Alright folks. This is going to be a pretty crazy Chapter. I hope I can surprise you at least a time or two before it gets done. Enjoy all.

CHAPTER 6

Voices? Am I dead? I can hear commotion around me, seeming frantic and scared. I can also sense some familiarity in the voices, perhaps some people who have also died that I once knew? People began calling my name as the unmistakable sound and feeling of healing spells began washing over me. Someone is trying to bring me back, someone saving me but who? How actually would be a better question. The only thing I can remember is watching Taillus fall after putting the amulet around his neck. Perhaps just a dream? I can’t be certain but one thing I do know for sure is that I must truly be alive because the pain of the grave wounds I must have suffered makes its presence known.

“Xander please wake up. You did it you know, you defeated Taillus and are living to talk about it. Please wake up, give us some sign that you are still with us. Your heart is beating and you are breathing so we know you survived, please wake up.” A familiar voice trembles as the feeling of someone touching my face tingles down my spine. I begin to open my eyes, or eye rather; finding myself resting on a bed in Frostcraig Spire. Around me was Aeriandala who was trying to make me drink a potent healing serum and to my complete and utter surprise, the Blue Lions! They were all here! The young Khajiit courier must have performed exceptionally well because they managed to make their way here in less than a day! That is impossible.

“H..how did you guys get here so fast?” I manage to wheeze, trying to sit up to see them all. It was suggested that I keep laying down considering my plethora of wounds and countless battered bones. I could see out of the corner of my good eye, my trusted friend and fellow member of the Lions smile softly before clearing his throat to speak. Lance, the best fighter that I have ever seen touches my good shoulder, patting it carefully.

“Xander you have been dead to the world for well over a month. We got here as soon as we could, following your message. We met up with one of Aeriandala’s allies who camped out by your side to make sure you were fed and had water until we arrived to help him bring you here. We all took our turns nurturing you back to health but you are still in pretty bad shape fearless leader.” Lance explains with a tone of sadness.

Lance was the definition of a good man. A caring friend who would throw his life on the line to save those he cared about and I have witnessed him doing such a thing countless times. The older Altmer was actually born under a different name but was nicknamed Lance seeing as how he was prodigal in his proficiency with pole weapons. He stood tall, fighting tears in the standard elite Lions armor. Thick silver chainmail under overlapping silver plates complete with a cloth drape colored royal blue and white showing off our faction’s logo.

All of the Lions wore the same armor, updated since I had seen them last making me proud that since we parted ways, we have yet to lose a single member. Our faction was tightly woven with each member caring for the others like siblings. It was the only way to ensure a completely flawless team.

“We will fill you in on everything soon enough but our first concern is to get you feeling better. We have the best healers in Cyrodiil here to help as much as they can and we will do what we can to fix the damages Taillus caused.” States Merin, my second in command. Merin is a fellow Battle mage and has stood beside me since day one. She is a beautiful Breton with fiery red hair that reached her shoulders unless pulled back into a neat and practical ponytail. She has a heart of gold and a fierce battle sense to boot. It was ironic for her to say that the best healers in Cyrodiil were here to help considering that her skills were exponentially better and we all knew it. Nevertheless, I was thankful and surprised at the turnout. I had no idea so many people were concerned about my health.

I could even see Dimir and Cerwin amongst the crowd. They had heard word through the grapevine and made their way to check on my status. I made sure I acknowledged their presence, making them both smile, slightly embarrassed. I was glad they had made the trip to see me because I had been thinking of them since I left Bruma. I was sure they also wanted to see if the rumors were true, to see if I had actually captured Taillus. Heck, I was wondering the same.

The rest of the Blue Lions took turns congratulating me on capturing Taillus who they inform me is in holding in the lowest part of the Spire. The amulet is keeping him at bay as expected in addition to the pillars that Aeriandala had set up around him, keeping his powers further stunted. I was so happy to see my crew, exactly as I remember them. It was refreshing to hear that they had been fighting to have me released from prison since the second I was incarcerated and had been trying to track me down without success for what seemed to them like ages.

