This is the very last "Full" chapter. I really appreciate the continued support and since my Video Card will be in my computer by Saturday I will have to start working on the story of Xander.... Thanks all and I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I have loved writing it!
Chaper 8 - Eye For An Eye.
The now defenseless town of Balmora bows to Taillus’ mercy as he casually struts through town. Morrowind used to scare him silly. He can remember walking through these same streets not too long ago with a dire fear that someone would plant a knife in his spine for whatever gold he would be carrying. Today, and from now on he would not fear this at all.
He heads across one of the stone walkway bridges that cross the small river passing through the town and heads to the more residential part of town. The villagers pass by him without the slightest clue and he also ignores them for the time being. His mind was completely focused on giving his old “Friend” what he deserves.
The door to the Balmora hideout of the Thieves Guild opens quickly, catching a nearby Thieves Guild Member off guard. Taillus stomps across the floor and grabs the one known as “Sugar-lips Hasabi by the throat and lifts the thief off the floor, letting clawed feet dangle. Taillus squeezes hard as Sugar Lips wheezes and gasps trying to catch some small breath of air.
“I am going to give you three seconds to catch your breath and then you will tell me where the Dunmer by the name of Jiub is. I will not tolerate your ignorance so it would be in your best interest that you do not utter the words “I do not know.” Taillus whispers as he clenches Hasabi and props him against the wall.
The Thief gasps and tries to pull Taillus’ unarmored muscular arm away but to no avail. Finally, Hasabi manages to agree to Taillus’ terms and he drops to the ground desperately trying to catch some air to breathe.
“Sugar-lips sent Jiub to fetch some items of use from the local Mage’s Guild and he should be back soon.” The Sugar-Lips gasps while looking up at Taillus in fear. Taillus grins from beneath his hooded robe and turns to leave.
“Juib will peel that armor off of your body and skewer you without mercy you Imperial fool. He will not allow you to disgrace the Guild of Thieves.” Sugar-Lips hisses just before the door closes making Taillus turn quickly and grab hold of some clothing and heave the poor thief outside, off the step and out into the streets of Balmora for some discipline.
“What did you say!?” Taillus explodes as Hassabi struggles to quickly get to his feet. The thief draws a poisoned glass dagger and circles Taillus in a defensive stance. Taillus rips his robe off revealing his chiseled bare chest and motions for Sugar-Lips to try and plant the dagger into his exposed chest.
Sugar-Lips lunges at Taillus over and over but fails to hit flesh. Taillus draws his mace and motions for the Guild member to try and fill his body with poison. As the dagger is thrust in his direction, Taillus steps to the side and swings the mighty enchanted mace downward at the Thief Guild member knocking Sugar-Lips lifeless to the ground at his feet.
“Where are you Juib!? Come to me and accept your fate my friend!” Taillus shouts filling the empty streets with his voice as the white spirit energy of Sugar-lips flows into his amulet. Taillus can feel the added attributes of the thief with his own and his eyes could now suddenly make out more detail in the dark He felt as though he had trained in the Thieve’s Guild for years. He sprints through town heading quickly to the mages guild where Juib is supposedly off stealing scrolls. Checking his inventory, He found an invisibility scroll that he would definitely see going to good use within the next few minutes.
Full Version: The Story of Taillus
Oh boy, death is coming to Jiub more certain than to a Scrib being attacked by an Adrenaline rushed Redguard wielding Chrysamere. The only difference is that Jiub is going to suffer more.
As the wooden door to the guild opens, Taillus’ eyes adjust to the darkness quickly, allowing him to descend down the stairs and search for his old pal. The guild members were just about settled for the night and were reading hefty and lengthy books on magicka, daedra and such by their own small lanterns.
As Taillus scans the rooms for any sign of a sneaky dunmer, he is shocked to see a wooden chest of drawers opening slowly. He smirked seeing that there was no one nearby and that it had to be Jiub. Quietly he slinks towards him and can see various items being sifted through but not lifted in order to keep the effects of his spell from fading.
Taillus carefully and quietly sneaks up behind his dunmer friend with the effects of his invisibility scroll hiding him. As the translucent Dark elf grabs a soul gem that was hidden in the chest, Taillus quickly reaches out and slams the drawer shut causing Jiub to come into view and yell out in pain.
“What in the name of oblivion is going on out there?” a mage’s guild member shouts as the various members quickly get out of bed. Taillus stands with a handful of Jiub’s collar and looks at the approaching magicka filled, robe wearing, slightly irritated men and women and begins to drag Jiub up the stairs.
Taillus kicks open the door to the mage’s guild and tosses Jiub from the top level. The elder Dunmer thief soars for many feet before landing on the back of his shoulders and sliding across the dusty stone street. Taillus hops down and walks after him, ending up at his side just after he stopped skidding.
Taillus picks the Dark Elf up again and throws his limp and badly battered body into the retaining wall that protects Balmora from the outside. The sand colored wall cracks due to the force of Jiub hitting it with his back and he falls lifeless to the ground.
“It has been far too long friend. How have things been?! Taillus shouts as the mage’s guild, fighter’s guild and most of the vendors come outside to see the Ebony clad, shirtless Imperial throw the dark elf around.
“T..Taillus, I thought you had died! How can this be?” Jiub coughs as he favors his left hand. Taillus walks over to the Dunmer and looks down at him with an expression of pure hatred. Taillus had almost forgotten what power he felt when in the presence of his old friend. He had not felt this angry since he thought his first arena victim was Jiub. The dark elf looks up in complete shock as he is towered over by the one he thought he had killed.
