Faction We Are All Bound by Purpose [Open to Dawnguard, PM to join]

[Coci Heavenshield]

With her lightsabre ignited still, Coci ran for the crashed ship. In her way some of the horde tried to cut her down, only to met with their immediate death. There is nothing in the galaxy or in the heavens that can stop a mother trying to reach her children that are in peril. Well, this mother at least. She force jumped over a large pile of bodies, and continued her run and up head Coci could see the demons slowly crawling toward the ship. She knew that Thirdas was still alive, sensing him but his life force started to drain and the only weapon he had left was hope.

She raised her arm, her hand reaching toward the pile of demons and she force pulled them off flinging some of them away. Another she grabbed and squeezed, the demon grasping at his throat only to feel it snap under its long talons before it fell to the ground in a heap. Of course, Jedi can force chock too, it is just frowned upon.

Finally, she reached him, and the back of the final demon with a raised axe. The blade of her lightsabre plunged through it’s back and chest to the hilt and the axe fell to the ground beside Thirdas. As the body was falling to the ground wide eyed with surprise, Coci flicked her wrist, her blade arching rapidly in a blur to decapitate it making sure it would not rise again.

She raced to her son’s side. “Thirdas, I am here”, she looked him over, he was in a bad way. Coci prized off the dead body on his leg, the smell was rancid and bits of it broke off in her hands. A large cut on his leg was weeping with fast established infection, no doubt poisoned from the talons.

“Thirdas wake up”, she slapped his cheek firmly to bring him round again. “Don’t go to sleep”.

Having children, one needs to learn some elements of healing, but these wounds were well beyond her capabilities. Thurion could do it, but he was too far to come, and he had the battle to command. Thirdas was bleeding badly, she stemmed the flow as best she could, but it would not be enough. There was only one option present to her, and she slowly brought down the edge of her saber blade to cauterise the wound to kill the infection and close it. If she didn’t, he would be dead before reaching the triage.

She opened up her commlink to the medical triage, hoping someone would pick up her message. A set of co-ordinates enough to give the medical team a direction to her location. “Urgent medical assist on my position. Evac required”. Coci did not stay at his side for long, more foul creatures lumbered toward them smelling the scent of blood and fresh prey. She stood between them and her son, ready to defend him to the death.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Nida Perl

 

[Bors Greythorne]

He'd not expected the words the little lady spoke, any of them. At once he was heartbroken by her belief that something was wrong with her for not relishing violent actions, as well as astounded by the levels of wisdom she displayed by realising as much at such a young age. It only proved to him further that Thrand's spirit lived on in his descendants.

Thora then placed a kiss upon his wrinkly cheek and as the girl stood, Bors did too out of respect for the Young Lady. He watched her walk over to the triage tents, a newfound courage to her steps, and he nodded to himself. "Oh, sweet child," he uttered to no-one but himself, for she was already too far gone to hear the words he spoke.

"You are as much Heavenshield as any of them. You are the blood of the Dawnbringer. You have everything you need to find your own purpose in life."

With that the old warrior picked up his shield and tossed it over his back, preparing to return to the battlefield at his lady's behest. But the army had already charged the capital and was far away, and not relishing the idea of having his weary old feet carry him all that way he looked around for a spare horse. It did not take long for him to find one.

"Wha- Just what the hell are you doing here," he reprimanded the old nag casually waiting nearby as he approached her, only to take her likewise weary head in his arms for an embrace, placing a kiss upon her long nose. "I left you back at camp for a reason, you know," he added.

The mare reared her head in protest and stomped her front hoof against the cold ground. Bors scoffed as man and beast shared a look. "Fine. One more ride into battle," he relented. If an old relic like himself was allowed to participate, so was this stubborn old nag. She'd earned as much, having served in more campaigns than most other war steeds now charging into the gates of hell.

With a grunt he raised his leg and placed his foot inside the stirrup, and with another grunt he pulled himself up into the saddle, having to catch his breath from the exertion. Before horse and rider set off, Bors looked to the skies still shrouded in darkness. "Brother, I may well end up seeing you again before the day is through. If I end up making a fool of myself, don't be an arse about it, alright?"

Taking a deep breath he then urged the old nag into a gallop, and made for the capital of Tháinbroek and the war being waged at its gates.

Thora Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Having regained his footing after the heavy fall, Thurion began to navigate the streets of Tháinbroek, now riddled with rubble and debris that often would cut off whole intersections, forcing another route through the chaos. There were also patrols to consider, for the Crone's minions were truly endless and those that did not directly participate in the battle scoured the fallen city for what few easy pickings remained within the ruins.

A stray shot from one of their siege engines sailed farther than intended and smashed into the roof of a building still barely standing, causing it to completely crumble and whip up a huge cloud thick with dust all around where Thurion stood, only making finding his way even more difficult.

His body froze as he thought he saw something in the dust cloud. The faintest indication of a shadow, stalking him. Then it came, a familiar cackle.

"Tell me, Son of Thrand; did you truly think this pathetic attempt at reclaiming what was so easily taken from you would succeed, hm? So many have already fallen, all to satisfy your need - your desire - for bloody revenge."

"Show yourself, Hag!" He spun around to look in every direction, yet the cloud of dust simply made it impossible to tell where the voice originated from. His hand rested firmly upon his sheathed sword lying dormant for now. "You no longer hold power over me, Gríma. I am set free of your influence, your cruel whispers!"

Another cackle swelled along with his defiance, until finally the creature herself presented herself by stepping out of the dust cloud, which by now seemed to last for an eternity, for the dust never settled as if being frozen in time. "I stand here before you now, Son of Thrand; do you still propose you are truly rid of me? This could all so easily have been avoided had you lot simply bowed down before me when I first arrived here - embraced me as your one and only God-Queen! All of you are beneath me, and should be thankful that I let you grovel at my feet for scraps!"

