Cheers guys...

Update in th'morning...

I just wanted to say that while I know that all of you are paying so much attention to the dates on my little pre-story sections *Looks over glasses with raised eyebrow...* ( )...They do really ignore much of the Skyrim story I've discovered so far...

Which is the biggest, most lazy piece of crud I've ever had the misfortune of looking forward to...It contradicts itself within the game...It's a re-hash of Oblivion in the first place...

It suffers hugely from "Death Star II" syndrome...Oh hells I could go on...

Some of it is okay...The whole Civil War thing I can work in, but the rest of it...*Shakes head*...I can only go so far to fill in their gaps...You know what I mean?...

It does seem to be "Lets hang a story around all the pretty things we can do..."

Idiots...

In short, I shall be continuing to ignore it for the most part...

That's all...

*Robert is unhappy la-la-laaa...*

Hey, ignore Skyrim if you like. Who passed a law that says you have to write your stories inspired by Game I to be retroactively compatible with Game II?? Fuggedaboutit and just write what you want to write!

That's what I plan to do, and Skyrim be damned!

Thank you... ...Sorry, I'm a bit frazzled what with one thing and another in RL at the mo...Damned real life!!... ...

Aaaamywho...

NEW, IF SLIGHTLY SHORTER PARTS!!!... ...

Note on Elipses...They're in there...It's to suggest disconnection and pausing and I think while it may not be technically right, I think they need to be there...Just saying...



Previously on KOTNNK...

Commander Robert McWylde and the other high-priests of the Nine had taken part in a ceremony to light a magical barrier that would keep away all threats from Oblivion...Apparently...However this ceremony had left McWylde severely weakened, so he was unable to go on the raid at Fort Freedom with his wife. Having fallen asleep talking, the next morning McWylde and his Altmer friend, the Archmage of the Unseen um...Arcane University - Seri Ormandin, and Ormandin's Dark-Elf bodyguard Maloryn had been breakfasting IN MCWYLDE'S APPARTMENTS IN NEW KVATCH!!...( )...When they were interrupted by the appearance of an old man claiming to be called the Divine formerly known as Talos - Tiber Septim...

Probably... ...


1.6 – A Gift.



...For as long as I have known him, Robert McWylde has been restless, constantly searching for something. He throws himself into everything he does, in his duties and his studies. Kenth Olford said he’s almost supernatural with the sword, his other tutors say much the same of his other disciplines. Kardi Altruern says he is truly terrifying when Robert loses himself in the Prescience.

And yet I feel sad, he so rarely seems to let himself live. I have lived long and as full as I was ever able. McWylde has lived long but I have yet to see him live fully.

Heh, perhaps he is waiting for me to order him to do so!

I may have to in the end. He is far too good a man to be taken by the life he and the other Elitarii are in.

I hope he finds what he is looking for, for he is like a son to me.

I know in my heart Robert will never let me down. I pray I am able to tell him how proud I am to have known him one day.



- Taken from the diaries of Uriel Septim, discovered by Wulff Olfsson in the remains of Cloud Ruler Temple, Rain’s Hand 3E 637.




The logs on the fire in Commander McWylde’s living room continued to crackle, despite all noise from outside, and the ticking of the clock on the mantle having stopped. The candles’ small flames continued. Dust motes, briefly glowing like nova in the sunlight, continued to spin around the room.

In short, besides the obvious, not much was different to any morning.

Then as a conversation starter, Seri Ormandin, a man Robert McWylde had called friend for more years than he could remember simply said -

“So you’re no longer Talos then?...One of the Nine Divines?...Many, many shrines, chapels and dedications in your...His name. That’s going to take some tidying up.”

“Hah,” Said the Divine with a genuine smile, “I like you Archmage...Yes, yes I do...Wish I’d had someone like you about in my day...Damn this is fine tea...Who made this?” The Archmage looked around to Maloryn.

Tiber Septim, the first of the Septim line, looked at Maloryn raised the mug and said “Excellent tea my boy...Excellen...” This second compliment faded in volume as the God narrowed his eyes. He looked closer at the Dark-Elf. There was a suggestion of movement from the table but almost instantly Septim was in front of Maloryn, staring into his eyes.

Tiber laughed then looked around to McWylde and asked “Do you believe in coincidence Robert?” McWylde looked over at his Altmer friend then turned back and simply shrugged, “Well I don’t.” Said the God. He looked down at Maloryn and said, “Give my regards to your Grandmother won’t you?” There was a further almost movement and he was back at the table, this time with an apple in his hand.

Seri looked at the Dark-Elf with a question but Maloryn simply turned away.

“Mmmm, excellent...I haven’t had a real apple in nearly four hundred years...Apparently.” He looked over at the fireplace and was simply there.

He bent down and poked at the fire with the tongs. “Does any of you know how I became a God? Hmmm?”

“Which version do you want?” Asked Ormandin.

“Indeed.” Said Septim, with a sigh. Then he was back at the table, “Indeed. Would you believe I have no idea? I’ve been a passenger on this merry ride for almost four hundred years and I have no idea why. And now, thanks to your little party to light that jolly pretty Allfire...I went to see it before I came here you know?...Jolly pretty...Ummm...Oh yes, you lit the Allfire Robert. You called me...Well...Us...Him...And well, something’s happened...We’re...Me again...And - as they used to say in my day - I’m right Royally pissed...Do they still say that?” He looked about. Robert laughed and even Maloryn smiled. “Anyhow, whatever Talos was is still me I suppose. And though I never wanted this...Not really.” Robert thought he looked sad. “On my word I shall still honour everything he was supposed to, and the Chapel of Talos will continue as it was...They may not get quite the answers they are used to anymore though.” He grinned.

“My Lord...” Robert started to say.

“You can stop that too.” The God said, pointing.

“Sorry?”

“Stop the ‘My Lord’ rubbish...We’re all old war-boys here...Tiber will do.”

Robert was stunned briefly then said, “Umm...Tiber...Without seeming to question a divine visit, but...Why are you here?”

“That is the question isn’t it?...Why are we here?...Oh...Wait...You mean here, as in now...Oh yes...Time moves very strangely out there,” he gestured, “So although - I’m guessing – it’s only been a couple of days here...Yes?” Nodding, “Yes...Out there...Well, it’s as long as we want it to be...Tea parties could last for aeons...Which would be a real pain if Akatosh gets in a mood...Which is often I’m afraid...But anyway...We’ve all decided to give you lot that lit the fires, gifts...Well, I say we’ve all decided...It’s been decided...But you’ll get your gift...Umm...Some won’t be obvious...Some of them,” He waved generally up, “Move...Mysteriously...But Godly gifts you will receive nonetheless...”

McWylde felt sad at the memory again and said, “I’m afraid you’re too late for one of us...Tiber...Fadrin Madigan, priest of Zenithar died after the ceremony.”

Septim raised his eyebrows over his mug of tea. “You don’t say?...Obvious gifts Robert.”

Robert looked at Ormandin as his heart skipped, but he read ‘No, wait and see’ in the Altmer’s eyes.

“But anyway,” Continued the Septim, “As you are and always have been my Champion I have two gifts for you...In fact it could be said I have three for you.”

Tiber was suddenly by the fireplace looking at the clock. “One, is this,” he said pointing, at the stopped clock, “And trust me, you’ll thank me for that.” He was back by the table again. “Two, we’ll get to later...After we’ve dealt with three...” He took another brief drink of tea, sighed and then his eyes glowed fiercely, “Won’t we Stendarr old boy?”


---------------------------------------------

A very invitingly-written opening paragraph.

I like how Tiber fast travels and you portray it extremely well. He certainly has quite the Sheogorathesque manner about him.

As ever, very fun to read!

Wow, Ormandin didn’t dance around the subject with the Divine formally known as Talos. Oh, it’s Tiber again. So, are you staying?

I love how Tiber popped around the living room with a mug of tea, distracted by being back in the mortal world. And Godly gifts, even for the departed Madigan? Tiber and Maloryn’s grandmother? (I may have gotten that last part wrong.) Love it!

Acadian...Many thanks as ever...I'm glad you're still enjoying it... ...

Grits...Staying?...

And as for Maloryn's grandmother...You not know Tiber's history?... ...It's in the books... ...

As always, I am a geek when it comes to rational explanations for how and why magic works- especially when they include why it shouldn't...

The "projections" were simply wonderful- particularly the waving doll.



There are moments that tell us far more than all the hagiography in the world ever would. AND make us laugh.



Why do I think this does not bode well? Just a wee suspicion, mind you...



OK that makes it official. It IS bad. And I don't even KNOW that word.

Still absolutely enthralled by this story- no surprise, given that I watch The Magnificent Seven whenever it is on...

Cheers Trey...I'm glad you're still going with it... ...And all you others too!!...Thanks so much... ...

I looked up hagiography...I still don't understand it...Damn good word though... ...

Magnificent Seven?...Certainly in my Top Five Films of all time mate!!... ...Love it... ...

Cheers... ...

Aaaamywho...

NEW, IF SLIGHTLY LONGER PARTS!!!... ...

Edit - Forgot me previously on KOTNNK!!!....

Previously on KOTNNK!!!...

Small force, fort, J'Drell, Caroline Mcwylde, Thedret et al...Uncles..."Sex with Elves"...Many Baddies, Yskraich!!...

Meanwhile Niil Deaconsson had been sent into the fort's interior to help protect the civilians, as General Oholin felt that the expected all out sword fight was not one of Deaconsson's strong suits...



1.7 – Stand.




Beware the Yskraich that lives out beyond
Two hands take your soul
Two hands break your bones
If last hand you shake in friendship’s frail bond
Kiss goodbye your all
Your world soon be gone...



Ayelid nursery rhyme, translated by Tar-Meena, Chief Archivist, The Arcane University. 3E 440.





Kelleryn had explained to the horrified knights all the history that was known of the Yskraich.

“So how the hell do we stop it if it’s un-killable?” Asked Thedret.