“Do you know what you have done to me Jiub? You made me this man. I am but a pawn for a Daedric god who kills all that stands before me. I am a monster Jiub! A demon among men who is cursed with a bloodlust that is stronger then any craving any mortal can feel. I fuel myself with the souls of those that fall to the edge of my blade! You did this to me and you will suffer a long and painful path much the same as me! “Taillus shouts as people begin to hide in their shops.
“I did this to you Taillus? I made you what you are? I did nothing but double cross you and leave you to die. I had not planned you would turn in to this. Besides Taillus, have you not achieved the dream that you have had for years? You always said you wanted power beyond comprehension and now you have it. You just don’t like what you have to do to get it.” Jiub shouts as his voice gets shaky from the pain in his back and hand.
“Nevertheless, you are still going to suffer the same as I have. I will not let you get away this time Jiub! Let us see how you like falling for what seems like an eternity.” Taillus bursts as he grabs Jiub once again, this time by the arm and begins to float into the air.
The two men soar straight up and far above the city of Balmora. Taillus lifts them both magically until the buildings below them can barely be seen. Juib begins to lose consciousness partly from pain and mostly from fear and Taillus shakes him to keep him awake.
“Do not go blank on me now my friend! I want to hear you scream on the way down!” Taillus shouts as he continues to shake the fading Jiub. Taillus heaves the almost lifeless body of the dark elf over his head and tosses him effortlessly, watching him plummet to the ground below.
Jiub screams as his voice trails away from Taillus as the dunmer can now suddenly see the ground coming up to meet him. Like Tarhiel had years ago, Jiub connects violently with the paved ground below and crumples in a heap of broken bones. People begin to run out of their houses to see what the sound was and were horrified to see the Dark Elf laying motionless in the middle of Balmora.
As Taillus scans the rooms for any sign of a sneaky dunmer, he is shocked to see a wooden chest of drawers opening slowly. He smirked seeing that there was no one nearby and that it had to be Jiub. Quietly he slinks towards him and can see various items being sifted through but not lifted in order to keep the effects of his spell from fading.
Taillus carefully and quietly sneaks up behind his dunmer friend with the effects of his invisibility scroll hiding him. As the translucent Dark elf grabs a soul gem that was hidden in the chest, Taillus quickly reaches out and slams the drawer shut causing Jiub to come into view and yell out in pain.
“What in the name of oblivion is going on out there?” a mage’s guild member shouts as the various members quickly get out of bed. Taillus stands with a handful of Jiub’s collar and looks at the approaching magicka filled, robe wearing, slightly irritated men and women and begins to drag Jiub up the stairs.
Taillus kicks open the door to the mage’s guild and tosses Jiub from the top level. The elder Dunmer thief soars for many feet before landing on the back of his shoulders and sliding across the dusty stone street. Taillus hops down and walks after him, ending up at his side just after he stopped skidding.
Taillus picks the Dark Elf up again and throws his limp and badly battered body into the retaining wall that protects Balmora from the outside. The sand colored wall cracks due to the force of Jiub hitting it with his back and he falls lifeless to the ground.
“It has been far too long friend. How have things been?! Taillus shouts as the mage’s guild, fighter’s guild and most of the vendors come outside to see the Ebony clad, shirtless Imperial throw the dark elf around.
“T..Taillus, I thought you had died! How can this be?” Jiub coughs as he favors his left hand. Taillus walks over to the Dunmer and looks down at him with an expression of pure hatred. Taillus had almost forgotten what power he felt when in the presence of his old friend. He had not felt this angry since he thought his first arena victim was Jiub. The dark elf looks up in complete shock as he is towered over by the one he thought he had killed.
“Do you know what you have done to me Jiub? You made me this man. I am but a pawn for a Daedric god who kills all that stands before me. I am a monster Jiub! A demon among men who is cursed with a bloodlust that is stronger then any craving any mortal can feel. I fuel myself with the souls of those that fall to the edge of my blade! You did this to me and you will suffer a long and painful path much the same as me! “Taillus shouts as people begin to hide in their shops.
“I did this to you Taillus? I made you what you are? I did nothing but double cross you and leave you to die. I had not planned you would turn in to this. Besides Taillus, have you not achieved the dream that you have had for years? You always said you wanted power beyond comprehension and now you have it. You just don’t like what you have to do to get it.” Jiub shouts as his voice gets shaky from the pain in his back and hand.
“Nevertheless, you are still going to suffer the same as I have. I will not let you get away this time Jiub! Let us see how you like falling for what seems like an eternity.” Taillus bursts as he grabs Jiub once again, this time by the arm and begins to float into the air.
The two men soar straight up and far above the city of Balmora. Taillus lifts them both magically until the buildings below them can barely be seen. Juib begins to lose consciousness partly from pain and mostly from fear and Taillus shakes him to keep him awake.
“Do not go blank on me now my friend! I want to hear you scream on the way down!” Taillus shouts as he continues to shake the fading Jiub. Taillus heaves the almost lifeless body of the dark elf over his head and tosses him effortlessly, watching him plummet to the ground below.
Jiub screams as his voice trails away from Taillus as the dunmer can now suddenly see the ground coming up to meet him. Like Tarhiel had years ago, Jiub connects violently with the paved ground below and crumples in a heap of broken bones. People begin to run out of their houses to see what the sound was and were horrified to see the Dark Elf laying motionless in the middle of Balmora.