Sadly, my pain was becoming far too intense and was forced to take an elixir to dull my pain and put me to sleep for a few more days; but now that I knew the Blue Lions were once again at my side, a certain level of peace washed over me, making me feel warm and comfortable.

I wanted to jump to my feet every morning for days but sadly, I was unable to even move. I wanted to hear the stories of each of my crew members but sadly, I was only awake for a few hours at a time. I felt so helpless but everyone was so very understanding that it would take me quite some time to be in working order again and without even hesitating for a second, they did what they could, sitting by my side and preying that I recover soon.

Finally after rehabilitation, healing programs, powerful magicka sessions and more I was finally able to get up and walk around on my own; well if you consider with the aid of a large staff being “on my own”. It was not until I did however, that I realized the extent of the damage Taillus caused me. I was most certainly blind in one eye, and in looking in the mirror revealed my damaged eye to be completely without color, and scarred from my hair line to the middle of my cheek; a deep, thin scar that will never go away, constantly reminding me of my loss to Taillus.

My right leg was so badly damaged that I would probably always walk with a pain filled limp, making me have to rely on this sturdy staff to help me walk. My left arm was as I feared, completely removed at the shoulder, leaving nothing behind. I was a fraction of the man I used to be. My hair was beginning to silver due to the shock of so many battles and my face was starting to age prematurely. I still looked fairly young, just a bit more…refined so to speak.

As I dressed in a robe provided for me, I decided to make my way to where my crew was gathered, they wanted to take me to see Taillus who had been held prisoner since we all came here. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him but they claimed that it would do me well, to complete my healing process.

Upon arriving to his holding area I realized that I had done more damage than I had previously anticipated. A deep, thick scar crossed diagonally down his chest where I stabbed him earlier and his body was burned from my magicka. He was completely helpless, sitting in only the black pants he wore when we battled. He was chained to a thick, icy, stone column with the amulet around his neck. His head was down, as if he had been looking at the floor but he had no choice due to the effects of the Prisoner of Greed. Five smaller pillars spanned a tight perimeter around him, each with a colored stone that was emitting a beam of light, holding him in place and draining his attributes. Until we could figure out how to kill him we would have to keep him here.

Umm, stab him a lot of times? He can't defend himself. Then again, he did survive some major punishment before.

Good to see Xander back on his feet. Hmm, I do hope they figure out something to take care of his physical problems. Right now, I don't think he should go adventuring, despite his newfound Magicka.

Wow, Xander took one serious beating if he looks like what you described. Fortunately he managed to survive. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

Will then go on a quest to figure out how to kill Taillus maybe? Or will Molag Bal's new creature start stirring up trouble...?

Count me as your newest fan, Taillus!

Will be looking forward to future updates, but give me a few days tyo catch up on your work so far, so I am more understanding of what this entails so far!

It is good to see a member of the 'old' generation back, after all it was you guys whom inspired us 'newbies' to begin with!

LOL as you wish Black. I will give everyone a chance to catch up because I believe that to be one of my greatest faults. I write really fast and I usually accomplish so much at once, writing a whole chapter on my lunch break and so on. Obviously I want to share it all with you so quickly but I must remember that we all read each other's works and sometimes it can take a while to get caught up.

Thanks for the support everyone though, it is because of the warm friendliness of this forum community that I continue, without such a good group of fanfic writers I am sure my story wouldn't be anywhere near what it is.

Here is the next update in line. I hope I have given some a bit of time to catch up and I hope that you all enjoy the nice surprise lined up for you all. It has been a while in the making but overall I am really, really satisfied with the result. Tell me what you think

I wanted to get down to business as soon as possible, hoping to eradicate Taillus without delay. We all agreed that he was a giant threat to everyone and we were going to have to figure out something quite soon. I expressed my need to gather a few people together, the smartest minds in all of Cyrodiil who could come together and determine what it was that we all needed to do to get rid of this demon. Aeriandala claimed that she had a dear friend back in Vvardenfel that she could contact to aid us and I volunteered to gather some people I have come to trust over the time I have been in Cyrodiil.