Kelleryn shrugged.

J’Drell hissed.

An obviously pained Galasafon said, “We need to go...Now...Aeira...Gnn-need to take this out of here. Get him to Kvatch as soon as possible.” He indicated Gellert, “Sorry Caroline, your husband may kill me for this.”

“Maybe,” McWylde answered pointing, “but if you lose him on the way, I know I will too...”

“Well, at least my life will stop being interesting at least...Aaahh...” He added, wincing. “I need one of your horses, mine is too far away...I left it...Gnnnh... further into the woods...”

“Mine...” Said Kelleryn. Difficult it sometimes was to tell on a Dark-Elf, but Kelleryn was obviously paler. “Cheydinhal Black horse. He will...Will...Help...Carrying him...” Kelleryn pointed at the prisoner.

“What’s his name?” Asked Aeirawen.

“Ewythr.”

There was a huge laugh from J’Drell next to Kelleryn, Aeirawen and Caroline smiled broadly and even Galasafon offered up a chuckle.

Aeirawen leaned over and kissed Kelleryn on the cheek. “Stay alive Oreyn. Galas come on...Gentlemen, lady.” She bowed, then picked up the Dragon Warhammer in one hand and with the other grabbed the other Wood-Elf, who in turn levitated Marrick Gellert and they both ran in the direction of the horses.

“For those of us not entirely familiar with every Elvish word, what was that all about?” Asked Thedret.

“Oooh...Heh...Oww...Friend Elfling’s horse...Heh-heh...His name...Is Uncle...”

Thedret smiled, shook his head and resumed looking outward.

Kelleryn, for his part, blushed...

“Oh damn.” Said Thedret, “I’m not sure it’s gonna be worth trying to stay hidden for much longer.”

J’Drell looked over the wall and augmented his eyesight once more. He could see the monster lumbering towards them, still at the end of the causeway, but coming closer. Suddenly it stopped. Then some of the spines on the Yskraich’s back started glowing fiercely, and two of the arms started some complicated arc motion. Then, from its mouth, a glowing ball of light oozed out. J’Drell watched as it grew and then shot up into the air. A furiously glowing, eye-watering fuchsia eye looked down at them.

“Ah hell,” said Thedret as he stood up, “Really not much point now.” He could see the massed forces beyond the Yskraich all glowing the same colour as the eye. He looked down at himself then turned around to see the same glow around the others. He could also make out a running form headed for them through the fort’s entrance and the shapes of some people in the depths of the fort. He looked towards where the horses were and sure enough, he could make out the horses and the retreating forms of Galasafon and Aeirawen.

“Damn.”

---------------------------------------------------

Deaconsson was pretty unimpressed with his chances before the headaches and the massive life detect spell had shown up. While he granted that the kitchen was big, it was also full of stuff. The knights had moved everything they could to the walls of the room in order to clear some swinging space, but if it came to a fight, Deaconsson thought it would be near impossible to win if they managed to get through the door. It was still open at the moment, waiting to be closed when it became necessary. Captain Ordan had put Deaconsson’s friend, Marlshan Jacks in the corridor beyond the door, watching and listening for signs of anyone that wasn’t Holforn, or one of the Knights outside, which they could – rather disconcertingly – now see the shapes of, through the walls.

Some of the staff contingent’s women had started crying and screaming – not unreasonably - as the fuchsia glow had appeared. What probably scared them most was the amount of rats they could see scurrying around the gaps between the stone walls’ blocks. Fortunately, the somewhat portly Breton, Sir Keern Ralman seemed to have more than his share of calming voice spells and had managed to reduce the wailing down to a muffled sob. Hells even Deaconsson felt better about things now.

“Are we going to die mister?” asked a young maid.

“We’re going to do our best to prevent that happening ma’am.” Said Captain Ordan. “The Nine will protect us all.”

“Oooh, lucky us then!” Said another woman with much scorn, this one Deaconsson thought, suggested washerwoman.

That’s Ordan thought Deaconsson, belief in the Nine’s power so strong as to the exclusion of imagination. Good enough to make Captain, but that’s as far as he’ll go. And – presumably – why General Oholin had given the Redguard the message to deliver do and use whatever it takes to keep everyone alive. He had given Ordan the message only to receive a snort as a reply.

“I think I can manage to hold one room.” Was his reply. Deaconsson had had his first misgivings at that point and it was getting worse.

Deaconsson took in the room. A large, rectangular room. An open fire and ovens along one wall, with chimneys and flues leading up through the ceiling, presumably to exits somewhere on the walls outside. A door to the large cold storage room, where all the fresh food was kept aerated by a few small holes in the wall. All the preparation tables, utensils and whatever else had been shoved along the walls, clearing a space wide enough for three of them to fight in, with one of them behind to protect the civilians, who at the moment were huddled on the floor or sat on chairs at the back of the room. He looked at the group of fifteen men and women. Mostly human, with an Argonian and a couple of Altmer thrown in.

Deaconsson sighed. Maybe whoever comes from that host outside to re-take the fort will be content with removing the knights and leave the staff alone. Maybe. But Deaconsson had once been out with J’Drell and seen for himself the horror that had befallen civilians in ravaged forts. Best to hold and make damned sure.

He looked at the cold storage door again. Then at the men and women. “Ladies, Gentlemen, it’s not going to be pleasant, but until we know what we’re dealing with, you need to get in there.” He said pointing.

“Deaconsson!” Ordan had hissed. Deaconsson looked around at him with his eyebrows raised in question. Ordan sighed, shook his head and walked towards the storage door.

“My friend is right,” he said opening it, “You will need to clear some of it out, but you will all fit in. So if you would be so kind as to get to that.” He bowed slightly towards the staff.

He walked back to Deaconsson as the people worked. “Don’t do that again. I will give any good ideas due consideration, but you will run them through me first.”

Ordan. Close cropped blonde hair on top of an instantly forgettable face, which was set above a tall, wide set frame. You could tell just by looking at him he was from a career soldier’s family, and by his accent probably from some small settlement near Leyawiin. He didn’t come across as a city man. He’d joined the Legion – presumably, as was expected of him – and at some point had found himself called by one of the Nine to come to Kvatch. The Commander had interviewed him – as he did with all the called – and so here he was, dutiful, unimaginative Darl Ordan.

Deaconsson nodded, “Fair enough.”

It was at this point the life detect had gone out.

They waited as the people finished moving themselves into the storage room.

Ordan said to them before he closed and locked the door, “Stay quiet, whatever happens, stay quiet. It may save your life. I am going to lock this door and see if I can get the key under the door. When it is all done, it would probably be best to send it back eh?” The key went under and someone on the other side pulled it the rest of the way.

Deaconsson and Ordan stood and viewed the room. It seemed much bigger now the staff were out of the way.

They looked to where the food had been cleared to.

Ralman had helped himself to some of the cheese.

“Sir Ralman!!” Ordan shouted, “It is most impolite and insensitive to eat the cheese of people so endangered!!

“Especially without offering me some first.” Ordan went over and ate some of the food.

Deaconsson walked over to the kitchen’s door. “Jacks! Anything?!” He shouted down the corridor.

“I can hear something. Don’t know, it may be fighting outside.”

The Redguard looked at the corridor. Not your kind of fight. He turned to look at Ordan, still busy by the food.

He called his speed fortify and ran to where Jacks was.

“It’s a good job I was expecting you Niil,” Said the wiry Imperial, “I’d have been right out my skin.”

The Redguard smiled. “Would have improved your looks no end my friend.”

“This a friendly visit or did you want something? I’m trying to watch for our certain doom here.”

“You’re faster than me, can you go find three bows and all the arrows you can from all that lot?” Deaconsson waved towards the remainder of the fort.

“Three?”

Deaconsson nodded.

“Oh hells. Bloody heroic last stand again, isn’t it?”

“Something like that.”

Jacks nodded. “Something like that.” He grinned and was gone.

Deaconsson raised an eyebrow and looked up the corridor.

“Something like that.”

I loved seeing Tar-Meena credited for translating that poem!

Fun and unique use of detect life. It seems to affect the targets with a glow that everyone can see instead of displaying glows that only the spell’s caster can see. This has plenty of implications that change how one would use it in game. Very clever!

“It’s a good job I was expecting you Niil,” Said the wiry Imperial, “I’d have been right out my skin.”
The Redguard smiled. “Would have improved your looks no end my friend.”
“This a friendly visit or did you want something? I’m trying to watch for our certain doom here.”
What a brilliantly fun exchange this was!

You had asked me to mention any nits that I noticed:

Generally, I am still having a little trouble keeping everybody and everything straight. You are working against several factors:
- Any location in Kvatch (except the encampment or burned city) does not conjure an image to help orient as to location. If you say Mystic Archives, everyone is automatically there – in the room, at the University, in The Imperial City. If you say Robert McWylde’s study, you have a significant challenge to orient your readers.
- You have many (many) characters and almost none of them exist in the game. Similar to the above location comments, if you say Tar-Meena then everyone is fully with you as to who she is and even what she looks and sounds like. When using non-game characters it presents a much bigger challenge to learn and remember who they are. And that challenge grows exponentially with more characters.
- You write with a ‘free spirited’ style. It can be beautiful like a butterfly as she flutters and flits from flower to flower but, alas, her delightfully unpredictable travel can aggravate the above factors.
I am finding my biggest aid to staying oriented is your ‘Previously on Kotincky’ preludes.

“What’s his name?” Asked Aeirawen.
We talked about dialogue punctuation also. Here you do not want to capitalize the speech tag (asked in this case). This is one of several examples in the episode.

*SNIP!!*

His horse's name is Uncle. Priceless.

Aah, the rats! Somehow that’s as bad as the freakin’ monster outside.

Deaconsson sighed. Maybe whoever comes from that host outside to re-take the fort will be content with removing the knights and leave the staff alone. Maybe.

What a chilling thought.


“Sir Ralman!!” Ordan shouted, “It is most impolite and insensitive to eat the cheese of people so endangered!!