"ENOUGH!" Thurion roared as he flicked his wrist, causing the dust to finally settle through the use of the Force. This angered Gríma so deeply that she lashed out at him with wicked-looking spear in hand. Calm and composed, Thurion reached out to bat away her thrust with the mere palm of his hand against the flat side of her blade, before unsheathing the sword Anarion and in the blink of an eye severed the spear in two.

"That blade," she snarled in disbelief. "It was broken!" Having effectively disarmed her, he pointed the tip of his sword towards her throat and simply proclaimed: "It has been remade."

But the Crone then tilted her head to the side with an amused look. "How adorable, thinking it would be that easy. That you could end the war now with but a single stroke of the sword, and that I would simply stand down and let it happen. Think again!" With that the Crone vanished into thin air, and in her place a dozen shadowy silhouettes appeared bearing her likeness, attacking all at once.

Thurion deflected and parried the onslaught of spectral blades with the serenity of a Jedi Master, each motion fluid and made with care in the ways of Makashi. It left him little room to counter-attack, but against a dozen opponents it made the most sense to simply avoid their strikes for the time being. Once an opening presented itself, he would take it. An attempt was made to Force Push a chunk of stonework at one of the ghostly forms, but the being simply passed through it unscathed.

Meanwhile, the real Gríma watched from the rooftops with a gleeful grin. She was toying with him.

Coci Heavenshield | Eyna ​

 

[Eyna]

Thurion Heavenshield

The rooftops acted as cover. Through the force she could skip between them, and through the force she could lessen her fall. The skip over the wall had prompted a pursuit, but given the speed at which Eyna moved there was no-one around that managed to keep up. She kept the location where she had seen the gryphon return from, and by sheer luck managed to find the roof through which one Thurion Heavenshield had fallen.

The streets below were certain death. Eyna prided herself as an assassin, but even she understood the risk of such odds. The trail for Thurion had been lost, yet with the dispersing of dust and grime it was found again.

Eyna skipped across the rooftops even still. Her technique much the same, the approach quiet as she hurried to reach her master’s husband. Beneath the skin her rage was abated for now, the focus of her task taking priority as she closed the distance. In the street beneath she saw the stone block as it traversed through the ghosts, but even more so she saw this ‘Crone.’

Was it luck? Was it fate?

The woman was right before Eyna, back towards her as she stared down at the blonde man with glee. No ordinary sword could have killed her, Eyna had been made aware of this. And so moment of thought was all she needed before she steeled her nerves. It was a dumb idea, a spectacularly bad one, but something that Eyna could do.

Stationary up until now she thrust herself at speed towards the Crone, arms seeking to wrap around her waist and throw them both down towards the ground below without a care in the world for her own well-being. Make or break, Eyna would have tried.

She could die happy knowing that.

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida was good at not getting distracted in her work. Lives quite literally depended on how quickly a healer could assess the wounded, and treat the most critical areas first. Just as a soldier needed to maintain their composure on the battlefield, so did the healers need to keep their heads on straight.

Something in the Force made her pause. Out of the sea of pain and death she could pick our one lone wave, one Force presence that started to dim. Something in her—her body, her subconscious, she didn’t know what—realized it before she had, and a hand of ice gripped her heart and chilled her veins.

“Urgent medical assist on my position. Evac required”

Coci’s voice crackled through the comm in her ear and she started upright, off like a shot to her location. There was something in her voice, something that was more urgent than urgent. Protocol be damned—was there a protocol?—she couldn’t idle by this time.

“I’m taking this one!” Calling out awkwardly to the others in the triage unit before they could persuade her otherwise, she was already some distance away. The rest of the team assigned to her would follow the young Jedi to their ward.

--

The first thing Nida saw upon their arrival was Coci standing between her heavily injured son and a band of creatures who no doubt had seen her son as easy prey. A brief frantic search and she could spot him on the ground behind Coci, motionless, wavering in and out of consciousness, blood seeped into his blonde hair. “Thirdas!” Leaping off of the speeder, she narrowly dodged a beast as it swiped for her, hand gripping the hilt of her saber as she went. The hard turn she took to avoid it sent her directly into the path of another that leapt out at her like a ghoul from a horror flick. Squeaking in surprise, Nida plunged the glowing end of the saber into it’s torso, dragging the beam to the side to tear it in two. Fortunately for everyone, Coci was here to beat the creatures back while they extracted her son.

“Thirdas, Thirdas I’m here. Your mother is here.” She talked to him in as soothing of a voice as possibly, hands frantically searching him over to assess the wounds. The worst one at his leg had been cauterized, but there was a strange ichor around it. Upon tearing off the material of his pants in that area, she discovered that the skin had blackened and had begun to turn necrotic. “Wh…” Something like this did not happen so quickly, even with an infection. “You’ve lost a lot of blood Thirdas, but you’re going to be okay now. Do you hear me?” She placed both hands over the wound, regretful that she did not have time to administer or wait for the effects of an anesthetic.

By use of the Force, Nida pushed the tissues in Thirdas’ leg to heal, and stimulated the blood at the open wound to clot. She also did her best to halt the infection from spreading even further into his leg, though the tissue it had already seeped into would not come back—if they didn’t end up amputating, then they’d work on regrowing the tissue and leaving him with a nasty scar.

“I love you, Thirdas.” She whispered, fingers pressed to his wound, willing his blood cells to reproduce quickly. “You do not get to die on us here.”

Thirdas Heavenshield | Coci Heavenshield

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

It was horrible walking through what was left of the Grandhall, passing the rooms that had once been his family’s quarters, including the room in which he was born. Now nothing was left of them, only smouldering remains, Théo could make out what was once his bed, the only thing to indicate this was a mark on the leg that he had carved into it as a child. The rest of it was ash.