I particularly liked the speech Taillus gave before dealing Jiub his death, it was really the first time that I'd thought about all the events that occured being Jiub's fault. If he hadn't betrayed him then this never would have happened. Nice job Taillus, great updates as usual. Great story you've got here mate, the character has really evolved since the beginning not only physically but emotionally as well and thats what I really love to see.
Great update! I can really see a shadow being cast over Morrowind now. You described Jiub's death in a great way, I loved it. The thief got what he deserved.
Haha! Take that, Jiub! Great speech also. Good job.
At just about the same time as the events in Balmora, a well armored Breton steps off a ship docked in Seyda Neen. He walks alongside of Sellus Gravius and they head into the excise office.
“You need me here to eliminate one man? What is this?” The Breton asks accompanied by a raised brow. “My men needed me back in the north defending the fort from the Lycans Gravius! You yourself know that my mission was that of high importance!”
The Imperial sat at his desk with his hands folded neatly before him. He looks across the table at the Breton man and heaves a long, distressed sigh. He knew that the order was preposterous but they were not from him directly. He was informed that he himself had to travel to the north to bring back Xander Moorcroft and to do it quickly.
“Listen Xander, I know that this part of Vvardenfel is my duty and I have done all I could do to refrain from bringing you here but we do sorely need your assistance. You are really the only true battle mage that is at our disposal and you may very well be the best skilled fighter in the Imperial Legion’s ranks.” Gravius states as he can feel sweat accumulate on his brow.
He had to convince Xander to help the legion or else Taillus would stomp Morrowind flat. He had heard the news that he had attacked traveling merchants, nobles and everyday travelers and was last witnessed heading towards Balmora where he would undoubtedly cause more death and destruction.
“Let us get one thing straight Sellus! I am not at the Legion’s disposal and I really never was. The Blue Lions of Ebonheart come with direct orders from the Emperor himself. There are very few men that I take orders from and I can assure you that you are not one of them.” Xander states as his obvious concern for his men in the frozen north is tolling on his mind.
“Xander, I know we have not always seen eye to eye and maybe I have harbored some resentment against you in the past but this is the fate of all of us we are talking about. The man that I am having problems with is one named Taillus. He is a demon of a man that has killed without remorse!” Sellus Gravius states as leans forward.
“Some say that he borrows from the strength of the Mace of Molag Bal. An artifact that steals the strength of opponents as well as drains their life energy meaning that we are not dealing with just some everyday serial murderer, this man is on a rampage Xander, and if we can’t stop him then may the gods have mercy on our souls.” Sellus whispers with a look of complete concern and worry on his face.
Xander knew the urgency of the issue. Sellus was not a begging man, and he would rather die fighting himself then ask for help from Xander. This was not an ordinary occurrence and was definitely not any ordinary man. Anyone who could have that mace would have to be quite skilled to begin with. Xander shakes his head slowly and gets to his feet. Sellus also stands, eager to hear the word of Xander. Finally, he speaks.
“Alright Sellus. Gather up some men and have them as well as yourself meet me outside of Seyda Neen. You must have some good men on patrol here. Tell Arille at the Trade house that we need every article of well crafted weaponry and make the bill out to the empire. We will stop this man or die in the process.” Xander states as he walks out the door and into the small village of Seyda Neen.
“You need me here to eliminate one man? What is this?” The Breton asks accompanied by a raised brow. “My men needed me back in the north defending the fort from the Lycans Gravius! You yourself know that my mission was that of high importance!”
The Imperial sat at his desk with his hands folded neatly before him. He looks across the table at the Breton man and heaves a long, distressed sigh. He knew that the order was preposterous but they were not from him directly. He was informed that he himself had to travel to the north to bring back Xander Moorcroft and to do it quickly.
“Listen Xander, I know that this part of Vvardenfel is my duty and I have done all I could do to refrain from bringing you here but we do sorely need your assistance. You are really the only true battle mage that is at our disposal and you may very well be the best skilled fighter in the Imperial Legion’s ranks.” Gravius states as he can feel sweat accumulate on his brow.
He had to convince Xander to help the legion or else Taillus would stomp Morrowind flat. He had heard the news that he had attacked traveling merchants, nobles and everyday travelers and was last witnessed heading towards Balmora where he would undoubtedly cause more death and destruction.
“Let us get one thing straight Sellus! I am not at the Legion’s disposal and I really never was. The Blue Lions of Ebonheart come with direct orders from the Emperor himself. There are very few men that I take orders from and I can assure you that you are not one of them.” Xander states as his obvious concern for his men in the frozen north is tolling on his mind.
“Xander, I know we have not always seen eye to eye and maybe I have harbored some resentment against you in the past but this is the fate of all of us we are talking about. The man that I am having problems with is one named Taillus. He is a demon of a man that has killed without remorse!” Sellus Gravius states as leans forward.
“Some say that he borrows from the strength of the Mace of Molag Bal. An artifact that steals the strength of opponents as well as drains their life energy meaning that we are not dealing with just some everyday serial murderer, this man is on a rampage Xander, and if we can’t stop him then may the gods have mercy on our souls.” Sellus whispers with a look of complete concern and worry on his face.
Xander knew the urgency of the issue. Sellus was not a begging man, and he would rather die fighting himself then ask for help from Xander. This was not an ordinary occurrence and was definitely not any ordinary man. Anyone who could have that mace would have to be quite skilled to begin with. Xander shakes his head slowly and gets to his feet. Sellus also stands, eager to hear the word of Xander. Finally, he speaks.