Within only a few days, my Blue Lions with the exception of Merin were standing at attention, surrounding the large lobby of Frostcraig Spire while myself, Merin and Aeriandala introduced ourselves to the panel of other great minds before they introduced themselves to the table. I was confident that with the people that I had asked to join us for this little roundtable discussion, we would be able to determine our best course of action and after introducing myself, I motioned for the others to introduce themselves as well.

“My name is Hannial Traven and I am a dear friend to Xander Moorcroft. When I heard word that he needed my help with an urgent matter I rode here as quick as I possibly could. I am honored to meet you great minds and hope my skills as an accomplished mage, and Arcane University head of staff can be of use.” Hannial bows before taking a seat.

The others clap lightly in respect before slowly coming to silence before the next figure stepped into the light. He stood with two armored guards, making a small smile creep across my face. I knew who he was obviously but the others were going to be a tad surprised to say the least.

“My name is Martin. Martin Septim. I am the last living heir of the Septim bloodline and am here to aid my friend Xander as well. He was the man who tracked me down, telling me that my estranged father had been assassinated. I have been waiting for the chance to return his unfaltering kindness with an act of my own, I hope my knowledge of the Daedra as well as my experiences as of late dealing with the Oblivion gates as well as the Mythic Dawn can help you all today.” Martin states while metaphorically knocking everyone out of their chairs.

I knew that Martin’s presence here would blow everyone away but he has been a good friend to me and I do value his opinion. He had arrived before most others and came with a number of blades members who stood at Frostcraig’s entrance on patrol. These men both possessed incredible minds and I hope the friend that Aeriandala had arranged to visit us will prove of value as well.

I watched as a single figure stood from her seat beside Aeriandala. She wore an exquisite robe with a hood that covered her face. From what I could tell, she was a younger looking Dunmer woman with very attractive features. She had a tall wooden staff strapped to her back, partially hidden by the hood of her robe that seemed to overflow with magicka. Her silvery hair was tied back neatly with an emerald green ribbon to match her robe and she looked around the room before clearing her throat to speak.

“My name is Telina Delvanni and I am here to share my expertise with the mind arts. I am experienced in using the minds of others to my own advantage and would like nothing more than to help you out in trying to deal with the one you refer to as Taillus. I may be able to peer into his mind to tell us what is going on in there. Maybe killing him isn’t the right choice but I would be happy to help in any way.” The Dunmer states before taking her seat.

Aeriandala had made a very good choice in who she invited. This Telina woman may just have the answer we need without us even discussing our options. Perhaps there is a way that we can help Taillus instead of killing him. To have a man of his caliber aiding us would be a gift of the gods. I watched as the young Dunmer looked about the room, possibly sizing everyone up. I was beginning to think that she was peering into our minds as she waited for the discussions to begin, I guess when blessed with such a power, it would be unwise not to use it.

“That is correct Xander. One can never be too sure of another’s intentions. I am merely checking to see if I am working on the right side in this battle. Do not be afraid though, I can tell that all of these people are pure of heart, especially you.” A voice whispers inside my head catching me completely off guard. I break the trance-like state I was in to see Telina wink at me, knowing that she had messed with my train of thought.

The discussion begins with Hannial stating that any man capable of manhandling me, and slicing off my arm is far too dangerous to keep around. The table agreed but we also decided that he was working under an altered frame of mind. He was not himself and was the product of Molag Bal’s ill intentions. Hannial explains that with some work, he and the students of the Arcane University could find a way to create a blade that would easily take the man down. With enchantments strong enough to cut through his body with ease. It would be a bloody and violent alternative but he wanted no less for a man that has caused so much destruction, regardless of him being able to control his actions or not.

I decided to let the table battle it out for a while before getting myself involved. Maybe it was because I was already siding with Telina before she even had a chance to explain her plan. I was a tad biased and would rather see Taillus returned to a state previous to him being possessed. Even though he has caused me so much pain and has hindered me for the rest of my life. He could prove a valuable asset in helping us close the gates to Oblivion. I was beginning to think that maybe Martin Septim was thinking the same, he seemed totally uninterested in what Hannial was saying.