But this sight was nothing compared to what faced the once they enter the hall where the throne stood for centuries, so many generations of his family had led the people from here. He used to play around it as a child crawling between his father’s feet, his mother would sit to the right of him and afterward, his uncle took up the chair. Regardless of all this destruction of their home, after all it can be replaced, it is not the wood that is important, but the people that it all represents. And outside, they lay dying or dead.

Like is uncle, this all gave Théo resolve to do what they must to stop her, even if it means death to them. They had made it to this point without being detected, the Crone’s arrogance he suspected, not thinking that someone would dare come this close.

“I am no help. Without the force I can’t help”, he said looking up into it, it was the key to this whole battle, if they could close it, the Crone would be cut off and isolated along with her horde. Théo looked to his uncle and aunt. “Whatever it is that you are going to do to close it, I will stand guard and stop anyone that comes”, no doubt someone will as soon as they realise that the portal was under threat.

Moving around the remain of the hall, Théo picked up one of the shields laying in the rubble, it was a shield from one of the houses loyal to the king and crown and placed it on his arm. He started to patrol the immediate area, covering all directions around his uncle as the enemy could come from any direction. But no matter, he would stand and fight and protect them while his uncle did what he had to do.


Thyrian Hearthfire

 

[Velkar]

From behind the shattered remains of the Throne, a shadow moved. A slight of hand gesture directed toward Théo and the sword he held shimmered with a flick of green magic along its entire length. What was once an ordinary sword becoming a weapon of great power that would have the ability to cut down anything that the Crone had to throw at them.

Directly, he could not assist them, especially the King, he had his own destiny to fulfil without interference. For once, Velkar could not dictate the ‘choices’ people made. Destiny had to play her full hand this day if Midvinter was to survive, but that did not mean he could not help it a little.

What the goodly races of Midvinter did not realise, is this whole shitting mess was his father’s doing. Right from the start. The Allfather banished his first love to the depths of the realms after she had grown hungry with power and lust for death. And now she had come back haunting his father once more. The Allfather had summon Velkar, begged him to help.

Oh, it was a great day, watching his father grovelling while all the other Gods stood around equally as contrite. Except for one, Dawnbringer. To be expected he supposed considering his sons and grandchildren were to be played as pawns in all of this. You see, Velkar is the God they go too when they do not have the wit or the stomach to do the dirty work themselves.

The grin of Velkar’s face, spoke of mischief before he vanished into the ether once more, leaving Théo holding the Sword of Helm.



Thyrian Hearthfire

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Just as he was about to pull the pin, the creature was cut down by a few well-struck blows, and in its place stood his mother as if having been summoned by thought alone. All at once his body slumped back against the wall of the crashed shuttle as he let go of the pin on his grenade, breathing heavily when realising just how close he was to the end. Immediately every ounce of him desired to cling to life, even though his body was bloody and beaten.

He was just able to lift his uninjured arm to fire off a few more rounds into another attacker, doing what little he could to aid his mother. But his consciousness was slipping away from him and he no longer had the strength to fight, sapped by the wounds he'd sustained. All he wanted was to close his eyes and succumb to fatigue, only to be brought back by the firm slap of his cheek.

"Mom," he uttered weakly and settled his hand upon hers during their brief exchange, before she turned to fend off those who would do further harm to her youngest cub like the lioness she was.

Moments passed, or perhaps minutes. Keeping track of time was not exactly a concern of his at this point. Next thing he knew another shuttle appeared, descending from the skies, and before him stood what he could only describe as an angel. A pink-purple angel.

He only recognised her once she stepped closer into view. "Ni..." he tried to speak but did not have the energy to even utter her name.

All he knew was she was here with him, speaking to him.

"S-sorry," he barely managed as the faintest of smiles graced the corner of his lips. While she began the healing process through the use of the Force, Thirdas took her by the hand and pressed it to his heart, and just fixed his gaze at her to maintain focus.

He mouthed his reply to her declaration of love while she worked on his wounds, trying her best to stay the bleeding. Whether she was successful or not he could not tell, but he was determined now that he would not leave her in sorrow this day. He wanted to stay alive for her.

Coci Heavenshield | Nida Perl ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Not even the Goddess of Death could have predicted such a bold move, and before she could act in time to stop it she was pushed over the side by some girl -- how dare she even touch her divine presence, let alone presume she would end it all with a hard shove! While plummeting to the ground, Gríma turned in the air and clutched the girl's cheeks in her talons, glaring at her with the utmost disdain.

"How... intriguing," her disposition shifted in an instant upon delving into her corrupted soul before vanishing once more, leaving Eyna to her own fate.

Down below Thurion held his ground against the twelve shadows, deflecting and parrying each and every blow in a display of masterful fencing. These spectres did not seem to share the same powers as their mistress, yet their ethereal forms made it just as difficult to strike a blow against them.

Finally he had had enough of the obvious attempt at delaying his progress and felt the Force fill him to the brim, until finally released by him ramming his armoured fist into the ground to unleash a powerful shockwave which shoved aside his dozen assailants. It was then, in this moment of relief, that Thurion looked up to find Eyna falling from the nearby rooftops.

With a great leap he shot towards her, grabbing hold of her mid-air to land safely on the ground some distance away from the recovering shades. However they proved quite relentless and levitated towards them at great speed with weapons drawn.

"Begone, foul spirits," he shouted and unsheathed Anarion once more.

With Eyna still in his arms he raised his sword above his head as beams of purifying sunlight emanated from its enchanted blade. The sunlight struck the shadowy forms as they approached anew and scorched them so fiercely they burst into flames, and with screeches and howls their very beings peeled away and turned to flakes of ash carried away by the wind until they were no more.

Able to catch his breath, his one-eyed gaze turned to the young woman and placed his hands upon her cheeks, giving her a quick once-over. "You alright, kid?" Gazing into her soul, he could tell a terrible battle raged within her, yet she still seemed able to use the inner turmoil to her advantage. "I won't bother asking how you got here," he then added with brief levity before standing back to take stock of the situation.

