Nightmare was pleased to hear that they were actually close to the end of their journey for the relics of the Divine Crusader, as the only ones that remained at the moment were the Mace, the Shield, and the Sword. She had to admit that she was curious as to why they had no clues as to where the Sword of the Crusader was located, though she assumed that the fallen knights hadn't told them for some reason. That made her think that the four relics they were hunting down were a test of sorts, mostly for the fallen to see whether or not Shadow could recover what they had lost. Whatever the reasoning for not receiving the information on the Sword had been didn't really matter at the moment, because she was glad to see that Shadow was pleased with their progress.
Instead of heading to Leyawiin immediately the two of them rented two rooms at one of the inns in the Imperial City, where they could get a good nights sleep before collecting the remaining two relics. Nightmare didn't mind the rest, because it had been some time since they last took a small break and she knew that Shadow's vampire nature had to be having some effect on him. When morning arrived they had some breakfast, where Shadow briefly went over what they were searching for in case Nightmare forgot, which she didn't, before they departed from the city and began their journey.
For the first time, since Nightmare could remember in all the time she had in Cyrodiil, they encountered no bandits or creatures that wanted to kill them. Nightmare considered the fact that Kynareth was being nice to them for Shadow playing through her trial and not attacking the large bear that had been guarding the Boots. She also wondered if the bandits knew that the Queen on Knights was randomly walking across the land and were making sure to stay away from her and Shadow, just so they could live to see another day. It annoyed her that there weren't any enemies to fight at the moment, but she knew that they would find something to fight when they attempted to recover either of the next relics.
It was just passed noon when they arrived in Leyawiin, though when they did Shadow stopped by one of the guards and asked him a few questions about the area. He already knew where the chapel he needed to visit was located, but he wanted to be sure that his information was correct before they moved on. He also inquired about the Oblivion Gates, trying to see if Dagon had opened any in the immediate area that they needed to close, but he was surprised to find that the Gates that had been opened had been sealed by a lone orc warrior who was seen carrying two katanas.
Both Shadow and Nightmare knew who the guard was referring to, though they knew that the reason that Rend was away from Cloud Haven Temple was because Martin needed him to do something while he deciphered the tome he was reading from.
When they entered the chapel Nightmare discovered that it was identical to the one they had walked through back in Chorrol, which she figured made some sense. She looked around as they walked into the main section of the chapel, though as they did so she noticed an armored person that didn't look like he belonged in such a place. She assumed that because of the recent attack at one of the chapels, so he could very well be someone that was merely trying to protect his chapel from any threats.
"It's you! I've heard of you!" the man said, approaching Shadow for a moment, almost as if he knew exactly who he was, "You're the one restoring the Knights of the Nine, aren't you?"
"I know nothing of the Knights of the Nine being reformed," Shadow said, wondering what the man even meant, "I am merely a servant of the Nine."
"Such humility -- I admire you." the man said, a slight smile appearing on his face for a moment, before be beckoned to himself for a second, "I am Carodus Oholin. I originally came to this chapel in search of the Mace of Zenithar. I tried, but I could not pass the test. My faith was weak. Or perhaps Zenithar decided that it was not I who should carry the mace. He has found a use for me, however. The priests have asked me to stay to protect the chapel. After what happened in Anvil, they are afraid."
"And what do you know about the Mace?" Shadow asked, merely curious if Carodus knew something that would aid him in his mission to recover the weapon.
"Legends say that when Pelinal Whitestrake was slain by the Ayleids, a messenger carried the Mace to the human settlement of Leyawiin as a message." Carodus replied, shaking his head as he recalled the information, "Centuries later, the master craftsman Saint Kaladas built the Chapel of Zenithar in Leyawiin as a tribute to the legend. When Saint Kaladas was laid to rest, those who prayed to Zenithar at his tomb began to receive visions of the Mace of the Crusader."
Shadow nodded his head in understanding, because the man had revealed that he had already attempted the test to recover the Mace and had failed. That also included the method for how someone could begin their own test, which meant that he was in the right place and all he had to do was figure out which tomb was Saint Kaladas'. He had Nightmare wait in the main chapel area, mostly because he had the suspicion that something was going to happen in the time it would take him to figure out how to recover the Mace and wanted her to be on guard in case he was right.
It didn't take him long to make his way down to where Saint Kaladas was buried, nor did it take him long to reach the actual tomb and kneel before it. Once he had accomplished his task he closed his eyes and prayed to Zenithar, though he felt a gust of wind and snapped his eyes open, to which he found himself in some strange area. He was clearly on a platform of some kind, though there was a gap between where he was and the tower that he assumed that the Mace was housed in. The test must have been something along the lines of a leap of faith, though he wondered what he would have to do so he could actually cross over to the tower and claim the Mace.
