//------------------------------//
// War: Proving One's Worth 
// Story: Skyrim: The Faces of Death 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
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They ended up spending thirty minutes in Stormhold, giving Amaryllis time to chat with some of the residents, because she was curious as to what else might have changed in the Altmer that were present in this city, as it was hard to believe that the race that wanted to end the world had forsaken their plan, or some of them anyway. Many of the altered Altmer, as she soon discovered, were now against the terrible plans that their former brethren had made, hence why they were training with the Argonians and Lamia that called Black Marsh home, pushing their new bodies further than any of them cared to do when they were Altmer. Another change was that some of them clearly found individuals to fall in love with, or at least that might have been her thoughts on the matter and not reality, as the slave option was still viable, but given how each of them were acting she tossed that idea out the window. Their minds had been opened, seeing the world for what it was and not what had been drilled into their heads by those who ruled over the Dominion, and they were doing their part to save it, even if they were stuck in Black Marsh for the time being, which they seemed to enjoy.

In addition to all that there was a scarlet scaled altered Altmer, who was Argonian from the waist down, which included a tail, her arms and both of her shoulders had been transformed as well, her eyes had changed, and she could see horns growing out of her hair, who was training to become a warrior and help her new people out, wielding a sword and her magic to do battle.

The other thing that worried her was Kya and her banishment from her own homeland, as the ebony Argonian stood off to one side and said nothing to those who walked by her, even though many of the people seemed happy to see her, even those who had no idea who she was. It was clear that Kya had committed some great crime before she left her home, due to how the pure Argonians and Lamia were acting around her, like she was a criminal and they would be punishing her in due time, but no one dared to touch her since she was the messenger tied to the 'Black Hand'. Even her own sister looked at her like she was a murderer that deserved to be imprisoned for the rest of her days, or maybe made to replace what had been lost, or serve whatever punishment the King felt she deserved for whatever her crime was. It made sense as to why Kya was keeping her emotions hidden, even if Amaryllis could feel them, as most of the people she knew wanted her dead and other wanted her punished, especially her sister for that matter, which had to be a stab to the heart, given how she had felt earlier, when they first encountered her sibling.

Eventually Shadow called for everyone to regroup, as in her, the Argonians under her command, and the pair that they were supposed to be escorting, Kya and Amaryllis, before leaving Stormhold and making their way to Helstrom, which was one of the most revered locations in Black Marsh. While they rode for their destination Shadow informed Amaryllis, and her sister at the same time even though it was clear that she wasn't interested in talking to Kya, another knife to her heart, that whenever they were invaded by the Dominion they preferred to capture their foes, giving those a single cup of sap to drink. One was enough to open their minds to the rest of the world, instead of seeing it as something to destroy so their race could ascend to their 'godly' states once more, and more was provided for those who wanted to continue down the new path, with breaks between each cup so they didn't overwhelm the Altmer. Extended exposure to the Hist Sap caused one's body to change shape, which Amaryllis had seen during their time in Stormhold, as it was both mental and physical, and Shadow wasn't at all surprised by everything that had happened to the Altmer, another thing that made sense due to the fact that she had been male and turned female, likely due to a Hist ritual or something.

In the end Amaryllis decided not to worry about what the people of Black Marsh were doing to the invading Altmer, rather it seemed like things were going smoothly and they were making good progress on their end, allowing her to focus on the journey ahead of them, during which they would likely remain safe thanks to the guards.

As they traveled deeper and deeper into the province, seeking out Helstrom, Amaryllis discovered that many of the guards were interested in the transformed Altmer, some either caring about their knowledge while others actually grew to like the people who had been imprisoned beneath the robes. Based on what she knew the Argonians wouldn't feel that way if they were being attacked by, say, the Dunmer of Morrowind, in fact she was sure that they would have enslaved everyone and not given them the option to join their forces, repaying them for what happened in the past. It also showed her that the people of Black Marsh were far more open minded than people thought, no doubt due to the Hist sap, which gave her an idea on how they might be able to turn the tide against their enemies, even turn the Dominion's forces against each other if they were lucky. If the Hist sap remained pure during travel, and contained the same potency as if coming from the tap it was produced from, they could free the minds of the Altmer and their allies, allowing them to capture their enemies and even turn them into allies in due time, if it worked like what they were seeing in Black Marsh.

It was an idea she would have to pitch to Za'kera and the King of this province, if the latter agreed to speak with her friend in Cyrodiil, or here in Black Marsh, but for now she kept her eyes on the path and listened to what the others were saying, just in case they revealed anything interesting that might help them out in the future.