In one direction was the main gate where the battle raged on, their forces blocked by the greater demon inflicting terrible losses, and in the other was the direct path towards the Great Hall upon its hill, where he knew his brother was being rescued this very moment. He was at a loss for where to lend his abilities, though thankfully he had a bright young mind close at hand to rely on.

"I wish to know your thoughts, Eyna. Which way?"

Eyna ​

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

​

"Thyrian, what are you..."

Kära sidled up to her husband, who turned to his wife with that grim face she'd known throughout her lifetime. Her blue eyes filled with worry. "You can't, you're too weak--" Thyrian shushed her with a caress of her cheek, warming the cold surface of her soft skin. Leaning forward he placed a tender kiss upon her forehead.

"Kära, there is no other way. Last time we had the Judgement to rain fire upon the Crone's portal until it destabilised and crumbled. Nothing we have left could create that much energy, except me." His words did little to comfort her, but it was the truth. Her calculating nature prevented her just barely to attempt and persuade him of another course of action; she knew that by closing that portal, the Crone would be trapped on the mortal plane without an escape route like last time.

"The needs of the many," she relented even as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, "outweighs the needs of the few." Thyrian rested his forehead against hers as his arms wrapped around her, and hers around him. "Or the one."

They stood there holding each other for what felt like hours, lost in their love for one another. With each inhale he made sure to memorise her scent, the texture of her hair and warmth of her body. Finally their lips met for the deepest of kisses.

"Do not be afraid," he then soothed her as they inevitably parted. "We are all bound by purpose; I am merely fulfilling my duty to my people as their High King. I shall not fail their trust in me."

His fiery gaze lifted to Théodred keeping a watchful eye for enemy movements. "Théodred," he sought his attention. There was much he wished to tell him, in the case he would not return to see his brother one last time. "You are your father's son," he instead chose to echo their conversation at the tavern in the North years ago. "I am proud of the man you have become. Take care of your family, and... please, take care of Thurion. He will need your strength when the day is done."

Reluctantly, Kära stepped away from her husband. Once more his eyes fixated on the swirling portal hovering above the city, until they closed and he began summoning his power from within. "Father, lend me your strength," he prayed internally to the Sun God. Bit by bit his entire body became covered in flames, burning brighter than ever. Though his body remained weakened from his imprisonment, his spirit and use of the Force remained unbowed, unbent, and unbroken.

"You have all the strength you need, Thyrian. The High Kings of old all stand with you. And so do I, my son."

Bolstered by this, Thyrian opened his eyes just as his fiery form levitated off the ground, his arms outstretched. So much power previously held back was allowed to flourish this one time, untapped and unbridled beyond even his own comprehension. Higher and higher he soared until hovering below the dark portal, and so engulfed in flames was he that they seemed to form two fiery wings upon his back.

"Phoenix," Kära stared in awe from where she stood within the ruined throne room, until a demonic shriek demanded her attention. She took up position alongside her nephew, lightsaber ignited and at the ready. "For the king," she looked to Théo with determination to carry out her own duty to her husband.

From the entrance of the once-glorious Great Hall poured the Crone's minions anew. It would seem the Goddess of Death had caught wind of their plan.

Théodred Heavenshield ​

 

[Eyna]

Thurion Heavenshield

Those talons dug into Eyna’s cheeks as the pinched with a sharpness she had come to expect. The hatred that poured forth as the woman stared into the mirrors of Eyna’s soul was hard to keep contained. For the briefest moment it seemed as if Grima’s face softened though Eyna might have merely imagined it. The woman dissipated into smoke, and with it the girl’s free fall felt all too real far too quickly. With a deep breath she closed her eyes and began to focus on the ground, and yet before the impact she found herself swept up.

Eyna’s eyes opened in surprise to hear Thurion shout at the demons, accompanied by the sheen of his sword. They died, and Eyna was eased down to the ground, her eyes darting around as she began to look around her and get a better idea of where she even was. Her hand grabbed at the saber by her side to hold it in her hands with a grip to seek assurance that she held her fate in her own hands still.

“Never better.” Her throat seemed to growl. The girl was caught off-guard by her own voice but let it slide. “Rooftops.” She answered the man’s non-question regardless. “Saw you fell off your mount.”

And in that moment, Thurion asked for military advice. The girl lowered her shoulders and glanced over at the castle and then the gate. The men were capable, she had seen it for herself already. The demon was big and made of pure pain, but it was also a big and easy to hit target. At the castle they had the greater chance of ending this once and for all, or so Eyna would figure.

“We need to find the Crone again and put an end to this. You have played your card, she knows this has become a very real threat.” Eyna said and finally looked over at Thurion. “She must have withdrawn further into her forces to seek protection. Her death is all that we need to be concerned about. Cut the serpent’s head.”

 

[Thrand Hearthfire]

The fighting was going heavy at the gates of Tháinbroek. It seemed the Crone was hellbent on making their entry into the ancient city as painful as could be, pouring her endless tide of minions at the forces of the living at the bottleneck by the main gate, protected by her finest champion in the form of the greater demon.

It was a truly monstrous creature, as tall as trees and wide as the gatehouse itself. Cracks in its black scales revealed the raging inferno which dwelled within, and its eyes were no eyes at all, but rather two dark pits with naught but flames for pupils. In a twisted sort of way it shared similarities with Thrand's own father, though the young man had better things to concern himself with at this very moment.

Thurion was nowhere to be seen, though his gryphon mount still fought on without a rider, and Coci had veered off to one of the crashed shuttles at the edge of the battlefield. There was no-one to take command of the combined armies of Midvinter, save for the Prince-Consort of Averlorn, firstborn son of Thyrian the Phoenix King!

