Reunion
June 14, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In the early hours before dawn began to peek through the windows of Abydos High School, Ja'vassa had since returned to Skyrim for a brief time to ensure his men were ready for the coming battle. Taking time to make sure all of their armor and weapons were in peak condition, that his men were all on the same page with what the day's plans were. Once everything was ready, he gathered the chosen warriors in the Council Room, he'd make one final speech.
"I want to thank you all for agreeing to join me on this day. Today, we'll storm into Kaiser's PMC Outpost and rescue Hoshino. The battle will be difficult, but that's why I've chosen you. With your skill, bravery, and determination, we will make them regret the day they decided to lay their hands on my precious student. Show these bastards no mercy. We will turn their soldiers into scrap metal and when the battle is over, we'll celebrate." He held his sword in a triumphant manner, looking towards his warriors. "Those who distinguish themselves on the battlefield will be remembered in both Sjel Blad Castle and across Kivotos for their immense courage and tenacity."
As Ja'vassa finished speaking, he opened up the Milestone and motioned for them to enter the portal. "Once you're in the portal, gather outside Abydos High School and wait for my signal. Chances are that my students are already gathered in their meeting room waiting for us."
One by one, the ebony-clad warriors stopped through the portal; heading towards the entrance as ordered. Many of them were well armed, carrying various swords, spears, warhammers, and magical staves. As they made their way through the school, the Abydos students watched as the organized, somewhat intimidating force walked by them.
"Whoa... their armor is impressive..." Ayane muttered, admiring the way the sleek black color shimmered beneath the gentle lights.
"Yeah, it is. I hope it'll be enough to defend against Kaiser's attacks, though." Shiroko replied, finding herself particularly enjoying the designs of the weapons they carry.
Once they were in formation outside the school, Ja'vassa, along with Serica and Maribelle, had entered the meeting room to give the students a quick rundown of their plans for the day.
"My army stands ready to move forward. Our plans are simple; Serica and Maribelle will lead the ground assault and keep Kaiser distracted while the rest of us will storm the palace. Hoshino will no doubt be under heavy protection. We'll need to be quick and decisive, there will be no room for hesitation. You make one mistake and it could wind up poorly for you." Ja'vassa stated, pacing back and forth around the room. "Ayane, you'll provide support from the skies until Shiroko, Serika, Nonomi and I enter the base. From there, it'll simply be a matter of navigating the base from within. We'll no doubt face resistance upon entering, so all of us must always remain on guard. Watch each other's backs and don't let them separate us. I intend to return to Abydos with all of you, Hoshino included."
The plans were simple enough, the group nodded in response. Serica gave him a slightly teasing look. "There's the classic Ja'vassa.. the war commander I haven't seen in decades. Who would've guessed that all it would've taken was your adorable little students to bring that side of you back out?" She said playfully, nudging his shoulder slightly.
Ja'vassa rolled his eyes slightly and headed towards the door. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get going. We don't want to waste any time. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get the battle underway."
As they stepped outside, the soldiers that Ja'vassa had brought with him split into two groups; the mages followed behind Maribelle while the warriors followed behind Serica. Thanks to the coordinates given to him by Black Suit prior to his meeting, the journey to the PMC Base was relatively simple and upon arriving, they found it under heavy guard. Several of the robotic guards paced back and forth in front of the heavy gates, though they hadn't noticed the approaching group yet thanks to cloaking spells used by Serica and Maribelle.
"So... how do you plan on getting inside, Sensei? They wouldn't dare open up the gates if we just rushed up there." Ayane whispered, glancing towards him for a moment.
Ja'vassa was silent for a moment, taking some time to analyze the potential battlefield. Ayane was right, any attempt to just break down the heavy looking gates would lead to some trouble, but perhaps they could still force it open provided they had some kind of distraction. "Durnehviir can help with that... I'll summon him, and once the guards are distracted; we'll barrage the gate with fireballs. Once that's open, we'll storm in, then the rest of it will be simply a matter of finding where they're keeping Hoshino."