Helstrom, as Amaryllis eventually discovered, was a fairly large city that was well hidden, meaning it was downright hard, if not impossible, for invaders to find it, no doubt due to the Hist making sure to keep the Argonian's capital hidden from all those who wanted to harm the province. The guards were more armored than those they had seen in Stormhold, not to mention well hidden since it took Amaryllis a few moments to find them, without using her emotion sensing power to be exact, and each one looked like they were capable of bringing down anyone who dared to approach this place. It was only due to the fact that Shadow's team was with them that they were able to enter Helstrom, especially since many here just stared at Kya, meaning she must have wronged this place in some manner before she fled to whatever province she lived in before heading to Skyrim. Like Stormhold this city was a mix of elegant stone structures and huts, the stores being the former and the houses likely being the latter, before she spotted a larger building in the middle of the city that had to be the castle, where the King of Black Marsh and his council rested.

Of course they had to climb off their steeds to make the ascent into the city, allowing them to walk down the streets and approach the castle, though once Amaryllis passed the main gate she found that the passage to the King was lined with his elite guards, which made sense when she thought about it. She then discovered a throne that was fit for a ruler, one that looked like a cross between branches and stone, while the figure on it was a rather muscular looking Argonian with green scales that wasn't afraid to show off his chest, while he wore metallic gauntlets on his hands, which matched the guards on his legs. He also wore a black cape that also wrapped around his neck like a scarf, she wasn't quite sure what it was as they stared at it, while having red bands on his arms and a red sash around his waist, in front of some armored leggings to round out his appearance, and she was sure he had white feathers on his head. In addition to all of that he had a crown that rested on his head, in front of his horns, that looked like it had been carved out of bark, yet one could easily mistaken it for metal, like all of the other rulers she had come across during her time in this world.

The King wasn't unarmed, as there was a silver trident off to his right, leaning against a pillar as it waited for him to use it in battle, and the instant Kya stepped forward with Shadow most, if not all of the guards, had their blades in their hands as they stepped towards her, while all the King had to do was raise a hand and everyone backed off, demonstrating his might to Amaryllis without having to stand up.

"King Abiru... father..." Kya said, though as she said that Amaryllis could tell that while she had been expecting to meet her father, after volunteering to be the messenger to Black Marsh, her emotions were all over the place, so it was hard to tell what was going through her head at the moment.

"Kya, which comes from 'Kills-You-Alot'... why have you come home?" Abiru inquired, where it was easy to feel the stab of pain that pierced her companion for a moment, as Kya had been hoping, against all odds, to have a nicer reception than this, and while Amaryllis could tell that the King wanted to step down and embrace her, based on his feelings, he didn't, as he was their King and had to set an example, "Why have you returned after all this time, after you killed most of your own siblings, slaughtered some of my best soldiers, stole the Bloodstained Scythe, and escaped from Black Marsh?"

"I... I..." Kya started to say, clearly showing that she was struggling to accept how uncaring her own family was, which only made Amaryllis wonder how many siblings she had before her mind had been compromised by Sheogorath's madness, before the Argonian steeled herself as Amaryllis used her magic to both hide the message, so no one would see if leave her pack, and move it to Kya's hand, to prompt her to be strong, "I came here with a message from the new Empress of Cyrodiil, to be delivered to the ruler of Black Marsh and his council."

"Is that so? Well then, it had better be important," Abiru replied, where he held a hand out and Kya stepped forward, just enough to place the message in his hand before falling back to the area that Amaryllis was standing in, though she knew that they were keeping Kya alive because of the Black Hand business, before he opened the message and read it, while his emotions stayed calm and collected, "So, this 'Dragonborn' has taken over the Empire and wishes to wage war with the Dominion, even if it means taking the fight to the Summerset Isles... and she sends an assassin to deliver it, as well as an exile from our land."

"Empress Za'kera Saratamil trusts us to deliver the message and to show you that we mean no ill will towards this part of Tamriel," Amaryllis stated, as while she knew that the Argonians had been expecting her arrival, thanks to the Hist she had to guess when she recalled Shadow's earlier words, there was no way to tell if they were going to execute them based on her attire or if they would stand down.