"Press on, men! It's all or nothing this day! We fight 'til the last man and take as many of these bastards with us!" The blood of his father boiled within him, his emerald eyes depicting this as they flared up with flames of their own, green like lush rolling hills one would not find on Midvinter.

His steed Sleipnir descended upon a large group of dark minions threatening to break through, using his white feathery wings to daze and confuse them followed by the devastating swing of Thrand's mighty greatsword, lopping off their heads half-a-dozen at a time. Close by was his cousin Nina and her loyal guardian Arnor, fighting like the finely-honed duo that they were.

"Thrand! We cannot wait for the others to defeat the Crone! We must direct our efforts on the big guy - he's carving through us like a hot knife through butter," she shouted over the chaotic sound of battle all around them, with Arnor roaring ferociously nearby as he tears into another enemy.

"Runa's sacred teats," the ragged voice of one Bors Greythorne voiced his disbelief at the vast creature blocking their path, having appeared on his old nag after catching up to the advancing army. "I doubt there's a blade anywhere in the world large enough to fell that big of a sh*t!"

All at once everyone's eyes fell upon Thrand's ancestral sword, mightier than all others found amongst their combined forces. "Aye, that one might do it," they all concluded simultaniously, nodding their heads and shrugging their shoulders. "Don't you lose that big hunk of metal," Bors cautioned the young prince with a waggle of his finger. "I know of it's importance, Grey-Boar," Thrand replied with a tilt of his head.

"You'll need a distraction to get near that thing," Nina concluded meanwhile, nodding to Arnor at her side. "Sod it all," Bors chimed in, thereby adding to the list of volunteers. "We'll give the big faen something to swing at while you deliver the death blow. Just... don't miss!"

The improvised plan was set in motion, with Nina, Arnor and Bors all charging the enormous beast to draw its ire. Its huge swings should prove easy enough to predict - you just really don't want to forget how to dodge! At least, that seemed to be the general theory.

"Ride with me," he spoke to Ióunn through the use of the Force, spotting her some distance away. With a caress of Sleipnir's mane the Vanir took flight once more, hoping that he would see his beloved do the same.

Ióunn Ar-Olwa ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Whatever guns the shuttle had on the ship, Coci ordered it to open fire on the creatures around the wreckage sight. Bolts hit the ground and creatures alike, sending up debris all around them. She signalled for the evac team to come, bearing the stretcher to get her son out of here. Nida had arrived and pushed her way through the onslaught of monsters, Coci could not help her at that point, having her own horde to deal with to stop getting to her son.

“Nida, get him on board quickly”, not just for Thirdas’ sake but for the young girl as well, if they don’t hurry, they will be over run and as masterful as Coci is, it would be too many for her as well. The evac team arrived by Nida and Thirdas’ side, and soon they would be in the air.

As the team moved out, bear Thirdas with Nida sticking to his side, Coci moved with them, giving them cover when the creatures dared to run for them past the ship’s guns. Most were mowed down, but those that got through were dealt with, with brutal force and no emotion in Coci’s heart. These creatures were nothing to her, nothing to be redeemed or pitied. Not anymore.

The medivac team lifted Thirdas into the shuttle, in a moment of rare pause, Coci took Nida by the arm and pulled her close in a hug covering the girl in black blood and grim. She held her for a moment, and whispered, “Thank you”, if anyone was to come for her son, it would be her and Coci was grateful for it. “Your mother would be proud; I know she would”. That was true enough, Joza as fearsome as they come would recognise the same quality in her daughter, blood or no. “Now go”, she said firmly and turned back to the horde.

The shuttle took off, the engines whirling kicked up the dust and muck from the ground around her. Yet Coci’s eyes were firmly set on the creatures around her. They realised their prey was alone and isolated and a collective roar when up as if tasting victory and the taste of fresh meat. With her saber ignited at her side, Coci walked toward them. The odds were something like 87 to one, yet she grinned at her writer, “Never tell me the odds”.

She started to run toward them, the force swirling in the palm of her hand, her saber twirled blurring the blade through the air. The force push punch the air and slammed into the front line of creatures, sending them flying back into the next line. Yet that regrouped and began to circle but not even this removed her smile.

The sound of thundering hooves entered her ears, and with the arrival of the Northern Army left flank, she sent up her battle cry in a roar pointing her saber to the kill. The mounted Valkyri returned the cry and rode pass her and entered the horde along side her. Cutting down everything in their path.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Nida Perl

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

He did not like any of the parting words his uncle spoke to him. If any of them where to last until the break of the morn it would be a miracle. Théo hugged his uncle briefly before stepping back and bowing to his king in respect, “As are you, your father’s equal”. If they did survive, all would need each other in the aftermath, strength drawing from each other.

What happened next only struck Théo to awe. He watched as Thyrian ascended into the air, flames bursting around him, yet a sense of mirth crossed his mind, would not be Théo if it didn’t. He wondered if bolts of fire would come out his .. the wings of fire unfurled and the thought vanished from his mind. This was a sight he had never seen before nor would again.

A roar broke his revere.

Into the ruins of the grand hall poured the Crones minions. “For the king, and for Midvinter!”, he repeated with his Valkyri blood stirring to boiling once more. He raised his sword and ran head long toward the nearest creature, he did not have the force to use as a weapon, but he did not need it. If he was to die here and now, he would go out taking as many with him as possible and buy time for his uncle.

The sword raised to the air ready to cut the woe, a glint of light hitting the blade, and for a second the foul creature hesitated as if afraid. This was enough to drive Théo onward with renewed determination. The blade bit the corrupted flesh of the creature, and the instant it did, the creature burst into a cloud of dust. There was no one more surprised at this than the man holding the sword. What the hell?

​

Théo’s own hesitation only lasted a second as well, before heaving the long sword at another, with the same result. And between Kära and his blade, the horde began to thin. In the distance he thought he hear a piercing screech, the Crone’s rage as only she realised the Sword of Justice had entered the battle.