For a brief second, the Abydos students shared an uncertain glance amongst each other before turning back to Ja'vassa. "Who is..." Nonomi paused, trying her best not to butcher the strange name. "...who is this Durnehviir, Sensei?"
Serica grinned at the question, "Just watch and find out, Nonomi. He's one of Ja'vassa's most powerful allies."
The old Khajiit stepped forward, taking a deep breath before invoking the shout. "Durnehviir!" He yelled out; though the shout caught the attention of the guards patrolling the exterior.
"Halt!" One guard yelled out, but before he could raise his weapon or take further action, he and many of the onlookers stared out in surprise and mild fear as the undead dragon materialized in the center of a strange purple circle. Upon rising, the beast let out a vicious roar that shook the very ground beneath it.
Serika stared at the summoned dragon with a mixture of fear and excitement. "Just... what else is Sensei capable of?" She muttered.
Turning to face the guards for a moment, Durnehviir then glanced towards Ja'vassa. "Where am I, Qahnaarin? This isn't Tamriel..." The dragon spoke in a deep, guttural tone; flesh seemingly dripping off the old beast's body.
"I'll explain later, but I need your assistance. They're holding someone important to us captive. I'll need your aid for us to get in." Ja'vassa explained as he'd prepared a Fireball spell.
"Very well." Durnehviir's focus returned to the guards shakily watching him. "Diil... Qoth Zaam!" The decaying dragon yelled out; his Thu'um summoned a number of spectral skeletons that immediately went off to attack the Kaiser guards standing outside the gates. Once the attack began, Ja'vassa had launched a dual-casted fireball, followed by the barrage of fireballs casted by his companions.
The relentless magical assault on the gates slowly wore it down, eventually forcing them to fall back. At the moment they were broken down, an alarm had been sounded and large numbers of the Kaiser soldiers could be seen mobilizing.
"Now's our chance! Let's get in there and show them what you're made of!" Ja'vassa ordered, quickly rushing into the open gate. As the guards approached with their rifles raised, the Dragonborn had launched the first attack; blasting them with his Chain Voltage spell. The deadly stream of lightning jumped from one guard to another and following his example, several of the mages he brought with them joined in with Chain Lightning spells. Combined with the relentless arcane assault, several of the warriors had rushed forward, bringing their hammers down on their confused, frightened opponents.
Thanks to the quick work from the fighters that Ja'vassa brought with them, there was little stopping them from storming into the main part of the base. The Abydos students watched in amazement by the sheer ferocity the Sjel Blad army displayed; this was only a small force, they could only imagine how powerful his full army would be. Seeing their distraction, Miraelle lightly nudged Nonomi's shoulder.
"Go forward, young one. Join your teacher and save your friend. We'll be fine out here." Mirabelle said with a gentle smile, glancing towards Ja'vassa who was quickly making his way towards the main building.
She was a bit hesitant, but nodded anyway. "R-Right. Just... be careful. We'll catch up with you as soon as we can." Nonomi responded, motioning for her companions to follow behind her and Ja'vassa.
With the forces from Sjel Blad Castle taking care of Kaiser's outside guards, it was a matter of dealing with the forces inside. A combination of quick, precise strikes from Ja'vassa's magic and the gunfire of his students, they faced little resistance until they finally stumbled upon what looked to be a large surveillance room. Inside the room was none other than Kaiser's President, the very one who launched the attack on Abydos in the days prior.
As they entered the room, several of the guards attempted to fire at the intruders, but before they could even get their fingers close to the triggers, Ja'vassa blasted them with his Flame Tempest spell. Within seconds, the room itself had caught ablaze, though the flames weren't close enough to harm his students.
"I'm going to make this real simple for you." Ja'vassa stated as he prepared another spell; red colored lightning crackling around his hand. "You can either tell me where Hoshino is and I'll let you live, or you can refuse and I can personally turn you into scrap metal. Those are your choices."
Though it didn't show on his face, it was clear the President was afraid, but still used the opportunity to taunt Ja'vassa. "Kill me and you'll never find your precious student. I can't imagine it'll look that good for SCHALE's beloved Sensei to be seen threatening someone like this."