"My King, I bring news," a voice said, where they found another scout stopping to their left, who looked like he mgiht have been riding for some time and had rushed to the castle as soon as he reached Helstrom, all while taking a second to kneel towards his King, who turned his head towards him, "We've spotted three more Dominion ships near Lilmoth, doing what the other ships did when they came to Black Marsh, and our scouts are sure they'll be launching an attack on the city in a day or two."

"Fools... they never learn." Abiru said, where he let out a sigh, no doubt because he was getting tired of dealing with every Dominion assault that was coming at Black Marsh, even though it didn't look like they were suffering any casualties, but in that moment he glanced at Amaryllis and Kya, causing them both to stand straight, "Very well, gather the usual team and have them gather on the beach near their ships... we'll see if Kya and our little assassin can hold back their desire to spill blood and take lives, and see if they are able to capture their enemies."

Amaryllis knew what he was referring to, as he wanted to see just how much his daughter had changed over the years, as the last time he had seen her she apparently slaughtered most of her siblings and her father's guards, not to mention she stole her weapon from the castle, and he was eager to see if she was the same or not. At the same time she found that his words were interesting, that he would openly challenge them to only capture their enemies and not kill them, like she and the rest of her forces would if they were facing the Dominion, but it linked back up to what she thought about on the way to this place. She said nothing as she bowed her head, showing the King that she was willing to follow his orders, despite the fact that Za'kera was her leader, while Kya rubbed her right arm for a moment, clearly unsure if she could follow what her father wanted or if she would fall into her blood soaked madness. A few seconds later Abiru stood up and held out his right hand for a moment as he walked forward, the trident launching into the air before he grabbed it and swung it, which showed her that he wasn't someone they wanted to mess with, as he left his castle.

Not even ten minutes later they and the group that the King had sent for departed from Helstrom, all of them on steeds, as they headed towards the southern end of Black Marsh, which was where Llimoth rested, and as they departed from the city Amaryllis noticed a few of their riders were carrying barrels that were likely filled with Hist sap. That wasn't the only thing she discovered, as there were a few altered Altmer in their group as well, who looked like they were outfitted to be stealthy, confirming that Abiru wanted them to capture the invaders and not kill them. Such a thing was different from the actions of Hammerfell, who went to war and beat the Dominion back, to the point that a treaty had to be drafted between the two provinces, but she was eager to see their practices in action. Of course some of them seemed wary of her, given that she was wearing ancient Brotherhood armor and she was the Listener, even if they had no way of knowing that since she hadn't introduced herself yet, but she had a feeling the Hist was responsible, given the statement Shadow had given them when they first met her.

In addition to the group Amaryllis found that Kya's sister was with them as well, no doubt to keep an eye on her sister, to be sure of whether or not her madness would get in the way of her proving herself to their father and the rest of Black Marsh, but she had a feeling they would figure things out in due time.

It did take them some time to reach their destination, especially since the King had them stop around noon for a quick bite to make sure none of his forces went hungry, before they reached the outskirts of Lilmoth, where they found some of the King's scouts waiting for them. Apparently the Dominion's ships were a good distance from the city, despite the fact that they were within firing range if the Altmer felt like it, but since they hadn't fired upon the city yet, and were drawing even closer as time went by, Amaryllis had the feeling that they were planning a ground assault. Seeing that Abiru stared out at the water for a moment and found three Dominion ships heading for the city, to which he turned towards them and gave them his orders, Amaryllis and Kya were to take the furthest ship, Shadow and half her men were to take the second, and everyone else was to take the closest ship. As Amaryllis considered her options, about how to get onto her target without being seen, two things happened, the first being that Kya stabbed the end of her scythe into the ground and left it there, to show her father she was trying to abide by his wishes, while the other was that the others dived into the water and just vanished, not coming up for air at all.

Such a thing reminded her that Argonians could breath underwater, for long periods of time, which explained a few things to her as she recalled that information, before she gathered herself and took to the air, cloaking herself in shadows so her targets wouldn't see her coming, all while Kya dived into the water as soon as she was ready.

What she discovered was that there were a number of Altmer on the ship, about two dozen by her reckoning, which told her that the Dominion was being overconfident in sending a small force or this was the start of a fleet to bring Black Marsh under their thumb. Regardless of which idea was right she landed on part of the ship and found that no one heard her, as part of her armor made her move silently, and none of their enemies had any idea she was there, to which she gathered a bit of her magic and send out tendrils made of shadows. Since King Abiru had ordered the Altmer to be captured, instead of outright killing them for invading his territory, she was going to abide by his wishes and wrapped the tendrils around the arms, legs, and mouth of her first target, binding the figure so they couldn't move before carefully catching them so a noise wouldn't sound when they hit the floor. As she did that, and focused on the other enemies that were around her, it was easy for her to find that Kya had arrived, because she climbed out of the water and lashed out at her enemies, using her arms in a way to knock out her enemies and drop them to the ground, showing that she was combating the madness that had plagued her mind for so many years.