Finally Telina stood from her seat and faced Hannial. She shook her head lightly in disagreement before starting to speak.

“I would have expected a different approach from a man so highly appointed in the Arcane University. You speak as though you are running the Fighter’s guild. You of all people should know that violence gets us nowhere unless it is necessary. Right now, the man you speak of is being held forcefully against his will and he is helpless to fight back. If we all agree to kill him, does that make us any better than him? Killing a man who is completely and utterly helpless makes us as evil as him. I can peer into his mind. Anyone who has been taken by a Daedric Prince should still have a glimmer of his former self somewhere deep within his mind. Using a very powerful tactic, I can bring Xander with me in a journey into Taillus’ mind. We can find the real Taillus and set him free. It is dangerous, but we do have the time to try it. Taillus isn’t going anywhere right now.”

With that speech, Telina had the attention of the entire group. She was so perfectly correct, no one could argue at all. Taillus had been held there for ages now. He is not going anywhere so we might as well try this tactic before we just kill him off. I watch as Hannial sits back in his seat, realizing the err of his thoughts and listens to Telina’s plan.

“I will concentrate my magicka and take myself and Xander into Taillus’ mind. When we arrive, we will see sights created by Taillus’ subconscious as if we were in a dream. There we will try to find the true Taillus but the dangers are great. If we were to be killed in his mind, we would fail to return to our bodies. He technically will kill us if we lose to him in his own mind.” Telina explains.

I agree to the procedure and the rest of the table nods almost in unison, agreeing with the plan. We accept the risks and gather our resources, getting ready for a final battle with Taillus. At least this time, I was going to have some help but deep inside me, my old wounds began paining once again. To fight with Taillus, even in a dream-like state was something I never really planned on doing again. Telina assured me that he would be much weaker due to all of the enchantments but I wasn’t too sure.

In Taillus’ egotistical mind, he was more powerful than any other living thing. In his mind, he was stronger than gods. If we are about to square off in his head, he might just be stronger than he has ever been! I explain this to Telina but again she assures me that this will be much simpler than I imagined. Her confidence was a refreshing change but she still didn’t have me convinced. I looked at her before we entered Taillus’ mind and she told me telepathically not to be so uptight before smiling and looking to the fallen Taillus, ready for action.

Hey, it's Tellie! Nice, having a telepathic spellhappy Theurgist on your side helps.
Still, I'm not to sure about this idea. I know from experience that inside dreams, you are a god.

A nice and surprising update.

Great work Taillus, I can see every detail of what is going on. I also liked the realism in Xander's reasoning near the end of the chapter...in Taillus' mind he may be even tougher than before. Interesting appearance by Telina as well, good choice of character to bring in for help.

Anyways keep up the good work and I'll be looking forward to the next part.

It's very exciting to see Telina come to the rescue; I do hope she has the skill to accomplish what she proposes.

Oooo cameo crossover! And Telina no doubt! This is going to be excellent, but again I agree with most of the others about how they should be cautious about what they are about to do.

Excellent update all the same, Taillus!

Oh-holy-muffin! Telina´s turned up here,....now anything could happen! This is very promising I´d say......very intriguing indeed!

Here we are folks. Sorry for the slight pause. Work has been getting piled higher and higher but now that I have escaped, here is the next installment.


A strange feeling washed over me as a pale blue magic glittered and swirled all over us. The others watched half in awe, half in horror at the events to follow but they held strong, not letting us see their anxiousness and states of worry. It was too late to turn back now as I looked at my hand to see it fading from reality. Telina chants something and before I could even change my mind, we were engulfed in a bright white light.

Within seconds, Telina and I were standing on the other end of what looked like an Oblivion gate. The sights and smells before me looked exactly like Oblivion, which made my stomach sick. I was shaking badly, my nerves getting the better of me. Telina placed her hand on my shoulder, crouching with me as all I wanted to do was grip the ground and not move. Telina told me again that this was going to be a cakewalk and that all of this was just conjured by Taillus’ mind. None of it was real.