LOL. Cheese.


I love this story. I remember who J’drell, Thedret, Kelleryn, Caroline, Aeirawen, and Gellert are, but I had forgotten about Niil Deaconsson and General Oholin. Thank you for the detailed Previously on KOTNNK. An extra reminder is way better than forgetting!

I enjoy your light and rapid writing style a lot, but can def see (and agree with) where Acadian is coming from about the lack of identification with the many characters.

Because you have many years with these characters, you know them intimately - can visualize them in your own mind easily.

We have had only seven chapters with them, and are having to try to imagine what they may look like or sound like when they speak.

If (as in Acadian's example) you had used known game characters and just molded them into the role you wanted them to play - we could easily visualize your characters too, and it would greatly increase the immersion into the fantastic story you have written about them.

Because you are not using known characters (but are essentially creating the new characters from scratch and your own imagination) - it would really help readers bond closer with your plot if they could visualize your characters too.

To me, the most memorable character so far was Ras’sheena. You gave the readers a full chapter of getting to know her, visualize both her looks and personality. In that one chapter we came to care about her and be immersed in her life.

I think what Acadian is trying to say is - even in your light/rapid writing style you could develop these characters a little more so we could feel we knew them as well as you do.

Your imagination is brilliant, that is very clear in your writing. Maybe a bit ADHD, I've wanted to ship you some Ritelin a couple times - but that is part of your genius, as is clear in your rapidly moving plot.

I agree with Grits, Thank You so much for the detailed "Previously on KOTNNK!" That helps me keep up with your intricate plot weaving a lot better!

After seeing mALX’s comments, I realize how much more tactfully smooth she can be than I.

I truly enjoy your story and smile all the way through it. With your delightful talent, clever humor and gracious manner, you are such a wonderful addition here and I feel fortunate that you grace us with your story. Oh, my fave character is Caroline. I have a fondness for knights of the feminine persuasion.

I certainly hope my intent to be helpful came through as such, and that you can forgive any rough edges or overdoing it in my comments. Please be at ease, my friend. You needn’t worry about my continuing support of your wonderful story!

*SNIIPPPP!!*....

*SNIIIPPP!!!*

Except for this old one....

"As for the voices...I just use the game ones mostly...Probably easier... ..."

Oh, that is a great idea and will be very helpful as a scorecard. Well done!

I’m looking forward to your next episode more than ever, now that I’m all armed up with your wonderful character guide. I shall call it the Kotinkipedia!

Oh, I like this a lot. Like everyone else has already said, the prologue gave a rather amusing account of being in the wrong place at the wrong time at the wrong side. The actual story so far is nice too. Maybe it moves a bit slow, but I like how it gives an opportunity to flesh out the relations and all the friendly jabs between the characters.

Now I'm just wondering how Robert, Tiber and the gang will get involved with the events at the fort. And how the knights get out of their sticky situation for that matter.

That will help me a lot, thank you so much !!!

Konitkipedia... ...Most excellent...

Jack Cloudy, cheers for reading!!... ...Glad you liked it...As for Tiber et al...Well, we'll get there...After Christmas, but we will... ...

For now...This...



Previously on KOTNNK...

In the study of Commander Robert McWylde at his apartments within the Knights’ Bastion at New Kvatch, an extraordinary meeting is taking place between the Commander, The Archmage of the Unseen University – Seri Ormandin, his Bodyguard, Maloryn and Tiber Septim. Septim has said that all the humans that took part in the ceremony to light the Allfire (a magical barrier) will be given gifts of some sort. And the Commander’s involves stopping time and – apparently – one of the other divines, Stendarr...




1.8 - Curse.





...There is little doubt that the explosion was centred on what was the Jend’s house, and that whatever caused it was of a power previously unknown. There is literally nothing standing for almost a mile in every direction. Trees, rocks, parts of the house, all were thrown outwards by whatever occurred there. It can be assumed that Mr. Jend was in the house as witnesses saw him enter the property earlier that evening, and his habit was to stay there until next day. Unfortunately what will take some time to ascertain is whether anyone else was in there with him. Perhaps some of the G.T.M.R. operatives can do further testing.


- Preliminary report from the devastation at the house (and surrounding areas) of Michel Jend, near to Bravil. Investicatar Liiaric Jend (no relation). 15th Sun’s Dusk 3E 483.





Archmage Ormandin,

Thank Julianos I found this first. I believe it’s one of Delphine Jend’s old notebooks. As it’s covered in indestruct wards this makes it a more likely idea. I’ve marked the page I think is relevant, but having read through the notes I must say this - DO NOT READ THE WORDS THERE OUT LOUD! To cut a long story short. I believe it’s a cousin to Delphine Jend’s Enemies Explode spell, but it’s much worse. It could be called a Doomsday spell. Well, for whoever casts it it is anyway.

It’s “I” explode.

If you go by the notes, it’s a Word spell, not quite a Nordic Thu’um as it’s in Altmeri but close enough. Anyway, the effect is, it excites the all the thaumaturgia cells in the body individually, at the same time, and then explodes it all. For a layman that is bad enough...If you - or anyone at the University - did it I suspect there would be little of Imperial City left. I'm going to assume that whoever was in the house with Jend was the one who said the words, as Bravil is still standing.

I’ve sent it to you as quickly as I could, you need to hide it away somewhere. If it got into the wrong hands and all that.

Yours, Lii.

P.S. Jenna says “Hi!”.

- Letter from Liiaric Jend to Archmage Seri Ormandin. 22nd Sun’s Dusk 3E 483.



Archmage Seri Ormandin was having the strangest couple of days. Given what the Altmer had seen in his time, calling these days strange was going some. He’d watched his oldest friend, one that Ormandin had known since the other’s childhood, channel the power of a God to light The Allfire, a magical barrier that somehow protects them from dangers posed by Oblivion and all other dimensions. He’d then volunteered his services to Lady Helen Royal, Chief Hospitalier at the College Hospitalier, to assist the recovery of those most affected by the ritual. With the help of several of Cyrodill’s top healers as well as Sirs Avita and Marn Areldur, Sub-Commander Brellin and himself, all but the high-priest of Zenithar had been saved. Barely. Seri didn’t think it best to mention quite how close to death his friend had been.

Having stayed to see Commander McWylde recover at astounding speed, enough that Helen Royal had released the Commander to his quarters with a roll of her eyes and a “Begone!”, he’d stayed – at Robert’s insistence - to catch up on everything.

Then came the news about Marrick Gellert at Fort Freedom and everything was war planning with McWylde’s wife and top echelon Knights. Once all plans and contingencies had been addressed the two retired once more to McWylde’s apartments.

They had stayed talking in the living room but soon after midnight the Commander had fallen asleep, so the Altmer had seen him covered in a blanket, then suggested that if McWylde’s assistant Tauren came in to complain once more then the Archmage would turn him into a scamp, and then Ormandin allowed his bodyguard get some sleep himself.

The Archmage had sat and read a few of the Commander’s books. He’d just finished Brellin and Sir Gukimir’s proposal for the designs of New Kvatch - which seem to have been followed pretty much as was drawn, though a great deal of New Kvatch was still to be built, with most of the resources so far going into the most important of the buildings – when the Commander had woken. One breakfast later and Archmage Seri Ormandin sat at a table with not only the Commander of the Knights of the Nine, but – apparently – two of the said Nine.

Strange days indeed.

---------------------------

“How dare you call me thus, impudent child.” The God Stendarr’s first words to Tiber Septim had been.

“Oh, so now I’m a child eh?” Septim had grinned, “And we used to be such good friends.”

“Release me,” The God of Mercy’s eyes had glowed, “NOW!”

“No.” Was the simple answer.

McWylde and the Archmage had not dared look at the Gods during all this. Stendarr had appeared at the end of the table when Septim had called. He was the colour of ebony, like one of the nomad tribes of the deep deserts. He was dressed in blue finery, with an aristocratically large hat, complete with gold feather. The tracing on Stendarr’s Jacket kept moving, the golden lines waving along his arm, shoulders and chest like the curtains of an aurora McWylde had seen in Skyrim many years earlier. Robert thought it was this rather than the rage in the God’s eyes that was making him look down at the table.

“Since I’ve been - for want of a better word – back,” said Tiber, “I’ve been finding out what it is I’m actually able to do. You see Robert, the Aedra – The Nine – are all amazing beings, creatures of power that you can scarcely imagine.”

“Well I can imagine quite a lot.” Said the Archmage.

“Silence insect!” Bellowed Stendarr, “You will not talk when in the presence of one God, let alone two!”

Tiber’s face contorted with anger. He raised a hand and then closed it in a fist. Stendarr’s head drooped and he actually whimpered.

Tiber said between his teeth “Do not ever talk to my friends like that again.”

Then in an instant his rage was gone and he released Stendarr. Tiber then said to the Archmage, “Yes, I imagine you can, I can see the power in you. But the power of the Aedra.” He shook his head, “Anyways, what I’ve discovered is this. There are rules, without a capital, and then there’s Rules, with one. And with the exception of a couple of them,” he pointed at the other God, “They haven’t bothered to find out which ones are which. Lazy. So yes, maybe I am a child, but any parent will tell you that children will always try to push the Rules.”

There was a moment of tension. A feeling of the world trying to stretch somehow.

“STOP TRYING TO RUN!” Tiber shouted and was on his feet. “The others agreed to this! You WILL do as you have been commanded by Akatosh. You are supposed to be the God of Mercy for...Um...Our sake. Why did you say no? Not just to him,” Tiber pointed at McWylde, “But all of them?”

“I do not have to explain myself to you.”

There was a thump and then pages rustled as a book was being read. An older man with silver hair, dressed in a fine black suit was by the bookcase. He had intense blue eyes and features which seemed constantly close to either great rage or breaking into a grin.

Tiber smiled and inclined his head in greeting, the other did the same.

“Try me then.” The man - which the three mortals presumed was yet another God - said.

Stendarr looked to the man with something close to fear.

