Children of Destiny - A Rise of the Dark Lord's Tale

Chapter 11 - The Siege Pt 2

THREE HOURS LATER CAHIR REGROUPED HIS FORCES AND PREPARED FOR ANOTHER ATTACK ON SOLITUDE. Listening to the conversation between Morgoth and Sauron, shook the Nilfgaardian. As he stared at the flames licking at the great hold's walls, he the knight knew that the enemy couldn't hold against another attack. His troops morale was high sensing victory and they sang songs. But the enemy had made him pay dearly in the first assault. Their archers had killed or wounded over five hundred of his men in the first wave. When the gate was breached, the Blades and Rangers had slain countless numbers. And Brianna had slew his best knights without much effort. He had never witnessed such skill with a blade and Cahir knew that he had underestimated the Akaviri Master. His arrogance had nearly cost him life. Cahir looked at the enemy ramparts and saw Brianna standing there speaking to her soldiers. The wind carried the sound of her voice and it was one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard. Nilfgaardian troops stopped singing their songs of victory and listened to the Master of the Blades as if caught under some kind of spell.

"We drink to our youth, for the days come and gone, for the Age of Aggression is just about done. We'll drive out the Enemy and restore what we own. With our blood and steel, we will take back our homes.

Down with Morgoth, enslaver of men! On the day of your death, we will drink and we'll sing. We're the children of Skyrim and we fight all our lives, and when Sovngarde beckons every one of us dies. But this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean from scourge that has sullied our hopes and dreams.

Down with Morgoth, enslaver of men! On the day of your death, we will drink and we'll sing. We're the children of Skyrim and we fight all our lives, and when Sovngarde beckons every one of us dies.

We drink to our youth, for the days come and gone, for the Age of Aggression is just about done."

It was a version of Age of Aggression that was haunting and struck Cahir and men to their soul. The original was about Ulfric Stormcloak, but Brianna had changed the lyrics a little to fit the current situation. It was a pity, that the Master of the Blades was going to die today. Her defenders were exhausted and many more unfit for battle due to their wounds. His spies also reported that Queen Elisif had not evacuated. As Cahir mounted his horse, drawing his sword he noticed a flaming arrow fired into the sky from Solitude. A mix of Nord and Imperial war cries came from the mountain side and a flood of enemy troops emerged from the tree line on the flank.

"The Imperial Legion" a lieutenant cried just as a Nord split his skull open with an axe. In minutes, to his shock and horror, Cahir watched as the banners of General Tullius turned his flank. Cahir attempted to rally his troops and meet the new threat, but the combined Nord and Imperial counterattack was too much. He had been caught looking the wrong way and his troops were paying in blood. For every enemy soldier that was killed, he was losing four. He could see in the eyes of the Nords, they were blood drunk and continued their savage slaughter. Everywhere the knight looked, he saw the limbs of his soldiers littering the ground and decapitated bodies. Any initiative that he once had was now lost. Only orc reinforcements would turn this battle.

"Messenger! Get word to . . ." Cahir stopped speaking when he saw a tall figure in black armor wade into enemy troops. Cahir knew this too be Sauron. General Tullius faced him, sword and shield in hand. The Nilfgaardian admired his bravery and courage knowing the legendary Imperial had gone to certain death.

"Dark Lord, you face Imperial justice today" Tullius shouted. "Either by my hand or the Akaviri, you will die this day!"

Sauron swung his great mace and Tullius blocked it with his shield redirecting it. The Dark Lord then reached out and touched the general. Cahir watched as Tullius's body was engulfed in flames, a fire hotter than a dragon. The knight tried to tune out the screams of the burning general, but couldn't – the scene bringing memories of his childhood lessons of how Gil-galad was slain. Sauron had burned the last Elven king of Middle-earth in the same fashion. Enraged at seeing their general's demise, the Nord's focused their attack on Sauron. Their anger and rage boiling over, but scores were killed in a single swipe of his mace. After several minutes of losing hundreds to the fallen Maiar, the Imperial army began retreating. Cahir started to give the order to attack the withdrawing Imperials, but movement drew his eye and watched as Brianna struck the Dark Lord with a lightning bolt more powerful than any thunder storm, knocking Sauron off his feet. She jumped off her horse and drew her ebony katana, the Imperial's seeing the Akaviri Master, rallied to her and once again began killing his troops. Cahir watched as she pointed her blade at Sauron and began speaking.