He spent some time walking along the platform, studying the gap between him and the relic he had come for while trying to figure out how to get across. At one point, when he was near the middle of the platform, he put his left foot over the gap on accident, but before he could stop himself his foot stopped on top of some invisible walkway. His eyes lit up as he realized why Carodus had failed the test, because this one was designed to only allow someone wearing the Boots of the Crusader cross to where the Mace was housed. With the way revealed he quickly crossed to where the Mace was and picked it up, to which he was teleported back to the waking world... with the Mace in hand no less.
He smiled as he picked himself off the ground and walked back to where Nightmare was waiting for him... to which he found that the chapel was under attack by enemies that were wearing golden armor. Before he could even attack one of them he noticed that Nightmare was already in motion, her battleaxe removing the head of her current enemy before she took the arms of the one behind her. Shadow charged forward and swung the Mace into one of the warriors that were advancing towards Carodus, hitting the creature so hard that he was bashed into the wall moments later.
Together he, Nightmare, and Carodus managed to wipe out the entirety of the enemies that were trying to attack the chapel, much to the amazement of the priests that called the place home.
"I... I can't believe it! We survived! By the grace of the Nine! We survived!" Carodus proclaimed, sheathing his weapon as he turned to Shadow and Nightmare, though he was clearly focused on Shadow, "In no small part to you, Sir Knight. By your will and the will of the Nine, the chapel of Zenithar has held against this blasphemer! Sir, I pledge you my sword. I wish to join you in your quest to restore the Knights of the Nine and defeat this... Umaril."
"Very well, I will accept your aid in our time of need," Shadow said, still having no idea where he had gotten the idea that he was reforming the Knights of the Nine, though he wouldn't turn away help.
"I can only hope to match your bravery and valor." Carodus replied, a smile appearing on his face, "I am honored to serve by your side. Allow me to fetch more suitable equipment. I shall return shortly."
Once Shadow informed the man of where they were currently stationed, the Priory of the Nine, he and Nightmare departed from the chapel and left the man to his own devices. When they were outside Shadow walked up to another of the guards, where he quickly asked where Fort Bulwark was located and discovered that it wasn't far from where they were at the moment, to the northeast to be exact. With the location of their next destination in hand Shadow and Nightmare departed from Leyawiin, where they walked through the forest and kept their eyes open for additional enemies.
They both found it odd that there weren't any Oblivion Gates in the immediate area, especially after the fact that they had been attacked by dremora in the chapel, but Nightmare silently guessed that they were remnants from whatever Gates that Rend had closed before they arrived.
When they finally reached their destination they found a conjurer waiting outside, though Nightmare was faster than their enemy as she threw shadowy daggers out of her mane and struck the man down before he could do anything. Once the man was dead, and Nightmare had retrieved the shadowy daggers, they entered the fort and began their search for the puzzles that would allow them to, eventually, end up where the Shield was located. They followed a path on their left and spotted another conjurer ahead of them, though this time Shadow clashed with the wizard and used the Mace to put an end to him before any damage could be dealt to him.
As they walked forward Shadow spotted an enemy that was hanging at the end of a passageway, though Nightmare stopped him from moving into the passage for a second. She then grabbed the wizard with her magic and dragged her towards them, to which she revealed that that hall way filled with dart traps as the wizard died on her way towards them. Nightmare then smiled as she walked through the passage, allowing her magic to protect her, and then Shadow, from any damage they might take, before they continued their search for any additional clues their enemies might have left behind.
That was before they came to a large chamber that had one raised drawbridges, which told the two of them that they needed to throw a switch or two if they wanted to move on.
"It appears that the knight wasn't lying when he mentioned that there would be some challenges to reach the Shield," Nightmare commented, following Shadow towards another passage that they would have to investigate.
They then came to a room that had two more wizards waiting for them, though they separated from each other and fought their enemies one on one. Nightmare was quick to kill her enemy, as she had the skill and talent to do so, but she stayed out of Shadow's way as he used his new weapon to disarm his opponent and then put her down. They then searched around the immediate area, but when they found nothing they retraced their steps until they came to where the dart trap was. Once they passed the trap a second time they found a walkway that would allow them to walk by the raised bridge and approach a large door that would no doubt bring them closer to their goal.
They followed the passage to another room that had two more enemies waiting for them, but in a matter of minutes both Shadow and Nightmare looked around for the device that would allow them to move on. Nightmare found the switch they were looking for in no time, though she had to wonder how they had overlooked it for the first minute of their searching. Once it was pulled they retraced their steps a bit and walked into another passage that had a locked door, which had been lowered the moment they flipped the switch. At the end of that passage was another switch that, when activated, opened the locked door they had passed by and lowered two more drawbridges that they hadn't noticed before.
