Applying Exotic Metaphysics (Tyrant, 23.j) (Patreon)

She sat back in her seat. The throne was harsh on her back, but she wasn’t going to shift or adjust. She wouldn’t show any weakness around these people, not in the final waning hours.

The Staff of Chaos boiled in her veins, throbbing and coiling around her heart. A constant serpent, orbiting the stone in her chest.. That wasn’t her only companion, of course. Her steward stood at her side, waiting patiently. The captain of her guard. Both of them grizzled men, bearded and old. They’d rotted away while she was queen of this land, but they had been young once. Men aged too quickly.

On the outskirts of her court were the town’s more important figures. Belisarius, as always, stood not far from the fire. Probably for the best that he’s here, seeing as he’s her main contact with the Emperor. Greymane was sitting back at the table. He’d tried to stand, but whined about his knees. Unlike her steward, he was old when she’d arrived here, and would probably still be here after she left. The companions and their newest harbinger, Terrfig. Hate boiled in his eyes. He was going to try and kill her soon, which she had originally been looking forward too… But it wasn’t quite time anymore.

Before her were a few nords. They weren’t all the same age. They weren’t even all the same gender. She didn’t know if that was an important thing or not, nor did she care.

“You’re all here, then.” Jsashe said. “Except for Hrongar”

“He elected not to come, my Jarl.” Her steward said. Jsashe nodded to him. “Right. Well, that’s fine. It’ll make the rest of your lives here a bit easier.” She got to her feet. Everyone tensed, like she was about to attack. 

Lorkhan throbbed in her chest.

“Don’t worry, I’m not about to kill you all.” She says. “Unless any of you follow the Hörme, of course. Do you?”

Nobody said a word. Good.“Good.” She said. “Then you’re wondering why you’re here. Answer is, you’re all descendants of Jarl Asgin.”

The various nords before her glanced at her, and then one another. Some of them didn’t recognize each other, which made sense- Her court had tracked them down from all over Skyrim and Cyrodiil, and had paid quite a lot of treasures to lure them here.

“The traditions of you nords are… opaque. I don’t know how Jarls are normally chosen. All I know is that the people of Whiterun went from blaming me for everything to trying to give me the crown, and I took it because, you know. Crown.” She taps a finger on it. “So, as Witch-Queen of Whiterun, Eternal champion and so on…”She took off her crown. She set it in the throne behind her.“Asgin was a good ruler, and it’s a shame what happened to his children. So… I am returning Whiterun to the people who built it. I’m relinquishing my crown and title and all the associated annoyances and obligations. You all carry Olaf One-Eye’s blood in you, and that’s probably important. So go forth. Talk about who might rule. Win over the important people. Most of ‘em are either here or in the Bannered Mare getting drunk. If you don’t want it, then don’t force yourself to try. You’re not sworn to carry any burdens until you put on the crown.”

There was a moment of silence.

She held out a hand. The Staff of Chaos assembled itself in her grip, individual pieces linking together.

The world breathed. Secunda and Masser stretched overhead, their pull splitting her in two.She’d been here a decade too long.

“Good luck. I’d listen to Greymane and Belisarius. They give good advice. As for advice from me… just make sure not to let Potema-worshippers infiltrate the town again, because I won’t be here to flood the countryside anymore.”

Then- Everyone started talking, yelling. Some of the nords immediately declared themselves as the best new Jarl. Others bowed out instantly. “Arch-Circinate; Levitate.” Jsashe invoked.The world crooned. The moon’s pull strengthened as Mundus’s pull weakened. The staff of Unity and Chaos fell apart, wrapping around her. The serpent at its head seemed to smile at her.

Jashe, the Eternal Champion, was adventuring again.She didn’t know where she was going to go. She just knew she needed to fly. ===

“Hail, friend. Please wake up.” A calm, sedate voice said. He almost sounded sad.Jsashe opened her eyes.She slowly sat up, glancing out from the cave she was taking cover in to see a figure standing there, the light at their back. They were wearing a lot of heavy armor. A full helm. Bulky plate. A shield and longsword. On his back, a heavy-looking mace. All of them were white and red. The imperial diamond embossed along the shield, glowing with an inner light. “I’m awake.”“Good. Please draw your weapon.” He sounded sad, somehow.“Why? What’s going on?” She asked. She was surprised- she was already ready for a fight.

“Many people died to your hand. You’ve done good things in the past… but innocents have died because of your clumsiness. I am attempting to do as much good as I can, and that means retribution.”“... It’s because I admitted to those floods, wasn’t it?” Jsashe laughed. “Yeah, I suppose I have. You’re my comeuppance?”“I’m afraid so,” he said. "You are quite powerful, you have fallen from grace."Jsashe’s tried to look at him more clearly. She could feel his holy aura, the gleam of the divines on his form. Protective, warding energies. Almost atronach-like warding on his shield, his boots exuding an aura of peace. Even the flowers on the outside of the cave seemed to be leaning in toward him more than toward the sun on the horizon.

“If you say so,” She says. “So. Fight, then?”

“Yes. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Agronak gro-Malog.”

“Weren’t you Grand Champion of the Arena for a while? The Grey Prince, right?”“... I’m no prince.” He said, his voice low. “If you win, then I hope it grants you a measure of peace to know that I’m the son of a vampire. You will have taken something filthy out of the world.”