Thyrian Hearthfire

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion studied the girl closely as she offered her rather direct military advice, catching the elder off guard; they were not words someone her age would use, though he supposed it was the least of their concerns at a time like this. He offered her a nod in return for her advice and a pat on the shoulder, only for his face to unfurl an expression of sheer dismay.

He swiftly turned and gazed up towards the massive portal swirling above the city, and quickly caught the distinct shape of a fiery phoenix hovering beneath it. "Thyrian... We have to go, now," he turned back to Eyna before taking off, running at a full sprint through the ruins of the once-great city. In their path towards the Great Hall lay a fallen watchtower, yet Thurion simply smashed through the thing with his bare fists amplified with the Force, sending bricks and mortar and wooden splinters in his wake. Nothing would come between him and saving his brother now, not after all the sacrifices made.

Once at the foot of the hill upon which the Great Hall sat, they could see the waves of demons attempting to overrun whoever was still inside. He could read Kära's Force signature, which made him assume Théo was with her. The resolve within this old lion grew tenfold upon this realisation that his firstborn cub was in danger, and so his voice was amplified by the Force as he let out a vast roar to challenge those that would bring harm to his son.

The roared reached even inside the ruined throneroom where Kära and Théo held their ground, and they would see the waves of enemies stop dead in their tracks and turn their heads in fear, and would certainly provide the two several easy kills. Thurion leapt high into the air and reached the top of the hill before descending upon the horde of demons. "BRING ME GRÍMA!"

Smashing into the ground, an immense shockwave of lightside energy erupted from within the man which tore the Crone's minions apart and cleared the entire hill of any further trespassers, leaving only those inside the Great Hall to deal with as bit and pieces of their foul kin rained down upon the streets below. As some turned at the entrance to attack him, Thurion reached out and telekinetically sent of one of the broken-down doors through the entrance, crushing them beneath its weight and further clearing a path to the throne room.

Out from its sheath came his sword Anarion once more, mercilessly striking down any demon left standing in his path of destruction. "Théodred," he called out repeatedly with a father's desperation while wading through the enemy. All around him the enemy fell, their piled up bodies making the last advance a complete slog.

Upon finally reaching the throne room all Thurion had to do was cross the threshold and show himself in all his grizzly glory to make the remaining minions flee for their lives. Once assured that they were safe for the time being he walked up to Théo and threw his arms around him, finally able to catch his breath. "Oh, my sweet boy," he let out with the purest of fatherly relief. "How my heart aches with joy at seeing you...!"

Looking over his son's shoulder, he caught Kära glancing up at her husband with worry written all over her face. When he approached however, she was quick to greet him with open arms. "Thyrian, he..." she uttered into the fabrics of his cloak while they embraced. "I know, Snowflake. I know what he's trying to do. All we can do now is keep the Crone away from him."

Standing back from the two, Thurion turned to the girl who had so bravely followed and fought beside him. "Théo, Kära - this is Eyna. She is an apprentice of your mother's," he turned to Théo briefly. "Eyna - meet Lady Kära of House Hearthfire, Queen of Midvinter. And this, is my oldest son Théodr--"

Introductions were cut short by the sound of clapping hands, slow and deliberate as none other than Gríma Hagraven herself appeared from behind a pillar. "How precious, to witness a family reunion," she snickered, then turned her head to look out the nearby broken window. "It won't be long now until I too am reunited with my kin, though I expect it will involve a lot more bloodshed."

"That little king of yours," she then scoffed in complete disgust as another spear formed in the palm of her hand, identical to the one Thurion had shattered earlier. "...is really starting to piss me off. After I have dispatched with you lot, I shall feast on his flesh and drink from his blood, then feed what's left of his rotten corpse to my faithful warriors - all for even daring to undo what I have taken great pains to unleash upon this world!"

"And you," she pointed one of her talons at Thurion and grinned a wicked grin. "I shall relish stripping you of your remaining eye, leaving you blind and helpless to only hear how I torment those closest to you--"

Thurion stepped forward and brandished Anarion. "Is this going to go on for much longer, or can we just cut to the part where we beat the sh*it out of you already?"

Gríma snarled like a wild animal before unleashing her powers of darkness, shrouding the entire throneroom in an infinite blackness impossible to navigate. Despite having stood right next to each other moments ago, each one of them would find themselves alone as if having been placed in their own dimensional void. Out of the shadows came more of the same spectres Thurion had faced earlier to challenge Théo, Eyna and Kära respectively. Thurion, meanwhile, got the real deal.

"Come then, Son of Thrand..."

Théodred Heavenshield | Eyna ​

 

[Eyna]

Théodred Heavenshield // Kära Hearthfire // Thurion Heavenshield

The role of a soldier was what she had been raised for by the man that she would have called her father. Though his experience with the One Sith and their aggressive push against the Jedi was something she knew almost by heart and instinct it was something she utterly despised. Still, it helped push her forward in this very situation.

As Thurion set off into a sprint, Eyna followed close behind. She saw the firebird in the sky, the way it seemed to throw Thurion off for a second and in that moment when she knew that she was supposed to worry for this ‘Thyrian’ she instead found herself worrying for Thurion and his ability to push on. Emotional attachment was something she had been raised to exploit. To see it potentially used against the one who led her was enough to make her consider what her worst case scenarios were. Her eyes fell instinctively on the sword as they pushed, being fully aware that should their worst case scenario come true it might have been her who needed to wield it.

It would not happen, but she needed to consider it. Nothing was certain on the field. Especially not in the field. Quick thinking was what kept you alive, and while Eyna held no authority over armies by herself she was more than able to pick up a sword.

Her trail of thought was interrupted by the sound of Thurion’s fist pummeling the ground and the light that erupted from it. On instinct Eyna found herself stepping away from it. Yet the burn that seared against her skin was over almost as soon as it had come. The beasts in their path were not as fortunate however.