They quickly retraced their steps once more and came back to the area with the two drawbridges, where they immediately found a tunnel that had a set of pressure plates that had to be a puzzle of some kind. Shadow tested the pressure plates one at a time, taking note that some of them made a softer noise while the majority made a rough noise that didn't sound good. He then returned to Nightmare and started to solve the puzzle; where he pressed the plate on the left in the first line, the middle one in the second line, the one on the right in the third line, and the one on the left in the final line. The moment he was done the gate in front of him opened, to which he beckoned for Nightmare to join him before they progressed further into the fortress.
The next area they entered was somewhat larger than the one they had previously been in, though they had barely took a few steps before four more wizards came out to fight them. Nightmare would have none of the annoyance the wizards presented with their presence, as she used her battleaxe to remove their heads and clear the area once more. As Nightmare searched for anything that would allow them to move on, or more enemies to remove from their path, Shadow walked backwards for a bit and found a nearly naked man trapped in a cell. He sighed and pulled the switch to release the man, who was immediately thankful for someone coming to rescue him, which led Shadow to assume that the wizards had captured him.
"Thank you for rescuing me. I've lost track of how long they've held me here." the man said, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke, "I am Sir Thedret. I came here seeking the Shield of the Crusader, and was ambushed by these... these cowards. They've held me here since. They want to know how to reach the Shield, and believed I would help them. When I refused, they locked me here, and only let me out to torture me. They got nothing from me. But the knowledge I've gained may be of use to you."
"And what might that be?" Shadow asked, knowing that anything would be better than searching in the dark without any sense of direction, though he assumed that Nightmare did her best work without knowing all of the details.
"Before finding this place, I learned a bit about those who created it." Thedret explained, sighing for a moment as he prepared to tell her what he wouldn't tell the wizards, "It's designed to keep the Shield hidden and safe. A phrase kept coming up in the writings I found: 'When the eyes of the Guardians are upon you, Julianos will show you favor.' I'm not sure how, but I just know it's a clue for making it safely through these ruins. You're the only one I have told. I hope it helps you."
Shadow thanked Thedret for the information, because he knew that he would be able to figure out what he had just been told either before they reached the final puzzle or right as they discovered the end. He heard some fighting in another area of the fort and headed in the direction it was coming from, to which he arrived in time to see Nightmare ending another wizard that was trying to run away. They then followed the passage that was behind the door that Nightmare had found, where they ended up removing another enemy before they came to an area that was below a set of drawbridges.
Once they walked up the nearby staircase they pulled the switch and lowered the first bridge, though as they walked over the bridge Nightmare summoned a shroud of darkness that protected them from behind hit by flying darts. They then lowered the second bridge and left the darts behind, allowing Nightmare to retract her magic as they moved even closer to where the Shield was located. The passage at the bottom of the nearby stairs led them to an open chamber that had two more enemies waiting for them, though they once again proved to be no challenge for the pair.
When Shadow was sure that their enemies were dead, and that there were no more coming to fight them, he sheathed his weapon and turned to the five statues that the chamber had, though he realized that this had to be where Thedret was talking about.
"So, what's the puzzle this time?" Nightmare asked, placing her battleaxe on her back as she looked around, though she could tell that Shadow was looking for something, "Maybe the four smaller statues have to look at the area between them all... where this strange circular piece of metal is located."
Shadow smiled as Nightmare figured out the puzzle, one that he had been handed on a plate thanks to Thedret, all without knowing the key piece of information. He continued to be impressed by how skilled his companion was, though he had to assume that it was because she was an alicorn and not a normal creature from her world. The two of them then spent some time moving the four statues until they were looking at the plate that Nightmare had mentioned, though once they had done that he stood on top of it. He waited for a few seconds before the lights went out and a section of the wall on their left opened up, revealing a hidden passage that hadn't opened in some time.
They followed the passage until they came to an area that had a chest or tomb in the center, with what appeared to be eight more of them scattered around the walls. Shadow opened the chest in the middle and found eight items waiting for him, though it appeared that only one of them could be removed at a time and had to be put in one of the chests that lined the walls. He stepped back on a pressure plate and noticed that one of the statues on top of the chests lit up, though when he pulled one of the items from the chest he knew what he needed to do. He grabbed whichever item appeared in the main chest and put it in whichever chest was resting in front of the glowing statue, until he had put something into all eight of the chests.
Once that was done the lights went out again, something that Shadow was expecting, and the door in front of them opened up, so he and Nightmare followed the newest path that was available. That was when they approached what appeared to be the final chamber, because at the end of the room laid the Shield that they had come for. Shadow smiled as he walked up to the Shield of the Crusader and slipped it on, his mind racing at the fact that he was nearly at the end of his quest, before he turned back to his companion.
"Just one more," Shadow said, grinning as he spoke, "just one more relic and then we can put an end to Umaril the Unfeathered."