“Alright Sellus. Gather up some men and have them as well as yourself meet me outside of Seyda Neen. You must have some good men on patrol here. Tell Arille at the Trade house that we need every article of well crafted weaponry and make the bill out to the empire. We will stop this man or die in the process.” Xander states as he walks out the door and into the small village of Seyda Neen.
Oh great! Xander appears in the scuffle, let's see how this goes. Keep up the wonderful work and good luck with Xander in Oblivion! I have a question though, will Xander be in Oblivion (the place where the Daedra live) or in Oblivion (the game)?
Well if you remember the battle at the very beginning of the story (Which will be rekindled) Xander is able to switch bodies with Taillus, trapping Taillus in Oblivion. Xander wakes moments later in Taillus' body as Imperial guards make their way to the stone battle area that had colapsed leaving only a very small island where Xander (again, in Taillus' body) was just starting to come to. They shackle him up and he is sent to the prison in the Oblivion game and I will start from there 
A short moment later brought Xander to the outskirts of Seyda Neen. The smell of the bubbling bogs and swampy marsh almost made him light headed but he knew the importance of keeping on his guard. He assessed the surroundings and calculated where the best spots would be to place his men. He hoped that Seyda Neen had at least a small handful of men with skill, otherwise he would end up at the mercy of this monster of a man and what he has heard about him, he wouldn’t like to deal with him face to face at all.
A short time passes and Sellus walks through the village with a very limited number of troops. Hopefully quality over quantity would be the case but that did not seem so.
“I brought every guard in the village with me and we have suited up with the best weapons we had to offer as well as whatever Arille had in his lock up.” Sellus Gravius proclaims as he lifts an arm to introduce his men.
Xander stands in shock at the sight before him. Five men in total and that was counting Sellus himself, six if Xander were to be included. They were dressed in the most basic Imperial armor and their steel swords had seen better days. No archers, no pikemen, not even a heavily armored legionnaire with a broadsword. This was not his usual team but they would have to do….
Meanwhile, the local Fighter’s guild as well as the Mage’s Guild was busy trying to keep Taillus at bay while villagers quickly made their way into a shelter that was hidden in the Balmora Temple. Taillus was surrounded by the likes of Eydis Fire-Eye and Ranis Athyrs, who with the help of other high ranked Fighters and Mages managed to keep Taillus distracted.
“The ever powerful and brave warriors of the Fighters’ Guild coupled with the intelligent and wise robes of the Mage’s Guild, all reduced to bleeding heaps of flesh due to my god-like powers! How does it feel to be beaten at your own game!? How does it feel to be as weak as a newborn, eclipsed by my never ending power!?” Taillus shouts as he swings his Broadsword with the ease and speed of a glass dagger.
Try as they might, no man or woman could stop the relentless strength of Taillus. He seemed to move away from every swing of a blade, every jab of a spear and every burst of magicka. It seemed as though he wasn’t even tangible how he managed to evade every single attack brought on against him. Those that managed a successful blow were shocked to see that pain didn’t even register with him, their weapons and spells only bouncing off of his superior armor.
The members of the Balmora Guilds couldn’t fathom how it seemed that as each of their comrades fell to Taillus’ blade, he managed to get even more powerful. Breaking weapons with his Ebony clad hand, or denting and cracking armor with a single swing. By the time they realized that the amulet around his neck was absorbing the souls of those he killed it was too late.
Within mere minutes, Taillus had conquered the Fighters’ Guild as well as the last remaining civilians that had struggled to make their way to the shelter provided in the Temple. Taillus had collected in excess of thirty souls to add to the greedy Daedric Soul Gem and he makes his way out of town as if he had never been there in the first place.
“Your skill is quite impressive my son. It seems that you have a knack for slaying the innocent after all. I knew that you would not disappoint me in the end. Keep up the impressive work mortal and soon you will rule by my side as my chief warrior, the Mortal god of Pain and Fear.” Molag Bal whispers within Taillus’ head. Taillus only grins as he heads to his next city. He was making his way to Ebonheart and stopping at every city along the way. Seyda Neen was only hours away and he could already feel the souls of Arille, Sellus Gravius and Socillus Ergalla.
A short time passes and Sellus walks through the village with a very limited number of troops. Hopefully quality over quantity would be the case but that did not seem so.
“I brought every guard in the village with me and we have suited up with the best weapons we had to offer as well as whatever Arille had in his lock up.” Sellus Gravius proclaims as he lifts an arm to introduce his men.
Xander stands in shock at the sight before him. Five men in total and that was counting Sellus himself, six if Xander were to be included. They were dressed in the most basic Imperial armor and their steel swords had seen better days. No archers, no pikemen, not even a heavily armored legionnaire with a broadsword. This was not his usual team but they would have to do….
Meanwhile, the local Fighter’s guild as well as the Mage’s Guild was busy trying to keep Taillus at bay while villagers quickly made their way into a shelter that was hidden in the Balmora Temple. Taillus was surrounded by the likes of Eydis Fire-Eye and Ranis Athyrs, who with the help of other high ranked Fighters and Mages managed to keep Taillus distracted.
“The ever powerful and brave warriors of the Fighters’ Guild coupled with the intelligent and wise robes of the Mage’s Guild, all reduced to bleeding heaps of flesh due to my god-like powers! How does it feel to be beaten at your own game!? How does it feel to be as weak as a newborn, eclipsed by my never ending power!?” Taillus shouts as he swings his Broadsword with the ease and speed of a glass dagger.