Sure enough the Dominion's forces weren't expecting a raid like this, as Amaryllis found that Kya had taken to being more like an assassin for a time and was knocking foes out without killing any of them, and once they were in control of the ship one of the other Argonians climbed aboard before directing them to the area Abiru was standing in. It took them a couple of moments to get the ships into position, and figure out where the wooden walkways were stored so they could escort all of the captured Altmer to the King, but as soon as those conditions were met they were able to move their prisoners off the ship. Amaryllis had decided to use her power to bind the arms and mouths of the other Altmer, releasing the legs of all those she took out on her own, as she didn't want them barking their madness at her and everyone else, about how they were destined to destroy the world or how every race was inferior to the Altmer, and once they were in position she took a moment to see if the other teams had been successful. Shadow's team had been successful in capturing their ship, as the crew had been captured without a single casualty, while the other half had done the same thing, meaning all three vessels had been taken, all of the Altmer had been captured, and now it was time to decide their fate, hence why those baring the sap containers had set their containers down on makeshift tables, which they carried and deployed whenever an attack like this happened.

In the following moments Abiru had the cap carriers offer their captives a drink, allowing each Altmer to take in some Hist sap, even though Amaryllis and the others had to remove all of the gags to make that happen, and when one finished the offered cup he had that one unbound. It was then that Amaryllis saw first hand the changes that the pure sap brought to those that took it into their bodies, as she had been expecting the first one to get up and charge at Abiru with his blade in his hand, given how the Altmer hated the other races and wanted them to bend their knee to the Dominion. What actually happened in the next couple of seconds was that he seemed, well, overwhelmed by everything he was seeing right now, as if he was seeing Black Marsh and the rest of the world in a new light, just like the altered Altmer they had seen back in Stormhold, before a genuine friendly smile appeared on his face. After that it wasn't long before the others joined him, as each one seemed to accept the new reality they were being shown and didn't seem to have the desire to fight back, but as she thought about that she considered that such a fight might have been in their heads, but she wasn't about to argue or question Abiru's methods.

Eventually the crew of the three ships were all liberated, as that was the best way to describe what she had seen, though in that moment, before they departed for another city so he could see to the placement of their new residents, Abiru had one final cup poured and took it, only to present it to Kya.

"You have proven that the madness isn't as strong as it used to be... maybe it is curable," Abiru said, where Amaryllis could tell what he wanted, despite keeping his face and body calm for those that were around them, he desired the return of his daughter, who she had been before Sheogorath's madness had consumed her and left someone he had banished, after losing so much in the process.

Kya took the cup for a moment, staring down at the sap for a few seconds as she debated whether or not she should just down it or destroy it, before she threw her head back and downed the sap without wasting time, where Amaryllis watched as she drained the entire cup, either to not disappoint her father or because she wanted to be rid of her madness and not be ruled by her desire to spill blood. For a few seconds nothing happened, not like what occurred when the Altmer drank their cups, before the cup fell out of Kya's hand as her entire body violent shook, like she was having an allergic reaction to the sap, which shouldn't be possible given how everyone else reacted to it. It was like the madness was trying to take over, to kick the Hist sap out and take full control over Kya's body and mind, where she staggered backwards and everyone who was in the area backed away as she gripped the handle of her scythe, though as she pulled it out of the ground Amaryllis found that Abiru had stepped forward, trident in hand. She could feel his despair, even if he didn't show it, he really didn't want to end his daughter's life, in fact he had been hoping to save Kya from this fate, but before he could do anything Kya raised her weapon and drove the base into her chest, though instead of harming her it pierced some sort of darkness and knocked out some dark substance, which Abiru threw his trident at, smashing it to dust.

Amaryllis had a feeling that the Hist sap had allowed Kya to see the root of her madness and had banished it, where her father had slain it after seeing her resolve, though as Abiru caught his daughter, who was now unconscious to make sure her mind didn't suffer from this ordeal, he ordered them to return to Helstrom, as he had a message to think about and what his response might be, where she followed him to see what his final decision was, and if he would join them in their fight to save the world they called home.