The Cure For Curie (Complete!)

Creation's Army

The Draugr Matron waited until the fires had extinguished. She had stood vigilant through the night, so that her would be followers had remained safe. She surveyed Riften, it's breathtaking views now opened. Not a soul had stirred. The evil had been wiped clean, purged by fire. She looked upon the smoldering homes with pride as the new day drew forth. She smiled before turning to enter the temple.

As she turned to walk up the stone steps, she saw the small congregation had gathered outside the door. Fear shown on their worried faces, a normal reaction she knew, they would see that it was necessary in time.

"Oh sweet Mara, what has happened?" The Redguard cried out as he looked at the ruined city.

"What needed to happen, my child." The Matron replied. "Riften has been cleansed of its evil so that it may blossom with new life."

"Who are you?" He asked as he shook his head.

"I am everything. I am creation, itself. I am the mother of all. I have come to lay claim to my kingdom and punish those who tarnish it." She spoke as she straightened her shoulders with authority. Her short black hair shook with her words. Her white gown, now blackened with ash and soot, blew on the morning breeze. The sight was too much for the priest. His eyes widened at the mere thought of standing in the presence of one of the gods.

"Dear Mara, is it really you? I, Maramal, have been your faithful servant for many years. I readily stand by your side."

"Mara." She said with disgust. "Your Aedra are false gods. Mortals playing with their magic. No my sweet Maramal, I am the first. I am the only true god of the this realm. It has run rampant on its own for far too long. It will be restored."

The Redguard priest looked dazed, confused. His bottom lip quivered as he tried to make sense of the words he was hearing, the power he had witnessed. This woman had to be telling the truth. How could one person wreak so much destruction without the citizens firing even one single bolt in defense? The streets were empty of bodies trying to flee but the air was filled with the smell of burnt flesh.

Everything he had thought he knew was crumbling around him. Could it really be that the Aedra had lied to the people all these years? Could this woman, really be the mother of all creation? He couldn't reconcile it inside his thoughts, and at the same time, it all seemed to make perfect sense. He looked at the faces of his small congregation, their fear and worry about what to do next etched onto their features. He nodded silently to them in reassurance.

"Your Grace." He spoke with reverence as he knelt down on one knee. "What would you ask of us, your humble servants?"

"No. Not servants." She said as she placed her hand on top his head lovingly. "You are my children. You are my army. Together we will rid the land of souls who do not deserve it."

"Most holy?" A tall Nord woman asked. Her face smeared with war paint and her eyes cold from battle, the Matron looked on her with pride. A soul so pure but filled with the hot fire of righteousness, she would be a glittering asset to the cause.

"Yes?" She asked with a smile.

"There is more to Riften than meets the eye. Deep below in its bowels lies the Thieves Guild. They would be aware of the fires by now. I worry that they have escaped."

"Rest easy, my child. There is no escape from my grip. Patience will do us well. They will be found, I promise."

"But they could warn others of..."

The Matron raised her hand, requesting silence. She shook her head slowly.

"They will be found. For now, we must prepare. We will use the temple to grow our army. Maramal, send word to the other temples that their presence is requested."

"Yes, your grace." He bowed before running up the temple steps to begin writing his letters.

"You?"

"Mjoll the Lioness." She answered as she brought her fist to her heart in salute.

"You will travel Skyrim in search of more warriors that will align with our just cause."

"Right away, your grace." She rushed down the walk toward the main gates without even thinking of provisions for her journey.

"The rest of you will clean up this city. It will be a beacon of hope for all those who wish to stand in the light of creation. This will serve as an ark for civilization, that will ferry those worthy away from the darkness that encroaches this world."

She watched the rest of the congregation scatter to begin doing as they were told. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, as she began to envision the new world she would build.

Something tugged in the back of her mind. A pull that had been there since she had awoken. Faces danced around in her memories, images she could not place. They were so blurred, that it was as if she was remembering a dream. They felt surreal but it made her heart quicken as if she had lived through it.

She couldn't make sense of the visions. She tried to pull at the threads, to follow it back to the source. Streaks of red light. A war with an army of automatons. A man, a hero. Victory. Tragedy. Loss.

She shook her head, brushing it away. She had no time to chase dreams. There was real work to be done here in Riften. She turned to head up the steps toward the temple. She stopped suddenly in the middle of the stone staircase. Clear as day a word flashed in her mind. It's letters shadowing all else. Not a word. It was a name, a name that carried weight in her spirit. Her heart tried to grab at the name, to pull it close. There was a clarity here, it felt, different. Who was this? What did this name mean to her?

"John." She whispered aloud as she resumed her climb to the temple.