Try as they might, no man or woman could stop the relentless strength of Taillus. He seemed to move away from every swing of a blade, every jab of a spear and every burst of magicka. It seemed as though he wasn’t even tangible how he managed to evade every single attack brought on against him. Those that managed a successful blow were shocked to see that pain didn’t even register with him, their weapons and spells only bouncing off of his superior armor.
The members of the Balmora Guilds couldn’t fathom how it seemed that as each of their comrades fell to Taillus’ blade, he managed to get even more powerful. Breaking weapons with his Ebony clad hand, or denting and cracking armor with a single swing. By the time they realized that the amulet around his neck was absorbing the souls of those he killed it was too late.
Within mere minutes, Taillus had conquered the Fighters’ Guild as well as the last remaining civilians that had struggled to make their way to the shelter provided in the Temple. Taillus had collected in excess of thirty souls to add to the greedy Daedric Soul Gem and he makes his way out of town as if he had never been there in the first place.
“Your skill is quite impressive my son. It seems that you have a knack for slaying the innocent after all. I knew that you would not disappoint me in the end. Keep up the impressive work mortal and soon you will rule by my side as my chief warrior, the Mortal god of Pain and Fear.” Molag Bal whispers within Taillus’ head. Taillus only grins as he heads to his next city. He was making his way to Ebonheart and stopping at every city along the way. Seyda Neen was only hours away and he could already feel the souls of Arille, Sellus Gravius and Socillus Ergalla.
Xander sits atop a large rock as his soldiers begin to grow tired of waiting. They begin to complain of thirst and hunger as well as stating that their feet hurt. Their constant complaining causes him to bite his lip lest he say something to insult them. He knew that they would offer very little help but if they wound up holding this Taillus character back for only minutes then that would be all they could do.
Suddenly, Xander gets an idea and hops off of his rock to inform Sellus Gravius. He jogs over to where he was getting his armor ready and gets his attention.
“I need a favor of you. I need you to go tell Socillus Ergalla to take the boat we came in on and sail it to Ebonheart. Allow him to take one of our soldiers along with him so that they can inform the people of Ebonheart to ready a line of defence. Get them to spread the word and hopefully we can move as many people into hiding as we can so that some people can be saved.” Xander orders as Gravius jogs back into town along with a chosen soldier.
The time that they had left on their side was dwindling down quickly and Xander knew he would have to have a secondary plan in case Taillus managed to cut through the soldiers.
“Men, ready your armor and weapons. There is a bad feeling carried with the wind and something tells me that Taillus will be through here by night fall. Have one prerogative and one only. This man must die tonight. He must not get past Seyda Neen. I know that this is not a great fort with numbers of men backing you up but we are up against only one man. Do not falter, do not give up. Cut him down until you cease to breathe!” Xander shouts as the men suit up.
Xander himself wears a full suit of imperial steel armor with a crest of the Blue Lions of Ebonheart on the cuirass complimented by a long, dark blue cape that was bolted to his shoulders and stopped just short of gracing the ground. With his Imperial Long sword in one hand and a small shield buckled to the other he stands in anticipation of meeting the horror known as Taillus.
Hours pass and the sun retreats beneath the horizon and a figure comes to view casually walking down the path leading into the village. Sellus Gravius identifies it as being in fact Taillus and the men get ready to attack.
Taillus can see the crowd of angry Soldiers amped to lose their lives fighting but Taillus could not care less. To him it was another bunch of soldiers that wouldn’t last more then a few minutes. Taillus stops for a brief second to confirm what he was just thinking.
“Not a short time ago and I was scared almost to death over fighting and now it bores me that a man dies before I get a chance to have fun. What is it that I have become? This is ridiculous! I am no longer human. I am no longer a man at all. I am nothing more then an evil god that tortures for my own amusement. Jiub was right after all. This is pretty much what I have wanted all along.” Taillus says to himself as he looks at the group of waiting soldiers.
“Today you die, Taillus! Your reign of terror will end now!” Xander shouts as he breaks into a run followed by the local soldiers and Sellus. Taillus shakes his head at these men that are willing to die for nothing and he reaches for his sword, then something happened. Something that Taillus couldn’t believe. The Breton that led the small squad began to shimmer with magicka and his speed seemed to amplify.
Curious, Taillus watched the man as he quickly broke away from his men. Before he even had time to react, Taillus was blocking lightning quick swings and stabs from the Breton. Taillus raised a brow in confusion as He had never met a man that ran to fight him even knowing that he would certainly die.
Taillus glanced another speedy swing from the Breton and retaliated with a swing of his own. Xander blocked but the sheer force of the swing made his blade vibrate violently and the recoil of the attack seemed to have fractured his wrist. Xander growls as the warm pain of fractured bone seeps up his arm.
“There is no way you are done yet, mighty soldier!” Taillus shouts as he can tell he had already injured this man’s arm. Surprisingly however, Xander still continued to fight, trying to overcome Taillus’ strength with his own speed. Soon the spell began to wear off and Xander realized the true strength of this beast of a man.
With one swing of his broadsword, Xander was robbed of his breath and was sent staggering backwards as he notices a large dent in his cuirass from the blade. Xander was certain that the last blow that had dented his armor so badly had also broken a number of his ribs as he places his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
He looks to see Taillus charging at his men and attempts to get in the way, wanting to kill this demon or die in the process. He quickly slides between Taillus and the Imperial soldiers with his arms extended.
