Just as we discussed, the attack was quickly prepared for the following morning. The new arrivals eagerly signed up for the main assault, without any prodding necessary from our end, while the more veteran adventurers wisely decided to ask for more reasonable roles.
Even after all these years, the eagerness with which the people of Skyrim throw themselves into the jaws of danger continues to boggle my mind. I know I shouldn't be one to talk but I am a Divines damned master mage, so of these dumbasses ca down here with iron weapons!
As we snuck toward the main city I couldn't help but think back on the end of yesterday's discussion. To say the Masters were miffed by the fact I wanted to kill a literal dragon would be the understatent of the century, even Tolfdir looked ready to whack over the head for hiding such information.
Still, they agreed to it in the end, and I didn't even have to tell them about Minthara! Explaining the danger of it possibly leaving its abode on its own, and hinting at the value of a fresh dragon corpse was more than enough for the two mages to agree to risk a couple hundred adventurers.
We debated informing so of the more powerful warriors in our ranks about the upcoming danger but ultimately decided it was better to keep it to ourselves. After all, you never knew what kind of rumors might spread if people learned we had such information, and even if one of those present was a companion circle mber no one cared if a werewolf got itself killed, the disdain for furries transcended even the great universe it would appear.
As my group and I snuck past the final small village to the south of the great city, I finally got a closer look at our target: Imposing stone walls surrounding large structures that stood in an almost circular fashion and themselves surrounding a large square at the center above which hung the false sun. Dwer ornantation covered every single inch of the construction, if it were not covered by dust and filth I might have mistaken it as being freshly built. The only oddity was the complete and utter lack of automatons... then again if those were present the Falr would have long since been killed off.
The defenders were as nurous as we expected, my magic sight and clairvoyance easily informing that many thousands of them crawled through the halls, easily able to overwhelm our force of a re seven hundred... if we didn't co prepared that is.
About a dozen ballistae and a hundred spheres waddled behind my small unit, all of them stocked to the brim with ammunition and fully charged with energy, a unit of just under a hundred experienced rangers or hunters followed beside my own retinue.
The Falr might have the numbers, but their patrols were disorganized and their warriors far weaker on average, a simple defeat in detail while they scrambled like headless chickens was going to work wonders here.
A sudden chill pulled out of my musings as I felt the familiar surge of death erupts from the northwest, soon followed by a burst of steely Magicka coming from the main gate.
I look to my subordinates and eagerly clap my hands "Alright kiddies, are you ready to conquer us a city?"
Minthara deadpans "Aren't you like the young-" I interrupt her with a sudden bonk on the head, a surprisingly firm folded scroll in my hand.
She glares at as I repeat, my voice just a bit more strained this ti "As I was saying *Eh hem* Let us conquer us a city!"
A couple of those present snicker but no one earns themselves another bonk, the mont of levity passes as I turn back to the city, my Magicka roiling eagerly beneath my skin. It as ti to hunt the biggest ga of all.
(General POV)
A sudden commotion draws all Falr toward the gate, the sentries atop the walls grunting with panic at their grounded comrades, a loud BANG nearly shatters the eardrums of those closest to the gate as the Dwer tal bends inwardly.
On the other side Tolfdir retracts his hand and takes a deep breath, mildly annoyed that his first attack was insufficient, not that the small army cheering behind him shared in his irritation. So of the foolish youths even looked at him with childlike wonder...
Taking another deep breath he once more rose both his hands, completely ignoring the arrows flying around him, Magicka roiled off him like a thick vapor, soon a massive chunk of earth ripped itself out of the ground and with a flick of the old mage's fingers launched itself at the gate with a boom of sound.
This ti the rock hit the tal gate with such force that it imdiately vaporized itself on impact, the tal sheets that used to guard the city getting launched backward and landing atop the many Falr standing behind it, flattening them all.
A short mont of silence passed before one of the more eager adventurers raised his shield and charged forward with reckless abandon, soon followed by more of the glory hounds.
Writing the fools off as already dead, Tolfdir started briskly walking toward the city, the more sensible rcenaries huddling behind him as they noticed that arrows seed to glide away from the old man as if pushed aside.
As they crossed the threshold of the city, the old man suddenly stopped, surveying the thousands of Falr streaming out from each of the massive buildings. The confidence of his n took a nosedive as they beheld the sa sight but the old mage was not perturbed. Instead he took another deep breath, stretched his shoulders and growled as his form once again expanded massively.
The Falr flinched as their instincts scread at them to flee, but it was far far too late for that.
(Reyvin's POV)
I decapitate the last of the Falr guarding the tower which we used to get on the walls, a raised platform of smooth stone stretching behind us, courtesy of a very tired looking
Edrassa.
We waste no ti and imdiately proceed to the next tower, a number of bown and automatons staying behind just as planned. I do my best to conserve my strength as we start clearing out tower after tower, using spells only when my Magicka was topped up and allowing my guards and apprentices to fight whenever possible.