I was going to have to regain my composure if I was going to be anything less than a burden to Telina. She was right as always in the sense that none of this was reality. It was all just a nightmare that I would have to fight my way out of. I had fought Taillus many times and have survived each time. This time I didn’t have to kill him, I just had to free his former self. I shakily got back to my feet and stood beside Telina.

“Now since this isn’t real Xander, you are merely a vision of how you see yourself. Be more creative. If you envision yourself as being a worthless man, you will be one. Have confidence in yourself Xander and what you believe will be what you see in you here. You have no reason to be ashamed of yourself. You are a brave soul with powers that are well beyond most people’s comprehension. Just because you failed to kill Taillus doesn’t make you any less a battle mage. You are a fierce fighter, an accomplished warrior and you have the strongest will I have ever seen. See yourself as a better man, you deserve as much!” Telina demands as she stands back.

Again, she is right. I do not need to punish myself for my failure by looking down upon myself because I have not failed. I am still the man I once was. I still have the respect of so many people. I have conquered Taillus even though he hacked off my arm. I am Xander, Leader of the Blue Lions and the savior of Morrowind!

With that, I was consumed with an energy that orbited my body. A feeling of satisfaction washed over me, making me feel confident once again. I could see my body changing and when the energy faded away, I could see the man I really was. Telina smiled, knowing that she had helped me get out of the rut I was in. She telepathically congratulated me before eyeing my new look. I had to say that I was even impressed with myself. In this dream world, anything was possible and was only limited by one’s mind.

Now I stood, wearing Mythril chainmail under shining Platinum plating. The familiar drape in royal blue and white proudly showed off the Blue Lions Emblem and a long, flowing royal blue cape was buckled securely to my pauldrons. In my right hand, I now held a long, shimmering platinum blade that was accented in royal blue, complete with the lions crest on the hilt. My other hand, which was now present, held a sturdy platinum shield that also proudly displayed the crest of the Blue Lions. This was how I saw myself. Not as a wounded man, not as being battered and beaten. I was the leader of the greatest faction in the land, I was Xander Moorcroft, Battlemage!

As Telina and I walked forward, I realized how Taillus’ mind was able to recreate what we saw before us. The souls of all those he had murdered in the past walked aimlessly around us, taking spectral forms as they wandered, completely lost. The hills of this fake Oblivion were decorated with large statues of his battles with Molag Bal. I looked around, seeing statues of Molag Bal on his knees before a largely exaggerated Taillus. The statues made me laugh, making it possible for me to see how highly he did think of himself.

Telina also had made some comments on our walk about how Taillus was an egotistical jerk. She hated him already and while I didn’t blame her, I told her to wait until she actually met him. Taillus was one of a kind. Quick to throw taunts and insults but even quicker to back up his mouth with his fists. I also warned Telina about his strength. I didn’t want her to take this lightly, but at the same time I had no idea what she was capable of. She seemed like a very powerful woman but I was oblivious to how she was powerful. I was sure that she would have no luck messing with his brain but again, contradicting myself, here we were in his head. I just decided to give up, knowing no matter what happened here it would be a surprise to me so I just had to keep my guard up.

As we walked, I could sense something out of the ordinary. Telina stopped dead in her tracks, seemingly sensing the same thing. It was a being that was surging with energy. From what Telina could determine, it was a conjured beast but she had little clues as to where it was. With my mind working without me, I rolled to the side, got to my feet and hauled Telina down to the ground. Just as I suspected, a huge Daedroth rippled into view as its Chameleon spell wore off.

Telina hopped back to her feet and pulled two impressive daedric blades from seemingly nowhere and proceeded to stand at the massive beast’s feet. It stood well over ten feet tall but Telina simply dodged its tree trunk sized appendages before quickly running up the length of the beast’s outstretched arm and bringing her two blades together like a pair of shears. In an instant, she brought the blades together, severing the Daedroth’s head.

