Chapter 60: The Snow Prince Rises Part 8

I continued to stare at the seemingly innocent and cute form of a baby.

But those that delved into the lore of the Elder Scrolls verse knows the truth…this is a monster…

…this is Nu Man…

"Siv! Help!" I heard the screaming voice of Elika and I was snapped out of my wandering thoughts.

I turned around ready to bolt in her direction and help her, test or not I'm not going to abandon my friend!

However, I felt a tugging force on my shoulder that stopped my advance.

"Ignore her! You know that this is a test, she isn't real and just an apparition, but Nu Man is very much real, always real…" a voice that sounded like my own but deeper echoed in my ears.

My head snapped to the side yet…no one was there, not even the hand that held me in place.

?

I was left in confusion as I felt a rod like object grasped in my hand, but that confusion turned into bafflement and awe at what it was.

Sunna'rah!

The Sunna'rah in my hand was the legendary staff that belongs to Sotha Sil the Clockwork God!

Sotha Sil originally made the staff to drain his own power and study it before returning it to himself.

However, during the events of Elder Scrolls Online, this staff was stolen and used to drain Vivec of his divine power!

Could I mayb-

"Of course you can! Use it on Nu Man! Before he awakens! This is your chance!"

"No don't!" Another voice identical to the other and myself joined in.

"You can't do this, Elika will die if you don't help her!"

"And so what if she dies? The Dream will end, everything will end, you will end. Isn't this the plan? What we always wanted! Use the staff on Nu Man! Take its power! It's potential to become a Godhead level entity! Create your own Dream and make everything again!"

"Remember who you are! The type of person you are! What guarantee do you have that Nu Man is real, just like Elika?! You have to choose one, and there is no going back! Look at how far you came in this time. You're a Demigod descendant of Auriel."

…

I listened to the two conflicting voices from either side of me.

It was so hard, yet so easy to decide…

'I'm sorry Elika…I am not a good person, I never was.'

My body turned 180 degrees around as I began walking towards Nu Man and away from Elika.

'If she dies i can bring her back…yes…I have to do this…'

"No don't!" The lower toned voice called out but I made up my mind.

The form of a glowing white spectral Sivreth manifested behind the real one. 'White' leapt at Sivreth from behind and placed its hands on either side Sivreth'a head.

As it was doing something to Sivreth a dark and black version of him had also manifested.

'Black' grabbed 'White' and pulled. Him backwards before choking 'White'.

"He's mine!" 'Black' roared as the real Sivreth was motionless unaware of the fight behind him.

"B-al-d-e-" 'White' struggled to speak out Sivreth or more accurately Riku's true name, the name he had in his past life.

"The Great Darkness will have him! Argh!" 'Black' roared in pain as he had been attacked and fell to the side off of 'White'

'Black' regained his sense and turned to back to face 'White' but all he saw was the towering form of Riku holding his sword - Akatosh's Fang in one hand while in the other held the Sunna'rah staff.

'Black' was enraged that its plan failed because of that trick 'White' did to Sivreth by forcing him to relive all his memories.

"What is that thing? Some manifestation of my negativity?" Sivreth asked as it faced 'Black' refusing to look away or even blink.

"No! It's the Dark Mane!" 'White' announced which shocked both Sivreth and 'Black'.

Sivreth because he knew who the Dark Mane was. An impossible to kill Khajiit Dark Spirit that was known as a Dro-M'Athra.

The Dro-M'Athra are former Khajiit whose spirits were corrupted by the Bent Dance, the drumming of the Dark Heart of Lorkhaj. They serve Namiira, the Great Darkness, and reside within the Dark Behind the World.

The Dark Mane was last seen in the lore when it attempted to possess one of two Twin Mane sisters during the trials they had to undergo in order to become a recognised Mane and leader of the Khajiit.

However, in Elder Scrolls Online the Dark Mane was defeated with side of the First Mane and the sacrifice of a Player Chosen choice between one of the sisters having to seal the Dark Mane away.

And 'Black' was surprised since it didn't expect that his identity would be found out.

'Black' slowly began morphing its abyss essence made form of Sivreth into that of a dark Khajiit spirit wearing armour.

"Ha ha ha, you surprise me slumbering soul, to have known who I am. It doesn't matter, as I can send both of you to the Void!"

The Dark Mane vanished from sight and Sivreth was shocked.