The old Khajiit shook his head. "I never said anything about killing you. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, they'll celebrate our actions here. This cruel, corrupt company is holding an innocent student hostage..." Ja'vassa replied, blasting the President with the jolt of lightning; sending him barreling backwards.
Slowly standing up from the burning rubble, the President had finally realized just how outmatched he was, but that doesn't mean he was completely out of options yet. "Tch... take her, then. You can find her in the lowest levels, but..." He paused, holding up a remote detonator. "...will you get to her in time before this place collapses?" He asked, pressing the button to set off a series of explosions.
In most cases, Ja'vassa would've retaliated, but given they had limited time, he'd have to turn his back for once. "Get back outside; join up with Serica and Maribelle, I'll go find Hoshino." He ordered, quickly heading for the door.
"Wait, Sensei! We'll come with you!" Serika pleaded, grabbing his arm.
Ja'vassa shook his head, pulling his arm away. "No, get going. There's no reason for you to risk yourself. Get outside, immediately."
Shiroko shook her head, making it clear that she wasn't going to leave him behind. "You can't just send us off like that, Sensei. I know you're trying to protect us, but Hoshino is important to us, too. We're coming with you."
Though clearly annoyed, there wasn't any time to continue arguing with them. "Fine. But, stay close then." Ja'vassa shook his head, giving one last glance towards the President. "If I catch you anywhere near my students ever again, I'll personally smelt you down in my forge."
With his final warning, the group quickly dashed off in search of their missing friend. Explosions went off one by one, the building crumbling around them with each passing second. Thanks to the use of a Clairvoyance spell, the group was able to maneuver their way around the fallen rubble, the destroyed robotic soldiers, and the flames that littered the once pristine halls. Occasionally using his Detect Life spell, Ja'vassa released a sigh of relief. "Hoshino's just a little further down this hall!" He yelled out, using a dual casted Sol Illictus spell on the doors in front of them.
The massive fireball slammed into the metal door with great force, causing them to fly off their hinges. The combined force with the fireballs and several subsequent explosions caused the structures beneath their feet to crumble; standing at the far end of the hall was Hoshino who had fallen unconscious, likely from the destruction caused by the ongoing explosions. They could hear more and more of them going off in the distance, giving them little time to think about the possible actions they could take.
Without thinking much more on it, Ja'vassa dashed forward; skillfully navigating his way around the fallen rubble. "Hoshino!" He yelled out as he finally reached her, only to receive no response. She was still alive, but likely wouldn't awaken for some time. Swiftly cutting the ropes that bound her, he'd lift her up and return to the others. "Come on, let's get going. We don't have a lot of time before this place falls on our heads."
Getting to Hoshino was one thing, but given that much of the path they used to get here was now covered in fallen debris, navigating their way through the ruined halls was far more time consuming than they had hoped. Panic settled in amongst the students, but as they finally noticed the sunlight signaling their only escape. For a brief second, smiles crossed their faces as it seemed they could finally leave the bulk of the fighting behind. However, before they could step out and feel the warm sun on their faces once more, an aftershock from the latest explosion had reached them; their only entrance quickly crumbling before them.
Handing Hoshino over to Shiroko, Ja'vassa employed his Telekinesis to stop the falling rubble, though he was straining heavily. "Go, get out of here!" He ordered, clenching his teeth as he struggled to hold onto the debris.
"What about you, Sensei?! We're not going to leave you behind!" Nonomi argued, noticing the heavy strain in his eyes.
"Worry about yourself, Nonomi. You need to get yourselves and Hoshino to safety. Meet up with my men immediately!" Ja'vassa ordered, giving them a reassuring smile for a brief second. "I won't be able to hold it for much longer... please, just go."
They were understandably hesitant to listen to his orders, but relented and moved forward at his beckoning. Shortly after they safely made it back outside, the entrance collapsed with a heavy thud. Looking back towards the fallen building, shock and fear filled their faces.
"Sensei!" Serika yelled out, dropping her gun as she rushed over to the crumbled ruins; attempting to pull some of the rubble away, but to no avail. "That... that idiot!" She muttered, pointlessly trying to move the rocks once more. "Sensei... we got Hoshino back, but... it feels wrong to return to Abydos without him."