“You cannot lay a hand on them until you cease my heart from beating!” Xander shouts, ready again to take another thrashing but Taillus was not interested.
“I will deal with you later, Breton!” Taillus growls as he slams the flat of his mighty blade against Xander’s helm, knocking him to the ground unconscious. The last thing that Xander could hear was the sound of the other men screaming in horror as everything faded from his view.
Suddenly, Xander gets an idea and hops off of his rock to inform Sellus Gravius. He jogs over to where he was getting his armor ready and gets his attention.
“I need a favor of you. I need you to go tell Socillus Ergalla to take the boat we came in on and sail it to Ebonheart. Allow him to take one of our soldiers along with him so that they can inform the people of Ebonheart to ready a line of defence. Get them to spread the word and hopefully we can move as many people into hiding as we can so that some people can be saved.” Xander orders as Gravius jogs back into town along with a chosen soldier.
The time that they had left on their side was dwindling down quickly and Xander knew he would have to have a secondary plan in case Taillus managed to cut through the soldiers.
“Men, ready your armor and weapons. There is a bad feeling carried with the wind and something tells me that Taillus will be through here by night fall. Have one prerogative and one only. This man must die tonight. He must not get past Seyda Neen. I know that this is not a great fort with numbers of men backing you up but we are up against only one man. Do not falter, do not give up. Cut him down until you cease to breathe!” Xander shouts as the men suit up.
Xander himself wears a full suit of imperial steel armor with a crest of the Blue Lions of Ebonheart on the cuirass complimented by a long, dark blue cape that was bolted to his shoulders and stopped just short of gracing the ground. With his Imperial Long sword in one hand and a small shield buckled to the other he stands in anticipation of meeting the horror known as Taillus.
Hours pass and the sun retreats beneath the horizon and a figure comes to view casually walking down the path leading into the village. Sellus Gravius identifies it as being in fact Taillus and the men get ready to attack.
Taillus can see the crowd of angry Soldiers amped to lose their lives fighting but Taillus could not care less. To him it was another bunch of soldiers that wouldn’t last more then a few minutes. Taillus stops for a brief second to confirm what he was just thinking.
“Not a short time ago and I was scared almost to death over fighting and now it bores me that a man dies before I get a chance to have fun. What is it that I have become? This is ridiculous! I am no longer human. I am no longer a man at all. I am nothing more then an evil god that tortures for my own amusement. Jiub was right after all. This is pretty much what I have wanted all along.” Taillus says to himself as he looks at the group of waiting soldiers.
“Today you die, Taillus! Your reign of terror will end now!” Xander shouts as he breaks into a run followed by the local soldiers and Sellus. Taillus shakes his head at these men that are willing to die for nothing and he reaches for his sword, then something happened. Something that Taillus couldn’t believe. The Breton that led the small squad began to shimmer with magicka and his speed seemed to amplify.
Curious, Taillus watched the man as he quickly broke away from his men. Before he even had time to react, Taillus was blocking lightning quick swings and stabs from the Breton. Taillus raised a brow in confusion as He had never met a man that ran to fight him even knowing that he would certainly die.
Taillus glanced another speedy swing from the Breton and retaliated with a swing of his own. Xander blocked but the sheer force of the swing made his blade vibrate violently and the recoil of the attack seemed to have fractured his wrist. Xander growls as the warm pain of fractured bone seeps up his arm.
“There is no way you are done yet, mighty soldier!” Taillus shouts as he can tell he had already injured this man’s arm. Surprisingly however, Xander still continued to fight, trying to overcome Taillus’ strength with his own speed. Soon the spell began to wear off and Xander realized the true strength of this beast of a man.
With one swing of his broadsword, Xander was robbed of his breath and was sent staggering backwards as he notices a large dent in his cuirass from the blade. Xander was certain that the last blow that had dented his armor so badly had also broken a number of his ribs as he places his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
He looks to see Taillus charging at his men and attempts to get in the way, wanting to kill this demon or die in the process. He quickly slides between Taillus and the Imperial soldiers with his arms extended.
“You cannot lay a hand on them until you cease my heart from beating!” Xander shouts, ready again to take another thrashing but Taillus was not interested.
“I will deal with you later, Breton!” Taillus growls as he slams the flat of his mighty blade against Xander’s helm, knocking him to the ground unconscious. The last thing that Xander could hear was the sound of the other men screaming in horror as everything faded from his view.
The final hours approach and this particular story has nearly reached its end, it has been a great read Taillus and I look forward to the ending, as well as the upcoming story. Though the character is undoubtably evil, he has accomplished his goals and became incredibly powerful, can't wait until Xander wakes. Keep up the awesome work mate.
Time passed and Xander begins to come to his senses once again. His eyes begin to focus and his first sight makes him wish he could just stay unconscious. The battered body of one of his comrades had fallen only feet away. His eyes looked void of not only life but he looked as though his soul had been ripped from his body. His eyes were dark black and his mouth was wide open. Xander slowly and painfully gets to his feet feeling the worst headache he had ever felt.
As he fully comes to, he begins to hear sounds deep inside Seyda Neen. The village itself was destroyed and most of the modest houses were on fire. The tradehouse was only a smoldering hole in the ground and the swampy marsh was littered with the abused bodies of the locals.
Xander walks into town, beating himself up emotionally over how he felt so helpless. He was unable to stop this from happening and he would be unable to stop it from continuing. Vvardenfel was done for and there would be nothing anyone can do about it.