Jsashe rolled her eyes.“Let’s just fight, okay?” She asked, and raised her dai-katana.“As you wish.”The Staff of Unity and Chaos sang. She could feel Kynareth’s light echo through the room, the same sound she heard when under the Gildergreen’s branches.Except it was the Prince’s boots that sang the song as they carried him toward her, sword swinging down at her.She blocked it. Her dai-katana shuddered as the sword’s edge reached out to touch her Magicka. It didn’t just sap it away- it burned it, combusting with holy fire. Jsashe twisted at the hip, kicking him with only a portion of her strength. He flew back like an arrow out of a bow, boots off the ground entirely. He flailed out of the cave’s mouth, clipping its edge, and the cavern began to groan and rumble.It must have been a supporting pillar. Oh well.

Jsashe stepped out, making a mental note to Passwall the way back to her camping supplies as the cavern crashed around her. She stepped out to where the Grey Prince knelt, gauntlets glowing with energy as he pushed lifeforce back into himself. His armor was extremely strong. It was durable enough that her kick didn’t even dent it, though the impact probably pulverized his ribs. “Fourth-Circinate; Troll’s Blood. Third-Circinate; Resist Fire,” She declared, and she shivered instinctively, used to the sudden cold as the sun’s light stopped warming her. “I’m surprised you didn’t splatter.”“I’m… quite durable. It’s the orcish blood in me, perhaps.” He said, pushing himself to his feet. “You are extremely strong.”“Yes, well.” She shrugged. “It’s just how I am. Arch-Circinate; God’s Fire.”

The moons groaned. The Staff twisted in the air, the different components- sections of the staff’s rod and head orienting themselves- and then fire burst over the Grey Prince’s body.The fire covered him, head to toe. Enough power that it could cut straight through most shields, and most defenses. The only thing that could stop it was something completely immune to fire, and for someone who’s apparently half-vampire, they’ll…

The Grey Prince stood.The fire didn’t touch his skin, his shield warding the effect entirely.

… Survive, apparently. Jsashe smiled.It’s been a while since someone could survive her strikes.

“... So, who told you about me? Terrfig? I know that nord hates me.”

“He pointed me in your direction, but he is not the one that told me of your crimes.” The Grey Prince responded. “The Archmage of the College of Winterhold, Thelen Kaarn, told me of your crimes. Your assistance in grave desecration, robbery, the flooding near Whiterun, and other crimes you have commited in the province since your heroism.”

“Really? I heard he joined the Psijics.” She said. His sword came down at her katana again. Then he swung his shield, trying to disrupt her, but she simply braced herself. Her feet sank into the soil a bit, but he couldn’t unbalance her that easily.

He slammed his shield toward her again- and before it hit, swept an ankle under her feet.She slipped. Feet off the ground, unable to brace- the impact of the shield crushed her nose and sent her skidding back, prone. The katana fell out of her hands.She lay on her back.

“He did- he was wearing their robes.” The Grey Prince said, looming over her. “However, I must request that you not hunt him down. I’m telling you this so that you know the chain of events that are leading to your death.”

“Fair, I suppose.” Jsashe said, and took a deep breath. “First-Circinate; Orc Strength.”

“... I’ll choose not to be insulted by that,” The Grey Prince said.

Jsashe would have shrugged- but she had to be extremely careful about how she moved, now.

Her fingers were touching the ground. She flexed one of them, pushing it against the ground. It felt like the the whole of Mundus moved underneath her until she was standing up again.

“It’s how the spell was named. I have to name spells to make them work.” She whispered. Her jaw popped uncomfortably, aching from the backlash already.Slowly, carefully, she brought up her fists. Knuckles bared. They popped loudly like chain links snapping. She took as light a breath as she could, and her lungs were full to bursting.

“Ah, if no offense is intended, then I won’t take any.” He nodded. A twitch of the ankle- the world whistled around her as she shot forward, grasses blurring and pushing away from the air roaring around her.The Grey Prince barely had enough time to bring up his shield before she gave him a light tap- sending him spinning, the sword whipping out of his hand. His shield creaked loudly, the divine aura whining like it was near breaking. She landed, barely, her balance wavering. The slightest shifts in her balance threatened to send her falling again- one of the reasons she hated using Orc Strength- and the Grey Prince was already on her again.

She caught the edge of his shield with one hand, and the head of his mace with her other. The holy fire cut away at her fire resistance spell.

“Well, I’ve lost this bout,” The Grey Prince said, shaking his head and smiling. “I knew it would come some day.”

“... You could surrender now,” She said. “I’ll let you recover and come back, if you’d like.”“I was once the Grand Champion of the Arena,” The Grey Prince responded. “When I duel, it is to the death. Any less would be to disrespect every person who ever stepped into the Bloodworks in hopes of becoming the next one.”“Right.” Jsashe whispered. It was hard, to look him in the eyes, under that helmet- and to not respect his conviction. “I’ll remember your name, Agronak.”

He grinned. A genuine smile.“Everyone already does,” He laughed.Still holding his weapon and shield, she kicked.

Her ankle broke itself against his breastplate- but his entire body bucked, his plate armor barely holding itself intact as blood sprayed through the chain links, chunks of bone hitting the inside of his armor like bolts from a crossbow.

At the last second, as Agronak died, his eyes widened- and he looked above her, in awe.

The sky went dark.

Jsashe released all her spells except the regeneration one, and looked up.A dragon, black as night, as big as a house, soared through the sky. It seemed to cast all of Skyrim in shadow, obscuring the sun itself. She could feel the souls teeming through the air. Dragons rising to follow it.Lorkhan recognized it. She could feel it in her heart, in the Staff of Unity and Chaos. In the moons.

“Arch-Circinate; Levitate,” Jsashe smiled, and took off to chase the End of the World.

She didn’t even notice the anguished wail from a distant shock of blonde hair.