By the time they had returned to the surface, the forces from Sjel Blad had long since finished their fight with many of the former guards having either been destroyed or had long since run away. Seeing the ruined building, Serica and Maribelle rushed over to their side; relieved to see Hoshino was with them.
"Oh, good... the young one is safe, but... where is Ja'vassa?" Maribelle asked, looking towards them with some confusion.
"He... he didn't make it out. Just before the building collapsed, he held it up, but he wasn't able to escape." Nonomi replied, tears filling her eyes. She was overjoyed to have been reunited with Hoshino, but she wished it wasn't at the cost of someone she cared so deeply for.
Serica and Maribelle shared a quick glance between each other before quickly rushing towards the entrance. Employing a Detect Dead spell, they had found that Ja'vassa was still within the rubble, but unmoving. He was still alive, but likely injured as a result of the building's destruction.
"Mages! Help us!" Maribelle ordered, quickly employing her Telekinesis alongside Serica to remove the pile of debris. It took some time, but little by little, they were able to clear a path to retrieve the old Dragonborn. Ordering some of the stronger warriors to run in, they'd pull him out and lay him down on the soft sand. He wasn't hurt too badly; a few bruises and cuts from the whole ordeal.
"We should get them back to Abydos before anything else has a chance to cause us problems." Serica stated, watching as a pair of their soldiers hoisted Ja'vassa and Hoshino onto their backs. They'd follow the rest of the group back to the school, dropping the two off into the school's infirmary.
"I'll stay here and monitor them, to make sure their condition doesn't get worse." Maribelle said, her gaze never leaving the injured pair. "Make sure you get our men back to Skyrim soon. I'll inform you if anything changes."
Serica was hesitant to leave her former teacher behind, but she knew he was strong. She knew that he'd pull through in the end. He had to, for her sake, he just had to. "...very well. Don't leave us hanging for too long, Maribelle."
As they finally parted ways, it wasn't entirely clear how much time had passed, but eventually Hoshino had been the first to awaken; slowly sitting up to see Maribelle and her classmates sitting near bed. She yawned softly, glancing around the room in a confused manner. "What...? Where am I?" She asked quietly.
At the sound of her voice, the others perked up. Nonomi was the first to speak up. "Hoshino! I... I'm so happy to see you're finally awake." She said cheerfully, a bright and warm smile crossing her face. "You're safe and sound in the Abydos infirmary; Kaiser won't be bothering you anymore."
Her eyes widened in shock as she processed the information, her expression mirroring the excited smile on her classmate's face. "I'm... back home? I see... Ayane, Shiroko, and Serika are with you, too... Maribelle as well, but where's.... where's Sensei?" Hoshino asked worriedly.
Maribelle moved out of the way slightly to reveal Ja'vassa lying down on the bed beside him. "He... was knocked unconscious when they were trying to bring you home. His injuries didn't seem too bad, but I'd suspect he's exhausted from all that had happened recently." She explained, her expression quite somber as she looked upon the peacefully sleeping Khajiit.
Hoshino nodded, glancing towards her teacher for a moment. Slowly and shakily, she'd stand up; her footsteps a bit uneven as it'd been a while since she's been given use of her legs. Approaching the bed, her previously excited smile had faded away. "He... he got hurt because of me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm... I'm sorry, Sensei. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. I... I'm sorry..." She muttered.
The sound of her voice caused Ja'vassa's ears to twitch slightly, and within a few seconds he had slowly awoken. His blurry gaze fell upon the teary eyed student standing beside his bed. "Hoshino...? You're okay..." He muttered, and without much hesitation on his part, he reached out, pulling her in for a tight embrace. "I'm so glad..."
Though clearly taken back by the sudden embrace, Hoshino returned it once the shock wore off. "Sensei... I'm okay, thanks to you. I'm sorry... I know... I know I should've come to you first, but..." She sobbed, burying her face into his chest. "...I just wanted them to leave the others alone. I'm sorry..."