I watched from my knees as she hopped off the monster’s shoulders, landing daintily in front of me. She flicked the blades with her wrists, ridding them of blood completely. I was completely dumbfounded. She was unlike anyone I have ever seen. Maybe this was going to be much easier than I had thought…

Wow, Telina definitely is efficient when the circumstances call for it. Excellent work, and a beautiful description of Taillus' perceived world might I add.

I wonder what's going to happen once then actually run into Taillus....

Smooth. Telina definitely has some skill in battle. As for Xander, I loved his transformation into a more confident version. I wonder though, has his face changed back to Xander's as opposed to Taillus'? (I'm talking about their original bodies. Damn switch makes things complicated sometimes. )

I hear ya Jack. It gets quite complicated but in this world as well as outside of Taillus' brain Xander has come to terms with residing in a foreign body. He considers it his own now. The only kink is, Taillus has not quite come to terms as well as Xander but that is only a minor detail. I will try to keep things as straight forward as I can.

A very enjoying read this installment! Ha, things really get going when Telina is around! keep it up!

I hope you are ready for a huge update folks. This is going to be a doozy but I hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the support.

“You can get the next one Xander.” Telina smirks as she walks forward, leaving me to pick up my dropped jaw and follow behind her. It was all just a façade how Telina looked compared to how fiercely she fought. At first glance, she looked to be a very attractive Dumner woman with a taste for magicka. Her body was slender and petite, curvy and sultry but beneath that robe was a powerful woman with the strength, speed, and agility to outclass most battle hardened warriors. I could tell she had definitely used those blades many, many times before and realized I was in the company of someone who could potentially give Taillus a run for his money. I was actually looking forward to meeting Taillus again!

Telina, after us walking for what seemed like hours, decided that her magicka was probably waning so we would have to find out where Taillus was hiding before we ended up stuck here for an eternity. With that, she leapt into the air, hovering high above my head. I look skyward to see what it is she was doing but I was quickly met with her invading my mind.

“If you are trying to look up my robe, I will kill you faster than that Daedroth back there Xander!” She shouts but obviously in a joking tone. I laugh out loud before asking her if she spotted anything that seemed like a hiding place for a crazed serial murderer. She raised her arms over her head before falling back to the ground, landing causally beside me. Before I was able to ask her what she saw, she grabbed my hand and lifted off the ground once again.

We hurtled through the air faster than anyone in armor should be able to travel and within mere seconds, we stood at the door of a large tower. She cracked her knuckles and looked over her shoulder before motioning me to stand back. She informed me that she was about to knock to see if anyone was home. Watching with an air of curiosity, I witnessed Telina pound on the door so hard it dented deep with the imprints of her fists. With a third and final smash, the door fell inward to the floor allowing us access to the tower.

Continuing to be literally blown away by this woman, she powered forward and fought through the entire tower. I had to run to keep up pace with her as she plowed through Daedroths, Dremora and other twisted creations before we found ourselves at the very last piece of the tower. A large double door would lead us to a large balcony where Taillus waited for our arrival.

I reached out and twisted the handles to the door and we slowly walked in, ready for anything that Taillus had waiting for us. What we saw when we made our way across the large balcony oddly enough was, me. To be a tad clearer, Telina and I stood before a man chained by his arms to the floor. He was wearing what I recognize as Dust Adept Bonemold armor used in the Ashlands of Morrowind. The poor guy was beaten badly and his face was sickly and pale.

I immediately knew this as being Taillus’ former self. The fact that he looked like me proved as such considering our body switch. Telina was obviously confused but after rummaging through the archive of my entire mind, she learned quickly the details of the entire story.

“Wow. So this is? You are actually Taillus? You switched bodies with him so that you could trap him in Oblivion. This all makes sense to me now. The stories that were told back in Vvardenfel were a tad misinformed now then, weren’t they?” Telina asks in a flurry of questions as she answered them on her own with the information she was siphoning out of my mind.