“I...Do not wish to. They have done nothing deserving of our gifts.”

“Really?” Said the newcomer shaking his head, “He and his beat everything that comes at them, sometimes with cost.” He said, pointing to McWylde, then out of the window, “Those people out there in this world that we created do everything we ask...”

“Not everyone.”

“No. Okay, not everyone. But enough. And c’mon, now the Allfire’s lit we can all have a bit of a rest no?” He grinned, then just as quickly, the grin disappeared, “What those people did was at risk of their mortal lives, your own high-priest was one of them, does that not mean something?”

“He does all that is required of him in my name, that should be enough.”

“Idiot. Do as you are told. For all of them Stendarr. I’ve got better things to do.”

With that, he disappeared.

Stendarr looked at Tiber. “The human took the curse on himself. I should not have to do this.”

“Yes,” replied Septim, “Very merciful, condemning an entire line for the actions of one prideful fool years ago, that had absolutely nothing to do with McWylde here. Did it not occur to you that there were two reasons that McWylde had absolutely no choice but to take the curse on himself? One, it was the right thing to do to save that man and his line...A line that really had no reason being cursed in the first place. And two, how the hells else was he going to get the Gauntlets? Hmmm? Stendarr, God of mercy left no choice other than ‘You and yours be damned forever’. Yes, very merciful.

“Remove the curse, now.”

“Damn you.” The God grabbed McWylde’s arm. Stendarr’s eyes glowed briefly.

It was impossible to say exactly how Robert felt. So much power and strength and life flowed through him at that moment. McWylde wanted to launch himself at the God, to make him pay for depriving him of this much of his life.

“Robert. Stay.” Said Tiber, “Stendarr, do you think me a fool? I can see you know? The line...The entire line, forever. Now. Do I have to call Akatosh back? He will be so pleased.”

Stendarr sighed angrily. Grabbed McWylde again and removed the curse forever.

“There will be consequences.” He said.

“There always are,” Said Tiber, “But not from you. If I hear that you are behind so much as a wafted bad smell in the direction of him, his or his friends. I will find you. And there will be war. And I fought many wars before Talos’ many gifts dug their claws into me. Is that clear? We were once friends.” He shook his head, “Do not let me keep you from your gift giving any further.”

And with that, Stendarr was gone.


-----------

The Kotinkipedia is perfect! The ‘Other Terms’ part is a great idea. Thank you for doing it.

Having stayed to see Commander McWylde recover at astounding speed, enough that Helen Royal had released the Commander to his quarters with a roll of her eyes and a “Begone!”,

Robert seems like a person of more than usual vigor even with the curse, and not an easy patient.

I was hoping that Stendarr would show up and do some curse-lifting!! What an attitude on that, uh, god. Stendarr the Reluctantly Merciful. I guess he has to be tough, though, or else it would just be mercy for everyone.

For some reason the names Jend and Jend (no relation) as well as the two Carolines really pleases me. I also like the touch of Skyrim with the aurora. I love when the new game adds more flavor to the world.

I enjoyed the update from Ormandin’s POV. His remarks make me smile, especially when they get him shouted at by a Divine.

And wow, Akatosh. Stendarr’s swirly jacket and Akatosh poking through the bookcase fit very well with my vague ideas that the Divines would be curious and watching their creations, even if not directly involved. Great chapter!!

Just read through all of this and I've got to say that I'm enjoying this a lot. All of your characters have some excellent personalities established already, with my personal favourite definitely being Kelleryn and his 'extended family'. The ideas you've got going on here are varied and brilliant, but at the same time aren't that messy, instead somehow keeping together into one cohesive storyline which is so far genuinely interesting and entertaining to read.

If I've got one critique, however, it's that your writing can be somewhat...all over the place. There are a lot of jumps to different perspectives at times, and as these are quite short at times they tend to be a bit confusing; the most prevalent example of this was probably the moment with Madigan, when I found it hard to work out who he was or exactly where the setting was. My advice would be to slow down a bit and flesh out future parts with a bit more description (not too much, mind). It seems to me that you're getting swept away in the flow of the writing, and while that does lead to some wonderful stuff it might be wise to go back once you're done and look at it from a reader's perspective; that should probably be enough to deal with this problem.

Still, it's nothing all that major, and so far the story is progressing very promisingly; I'm looking foward to seeing what comes next.

Oh, I quite enjoyed this three-way among the gods! The whole thing was very Sheogorathesque but with a wonderful bite. I especially liked when Tiber took Stendarr to task over his silly curse of Kellen’s line that Robert took upon himself – a delightful anchor point to the game. Mocking Stendarr’s mercy was brilliantly done! Glad to see that curse lifted and thanks for letting us know that the god #3 was the Dragon God of Time himself.

This is rare... The Nine's conversations in recordings

Go Tiber, go!

I'm not sure what the self-destruct spell has to do with anything, but it was slightly humorous. And slightly worrying, considering that it looks like the Tamriel-equivalent of a nuke spell.

And I think that ingame the curse got lifted. But that was Talos/Tiber there as well. So yeah, Stendarr does come across as a bit of an unpleasant person.

And Grits, the curse is progressive if I remember right. It starts out light, then over the years you get so tired you can't even wiggle a finger.

This chapter was fascinating! I see now that what I thought was Tiber Septim being evil was just him exerting his power - and that he used it for the good, lol.

Really cool intervention scene - wish that cure of the curse had been so well defined in game !! Awesome worldbuilding, and I agree totally with Grits on what she said - I also felt that the gods had to have an inordinate amount of curiousity and interest whether they intervened and dabbled in people's lives or not.

I do recall that curse being a progressive one for the members of that family, but when the Player took it on it didn't seem to progress at all (that I noticed).

I also have to agree with Grits on McWilde's rambunctiosness in spite of the curse, lol. If that was him in a weak state, all hell will break out once he gets his energies back - watch out anyone who is not on his good side, lol.

I never had much of an opinion either way on Stendarr (having only Oblivion as an example) - but in Skyrim I am finding out that the followers of Stendarr are royal ar$ks - have been tempted a couple times already to "accidentally" end a few of them in their self-righteous uppity-ness with a miss-cast spell, lol.

As always, your beginning letters are a huge highlight for me (sort of like Rachel's poems at the beginning of each of her chapters, lol). They set off the chapter enormously for me, as does your Arch Mage in this story. The undercurrent that is always connected to any sections regarding the Arch Mage is such a subtle humor woven into the story - I love that !!

The tie-in with the three Jends may not have been meant to be funny, but it had me in hysterics.

Also, the description of Stendarr was awesome !! (loved to see his submission/subjectiveness to Talos too, that was great!).

I have to thank you for your character "key" you added to chapter one - that is something I will refer back to till I get the hang of all the regular characters, lol. Awesome Write, and really looking forward to more !!

I read all your comments, I thank you all for them, and shall reply to them later...I know, a weird way of doing things, but there you go... ...I've just got back from the daughter's school's Glee concert and am a bit frazzled...She was brilliant btw...Did Fleetwood Mac's Everywhere...Ace!!...

Right...

New Parts!!!... ...


Previously on KOTNNK...

The forces of good...Well...Several knights anyways...have been cornered by an ancient and presumed extinct magic creature. They are still waiting and seeing what will come next...As is everybody else I think... ...I promise this is the last c*cking about part...Honest...Well...Probably...



1.9 Past.



I first picked up a sword as six. I’d been watching Daddy teaching Farn and Rhano in the back yard, so – of course – I had to have a go too! Daddy smiled then took the far-too-long-for-me-to-carry-sword off me and gave me a little wooden practice one to swing. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

When I was eight he told me, “Cal, I will teach you how to properly use a sword. But...You have to practice hard. Lots. Every day.”

“I will Daddy.”

“I know Cally. But there’s one more thing. You know about magic?”

“Yes.”

“Well, too many people use it to help them make things easier...Like carrying stuff, and running, and –“

“Lighting fires!!”

“Yeesss...Don’t tell your Grandma you did that...She might frown. Anyway, you can use it to help you with swords. But the thing is, if you don’t learn how to do it without magic, one day, you’ll be in a fight and you won’t have your magic. Then you’re dead.”

I’d frowned at that but then he went on.

“I will teach you how to use a sword, but you must never use magic when you practice. When I think you are ready, I’ll teach you how to use that too, but until then...Never...”

And he poked me on the nose and kissed the top of my head.

I never once in ten years used magic to practice. The day I beat Alix, Daddy took me to one side and said, “Now you’re ready.” Well, we couldn’t practice because I was crying so hard!

I love you Daddy. I miss you.



- Taken from “Wylde Girl”, the memoirs of Caroline McWylde. Knight of The Nine. 3E 486.




The blonde haired, blue eyed knight Marcus Jarn woke up and really wished he hadn’t. “No offence sir, but there’s better visions to wake up to. Is Royal still about for one?”

General Carodus Oholin smiled quickly then said “Yes, she’s coming now, and she’s going to have to put that shoulder back in. So I’d be more polite with her yes, Captain?”

“Y’s Sir,” Said Jarn, grimacing. “Sir, I have to report that they may be about to start something.”

The Nord General, Mazkay Dinai pointed towards the other knights and Kelleryn’s projection of the Yskraich and said “Is that your something?”

“Oh...How the hells are they doing that?” Jarn asked about the conjuration.

“Damned if I know.” Shrugged Oholin, “Anything else to report before I leave you to Royal?”

“We’re dead if we stay. There’s more turned up after you came up here. They’ve sent horsemen around that side to cut us off if we try to run. There’s another small-ish force coming around this side to try to get us. We missed two scouts. I saw them get back. Even without this damned Detect Life they’d have known how many we’ve got. Now...” He sighed deeply. “Gods only knows what they’ve got in store for that damned whatever-it-is.

Some kid tried to stop them letting it out. She-who-is-in-charge almost took his head off with her back-hand and released it. She’s an awfully confident lady that one.” Jarn raised an eyebrow, “Maybe we could have Marshal McWylde and Aeirawen wrestle with her before the end sir?”

