everyone else. As much as Daro’Vasora didn’t agree with Rhea’s methods, one thing was clear; she did everything she thought she had to save those under her care. It was a great strength, and it would be wrong to abandon her because of bad blood. [I]Great, I have a conscience now. Damn.[/I] Brynja had set to helping those joining the [i]Intrepid[/i], find a sleeping space for the duration of the voyage. She resurfaced just as the bells began to toll, it was unnerving in the least. Brynja picked her way across the deck, and managed to catch the last bits of conversation between Roux and Daro’Vasora. She frowned at the news of Dominion ships on the horizon, and just as he asked the Khajiit if there was anyone else, she couldn’t help butting in, “Aye. Sora, I’ve not seen Rhona in the past two days. She lent me her room at the tavern, but I’ve not seen her since. I spoke with Megana, and she said Rhona was going off to find some food for the night on the 22nd. I can’t leave her behind, we need to find her. And…” Her words faltered, the thought of leaving Rhea behind saddened her. She had done so much for the group, couldn’t they at least return the favor? “And I want to find Rhea, at least give her the chance to come with us. She’s looked after us the best she could, she got us this far… let me ask if she wants to come with us.” “She deserves that much. Go, find her. I’ll head to the [I]Flowing Bowl[/I] and see if I can find anyone else. She’ll be much happier to see you than me, and we don’t have time for that shit.” Daro’Vasora said, grabbing her mace and turning back to Roux. “You better not fucking leave without us,” she warned before turning to sprint down the gangplank and head back into the city proper. Things were about to go to Oblivion in a hurry, and she wanted to get ahead of it. [hr] The bells continued to toll, their metallic echo spreading across the city and rousing many of the residents from their slumber. And in particular, Rhea herself. The cacophony of the bells had shook her from her sleep, and brought her out onto the balcony. Her gaze swept over her surroundings, trying to find the source for the alarm. And there, black pinpricks on the horizon over the water. Her brows furrowed in confusion, what in Oblivion could that be… Her mind jumped to Skingrad, thinking of what Runil and Arawen had said. [i]No…[/i], she swallowed hard as a chill crept over her, [i]they weren’t lying. The Dominion?[/i] Her hands gripped the railing, trying to find the courage to breathe. Nowhere was safe anymore. She turned to head back inside to pack her belongings, knowing full well that when the Dominion docked their ships, chaos and panic would spread across the city, and when they seized control of the city, the gates of Anvil would close, preventing anyone from leaving, much like with Skingrad. “Rhea!” A familiar voice drew her attention to a figure below in the streets looking up at her. It was Brynja. “Brynja?” She called, a bit confused. The Nord giantess hadn’t come to seek her out over the past few days, and she wondered if she had harbored the same feelings towards her as Daro’Vasora. “We have to go!” “Go where?” “We have to leave the city, there are Dominion ships on the sea. If we don’t go now, we’ll be stuck here.” “We?” “Yes!” Brynja said, trying to keep her exasperation under control, “We’ve a ship, and we’re not leaving you behind.” Hot tears stung Rhea’s eyes at her words, all was not lost. Her throat tightened, leaving her speechless, “I’m coming!” Within minutes, Rhea had thrown her belongings together in her rucksack, her hands trembling as she fastened the strap. A final tug to secure it, and Rhea headed to the door, giving the room one last final look before descending the stairs. She emerged onto the streets below, and spotted Brynja looking particularly anxious. Many residents of Anvil along the harbor came to their doorsteps, and spilled onto the streets, curious as to why the bells rang. They could see ships on the horizon now, but those without a spyglass, none could tell that the ships belonged to the Dominion. At least not yet. Brynja turned her attention to Rhea as she approached, her worried expression softening into a half-smile. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Rhea. Let’s get going before it’s too late.” “Right.” They set off at once, until a thought crossed Rhea’s mind, “Whose ship is it?” “It’s a friend of Daro’Vasora’s. Said he would help get us out safely.” At the mention of Daro’Vasora, Rhea bit her lip. “Did she send you?” “Doesn’t really matter, but we’re not leaving you behind. You got us out of the mountains, out of the Imperial City, and out of Skingrad. Personally, I signed that contract saying that I would protect [i]you[/i] and my fellow companions at all costs.” “But I said you could part ways in the City-” “I know. But you didn’t give up on us, so I’m not giving up on you.” Brynja admitted, as she wove through the people spilling out onto the streets, clearing a path for Rhea behind her. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it.” Brynja said, more focused on weaving her way through the people. Both women made their way back to the ship Brynja had mentioned, seemingly in the nick of time. Ahead, Daro’Vasora busied herself with helping a rather traumatized and blood splattered Rhona up the gangplank. She clung to Daro’Vasora’s arm sobbing loudly, while Gregor and Raelynn were just beginning to board. The air carried a desperate sense of urgency mixed with shouting as fighting broke out between Dominion infiltrators and the city guard, even some of the local populace had taken up arms. Sailors aboard the [I]Intrepid[/I] stood at ready with bows and crossbows, taking the occasional shot at any of the invaders that were causing chaos in the streets. The Khajiit caught sight of Rhea and Brynja breaking their way through the unrest, and gave Rhona a reassuring push upwards onto the deck, she would be fine, though she didn’t let on much with why she was in the state that she was; Rhea couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Daro’Vasora had started to understand. The Khajiit raced towards them, ducking under a bound sword’s blade as a Bosmer mage in plains clothes attacked her. She drove her mace into the woman’s gut as an arrow from one of Roux’s men felled the Dominion infiltrator. Without missing a stride, she rushed towards the two, “Come on! You two are the last ones, everyone else is aboard. The Dominion’s trying to secure the harbour, and we won’t get out if those ships get here!” she urged. “Right, let-” Rhea started, and suddenly a sharp pain filled her chest as she noticed a look of horror on Daro’Vasora’s face. Her vision briefly blurred out of focus, and she tried to speak, managing only a raspy hiss instead of the words that… what was she going to say? She looked down and saw jutting out through her chest a gleaming spike of ice, covered in her blood. The realization was immediate, and she struggled to breathe, her lung must have been punctured. She heard Brynja yelling that she couldn’t get the spike out, and a healing spell washed over her, easing the pain, but from the look on the two women's’ faces, it must have been fatal. [I]So this is it, then.[/I] Her legs no longer supported her weight, she felt like her limbs were failing, a cold numbing sensation spreading over her. Daro’Vasora caught her, saying, “No, no… please, no. Brynja, help me!” Together they supported Rhea, carrying her aboard the ship. “Don’t you fucking dare. Stay awake!” Daro’Vasora yelled, but Rhea wasn’t listening, not really. Her gaze turned towards the horizon, watching as the pretty blue waves crested without a care in the world. Despite herself, she smiled, her eyes growing too heavy to hold open anymore. There was still beauty in the world after all. [hr] The [i]Intrepid[/i] hit the open waters not long after, the ship too swift and manned by an experienced crew for the large and cumbersome of the Dominion war galleys to make chase, arrows and spells struck the waves far short of their target. Along with a handful of other vessels, many of Anvil’s privately owned ships made it to open water, escaping the Dominion’s clutches that now gripped Anvil. Roux had taken as many people as he could onboard, citizens and contractors alike, putting twin-massed black ship at capacity as it sailed into the open waters heading Northwest. With the help of Brynja, Raelynn and a few other members with the knowledge of burial preparations, they wrapped Rhea Valerius in linens and sealed her fatal wound. She had passed before even making it aboard the ship. After something of a brief memorial for the Imperial woman, those that had known Rhea parted ways for the voyage and Brynja went to look after a wide-eyed Rhona, leaving Daro’Vasora kneeling at Rhea’s side, surprised to find tears filling her eyes. “I thought I hated you. Why does this bother me so much?” she asked the deceased woman quietly, looking the most at peace as she had since the expedition departed in the Jerall Mountains a lifetime ago. Gods, she deserved better than that; they all did. The weight from all of Rhea’s choices must have weighed on her until the very end, and Daro’Vasora felt guilt from her outburst when they arrived in Anvil. Was that what finally shattered Rhea’s will, did she feel like everything really was her mistake? No answer or thought brought comfort, only more painful realizations. She had her hands cupped in front of her mouth as if praying, but the reality was it hurt to breathe. Nobody had to suffer for her own actions, Alkosh, why on Nirn did she stay with these people? She should have left as soon as they were out of the Jerall Mountains, ditched them like she always did. Or after they escaped from the Imperial City, or stayed on in Skingrad, or not tell them about her plan to leave Anvil. “What did you do to me?” she asked again, inhaling sharply through her teeth, her eyes clamping shut on the tears that fought to break through. “Why do I give a damn what happens to any of them, or myself? Zegol died because of your impulsive stupidity, am I supposed to forgive you for any of that?” The tranquil woman didn’t answer, leaving the Khajiit doubled over, her arms wrapping around her waist, and clenched her teeth so hard they hurt. As if feeling Shanji-ko’s toe under her chin, she looked up again, feeling a breeze across the portside of the ship; she could see Jone and Jode just above the horizon and felt warmth. She knew in her heart what she felt deep inside, but never paid heed to. Placing a hand over Rhea’s, Daro’Vasora said, “I will look after them, no matter where the road leads us. I hope you found your peace, but the burden is no longer yours. I will take it if I must. Thank you, for doing your very best. I was a fool not to appreciate that.” Leaning down, Daro’Vasora kissed Rhea’s cold brow. “Until we meet again.” She left Rhea’s side, and found Roux standing not far off, leaning against the gunwale, staring at the moons, his face remarkably sombre. “I didn’t want to intrude.” he promised. “You didn’t.” Daro’Vasora said, standing next to him and looking back towards where her ancestors could find her. “So, what awaits for us next?” “Hammerfell. There’s some people I think you should meet.” [center][url=https://fontmeme.com/guild-wars-2-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180831/d0446e8837a0d35d71e7ea52e7b834dc.png[/img][/url][/center]