Dragonborn Rising Ch. 15

Armed with bows, as neither Karliah nor myself wanted to get too close to the Afflicted, we slowly but surely made our way forward, keeping to the shadows, killing those that chose to attack, leaving alone those who didn't bother us. The further into the ruin we descended, the more Dwemer machines woke up, and they did not hesitate in attacking, and that's when I needed to unsheathe my sword and defend the pair of us. The little spider looking machines were more a nuisance, but the machines that appeared to roll along the ground, making all manner of strange sounds, packed a punch with their solid metal arms.

Eventually we saw no more Afflicted, only the Dwemer machines. Sneaking by them was nearly impossible, so Karliah unsheathed her own blade as we went on the attack. No point in sneaking, but I think we both near shit our pants upon opening one of the large pair of double doors to be faced by an enormous Dwemer contraption.

"Centurion! Fuck!" Karliah cried, grabbing my arm and dragging me back.

"How the hell do we kill it?"

"Get in close, hack at its legs. Just watch yourself. It blows steam that'll cook you where your stand, and its arms will take your head clean off. Keep low, move fast."

Looking back, I still have no idea how we both survived. With little room for manoeuvre, it actually suited us more than the enormous Centurion, as we could time our swings, rolling out of the way of its giant arms, while raising my shield blocked the worst of the steam. It took a long time, Karliah and I exhausted by the end, but somehow we managed to get the giant contraption onto its knees. Once we had it there, the pair of us went on the attack. Even a machine can only take so much punishment before it will stop working, and as I distracted it, the Centurion still managing to blow off steam, Karliah attacked it from behind, banging its head for all she was worth. The Centurion finally collapsed onto its front, and the pair of us hit it a number of times before we were satisfied it wouldn't rise again.

"Fuck that thing!" I cried. Karliah just staggered towards me, throwing her arms around me, sagging into my body. "And you're exhausted."

"That was tough, Ragnar," she groaned.

"And we still haven't found Orchendor."

She relaxed against me for a couple of minutes. To be honest, I needed a few minutes to let the adrenaline die down too. Taking a last deep breath, she let me go and took out her bow, suggesting we just put a few arrows in the elf and be done with it. That sounded like a fine idea, and stepping over the Centurion, we moved on.

We found Orchendor in an enormous room, completely isolated. He was a powerful mage, and was able to fling magic rather quickly, Karliah and I ensuring we split up as we worked. Karliah was far better with a bow, so I made sure I distracted the elf, allowing her to line up and get the shot. She didn't need more than one arrow, the steel tip going straight through the throat of the elf as he was charging up some sort of spell. He collapsed to his knees, hearing him choke, as I stepped towards him. I think he tried to say something before he fell forward.

"Well, I think it's safe to say the Centurion was tougher," I joked.

"Humans are fragile. And can't withstand a well-aimed arrow."

We wandered around, seeing if there was anything we could swipe. There was coin and jewels as always, sharing those between us, making sure we'd also take back a little for the Guild too. We also found a key, and after a quick search, found it worked on door, which opened to an elevator that took us all the way back to the surface. I'll admit we both delighted in taking a few deep breaths of fresh air, realising how dank and pungent the air had been throughout the ruin.

It was probably the middle of the night, but we agreed to head straight back to the shrine, Karliah using a little magic to generate a bright light that lit the way. Both of us still rather exhausted, our walk up the hill took far longer than it normally would. Kesh was asleep, and Karliah and I quickly set up a tent, rolled out our sleep bags, and went straight to sleep.

The next morning, I communed with Peryite after again inhaling the incense, and he was rather pleased. "Well done, mortal. All things are in their order, and Orchendor roams the Pits. His betrayal will be punished, and your obedience is rewarded."

There was a bright light, that I'm sure might have blinded all of us, and next to the tree was a shield. "That's Spellbreaker," Karliah stated.

Picking it up, the shield was far lighter than my current one. "What do you know about it?"

"In language you'll understand, Ragnar, it's enchanted to fuck." I laughed as she continued. "It will protect you from any magic attack. It pretty much acts as a magical ward."

"Awesome," I whispered, "It looks Dwarven."

"While the Dwemer didn't revere the Eight, or Nine, as far as I'm aware, it's possible it could be built from the same materials."

Objective complete, we thanked Kesh for his assistance before packing up camp, hitching our supplies to our horses, and we headed back down the mountain before turning onto the road heading east. It was another two-day journey, and the final night in camp, Karliah and I made love for what we figured was the final time. Neither of us got particularly emotional about it, simply having fun together, knowing we would remain firm friends from the next day onwards, just without sharing the bed occasionally.

But I'd made my mind up by the time we approached the hill leading up towards Riften. I knew what I was going to do. I surprised even myself by making the decision I would take. Perhaps it was a sign that I was maturing. Or maybe I was just more in love with her than even I thought.

After stabling our horses, Karliah said she would head back to Nightingale Hall and continue her research. Her last words to me were said with much affection.

"Good luck, Ragnar. I hope she says yes."