Oholin snorted despite himself, but raised a finger of admonishment, “Stop drooling, it’s unseemly.”

Just then, Captain Sharneena Royal came through the fort’s entrance. Oholin waved the Orc over. “Royal, excellent. Dinai here will fill you both in on the plan...Such as it is. Royal, you need to put that shoulder back in. No need to be gentle, he’s a big boy now, he can take it.” Oholin looked at Jarn with a raised eyebrow. “Be polite now, ladies present.”


------------------------------------------------------------

“Drell, can you try and look beyond the Yskraich? Down towards that lot?” Caroline asked.

“Oooh...I can try.” J’Drell the Argonian looked beyond the monster down the causeway. “What am I looking for?”

“Just go along the front row, I want to see what we’re facing. See if I know Gellert’s second.”

As each new person was focused on, the projection instantly became them.

“Such an attractive mob,” Said Thedret, “Very dapper in their best slaughtering outfits.”

“Yesss,” J’Drell agreed, “But this all still feels wrong. Why were they all coming here? How convenient was it that Caroline got the info just now? Knowing full well we would come running. And how many of them we would take out before the end? It’s like someone’s trying to take as many problems out at once as they can.”

“Why would Gellert do that? He was here too, remember.” said Thedret.

“He wouldn’t,” said Caroline, “I think he’s been set up too. Dammit...I knew this was too easy after all this time.”

“You can beat yourself up later...” the approaching Carodus started to say.

“Wait!” shouted Caroline. “Go back.”

“How far?” asked a confused J’Drell.

“The last one.”

J’Drell looked back to the previous person. Kelleryn’s projected portrait showed an Imperial woman, in her late thirties, maybe her early forties stared up the causeway with intensity. She locked eyes with J’Drell briefly, started, then passed a hand in front of her face, which changed into that of a man. Not just any man though. Emperor Uriel Septim stared out at them.

“This is for my benefit.” Said J’Drell, “There’s no way she can know about this with Elfling’s gifts.”

That didn’t make Caroline feel any better. She ran through the fort gate and vomited.

Then she screamed.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carodus watched Caroline go and shook his head. “She was there wasn’t she? At the end.”

“You weren’t there for the trials?” asked J’Drell.

Oholin shook his head. “I was dealing with stuff in Anvil. Tried to keep up using the Courier, but...Must have missed some.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, well,” Thedret continued, “Gellert ordered her killed ‘cause she’d found out what they were about to do, so two of them dragged her down to the lowest levels. One of them tried to rape her, and in the struggle she hit her head pretty bad. By the sounds of it she had concussion. But anyways. In the end, for some reason - Caroline said - that the other Dragon Company soldier killed the would-be rapist but left her locked in the cell. Then along comes the Emperor trying to escape down the tunnels. Well, you know what happened there.”

They heard Caroline scream again, but the purple life detect showed she was alone and so they left her.

“Caroline blames herself for not being able to save Septim because she either kept blacking out or her head injury wouldn’t let her focus her magicks. By the sound of it there were too many Mythic Dawn down there anyway. The pile of bodies that came out of there would make a legend in itself. Between Caroline, the two remaining Blades and The Emperor himself, they killed off enough that would have made a small army. The Dawn really were down to the last man, who then came through a hidden door. Stab an old man in the back. Very noble.”

“She couldn’t have stopped that, back someone into a corner then walk in from behind? No chance.”

The life detecting and head drill spells disappeared.

“The Yskraich’s going back to the woman.” Said J’Drell.

“Right, story time over.” Said Carodus, “Oreyn, stop making Shines and call your Uncles, we need them.”

Just then, Caroline came back. She looked down at the ground. “Sorry. The woman is Misa Treain. She was Gellert’s second-in-command back in the Dragon Company. Seems she’s never left. I’ve seen far more of that woman than I ever wanted to. She’s evil, vicious and brilliant.”

“Well, being good, vicious and brilliant, you’ll take her in a heartbeat won’t you?” said Carodus, “Although I suspect Jarn will pay good money to watch that.”

Caroline laughed and looked over to where the Imperial was being tended to by the Nord General and the Orc Captain.

“He can’t handle a sword” said Oholin, “but we’ll have him and Royal secure the gate. He can be the Respite Port. His Warvoid is probably stronger than even J’Drell here’s...”

“Oooh...Really? That would take some doing. I’ve been using mine for more years than you’ve been alive Oholin.”

“And?” asked the General with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve seen him fend off an entire mine’s worth of Goblins with it. Don’t start getting Warvoid envy now. You can go compare each other’s later...”

“What’s a Warvoid?” asked Kelleryn.

“It would take too long to explain...”

“Massive shield that only lets in what the caster wants,” said Caroline, “usually people. It absorbs magika and health from anyone that’s attacking it directly. Which needs controlling ‘cause you don’t want to take your friend’s. But anyone inside gets healed and their fatigue recharged. Hence the Respite Port. Oh and it also takes the kinetic energy from arrows coming in, turns it into to fire and burns the arrows up, or – and this is where it takes real skill – re-directs the arrows out at another enemy. Oh, and magic attacks recharge it. Unbeatable in the right hands.”

“Yes, and Jarn can keep it up all day...”

Thedret snorted, “Aeira would have a field day with that.”

“I can do that.” Said Kelleryn. Thedret snorted again. The others looked at Oreyn. “The spell, I can do that.”

J’Drell laughed. “Ha-ha-haaa, of course you can Elfling. We really need to talk soon.”

Just then the Wraith and the Ancestor appeared by them. Carodus jumped back. “Dammit!” He sighed and shook his head. “Can we finally get to the point? We’re really out of time here. They are coming. Now.”

“Yes they really are.” J’Drell observed. “Everyone up. They know we’re here, grab your gear. Oh, sorry General.” He flattened his fins to his head. “Force of habit.”

General Carodus Oholin sighed. His faith in the Nine was unshakable. His faith in himself was absolute. His confidence in the abilities of three of the six out here was without question. However we also have an old man, a shy Orc, a – currently - one armed knight and Oreyn...Whatever the hells he was. Oh, and the Uncles.

Still, Carodus had never played it easy. As the three others joined them, he quickly explained the plan to them all.

This was going to be interesting he thought to himself.

“Caroline blames herself for not being able to save Septim because she either kept blacking out or her head injury wouldn’t let her focus her magicks. By the sound of it there were too many Mythic Dawn down there anyway. The pile of bodies that came out of there would make a legend in itself. Between Caroline, the two remaining Blades and The Emperor himself, they killed off enough that would have made a small army. The Dawn really were down to the last man, who then came through a hidden door. Stab an old man in the back. Very noble.”
I love how you did this, and plugged Caroline right in to the beginning of Oblivion.

’She’s evil, vicious and brilliant.”
“Well, being good, vicious and brilliant, you’ll take her in a heartbeat won’t you?”


Kewl magic shield power!

WHEW!! Finally got caught up again! Fantastic stuff you've got going here Mac B. I am thoroughly enjoying the exchanges between the characters.

The scenes with Tiber, Stendarr and Akatosh were quite a joy!

Look forward to more, and I'll try to stay caught up....famous last words, lol.

Jarn raised an eyebrow, “Maybe we could have Marshal McWylde and Aeirawen wrestle with her before the end sir?”

Note to self: put down coffee before reading.

“He wouldn’t,” said Caroline, “I think he’s been set up too. Dammit...I knew this was too easy after all this time.”

Aha! And Warvoid envy. I was giggling at the same time I was ooo-ing over the spell. I’m guessing that Kelleryn might give everyone a surprise. It was great to get some background on Caroline, even though some of it upset her. Carodus is right, this is going to get even more interesting!!

The workings of your mind SO remind me of Foxy's !! Your touches of humor pop up in the oddest places - I love that! You manage to slide one subtle line into an intense scene and turn it on its ear! Great Write! Grits already called my fave lines, lol.

This time I got to 1.3. I like the characters so far. Will continue with it this time...

Just might take a week to catch up.

Dang, that shield is way above anything that's possible in the game. Still, I like it and besides, gamemagic has always been awfully limited next to bookmagic.

I still like the character interactions. Sure, the joking might be a little inappropriate considering their situation, but that's just how they deal with stress I think. And next update will be episode 1.10/2.0: The Uncles strike back!

Well, not much to add that hasn't been said already, but I enjoyed this a lot and I'm interested to see what Kelleryn (along with Inky, Pinky and Clive) will do to possibly save our heroes from their predicament.

Though I'm in the Skyrim quest where you need elf blood so part of me currently whispering in my ear 'kill him, kill him, kill him.'

Answers to comments!!!...Oh yeah...I know you’ve been waiting eagerly for them...

Everyone – Thank you for taking the time to read it, it’s always appreciated...

K.C. and Athynae...Blimey, where you been?..Only joking... ...Cheers...

Zalphon...Yes indeed! Call McBadgere for all yer divine recording needs!... ...

Acadian... ...The curse was a real annoyance to me the entire time I played the game...I was determined to get rid of it...And I was trying to keep the identity of the other God queit for as long as poss...I'm a tease me.. ...Yes indeedie!!...
Thanks for that...When I thought about it, she really was the best one to get stuck down there with th’Emperor...More to follow with that...Thanks for still reading...

Colonel Mustard...Cheers matey!...Glad you like it...And I take your critique and let you know that I get what you mean and I am endeavouring to sort it for later chapters, but I have both ADHD, OCD and awkwardness...In that as it was when I wrote songs...Once it’s down on “paper”, it’s down...And I find it impossible – other than minor edits – to change them... ...So what I write from now on will – hopefully – make more sense...Cheers again...And as for Kelleryn...He’ll have his work cut out in this fight, but it’s later when he comes into his own more...