With their path cleared they entered the castle. And it was here, in this very room that her nerves acted up the most. The Crone was here. Call it experience, but Eyna swore she could have felt it. As she was introduced to Theodred and Kära she found herself giving them little more than a firm nod as her eyes continued to scan around them, interrupted only by the sound of clapping hands.

Her saber ignited. The red blade bathing her in an ever familiar shade as she stared at the woman.

A mirror image of the crone appeared before the girl and with that she readied herself. She had seen how they reacted to Thurion’s attack before. They could dematerialize as she struck them. Eyna swung her blade to test the waters and sure enough she went right through. The wicked grin of her opponent seemed to spread from cheek to cheek with each attempt Eyna gave before finally the coin trickled down the slot.

She would expect a Jedi. The girl extinguished her blade and readied herself for a mistake. Her arms went wide, the shade reaching to impale her, and Eyna did nothing to prevent it. An errant breath parted her lips before her entire body tensed up. Electricity crackled yet again at her fingertips before she reached for the shadow’s head to claw at her temples.

It hurt, but the effect seemed to have been evident. The shadow disappeared into mist one last time and Eyna fell to the floor. Alive, but shaken. And definitely hurt. She pushed herself back on her knee with a groan. Air was hard to come by but she tried. Wherever that blade had hit, it hurt.

Yet that fire inside of her kept burning, kept telling her to push onward. Eyna refused to die just yet. There was something she and everyone else in this room needed to see through first.

 

[Ióunn Ar-Olwa]

While focused on the task of producing the altered storm, Ióunn went into a trance like state, her hair billow around her, like snakes and her eyes filled with the darkness of the centre of the storm. The power she drew on from the Frostvatn, filled her entirely and she felt as if there was nothing she could not do. Thousands of generations lived in her now, of Aelvar that had possess the power she has, now whispered in her ears, leaning their wisdom and strength to her.

Among them, she heard her mother’s voice. The words different to the rest, a warning on her whispered voice. Pleading with her daughter to return to the present. She opened her eyes, confusion in her mind as she had not remembered where she was. Until arrows shot pass her, barely missing her, but not her Vanir. He threw back his head and whinnied in pain, the arrow penetrated his wing. But although the pain was great his strength prevailed and too her to safety.

Thrand was far in the distance, flying head long toward a large beast and on ground she could see forces mustering to him. His voice cut through her mind, and all she wanted to do was go to him and help. If they are to fall this day, they would fall together. But she knew her mount would not make it, not able to fight and she would not allow it. My love, I will come.

They flew as close as they could before she landed to the ground, the mount warriors riding at breakneck speed around her, hooves pounding the ground. As they passed, a horse stood alone in the wake, it’s rider long dispatched and dead. Ióunn ran to it and mounted, pulled the reins and turned it head to the north. She would ride with her love, on the ground and help cut the head off the horror before them.

Thrand Hearthfire ​

 

[Nina Heavenshield]

Few had dared to directly challenge the greater demon holding the entrance to the city, and for good reason. It was a truly gigantic monstrosity whose appearance alone would give anyone nightmares for the rest of their lives, let alone its brute strength unrivaled by any one being native to mighty Midvinter. But by the Gods, that creature was going down no matter the cost!

Nina leapt into the air as its massive cleaver came down, embedding itself in the cold ground with enough force to make the earth tremble, and she landed upon the flat edge of it just wide enough to allow her nimble feet to run up its length. Before the infernal demon could raise it, she'd already skipped up his forearms towards his shoulder. She had to be light on her feet, for beneath its cracked skin swirled a maelstrom of fire and molten rock no doubt capable of incinerating her on the spot.

As she ran up his extended arm her lightsaber trailed behind her, digging into its "flesh" yet it did not roar in pain despite the splatters of magma spilling out of its fresh wound. By the time she'd made it onto the demon's shoulder in an effort to go for the head, its weight shifted as it reached for her with his spare hand, forcing her to jump out of the way. She managed to grab hold of one of its horns, hanging on for dear life as she dangled before the creature's very eyes.

Again the greater demon reached for her where she clung to him, however this time she had help. On the ground Bors had made it to the creature's flank where he'd been chopping away at the creature's ankle, whittling down its thick charred scales until reaching the soft layers underneath. "Now, big guy!" The old warrior landed a precise blow to its unprotected ankle, causing it to shift its weight once more. At that moment Arnor rushed in with the unmatched raw power of the Beorni, shoulder-charging the great beast while its balance was off.

It wasn't enough to put it on its back, but it was enough to stagger it, making it stumble and having to lean against the remains of the gatehouse. More importanlty, it allowed Nina to drop to the ground safely.

"Watch out, lass!" Before she could catch her breath Nina felt something slither up her leg, and a sharp pull put her on the ground and dragged towards the demon. Its tail had wrapped itself around her and the force of the pull coupled with the speed with which she was being dragged made it impossible for her to free herself.

"Arnor," she yelled in a growing panic while watching the greater demon regain its footing and prepare for another attack with its massive cleaver. A sharp tug of its tail caught it off guard however, as Arnor wrapped his large arms around it to keep it in place. Bors raised his axe and used all his strength to cleave right through the end of the demon's tail, severing it and freeing Nina once more. "On your feet, lass," he helped her up on her feet.

But the foul creature was not happy, and with another lash of its tail it shattered Bors' shield, sending wooden splinters into his shoulder and putting him on his back. Nina was quick to aid the old man, dragging him out of immediate danger. Looking up, she found Arnor standing alone against the greater demon.

The creature had dropped its blade, realising its vast size was slowing it down in close-quarters combat. It bore it full might unto the lone Beorni, yet Arnor managed to grab hold of one of its large claw-shaped fingers and ripped it clean off its hand only to throw it straight into one of its eyes. But he was fighting a losing battle, with the demon extending its other hand to grab hold of him. Arnor held his ground though, raising both arms to meet the palm of the beast, keeping it from closing its fist.