"I am the last servant of the Secret Fire. Face the wrath of a Nordic Istari, descendant of Melian and daughter of the Dragonborn! Go back to the shadow servant of Morgoth" Brianna shouted her voice amplified by magic and sword turning to flame. Her red hair whipped in the wind and eyes flared blue from the magical power flowing in her.

Sauron shifted back to his fair form, his silver white flowing, his eyes yellow and laughing amidst the ocean of blood and wreckage of humanity.

"Ah yes. The blood of the Ainur flows in your veins giving you power. A shame that you misuse it so. With my Master's tutelage, you could be so much more" Sauron told Brianna. "Or perhaps your young nephew. I can sense the darkness in him. Melkor would gladly have either of you."

"Keep your mouth shut snake or I will cut your forked tongue and wear it around my neck as a trophy" Brianna snarled drawing a Daedric war axe, it too erupting into flames.

On the edge of his hearing, Cahir could hear growls and snarls and knew the orcs were approaching. In this moment, the knight knew that the blood letting would enter an even fiercer stage. He wondered where the famed Blades were. As if on cue, he watched as the Akaviri marched to meet the new threat. Leading them was Jon Snow, the Dragonborn, Daenerys, Geralt of Rivia and the Dovahkiin's youngest son Talion

"It looks like your orcs are going to meet the finest knights in the world. How many are you willing to lose? When your Uruks taste the steel of our katana's, they will die by the thousands" Brianna taunted Sauron. "Solitude isn't Osgiliath. Your Master foolishly walked into a trap" she said as a shadow flew overhead, Odahviing raining dragon fire on the orc battle line. Thousands of orcs were incinerated instantly, and the orcs fired arrow after arrow at the last dragon of Skyrim. After three passes, the dragon retreated and landed before the destroyed gate in Solitude. Cahir watched the Blades form a shield wall and the Dragonborn, Jon Snow, Talion, Daenerys and Geralt stepped forward from the wall and drew their weapons. Seconds later, the orcs were struck with arrows, the deadly bolts dropping thousands. Cahir watched as the orcs slammed into the shield wall, the Blades katana's and axes adding to the slaughter. The knight knew the orcs were no match for the Akaviri Knights and their superior training. He heard Brianna continue to taunt Sauron circling him, like a wolf stalking its prey.

"Watch as my father and husband butcher your pathetic forces. The ground runs black with the blood of your orcs. Morgoth will be disappointed in you. Perhaps he will discard you for your incompetence" Brianna mocked trying to draw the fallen Maiar into a fight.

"But Solitude is not our objective Istari. Our goal will be revealed in time and we are patient" Sauron told Brianna not taking the bait. "We'll meet again and when we meet you will be begging for death. We have great plans that you will come to understand in time."

Cahir blew the horn signaling for the army to withdraw and Nilfgaardian troops began retreating fleeing towards the river. The orcs reluctant to leave the fight, heard a different horn and began their flight from the fight handing victory to the Nords. But Cahir knew that Morgoth and Sauron were plotting to poison the mind of Brianna's nephew and turn him to their side. How they planned to do this Cahir did not know. It was in the moment when Cahir decided he had enough and needed to find a way to extricate himself from Nilfgaard. The ones he once served had been corrupt and lusted for only power. They didn't care how many or who died as long as they became the dominant authority. The Nilfgaardian knew that if he could reach Geralt and Ciri somehow and join with them, he would be on the right side of history. He only had to get a message to Yennefer or Triss somehow. Cahir decided that once back in the Northern Kingdoms, he would secretly defect. Only if he was caught, the knight knew he would pay with his life for his treason.

*I do not take credit for the song.  I made slight alterations to fit the narrative