'I didn't blink! How?!' Was what he thought as he felt something stab his side.

He quickly gazed down and saw he had been stabbed by the Dark Mane that manifested a dagger from the shadows, but 'White' had grabbed the Dark Mane's hands holding them in place from penetrating deeper.

'White' pushed his body against the Dark Mane which cause the dagger to slide out.

I gasped as the dagger left my body and i knelt to the ground and helped my wound.

It wasn't my physical body but my spirit, i had to treat it immediately if possible.

"Go! Save her! I'll hold him off!"

I bolted towards Elika's direction without a moment's delay. I flung the Sunna'rah staff out of my hand to the side, and then I twirled in place as I threw Akatosh's Fang towards 'White' to help him fight against the Dark Mane.

As the battle raged behind me I reached the cliff of this artificial world and I slid along the ground. One hand holding the edge of the cliff as half my body dangled over the edge.

"Siv!" Elika had tears in her eyes as Hope had returned to them.

"Climb!" I shouted as I grabbed a hold of her by her elbow to allow her to climb easier upwards.

All my strength went into my left arm to pull her up.

Elika was able to grab a hold of the ledge and hoisted herself up, followed by myself as she aided me.

We both panted breathlessly for a few moments as we were on our knees but then she leapt into me and holding me in a tight embrace.

"Siv! I was so scared! *hic* One moment i was in class and then I'm here and falling to my death! *hic*"

She cried into my embrace as I held her.

'To think I almost let her died! The Great Darkness? The Dark Mane? The Void…Scuttling Void perhaps?…! Namira! You bitch! It was you! You sent the Dark Mane here to fucking manipulate me!'

My hold on Elika tightened as I realised why my thoughts became almost obsessive towards draining Nu Man's potential with the Sunna'rah.

"Elika, I'm sorry but now isn't the time to play catch up." I said as I removed her from off my chest.

*Boom*

The sounds of the battle between the Dark Mane and 'White' Me brought me back to the situation at hand.

Elika and I both looked to the combatants and saw the Dark Mane had picked up the Sunna'rah and was attempting to use it on Nu Man. Meanwhile 'White' was struggling to prevent it from achieving its goal.

I was 60 meters away from both of them.

In one second my mind processed and thought of 187 possibilities of kind of solution or method I could use to help 'white' at this range without harming him, but would succeed in repelling the Dark Mane in time.

That's when I got it!

Spectral wings formed around my arms, making myself seem like a Harpy. I brought my new wings behind me before bringing them together like a clap as I used a Custom Wind spell [Piercing Wind].

[Piercing Wind] - Releases an aerial blade that can penetrate through any defence, be it a shield or spell. This specific spell creates an opening by stunning or off-balancing the opponent rather than dealing damage.

The Dark Mane and 'White' were both knocked off their feet as they tumbled away from each other.

The Dark Mane shook his head to either side regaining his senses, he looked around and saw Sunna'rah a few meters away from him.

While on all fours he began scuttling forwards along the ground like an actual cat.

'White' grabbed Akatosh's Fang and immediately channeled the power in the blade's enchantment, causing the blade to shapeshift into a whip like form, with which he used to wrap around the Dark Mane's Khajiit tail halting it's movement.

"WULD NAH KEST!" (Whirlwind, Fury, Tempest)

Using the [Whirlwind Sprint] Shout, I was able to cover the distance within an instant.

Appearing before Nu Man's slumbering form the Dark Mane went even more into a frenzy.

"NOOO!!! HE'S MINE!!!"

The Dark Mane turned around and used its dexterous foot to grab the whip that entangled around his tail and yanked it towards him, causing 'White' to become unbalanced and fall forwards.

The Dark Mane pounced forward, grabbing a hold of Sunna'rah before leaping upwards to pierce the body of Nu Man.

While at the same time, Sivreth had already summoned his spear Faandu'ul, intending to try and kill the God-Child before him.

But as he raised his spear high before lunging towards Nu Man…

The eyes of Nu Man opened…and with it the world crumbled away…

**********************

It might seem random for Namira to have influence in a Trial made by Auriel, but ever since the beginning when Sivreth's soul from Earth had been found and implanted into his current Falmer body, all the other Gods knew about the MC. Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Hermaous Mora, Namira and Vaermina have been the ones most interested in the Mc. As such Namira is easily able to send the spirit of the Dark Mane to invade the spiritual trial that Mc is undergoing.