The Breton followed the only sounds he could hear other then the sound of crackling fire. It only took moments for Xander to figure out the source. Taillus was wailing on the obviously tired and broken body of Sellus Gravius at the top of Seyda Neen’s Lighthouse. The sounds of their blades crashing together fill the air. The Battle mage Xander decides he should relieve Sellus and he casts levitation on himself as he runs towards the lighthouse.
Timing becomes a saving grace as Xander slams into Taillus with his shoulder, knocking him off the side of the lighthouse just as he was about to finish off the exhausted Sellus Gravius. Xander lands where Taillus himself stood only seconds before and he extends a hand to help his friend to his feet.
“Many thanks Xander, I feared he would have ended me within seconds. Taillus is a madman, I don’t know how we are going to stop him! He seems to get more powerful with each man he kills. Look at the dents he left in my sword. We might be able to take him down but we will have to act…” Sellus was interrupted by the form of Taillus bursting out of the water with the force of an erupting volcano.
The sheer force of the Telekinetic wave from Taillus obliterates the bottom of the stone lighthouse sending both men off the other edge. Taillus walks over the crumbled structure and stands before the two men.
“I invite you both to try and kill me. In the end you will both only end up as more energy for me!” Taillus belts as Xander and Sellus quickly clamor to their feet. The three men stand in the middle of the broken village. Two against one but the upper hand was clearly on the one man… Taillus.
Sellus decides that he would be the first to move and he charges forward in hopes of ending the battle quickly. Xander tries to stop him but found out he was too late. The two men once again clash swords, only this time, things took a turn for the worst. One swing of the deadly Ebony broadsword and it was over. Taillus heaved the blade at Sellus Gravius and grinned maniacally as it stopped short, but not before slicing through the Imperial Templar Cuirass and resting deep in Sellus’ chest.
It all happened so very quickly that Xander could barely comprehend what had just happened. Sellus Gravius stood with his back to Xander, lifeless and standing only because the devastating Ebony Broadsword was wedged into his chest and still being held by the demonic Taillus.
“No! You monster! How can you kill so easily?! How can you kill without even a second thought, without the slightest bit of remorse!? “Xander shouts at the evil Imperial. Taillus pulls his blade from the chest of Sellus Gravius and steps closer to Xander. As both men meet face to face, four simple words slip from the mouth of Taillus, making everything so clear to Xander.
“Because I have to.” Taillus states simply before turning and walking away. Xander can feel the equal amounts of pain that accompany Taillus’ power and he actually begins to feel badly for him. Xander begins to jog in hopes of catching up with this intriguing man but is only met with a fierce blast of Magicka. Taillus hears the Breton approaching and turns quickly, releasing a pre-accumulated blast of energy at Xander almost knocking him off of his feet.
Suddenly, the sounds of hundreds of men and women begin screaming and moaning in Xander’s head. Some form of disturbing noise spell that Xander could interpret as the souls of every person Taillus had killed. They continue to shriek and howl in his mind, making him grip his head in madness. He can also hear the voice of one being in particular that seemed to be inhuman.
It was much louder then the rest and it wasn’t howling. Occasionally between screams he could hear the voice giving a message.
“Bow to my Ambassador, the great Harvester of Souls! Allow him to take you so that you can lend your power to us….to me!” The deep voice booms. Xander shakes his head as he can see Taillus getting closer. Barely able to think, let alone defend himself, he manages to bring up his arms as another wave of magicka washes over him.
He looks to see the armor dripping off his hands as his gauntlets waste away before his eyes, his pauldrons melt away as well as his cuirass. Soon he is clad in only the clothes on his back, completely defenseless and at the mercy of the evil Imperial.
“Can you see the end my Breton friend? Can you see your insignificant life flashing before you? Or are those tormented souls too loud for you to concentrate on anything?” Taillus laughs as he walks closer. By this time, Xander had fallen to his knees from the pain in his head. He can feel the temperature begin to rise rapidly around him as another spell from Taillus consumes him.
The sweat begins to pour off of the Breton and he struggles to keep his breath. He watches around him as the trees and grass burst into flames from the heat. He could tell that this was the doing of Taillus’ evil magic and had to figure out a way to stop it.
Xander struggles to his feet even though the heat had become unbearable and he stands, unarmored before Taillus. He cycled through his spells in his head even though he could barely hear himself thinking due to the voices in his mind. Taillus had begun yelling obscenities, obviously mocking and trying to instill fear but honestly, Xander could not hear him.
Suddenly, it came to him. There was not a single spell that he had that could hurt Taillus so he would have to escape. He decided that a solid invisibility spell would be what the doctor ordered and he could use the rest of his magicka to levitate and fly close to Ebonheart.
“And now that I have given you a taste of Oblivion, I will send you there for good! This is the end you foolish Breton!” Taillus shouts as he arcs back with his broadsword. Xander waits for the right time and ducks avoiding the blade and activates his invisibility spell.
He runs past Taillus and begins to soar quickly over the water heading for Ebonheart. He hoped that he would be able to get there in enough time to prepare everyone for the battle of a lifetime.
As he fully comes to, he begins to hear sounds deep inside Seyda Neen. The village itself was destroyed and most of the modest houses were on fire. The tradehouse was only a smoldering hole in the ground and the swampy marsh was littered with the abused bodies of the locals.