"Arnor!" Nina cried out at the top of her lungs, having to watch her lifelong companion fight for his life. The Beorni warrior let out a defiant roar as he stood his ground, but was inevitably unable to withstand the sheer might of the greater demon. With a powerful strike of its free hand Arnor was sent flying, smashing against the blood-soaked ground with deep slashes across his chest. Abandoning all conscious thought, Nina rushed over to her dearest friend.

She got down on her knees and placed his large, furry head in her lap as tears crept down her cheeks. Arnor looked up at her with those animal eyes of his, a soft wheeze coming from his laboured breath. In all her life she'd never seen him so helpless, and it broke her heart. "Snow," he uttered weakly, lifting a hand to caress her white hair.

Nina leaned down to place a kiss upon the black tip of his nose. "Hush now, Arnie. I'm going to take care of you."

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Thrand Hearthfire]

​

Together husband and wife took flight once more upon their winged steeds to join the assault on the greater demon blocking their path. Already the three volunteers were busy providing distraction through whatever means necessary, challenging the beast head on despite the grave threat to their lives. It was all or nothing at this point; they either prevail here today, or Midvinter and all her peoples are forever lost.

A few enemy flyers attacked him on his ascent only to be cut down by the sword of his namesake - he who was now considered the founding father of Midvinter as they know it today. Whenever Thrand wielded the huge blade, he felt the generations of heroes and kings that had come before lend him their strength. He would need all of it before the day was done.

Down below he watched as the three braves struggled. Bors was on the ground with Nina dragging him out of the vast creature's reach, leaving Arnor to fend off its attacks alone, but even the mightiest of Beorni champions could not withstand for long and was soon cast aside. Thrand realised it was now or never, for the three could no longer lend their aid.

"Ióunn! Strike it now with a bolt of lightning," he shouted and pointed down at the greater demon while it was busy rearing up for another attack that would surely be the end for Nina and Arnor where she sat cradling the latter in her arms.

While the Aelvar queen summoned to her the powers of the Frostvatn once more, her Prince-Consort descended upon the beast with breakneck speed. They would need to time it just right.

Thrand leapt off his white steed with greatsword in hand just as a series of powerful bolts of lightning shot out of the clouds above to strike at the foul creature, providing the opening he sorely needed in the most literal sense; the lightning stripped away the thick scales protecting its chest, and with it its beating heart.

With a great warcry Thrand buried the entirety of his blade into the beast's exposed core, right down to the hilt. An inferno of flame and molten rock poured from the mortal wound, and would no doubt incinerate any ordinary man. But Thrand shared the fiery blood of his father, and so while the sputtering magma ate away at his armour, the man underneath remained unharmed.

The greater demon roared in pain and was about to tumble forward, which would have assuredly crush Thrand under its colossal weight. Thankfully a timely Force Push from Nina, who had witnessed her cousin's bravery from the ground, caused the behemoth to fall backwards into the city instead. A massive cloud of dust swept over the battlefield, and the ground shook as if being shattered to its core.

By the time the dust settled, the Prince-Consort of Averlorn emerged standing triumphant upon the deceased corpse of a once-formidable foe, its lifeless husk slowly peeling away into ashes carried away by the wind.

He raised his sword above his head and addressed his countrymen, regardless of race. "Now - advance, Midvinter! Make safe the city!"

All at once the emboldened army of the living poured through the entrance, carving a bloody path through the demoralised minions of the Crone. They'd made a considerable dent in her forces by felling her demonic champion, yet many thousands of lesser demons remained. And, until the portal was closed, more would come.

Ióunn Ar-Olwa ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Finally, Coci reached the gates of the ruined city, beside her was what was left of her Dawnguard Shadow Knights. They walked the streets unmolested by any enemy and any that they did come across were dispatched with ease as they ran in fear. She had felt the surge of power from Thurion, their force bond powered to remain pulled together for strength, together they are unbeatable, that testament seen on many battle fields across the galaxy.

There was nothing much left of the Grand Hall, the doors blown inward and black rubble from the fires they had seen the night before. The sight was extraordinary, above all this the portal and within it Thyrian ablaze, her heart fell knowing what he was trying to do, but they all must remain strong, she knew what this act of his meant.

The Dawnguard Shadows remained cloaked, with a small gesture Coci issued orders to them, they were to remain hidden to protect Eyna and Theo, kill anything that would come for them. The room went into darkness, and sight to the average person vanished but not for her. The black eyes widened, covering the whites of her eyes and any remaining light she could see it was enough to throw an outline of Grima’s figure.

Coci’s lips curled into a snarl equal to Grima’s foul lips, and Coci ran toward her as silent as the night’s fall. The timing needed to be perfect, the last second to drop her cloaking and attempt to kill the Crone. There was too much at stake, the lives of all those she loved and cherished were in the one room, Thirdas safe at the field medical camp as was Thora. She had to give them a distraction to get out, flee or stand against the woman until the bitter end.

A light to follow in the darkness.

Coci leaped into the air, dropped her cloak to reveal her presence as her blue light saber snapped and hummed to life. But the Crone was quick, turned at the sound and reached for her in mid-air, pulling Coci with force until her talon fingers wrapped around her slender throat and raising her in the air. The strength of the woman was unmeasurable, the pain shooting through Coci’s body beyond description and entered her brain and as much as she tried to fight it, block it out, it was impossible. She could feel blood running down her neck as Grima’s fingernail pierced her skin.

She lost focus, the air in her lungs burning her and she felt the blanket of darkness coming, in second, she would be unconscious, and death would soon follow. Grima was not in a charitable mood, Coci was seconds away from her neck being snapped.


Thurion Heavenshield | Eyna | Nida Perl