Jack Cloudy...The shield spell is mostly made up of spells that are in the game...Just because Bethesda won’t let you combine them is not my fault... ...My attitude to magic is that if I can explain it using the rules that I made up meself, or using the disciplines in-game then the level of spell really depends on who I’ve given it to...Oholin, Caroline or Thedret wouldn’t be able to use Warvoid, but Jarn may not be able to use the Offence spell I’ve given Caroline, Robert, J’Drell and Deaconsson...And none of them can do Ormandin’s spells...*Shrug*...Even I have rules...

The self-destruct spell is an end-game spell...And basically, the chapter having Ormandin in, I took the opportunity to put that spell in the hands of Ormandin...Where it needs to be...Oh plus, that particular intro did more for the overall story than it seemed...The date is 50 years after Oblivion...And Ormandin is still Arch-Mage...Well, according to Skyrim and the Greg Keyes novels, the Mages-Guild was dissolved and replaced with something else...Well not on my watch buddy...Idjots...Plus it puts Liiaric Jend into the story, who’s coming up soon...And then there’s Jenna, who may or may not appear, subject to the wife’s approval...As Jenna Kirrane is one of her characters, and Liiaric was created to be her hubby...*Shrug*...The wife is obsessed with her characters being married...And as she’s a High-Elf – Jenna, not the wife - I had to make one up for her as there isn’t a decent one in-game...

Oh, and the joking...It’s escapist fiction...And I can’t help it... ...

mALX...Thank you so much for your excellent words...Much to answer...Tiber and the Gods...Tiber rocks, he really does...And it all came from one section of an in-game book...I love Tiber...And then when Akatosh turned up when my scene failed to work...And I knew exactly who he needed to be...Oh-ho-ho...There are at least three of the others coming too...Stay tuned...I think the Gods will be more interested in this particular bunch for a reason...Stendarr...*Shakes head*...Don’t know why...But I’m stuck now...

And yes, curse removed Robert will be...Proactive...

The Konitkipedia will be added to when I have enough to add to it...Cheers for that, I hope it helps with my confusingness...

Cheers for the thumbs up for the intros...I enjoy the challenge of expanding the story for each one...I’m loving it...

Must meet this Foxy...Sounds fun...And like I said...I can’t help the jokes...

Ormandin is one of the more important characters of the story...And it’s surprising that a char that I’ve never played becomes one of my faves to write...

And then there’s Grits... ... Roberts make bad patients...It’s in our DNA...He’s a soldier and really not very able to sit still easily...A fact which Helen Royal knows well as they are...Old friends...

Sorry about that... ...

The multiple Carolines was something I thought about, but as I was in school with a Caroline Wilding I thought it would be cool to name McWylde after her...So it stuck...And the two Jends was a c*ck-up on my part when I was making Liiaric up...He was supposed to be Marcus Jarn, but then he became Jend ‘cause I got confused, and I gave him to the wife to play with...As it were...

I’m glad that no-one’s shouting me down about overpowered spells and stuff...I’m enjoying messing about with magic, and like I said, even I have rules about it...

More Caroline coming up later...Or soon...But knowing me, probably later...

As this was the last chapter I did pre-Skyrim I haven’t got anything more until I write it, which is down for Saturday...So it might be after Christmas before anything new appears here...

Thank you so much, all of you, for reading...I really appreciate that you’re enjoying it...*Hugs each and everyone of you*...

Same to you!

I gotta say, I thought the khajiit in the beginning was going to have a role in this story. Anywho…

1.3

Love the creative liberty you took with the magic. “The walls have ears.”

Well, from what it sounds like, these knights need to leave. NOW. Lol. 50 soldiers outside? I guess they can look over the domestic staff then?

1.4 tomorrow...

or not...

1.4
Took me a second to realize there was a flashback in this one.

People weren’t comfortable without a fire of some type eh? I suppose protection from Daedra isn’t something to skimp on.

The prophet annoyed the [censored] out of me in game! He sounds much better in your rendition. I’m not sure who he actually is though. He claims to be Tiber (who is Talos).

Cheers... ...

Yes, he's Tiber now...Not Talos...The...Explaination (such as it is... )...is there... ...

Cheers for reading...

Umm, yes...It's not...Linear as such...But if I'd put the stuff in Kvatch where it actually happened, you'd lose something...Well, that's what I thought anyways... ...

My apologies McB(shakes head at the silly badger) I got a little behind while I was playing a couple of RL games, "Let's prepare for mid-term exams" (with the middle school wild animal) and "Let's take care of the bully" with the elementary one. The first is always interesting once you get past 5th or 6th grade, the second however is never any fun especially if your wild animal is one of those that is either loved absolutely or disliked in the same manner by the teacher. I do not know why this is particularly other than he challenges them to do something besides sit on their butt and assign busy work.

The second game, first play through, proved to be a small challenge, but we started a second play through just before school got out for Christmas with a different character and setting for said bully. It looks as though this play through is going to prove a bit more serious as it involves not bullies of the peer realm but a teacher making an attempt to blame said wild animal for situations he had no part in and sharing those thoughts with other teachers (Oh and this teacher is not even one of my youngest sons instructors, he just thought a little gossip with his teacher friends would be the "thing" and it just so happened his whispers were overheard in the hall by my youngest son as he walked behind them). Can you say "Getting ready to turn the entire school system on it's ear?" I thought you could. Yes, I have almost 3 weeks to create a strategy for this game and I promise you they ain't seen nothin' yet.....

Sorry just venting a bit, looking forward to more story though, keep it coming there McB.....

Hey, I'm all for the jokes. You have to deal with stressful situations somehow and this is more entertaining than giving everyone an angst overdose.

...OH hell...

I really was only joking...I do know what you're going through...We've had similar problems with my daughter...And to a degree with the son...

Suffice to say, several of th'wife's chums joke about the two schools having her picture as enemy #1... ...




Oh, my Gohhhddd...*Holds head*...

Cheers... ...

And it was taken as a joke McB, I apologize for getting all serious on you! I just get that way at times.

I am enjoying your story very much so just keep it up and I will do my best to keep up....famous last words, lol.

And now we know where Athynae gets her weirdness from....

NEW PARTS!!!... ...

Merry Christmas!!...

Right, I'm trying to crack on with it...But then this happened...One chapter, in three parts...And they're all long-ish...

Sorry... ...


Previously on KOTNNK...Aeirawen was part of the force attacking Fort Freedom, but then she and the other wood-elf Galasafon were attempting to bring the evil boo-hiss baddie Marrick Gellert back to New Kvatch...


1.10 – Aeirawen...(pt. 1)



The last woman and the last man on Nirn pulled their cloacks tighter against the fierce wind. After a time, they looked at the last of the Old Gods and waved farewell. The woman opened a portal, then she and the man walked out of the world.

The world was unmade.

The world was made.

The portal opened again and the first woman and first man on Nirn walked through into a verdant forest. They looked at each other, shrugged and disrobed. Then they made love, as they had many times down the ages.

As he woke later, the man stood up, picked a fruit and said simply to the now awake woman, “Apple?”. Then he looked behind her and paled. There stood the first of the New Gods, attended by his ever present two Angels.



- Taken from The Book of The World. Author unknown.





Aeirawen burst into the clearing with three horsemen bearing down on her. She pulled up sharply, which caused one of the horses to rear and throw her rider. Unfortunately not the Khajiit that had been tracking her this whole time. Aeira crossed the distance to the downed man and planted the head of the Dragon Hammer she was still carrying into his. Turning and flitting into the centre of the clearing, she waited for the two others to gather themselves. She grinned briefly at them, even as she panted her fatigue away. Damn, she was tired. How long had she been running? She had no idea, but it was a damned long time. Speed augmentation was all well and good for a short while, but over long distances? It was still down to your own fitness levels - you still had to run dammit! Aeirawen laughed the thought of the portly Keern Ralman trying this.

The two bandits looked briefly at each other, as if wondering that the idea of a lone Bosmer knight in the centre of a clearing being quite so confident was actually occurring to them both.

They charged.

Aeira waited till they were fully committed, then she narrowed her white glowing eyes, smiled her most feral grin and launched herself into the speed augment. Raising her arms as time appeared slowed down, she swung the hammer with one hand into the chest of one, killing him instantly. Her left arm grabbed the other bandit’s sword arm as it fell. The rider twisted around in the saddle, his shoulder broke and almost sheared off, his ankle didn’t fare so well as it became twisted in his stirrup. His neck snapped the instant he hit the ground, so any pain was truly short lived. The horses carried on out of the clearing, as if they wanted nothing more to do with anything bar grazing.

Aeirawen fell to her knees with fatigue. This was getting too much now. How many more were there? She couldn’t keep this up all the way to Kvatch. If she was even headed towards Kvatch by now. The Bosmer pushed herself up to stand, brushed her blonde hair back out of her face, and went to the nearest tree. She leant against it and looked up at the sun, then at the nearby trees.

“Right, that’s north.” Aeira figured that she’d been headed generally northeast all this time. If I head north at least I’ll get to the Colovian Highway, she thought to herself and prepared to run again. Just then she heard another set of hoof-beats. Sighing but casting - for yet another time – her ease fatigue spell, she ran once more to the centre of the clearing, but kept the hammer’s head resting on the floor.

A huge white Anvillian destrier burst into the sunlit circle of the bloodied woodland glade.

“Two?!” She almost wept with joy. “I thought I’d told you all to head for Kvatch.” She reached the horse and hugged his neck. The horse replied by putting his head down on her shoulder as if hugging her back. “Still, being with J’Drell for so long I suppose you would pick up a stubborn streak.” She grinned.

It wasn’t her beloved Dail, but if anything, J’Drell’s horse, Two, was probably better when it came down to it. The Anvillian horse’s endurance was legendary, and she had no idea how long was still to go. She grabbed the saddle’s horn with one hand and hauled herself on Two’s back.

Aeira silently thanked Brellin for the strength augments in her white Elven Plate heavy-armour. She put her hand to the red diamond on her chest-piece and prayed her thanks to Kynareth for delivering her this fortunate rescue.