As the fourth tower falls I hear the familiar roar of Tolfdir and look down just in ti to see the old beast rip an entire formation apart as blood and gore flies all around him, yet to my surprise the Falr just keep throwing themselves at him, only the formation of armored rcenaries holding them back from drowning him in bodies.
We had underestimated just how many of the filthy things were living down here.
I launch a bolt of crimson lightning at the wave of enemies, and monts after my signal hundreds of arrows and bolts start peppering the horde, yet even that only managed to slow them down.
Deciding that the best course of action was to expand our coverage I imdiately proceeded to the next tower, this ti using all of my magical capabilities to clear them out as fast as possible, I wasn't about to let Tolfdir get killed because I was being cautious. Tower after tower falls to our assault and soon the entire wall facing our fort is under our control, the constant ranged fire upon the endless sea of Falr slowed it down just enough to allow the ground forces to hold the goblinoids off and even push them back at so
instances.
The grinding battle went on for hours, we were only able to advance once I felt Phineas' undead legion burst from one of the buildings, forcing a portion of the Falr to go and hold them off. We pushed them back thodically, never advancing past a building that wasn't cleared out of enemies, which proved to be the wise decision as many were connected to underground passages filled to the brim with snarling goblinoids.
After what must have been half a day our forces managed to reach the central plaza, the enemy numbers still not diminishing in any aningful manner even after thousands had been ripped apart while our side had already lost over three hundred.
My group and I had long since abandoned the walls, leaving the archers and automatons behind to continue mowing down all enemy reinforcents as a constant stream of runners kept replenishing their ammunition.
Soon I stood before an exhausted Tolfdir who returned to his human form to take a quick rest, rising a stone wall to help the rcenaries hold the enemy off in his absence.
He looks up at , his face completely covered in blood and Falr bits "I do not believe we will be able to win at this rate." He states simply, causing my retinue to gape in fear.
I nod while looking over the battle "Indeed, our n would not ever be able to cut down so
many, there is at least another ten thousand Falr there and that is not counting their non-
combatants."
Tolfdir smirks at "It is lucky that we have positioned them in a rather convenient place
then, is it not?"
I chuckle and then give him a serious look "Right now?"
He too takes on a serious expression and nods slowly "Right now."
I imdiately turn to my people "Minthara and Davos are with , the rest of you make sure
that Master Tolfdir stays alive." So look ready to protest but the firmness in my voice makes them think better of it.
I imdiately rush off to a nearby building, the sound of fighting coming from inside.
Without even looking at what is happening I blitz through the building cutting down anything that stands in my way, my two followers barely keeping up with my breakneck
speed.
Many Falr try and stop , their equipnt of a surprisingly high quality for a random building. Sothing that is explained as I enter a large debate hall, filled to the brim with Falr shamans.
A beat of silence passes as the enemy magi scan , but that is all I give them. I imdiately blitz to a nearby creature preparing to send a blizzard my way and decapitate it, another tries to skewer with a spear of ice but a lazy push of telekinesis sends it back into its head.
They start trying to overwhelm with magic but my skill with shadow walking and clairvoyance has reached such a level that I evade them without even looking, reaping the barely above apprentice mages like grass.
As I cut another one in two I find myself staring at a duo of nightprowlers aim their rudintary staves at , a hint of glee in their disgusting faces. But instead of reacting at all I rely smirk at the creatures as two things happen.
The one to my left suddenly clutches its throat as a crossbow bolt nearly disintegrates it while the one to my right gets its head crushed to a fine pulp by way of Minthara's warhamr.
I do not pause and continue climbing the building, the number of defenders decreasing with each subsequent floor. As we finally ascend to the peak and I cut down the half a dozen archers shooting down at our forces we finally stand before the false sun.
I finally turn to my two rather breathless companions and ask "Are you ready for what might
be the toughest fight of our lives?"
Minthara nods resolutely while Davos just looks at with confusion, the two share a look and Minthara nods at causing my fellow Dunr to raise an eyebrow.
My crown hides my expression as I smirk maliciously and rapidly explain "Minthara is Dragonborn, the false sun contains a dragon whose soul she needs to consu if she is to stand a chance against the upcoming apocalypse in which the child of Akatosh shall return to
consu the world, questions?"
He gapes at like a fish out of water and before he can even respond I clap my hands
"Excellent!" I turn to the eager demigod "You ready?"
She snarls eagerly "Born ready."
I nod and we both approach the edge of the balcony we stood on, we take a deep breath at the
sa ti and as one shout ""FUS RO DAH""
A loud gong-like sound resounds across the battlefield, and a feeling of taphysical weight presses onto all of us, causing the fighting to stop for a mont. A loud roar exploded outwardly as sothing crashed under the false sun.
I looked down and there he stood, atop hundreds of Falr corpses he crushed by rely existing, twice the size of what I rembered, his scales bronze and black and his limbs six instead of four. Vulthuryol the coward had arrived.
Toss a stone and you too may crush soone's gates! ;)
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