Ja'vassa held her closely, fearing that she'd disappear if he let go. "Don't apologize, Hoshino. You only did what you thought you had to do. But... you're home now. The debt may be unresolved, but... we don't have to worry about anyone taking you from us again."
For several minutes, the world around them seemed to completely fade away as they found comfort in the warmth of their close embrace. These past few days haven't been easy for either of them, and now, they could finally rest, at least for a time. The voices of the others were distorted, with neither Hoshino nor Ja'vassa being able to make out even a single word. They were focused on just each other, nothing else even mattered at this point.
Seconds, minutes, they couldn't tell how much time had passed before they slowly peeled away from each other's touch. After staring towards each other for a little while, Hoshino turned to the others; smiling through the tears that stained her cheeks. "I'm home again. I... I promise, I won't ever do anything like that again. The debt may be daunting, but... so long as I have you in my life, it won't be so bad."
Maribelle sighed in relief at the sight as she stood up. "I'm glad to see everything's the way it should be... I'll give you and the others some privacy, I'll head back to Sjel Blad Castle to inform Serica about your recovery." She smiled softly, bowing towards them. "You and Hoshino should rest a bit more, you've been through a lot lately."
Ja'vassa nodded in agreement, sighing softly. "Thank you for all your help, Maribelle. You had no reason to join us; they aren't your students, and you risk your life anyways. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to make it up to you, but I'll find some way to do so."
Maribelle waved it off as she stepped towards the door. "We all know how much you adore these girls.. you deserve a little happiness after everything you've done for us. I'll see you soon, my Lord." She gave them one last look before stepping out to return to the castle.
The soft moonlight of dying evening had since began to creep into the infirmary. Serika sighed softly, though her smile never faded away. "I'm glad... I'm glad we're all back together again, but... I'm exhausted. I think it's time we headed home for the night. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow." She almost seemed to purr slightly as she spoke; quickly stepping over to give Hoshino a soft hug before doing the same to Ja'vassa, lingering in his arms for a little while longer. "Thank you, Sensei. For everything you've done for us. I... I'm glad I was wrong about you." She whispered, pressing her cheek against his.
She'd pull away after a short while. "Goodnight, Hoshino. Goodnight, Sensei. Please get some rest for us."
Ja'vassa nodded, an affectionate glimmer in his eyes as he gazed upon her. "Of course, Serika. We'll see you tomorrow; make sure you stay safe tonight."
As they shared their farewells, the infirmary was left with just Ja'vassa and Hoshino. The student had found herself sitting besides him, comfortably leaning on his side.
"So... it seems you've succeeded in doing what we had requested from you. I doubt the debt will be cleared, but Kaiser might not be on our case as much after what happened. I guess... I guess you'll have to return to SCHALE soon, won't you?" Hoshino asked quietly, intertwining her fingers with his. "You'll... you'll come and visit us again, won't you, Sensei?"
Ja'vassa gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, I'll probably have to make a report to the Vice President when I return and maybe my job here is done, but you don't really think I'd just abandon you after all that we went through, do you?" He asked softly, a loving smile crossing his face as he looked towards her. "I'll come by and visit as often as I can... besides, it's not like I could permanently stay away from here anyways. How else am I to return to Skyrim other than through the Milestone that's in your school?"
Giggling at the soft tease, she returned the affectionate gaze. "That's a fair point." She yawned softly, tugging on him in an effort to get him to lay beside her. "I know your little experiment might not have been a total success, but... I'm glad it failed, Sensei. I'm glad you came into our lives." She whispered, cuddling into him.
"I can't say this is what I expected on the day we started our experiment, but... I wouldn't say it failed. I'm... I'm right where I want to be. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the sheer size of Kivotos, or the strange technology you use, but... coming here gave me incredible treasures I could never replace." Ja'vassa whispered as he'd wrapped the blanket around them. "I'll always be available to you... and to the others, Hoshino. I promise."
Hoshino smiled softly, but otherwise hadn't said anything as she fell asleep in the comfort and security of the arms that surrounded her; she remained close to him, hardly moving an inch. Following her example, Ja'vassa gladly fell asleep alongside her; his own smile never fading away.
