My scream echoes through the chamber, the echo thrown back and forth before turning silent.
Sandor exhales, trembling.
For a moment he just stands there, staring at Esbern with disbelief. Then he laughs. A cracked, breathless laugh at first—but it grows into something full-bodied. Confident and triumphant.
"Hah… Hahaha! By the Eight, that was exhilarating!" he pants, brushing a shaking hand through his sweat-matted hair. "You two… you actually made me work for it! I haven't had a battle like this since—"
He snorts. "Well, since I left the College."
No wonder he had been so skilled with his destruction magic, he was a former student of the College Of Winterhold, the best education for mages in all of Skyrim.
His boots tap softly on the stony ground as he walks toward Esbern.
Esbern sways, his left hand gripping the Ice Spike still jutting from his shoulder. He's barely continuous now!
"You were a fine opponent," Sandor says, voice mockingly warm. "Truly. I'll remember you."
He raises his hand again, a swirling icy glow forming—one final spell.
I try to get up, but pain instantly shoots up my leg and buckles my knee. The Ice Spikes he landed earlier still burns througout my body. I grit my teeth, punching the ground. "Damn it!"
Think. Think!
I can't get to him in time. I can't cast Flames from this distance. My mind races desperately.
All I have is my dagger!...
My breath catches.
With shaking fingers, I pull the dagger from my belt.
I've only done this once before...
"Come on…" I whisper.
Sandor's hand glows brighter. He's right by Esbern now, standing over him like an executioner.
"Forget it…" I mutter. "You've killed enough!"
With all the force I can muster, I fling the dagger.
And as soon as it leaves my hand—I catch it with my mind—attaching strings to it made from my magicka.
Telekinesis was a weak spell, Farengar had warned me about it's useless in combat! It couldn't push or pull anything remotely heavy, but right now it didn't have to. It just needed to be strong enough to steer my dagger's path.
I feel the dagger. I had thrown it with enough force to reach him, the distance up to Sandor wasn't far.
It's trajectory hadn't been too good, but I was able to curve it mid-air.
Sandor turns at the last second, his eyes just starting to widen.
THWIP—
The dagger sinks deep into his throat.
He lets out a choked gasp, stumbling backward. The icy aura surrounding his hand sizzling out.
He gurgles, grabbing the hilt, but it's no point in pulling it out.
Sandor is going to die, and he knows it.
His expression doesn't show fear, only—hatred. His eyes are wide and filled with fury.
I fall to my hands, breathing hard. I had done it!
My eyes go wide at the sound of crackling ice.
I look up—Sandor stands with an Ice Spike spear raised above his head, ready to throw. One final shot!
"Shit!" I raise both hands—the ice spike still lodged in one—and cast a double barrier.
He hurls the spear. It moves with the same speed as the smaller spikes—the size hasn't slowed it down at all.
It slams into my wards, all spells breaks—creating a powerful shockwave. The blast threw me through the air and smashed me into a nearby wall.
I must have blacked out—if only for a moment—because when my eyes find the plateau again, there's no one in sight.
"Damn it... Esbern!" I force myself to my feet, my body trembling from the damage it has received.
Determined to find Esbern, I drag my body toward the ramp.
My arm is heavy, the Ice spike is still stuck in it. I cast a small and gentle flame, melting the spike just enough to be able to pull it out.
I wince—it's bad. Tearing a strip of cloth from my shirt, I wrap it around my hand to stop the bleeding. I couldn't cast healing on it, needing to conserve my magicka—if Esbern was still alive he would need it!
After struggling up the ramp, I find Esbern collapsed on his back atop the plateau.
"Esbern!..." He's not conscious, his body is littered with ice spikes of varying sizes.
I place one hand on his shoulder, and the other one on the spear of ice. "Sorry about this!..." With the help of muscle and some flames, I slowly pull the ice spear from his shoulder, making his body twitch. Healing it immediately after to stop the bleeding.
That cost the rest of my magicka, so I gulp down the last potion I had to refill it.
I repeat the process with the smaller spikes until there's hardly any magicka left for me.
"Don't you dare to die on me, you brute!" I cast the last of my magicka on myself, giving myself a shot at not bleeding out as well.
I lean down, exhausted. Resting my forehead against his. "You're the one of us that has someone to live for... You make it home, ok?..." I say to him, my voice cracking.
My vision starts to blurr, and I feel lightheaded.
I tumble to the ground next to Esbern, passing out.