Xander walks into town, beating himself up emotionally over how he felt so helpless. He was unable to stop this from happening and he would be unable to stop it from continuing. Vvardenfel was done for and there would be nothing anyone can do about it.
The Breton followed the only sounds he could hear other then the sound of crackling fire. It only took moments for Xander to figure out the source. Taillus was wailing on the obviously tired and broken body of Sellus Gravius at the top of Seyda Neen’s Lighthouse. The sounds of their blades crashing together fill the air. The Battle mage Xander decides he should relieve Sellus and he casts levitation on himself as he runs towards the lighthouse.
Timing becomes a saving grace as Xander slams into Taillus with his shoulder, knocking him off the side of the lighthouse just as he was about to finish off the exhausted Sellus Gravius. Xander lands where Taillus himself stood only seconds before and he extends a hand to help his friend to his feet.
“Many thanks Xander, I feared he would have ended me within seconds. Taillus is a madman, I don’t know how we are going to stop him! He seems to get more powerful with each man he kills. Look at the dents he left in my sword. We might be able to take him down but we will have to act…” Sellus was interrupted by the form of Taillus bursting out of the water with the force of an erupting volcano.
The sheer force of the Telekinetic wave from Taillus obliterates the bottom of the stone lighthouse sending both men off the other edge. Taillus walks over the crumbled structure and stands before the two men.
“I invite you both to try and kill me. In the end you will both only end up as more energy for me!” Taillus belts as Xander and Sellus quickly clamor to their feet. The three men stand in the middle of the broken village. Two against one but the upper hand was clearly on the one man… Taillus.
Sellus decides that he would be the first to move and he charges forward in hopes of ending the battle quickly. Xander tries to stop him but found out he was too late. The two men once again clash swords, only this time, things took a turn for the worst. One swing of the deadly Ebony broadsword and it was over. Taillus heaved the blade at Sellus Gravius and grinned maniacally as it stopped short, but not before slicing through the Imperial Templar Cuirass and resting deep in Sellus’ chest.
It all happened so very quickly that Xander could barely comprehend what had just happened. Sellus Gravius stood with his back to Xander, lifeless and standing only because the devastating Ebony Broadsword was wedged into his chest and still being held by the demonic Taillus.
“No! You monster! How can you kill so easily?! How can you kill without even a second thought, without the slightest bit of remorse!? “Xander shouts at the evil Imperial. Taillus pulls his blade from the chest of Sellus Gravius and steps closer to Xander. As both men meet face to face, four simple words slip from the mouth of Taillus, making everything so clear to Xander.
“Because I have to.” Taillus states simply before turning and walking away. Xander can feel the equal amounts of pain that accompany Taillus’ power and he actually begins to feel badly for him. Xander begins to jog in hopes of catching up with this intriguing man but is only met with a fierce blast of Magicka. Taillus hears the Breton approaching and turns quickly, releasing a pre-accumulated blast of energy at Xander almost knocking him off of his feet.
Suddenly, the sounds of hundreds of men and women begin screaming and moaning in Xander’s head. Some form of disturbing noise spell that Xander could interpret as the souls of every person Taillus had killed. They continue to shriek and howl in his mind, making him grip his head in madness. He can also hear the voice of one being in particular that seemed to be inhuman.
It was much louder then the rest and it wasn’t howling. Occasionally between screams he could hear the voice giving a message.
“Bow to my Ambassador, the great Harvester of Souls! Allow him to take you so that you can lend your power to us….to me!” The deep voice booms. Xander shakes his head as he can see Taillus getting closer. Barely able to think, let alone defend himself, he manages to bring up his arms as another wave of magicka washes over him.
He looks to see the armor dripping off his hands as his gauntlets waste away before his eyes, his pauldrons melt away as well as his cuirass. Soon he is clad in only the clothes on his back, completely defenseless and at the mercy of the evil Imperial.
“Can you see the end my Breton friend? Can you see your insignificant life flashing before you? Or are those tormented souls too loud for you to concentrate on anything?” Taillus laughs as he walks closer. By this time, Xander had fallen to his knees from the pain in his head. He can feel the temperature begin to rise rapidly around him as another spell from Taillus consumes him.
The sweat begins to pour off of the Breton and he struggles to keep his breath. He watches around him as the trees and grass burst into flames from the heat. He could tell that this was the doing of Taillus’ evil magic and had to figure out a way to stop it.
Xander struggles to his feet even though the heat had become unbearable and he stands, unarmored before Taillus. He cycled through his spells in his head even though he could barely hear himself thinking due to the voices in his mind. Taillus had begun yelling obscenities, obviously mocking and trying to instill fear but honestly, Xander could not hear him.
Suddenly, it came to him. There was not a single spell that he had that could hurt Taillus so he would have to escape. He decided that a solid invisibility spell would be what the doctor ordered and he could use the rest of his magicka to levitate and fly close to Ebonheart.
“And now that I have given you a taste of Oblivion, I will send you there for good! This is the end you foolish Breton!” Taillus shouts as he arcs back with his broadsword. Xander waits for the right time and ducks avoiding the blade and activates his invisibility spell.
He runs past Taillus and begins to soar quickly over the water heading for Ebonheart. He hoped that he would be able to get there in enough time to prepare everyone for the battle of a lifetime.
Now the story is really heating up. A tactical retreat. I can't wait till the next update.
Great story man! You really are a great writer. I wish you luck with Xander in Oblivion. Arthago shall be going in Oblivion too, I hope he shall have a good time there. Keep up the great work!
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