It had barely been a month since Ja'vassa arrived in Kivotos, and yet, it felt as if he never wanted to leave again. There was nothing but love and admiration for his companions in Sjel Blad Castle, and he's enjoy nearly every moment he's spent with them, but even for all of the chaos that's happened since his arrival in this strange world, he hadn't felt this kind of happiness in decades, perhaps even longer. Seeing the smiles on his students' faces, feeling the warmth of their touch and hearing the joy in the voices, it gave him a sense of purpose and longing that he had been searching for since he had returned from his self-imposed exile centuries prior.
Eventually, he'd likely have to return to Skyrim. Kivotos wasn't his home, after all, and yet, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to bring himself to abandon them and yet, he couldn't just abandon his loyal companions either. To choose between the allies that have served him loyally for over a thousand years and the students he's known for an incredibly short time. Both decisions felt right and wrong at the same time.
Despite the indecision broiling within, Ja'vassa enjoyed the night in the arms of his beloved student. Even as the morning light crept into the infirmary, neither of them stirred and remained peacefully asleep, at least that was the case until the other Abydos students came into the room to check in on them.
Ayane smiled softly at the scene, almost hesitating to awaken them, but it was well past time for them to wake up. They had a meeting to attend, after all. She reached out, shaking their shoulders. "I'm sorry, but... you need to wake up." Her voice was soft, though her touch was firm.
Slowly, the sleeping pair had awoken and almost simultaneously sat up, yawning in near perfect synch with the other. "Morning already, huh?" Hoshino asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"I suppose we can't neglect our meetings, eh?" Ja'vassa asked playfully as he stood up alongside her.
The day's meeting wasn't anything serious for once, but rather, they just wanted to say their proper thanks to Ja'vassa and see him off before he'd have to leave for SCHALE once more.
"I know we've said it already, but... thank you, Sensei. You came through when no one else would for us. We'll never forget the kindness you've shown us." Ayane smiled gratefully, a slight pep in her step as she spoke.
"You don't have to thank me, Ayane. Coming to Abydos was... one of the best decisions I've made." Ja'vassa hummed as he'd gently held her cheek. "You and the others have been... incredible. I'm glad I've been given the chance to get to know all of you."
Nonomi stepped closer to him. "Promise to come back to us soon, Sensei?" She asked, her own cheerful smile never fading away.
Before answering her, Ja'vassa removed the Dragon Priest Amulet he wore around his neck and placed it around Nonomi's. "Why don't you hold onto this for now, Nonomi? I'll come back for it when I come to visit next. Be sure you take good care of it for me, alright?"
She glanced down towards the old amulet dangling around on her neck for a moment. Quickly nodding at him, it was now her turn to give him a hug. "Of course, Sensei. I'll make sure it looks even better when you come to retrieve it."
One by one, he'd give his students a parting hug and some final parting words; some variation of how proud they made him and how much he's grown to adore them. When they finally separated, they'd join him outside to wish him good luck as he returns to SCHALE.
"I'll see all of you soon. Don't forget, if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to Sjel Blad Castle, they'll always be there to support you as well." Ja'vassa waved towards them. "Sky above, Voice within."
Hoshino raised her hand high, cheerfully waving back towards him. "Stay safe, Sensei! Don't be a stranger in these parts."
So much has happened in these past few weeks. The discovery of a realm beyond his own, the introduction to strange technology, meeting with fascinating people. He's seen some terrible things, some incredible things, all in all, for what started out as a failed experiment has brought him more than he could've asked for. There was no telling what awaited for him next, but holding his head held high, Ja'vassa looked forward to meeting with the other students and seeing all that Kivotos had in store for him.
"Look at that, Armani. Can you believe it? I've actually made a difference in their lives." Ja'vassa held a small, silver pendant close to him. "I only wish you could've been here to see them, you would've loved them. I'm not sure I can ever fully redeem myself for what I've done in the past, but... maybe I can start over here. Start fresh and find a new path. Maybe... maybe it's time I left Sjel Blad Castle and... and Skyrim in the past. Perhaps it's time for the Dragonborn to move on."