She looked back the way she’d run. Finding Galas would be next to impossible with all the Bandits, Marauders and what have you in there. That goes for the Fort too really. Her only course then would be to head back to New Kvatch with the Dragon Hammer and tell the Commander what had happened.

She sighed deeply with frustration.

She securely tied the Dragon Hammer to the saddle, so as it wouldn’t bang against Two’s side as he ran.

Then she rode.

---------------------------------------------------------------------


Earlier...



“Damn.” Said Galasafon.

“What?” Aeirawen asked.

“Umm...Ewythr. He’s...Umm...Tall...”

She sighed, stopped tying all the other horses’ reins up to their saddles and came over to Kelleryn’s black horse. Bending down, Aeira cupped her hands and boosted Galas onto the saddle. She moved aside as he levitated the still prone form of Marrick Gellert onto the horse in front of him.

“This isn’t going to be comfortable for any of us old boy.” Galas patted the horse on his shoulder.

Aeirawen knew that Galas wasn’t a natural horseman. He could do when needed, but he preferred running.

“You going to be alright?” she looked up to him.

He looked about, smirked then shrugged, “I have a choice?” Then he grinned genuinely. “When has it ever been easy in this job?”

She laughed.

There was the slightest hint of wrong feeling and she ducked, just as an arrow passed in the space where her head had been. She screamed in Elvish, using her Command Beast spell, “Two, Jasper get them to Kvatch. NOW!”

------------------------------------------

J’Drell and Thedret’s horses being the most experienced of them, and possessed of truly amazing amount of intelligence whinnied and stamped their feet as the other horses started fleeing the incoming horde. The pair of Anvillians chased them down, herded them up into a line then headed dead northeast. A couple of the knights’ horses had crossbow bolts in their hinds, but nothing that would slow them unduly.

By way of horse signal, Two left them to Jasper’s care and stopped.

He turned and headed back the way he’d run.

The space the horses had recently left was deserted. Several men were on the floor, dead or dying. Two twisted his ears this way and that and located separate chases. He looked at the ground, sighed and followed that one.

It was not long before he caught up with the back of the pack. He nudged the nearest one towards a tree, it reared and fell backwards onto its rider. As sorry as he felt for doing it, several more horses went into trees headfirst.

Just then a scent caught him. He turned and ran a new direction, following some horses that had peeled off.

The chase. Nothing like it. He ran.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Much earlier...



Aeirawen mopped the blood from the corner of her mouth and followed the Imperial outside, “I’m from Anvil you inbred son of a mule lover.”

“That’s Captain inbred son of a mule lover.” Said the man picking himself up off the floor and brushing from his armour, the wooden debris of the door he’d so recently destroyed with his passing through it.

“Well, Captain,” she said through clenched teeth, “the nearest I’ve ever been to Valenwood is being shown Falinesti in a ‘scope from a hill above Anvil.

Just because your Emperor decided to open up your Legion to every native born Cyrodiillian, don’t be surprised when you wind up with any kriffing native of Cyrodiil.”

“Mind your language soldier, I am your superior.” Said the Captain.

“Hah! Oh, I’m sorry sir,” she said snarling the word out, “I have yet to hit the Hold. It’s sometimes difficult to restrain myself. Besides, I’m amazed you could be superior to anything that doesn’t live in the ground.”

She heard the distinctive scrape of metal on scabbard behind her, and turned sideways where she could, if needed, defend both sides. Just then she heard a voice.

“Ah, ah...It’s not polite to stab young ladies in the back.”

Aeirawen watched as the would-be assassin came out of the Hammered Ogre Inn with the point of an ebony sword at the base of his skull. Following him was a pretty young woman with copper-blonde hair.

“Ah, Captain Olford,” said the original Captain, the one that had been making a nuisance of himself towards Aeira all afternoon, and in the end, accused her of being a Bosmeri spy.

As if. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, not exactly graceful and with little talent for Illusion, she doubted that invisibility would be in her repertoire any time soon. So no, spy was not high on her list of things to do. Hitting people and things very hard with axes and maybe setting them on fire, yes. Spy, no.

“Go pick on someone your own size Derment,” the soldier called Olford said, “but that would mean finding a scamp to bully wouldn’t it?”

Derment shot Olford a murderous look, but drew himself up imperiously, turned on his heel and marched towards the Legion quarter of Bruma, followed by his three armsmen.

Olford crossed to Aeirawen and asked, “You okay?”

Aeira wiped her mouth again, “Yes Captain, Ma’am, thank you.”

Olford tilted her head, smiled and held out her hand. “We’re off-duty soldier. Caroline Olford.”

Aeira shook the hand and then suddenly remembered, “Olford?! As in...”

“Yes,” Caroline rolled her green eyes, then affected a mock-aristocratic voice, “General Kenth Olford, hero of blah blah et-cetera.”

Aeira smiled. “You don’t think much of his reputation?”

“I have all the love in the world for my Daddy...But...” She shook her head, “Ach, we’ve only just met. There’ll be time enough for all that...Hopefully.”

Just then the owner of The Hammered Ogre came out and started complaining about his door and the cold and a million other things.

Caroline sighed and shook her head. “He’s an old friend of my Dad’s. Time to be the General’s daughter again. I’ll take care of this, you go clean yourself up and don’t worry, I’ll go see your commander and square all this too.”

“Umm...Why would you do all this? Like you said, we’ve only just met.”

Caroline tilted her head again and drew her eyebrows together in an almost frown, “I think...Mara told me to.” She gestured vaguely up, “either that or it’s just the right thing to do.” She shrugged, “When you’re off-duty tomorrow, come find me here, we’ll go to my house and talk some more. You good with that?”

Aeira smiled, nodded and shook Caroline’s hand again. “Thank you.”

Caroline shrugged, smiled and indicated the still remonstrating innkeeper.

Aeira watched her go and was surprised at her own feeling of joy at the sudden turn in events. It felt like finding another sister in the unlikeliest of places. She shrugged and made her way back to the barracks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now...



Aeirawen was riding north, or as best as. She’s passed out of the thickest of the forest and was headed out into the farming communities that ran alongside one of the many rivers that started in the distant Colovian Highlands and made their meandering way down through County Kvatch to the estuary at Anvil.

Several riders burst out of the trees behind her. The Khajiit being the one in front.

“Well, naturally.” She sighed.

Aeira urged Two on faster, and he responded with a surprising burst of extra pace. At least they’re not gaining she thought.

Minutes passed without incident, but always, the pursuit was there.

Looking ahead she could see a road, and in the distance she could see a block-train, coming from one of the mountains at the end of the Colovian chain that was being dismantled for the rebuilding of Kvatch.

Thanking Kynareth that she was going to be off the farmland soon, Aeirawen realised she’d have to tell the Commander about the damage. The Knights of The Nine may own these farms in order to feed the soldiery and, indeed, many of the workers, but that doesn’t mean they can ignore any damage wrought on them by a Knight.

She reached the road and raced along it. Two seemed to be pleased at the firmer footing and responded to it. With joy it seemed. Aeira felt as if she was about to cry and indeed her eyes had watered, but she let one hand off the reins, wiped her eyes, then used the free hand to pour Respite into Two as best as she could.

“Not far, Two. Not far now.”

Two offered no opinion, but put his head down and charged.


--------------------------------------------------------------

I like Aeira, she's got spirit! I enjoyed the exchange between Caroline and Aeira...seems to me they would be admirable friends to have.

Keep it up McB, sure am enjoying the ride. hehe

And although I am the ultimate Scrooge MERRY CHRISTMAS I do hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Gosh, from the opening to the end, this episode was magnificently written. It was exciting, easy to follow and full of evocative imagery.

Aeirawen is a fascinating knight and her starring role here was well-supported by the horses and Caroline soon-to-be-McWylde. These flashbacks to Caroline are fabulous.

What a nice Christmas eve present to find this gem today!

Wood elves and horses – it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Ditto what Acadian said !! My favorite part was the "Much Earlier" flashback itself. Caroline is shaping up to be a very interesting character !! Great Write !!

Well, it looks like the horses are as badass as the knights that ride them. It's been a while since I read a story where the horses were more than fleshy motorcycles with no mind of their own.

What breathless fun throughout!! I am especially delighted by the section in Earlier that puts us inside the mind of J'Drell's horse.

Aeira has exploded into her chapter, I am delighted that we're getting more of her parts after this one. Er...

Fantastic! I loved it.

Athynae, Acadian, mALX, Jack and Grits...

Thank you soo much...

Acadian - Thank you so much...*Blushes and mumbles apology for anything he said way back when, and promises to listen better in future*...

Athynae and mALX - Cheers!!...I'm glad everyone seems to like Caroline and Aeira...I love writing them all, and I'm just glad I'm not letting the feminine quarter down... ...

Jack - Much thankings!!...I too think that more attention should be given to the horses...Greg Keyes had a horse called Ogre in his Kindoms of Thorn and Bone which was much like Two, and I loved him a lot...So I had to make the horses characters themselves... ...

Grits - The original scene with Two was far too complicated...Cool, but complicated...Glad it still came across as cool though... ...

*Nods*...Aeirawen's further parts...*Continues nodding*...

More?...Oh, if you insist... ...

NEW PARTS!!!...

Previously on KOTNNK...A lot of Aeirawen things...Fighting, running and horseriding...Oh-ho-ho yes...

We continue....


1.10 – Aeirawen. (pt.2)



Aeirawen raced along the Highway - or Blockway as people mostly called it, as it was built specifically for the purpose of bringing stone to Kvatch – and her pursuers did so too. She was grateful that there seemed to be so few carriages on the road. Not that there was ever any let-up on the blocks coming down the road, but the random vagaries of horses meant that Aeira was able to maintain speed and still avoid the carts. More than the width of three of them the Blockway may have been, but the pursuit had had to go from a spread out bunch to a more ordered line to cope with the narrowing. Which helped Aeira a lot. The fastest horse may not be the one in front.

She passed by several of the newer not-quite-villages that had sprang up just off the Blockway during the construction of Kvatch. As she’d always been keen to do her share of patrols along the road, she knew them all. Aeirawen counted them off as Two passed them, Northwatch, Pilgrimage End, Builderstop. She passed the newly created private road that the Guild of Prostitutes had had constructed up to their newest pleasure palace, The Halfway Inn. Then she passed the old road down to a pre-rebuild village called Oldgate, now renamed (by the villagers themselves at least) Drell’s gate, in honour of J’Drell’s single-handed closing of an Oblivion gate that had opened just outside the village.

Aeirawen risked a look backwards. Impasse. No gains, no lost ground. Dammit...

Round this corner we can see Kvatch, she thought, maybe that’ll put them off.

She rounded the corner and started. A pair of Knights of The Nine sat astride their horses in the middle of the road, obviously on patrol. Their eyes shot forward as Aeira raced towards them.

“SPLIT!!” she yelled at the horses.

The two horses bolted left and right, which probably saved the Knights’ lives. No sooner had Aeirawen passed where they had been but the hiss of crossbow bolts started. Aeira was too far in front for them to hit her, but she looked back to see one knight taking an arrow to the shoulder. He toppled off his horse, but then stood up and launched a fireball at the retreating horsemen. It exploded in the back of the pack. Horses and men flew sideways in all directions from the centre of the blast. Well, that thins the problem, Aeira thought.

Two was urged on by his own knowledge of the land and increased his pace again.

She knew she was scant miles from home when she passed the appropriately named village of Ogre-pen. So named as this was where the enchanted-bandolier-wearing docile construction ogres were kept between shifts. Their shifts lasting up to 18 hours, keeping them this far away from Kvatch itself was not as bad an idea as it might at first seem. However the village was developing into a much larger concern itself, housing several industries whose odorous side effects were less desirable in the more affluent industrial section of what was becoming a larger urbane concern, several minutes down the road.

What had started out as small camps had grown into two villages called West Wall Masons and Block. These two had quickly grown further and merged over the few years, until the whole area was effectively a town and renamed West Masons. It was here that the merchants, guilds, blacksmiths and Innkeepers had put down roots. With the town’s roots being with the masons, the houses and buildings were brilliantly constructed from the leftovers of the city’s construction stone dressing, and several of the knights had bought houses there as an escape from the quarters at Kvatch. Not that anyone had a complaint as such about the bastion at Kvatch, but many of the Knights hadn’t experienced the apparent crush of a militaric life, and therefore had found themselves needing their own space still. Not that the Commander minded, he still owned houses in Chorrol, Cheydinhal and indeed owned the village of Aleswell itself as a retreat.

It was past this sprawl that Aeira now raced. Knowing that the nearest building to the road was the Knight’s guardhouse and gaol, she wasn’t surprised when a sentry shouted and ran inside to raise the alert. A couple of minutes later she looked back. Sure enough, coming up fast behind her pursuers were a small company of Knights, Legionnaires and even a couple of City guards.

She laughed with exhaustion filled joy. Two miles. That’s all. Two miles. She could hear the whizzing of arrows and heard and felt the effects of nearing fire spells. They’re getting desperate, she thought. She was tired. She could feel that Two was tired. Presumably the dogged pursuers were tired.

Aeirawen sighed. It’s never easy.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone else...Elsewhere...

Sub-Commander Brellin enjoyed his morning walks. Before the weight of his duties properly rested on his shoulders for the day, he took a walk in the park outside New Kvatch’s north facing main gate.

He loved this city, he’d designed it with Gukimir, spent every spare waking hour watching it being constructed and even more than the home in Valenwood where he’d spent the previous 200-odd years, this was home.

And yet, these minutes stood or walking outside the city, in all weathers, simply looking out at the valley below, were bliss itself.

He felt the presence of the Orchard Keeper, Gael nearby. The silent keeper of the park usually stayed away, content to exchange nods with Brellin as he passed.

Brellin felt a grip on his arm. He turned to look up at Gael. The silent Nord gestured with his head towards the valley and then pointed at a patch of ground down to the left of them. A train of rider-less horses were heading for the end of the Gateway, the roadway ramp up to the city. Brellin frowned. Oh no. He nodded his thanks to the Nord, turned, took two steps and was about to rush off to get help when Gael suddenly gripped his other arm tightly, Brellin turned to see the Orchard Keeper frowning, and pointing to the Blockway near West Masons.

Brellin augmented his eyesight and looked closer. He swore in Elvish. And sped into the city to get help.

------------------------------------------------------

Gael felt the Wood-Elf leave. He stared at the pursuit for a while, then he made a decision. He gripped his Oaken staff tightly and started running down the road.

------------------------------------------------------

Here and Now...

Aeirawen was almost home when the crossbow bolt went into her arm. Somehow they had gotten close enough for it. She stifled a cry and blinked the tears from her eyes. Her allies had thinned the ranks further, from the rear, as the race came towards its conclusion, but not all were done. There were still enough. Whoever was in charge of this lot had obviously said at the fort, no survivors, and that was what they were going to damned well do. Whatever the cost.

She was dismayed when she saw Gael the Orchard Keeper standing in the middle of the road.

“Oh no,” she said to herself and made to slow down. Maybe to protect him.

Even at some distance, she locked her eyes with the Nord’s piercing blue eyes. In that instant, into her mind, came the command “Keep going you fool.”

Confused, she did as she’d been told. She passed him just as he raised his staff. It came down and there was what can only be described as a Whumph. Two stumbled, but recovered. She looked back and shouted in surprise. There was a wall of earthen debris swirling for some distance either side of the Nord. And then, standing either side of the road appeared two giant forms. One side of Gael stood a Rock-Form, less crude than the Atronachs, a more defined shape to its limbs and head. But on the other side...

Aeira had to stop and stare at what she was seeing. She could feel Two shaking with fatigue, but she put it all out of her mind as she tried to comprehend what was in front of her.

A giant, made entirely of wood. As defined as the Rock-Form but somehow more beautiful. The leaves on the top of its head serving to give it a definite crown. It appeared both lithe and powerful. Barely contained power emanated from it. Aeirawen felt it from where she sat. She felt a calling to it, deep within her. She felt the need to bow down to it.

“Forest Guardian...” she breathed. Then she frowned, “But that would mean...Derwydd.”

Druid.

Kynelord.

The Druids were presumed wiped out hundreds of years ago. Well, there was one at least, Aeira thought.

Then she fainted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gael grinned as the pursuing horses reared up as they reached the earth barrier. Most of the riders were unseated, and either pitched forward or were thrown off backwards. The soldiery that had followed the small force were instantly upon them.

Two of the Bandits stood and produced giant Frost Atronachs. Ahh, thought Gael with a smile, a minor challenge. One of the wizards sent his Atronach bearing down on the Nord. He despatched the Rock-Form to meet it.

The ground shook as the Rock-Form ran at the nearest Atronach and kicked it flying. The Frost Atronach dug a furrow along the ground as it landed. It made to get up but the Rock-Form landed on its chest and began to punch at the prone Atronach’s head. Eventually the icy head was smashed to nothing and the Frost-Form disappeared. As much as rock was able to, the Rock-Form seemed to be disappointed by this, and stood up. Suddenly it found itself rising into the air. It ventured no opinion on the matter. It was sure there was a good reason for it. Just as long as it got to hit something soon.

The Forest Guardian stood in front of Gael as the two wizards took turns to blast at the Nord with shocks and fire spells. Gael was pretty sure that as he was the earth and the sky, the rivers and the fires in the mountains, he was actually the magic they were shooting at him. But as it was some time since he’d needed to do this, it was probably best to have a shield of some sort. Besides, being hit by magic always made his teeth itch.

He stretched out his awareness. The girl and the fine horse had failed to make much progress, and indeed she was now on the ground. Gael shook his head. Brellin - who he liked - was racing down the Gateway...Good man that Brellin...The soldiery had most of the enemy in hand or dead, all that remained were these two irritants.

Releasing the Forest Guardian, he concentrated on the first of the two wizards. He held up his staff to catch the shock and channelled it into the ground. Then he grinned at the poor man. The wizard stopped shooting in confusion. Gael gestured up with his head. The wizard looked up and screamed, briefly. The Rock-Form dropped on him from a height, landing heavily.

The Forest Guardian crossed the space between it and the Atronach in three paces. The remaining wizard screamed and concentrated his fire on the wooden giant. The Frost Atronach tried to clap its massive hands to crate the Avalanche Blast effect, but the Guardian grabbed an arm in each hand, placed its foot in the middle of its chest, and pulled. The arms sheared off. Before the apparition could disappear, the Guardian span and hit the wizard full on with one of the icy limbs. The instantly dead wizard flew through the air for some distance and the Frost Atronach disappeared. The Guardian, satisfied, walked back to the Druid.

The Rock-Form and the Forest Guardian stood before Gael. He bowed deeply to the Rock-Form, then once more to the Guardian. Both then bowed in return. They raised their arms and described a half circle. A shimmering, eye-watering long window appeared behind each of them. The Forms stepped back into them and vanished. There was a flash and a rumble as both windows vanished. Gael turned, looked at the damage he’d done to the road, placed his staff in the wound and walked from one side of the road to the other. When he was done, there was no sign that anything had ever been amiss. He smiled briefly and walked back towards the hill that led to his home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh my gosh, that was tremendous! Gael, the Rock-Form, and the Forest Guardian had my jaw hanging open.

I love the settlements that have sprung up around Kvatch. Touring them at a running pace with Aeirawen and Two filled in a lot for me. Drell's Gate made me smile. Now I have a real sense of scale for New Kvatch, as well an improved sense of time.

Wow, amazing!!

Like Grits, I thoroughly enjoyed the high speed tour!

The pursuit of Aeirawen controlled the urgent pacing, but allowed her passing thoughts to linger at selected moments to paint beautiful snips of the area around New Kvatch. The way you used this was brilliant.

Loved the docile ogre construction workers!