We both agreed that the whole story was convoluted and often times too difficult to explain. We also agreed that we desperately had to free this version of Taillus and eradicate the other one who was oddly nowhere to be found. Just as I cut the poor, tortured version of Taillus free from his restraints, I realized that it was all just a trick.

The weak looking Taillus began chuckling evilly under his breath as I helped him to his feet. Suddenly, with a fierce explosion of violent, red and black magicka, Taillus emerged as his evil self meaning that the good Taillus was still hidden somewhere in his mind.

“Fools!” Taillus shouted. “This isn’t simply a matter of good Taillus and bad Taillus! We are now one and the same! I am no longer under the control of Molag Bal and am under my own will do you not remember? This is the real me, and the only me!” Taillus roars as his magicka swirls around him, partially covering his features.

Telina quickly informed me that this was only partially true, there was another spirit fighting to get out from within him and after we took care of this loud-mouthed version of Taillus, we would continue looking for the true Taillus. I nodded in agreement and looked at our enemy with my blade drawn, shield held tight and fully ready to fight this man yet again.

Telina struck first, having the advantage of a deadly magicka. She drew her wooden staff from its strapped position on her back and aimed it at our enemy striking Taillus square in the face with a fierce frostball. Taillus’ head snaps backward from the force of the blast, and his upper body rocks back at the waist, his arms hanging behind him from the blow but his feet refrain from moving even an inch. Such a blast should have been able to knock Taillus off the side of the balcony but he didn’t even step backward.

Taillus straightens back into a standard standing pose, icicles formed at the sides of his face and his hair frozen solid in place. Taillus simply chuckles before exhaling, releasing a cold haze from his mouth. Telina practically growls in anger as she readies another attack. Taillus watches as she releases a massive fireball from her staff, letting it hurtle at her foe. I watch in amazement as these two demi-gods battle in a deadly Clash of the Titans. Taillus bats the fireball back at Telina with the side of his hand, catching her off guard as it slams into her, exploding with catastrophic force.

Taillus laughs rudely as he watches the smoke roll from the spot on the ground where Telina had stood only seconds before. Taillus turns his gaze to me as his eyes burn with a blood red fire of hatred. Materializing in his hands was what I feared the most. I watch in horror as the mace of Molag Bal popped into existence. In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed and Taillus and I were standing atop a large, rock pillar that jutted out of the raging waters just south of Ebonheart. Taillus was now clad in his once trademark silver and black ebony armor.

Wearing only the left pauldron and gauntlet, plus the greaves and boots of the armor, Taillus stood just as he did before I trapped him in Oblivion. With the mace in one hand and his dreaded ebony broadsword strapped to his back; it was a nightmare relived.

“Worry not young Breton. This will be over very quickly but I wish I could say that it would be painless. You will suffer greatly before you join the countless other souls that fuel my power.” Taillus growls as he steps forward. The very phrase makes my body faint and weak Taillus quickly and unexpectedly launches himself forward, arm arced back ready with the mace to suck the life from my body. Just as he closed in and readied his attack, Telina stepped in between us and swung her staff hard, catching Taillus off guard and also catching him in the face.

The end of the staff splinters to pieces as Taillus staggers backwards in pain. Telina lights him up with a violent lightning attack that throws him on his back, writhing in pain. She then turns to me, grabbing the collar of my armor.

“What have I been telling you since we came here?! You have to get out of this rut you are in! I have been told that you are a powerful battlemage but I have yet to see anything more than a pitiful man who is afraid to lift a finger in fear of getting hurt again. If you don’t fight now, you never will! Get in there and take out Taillus. Make him pay for everything he has done. Get back to being yourself, the hero or else you will suffer a wound far greater than anything you have ever felt before. Fear can cripple a man much more than being devoid an arm. I’m begging you! Fight Taillus!” Telina shouts before pushing me forward.

“You don’t understand! I have fought Taillus over and over and over again and every single time I face off against him, he pummels me. How is this time going to be any different?” I shout as Telina watches Taillus get to his feet.

Telina shakes her head, obviously angry at my response and stands toe to toe with Taillus. I watch as Taillus springs into action, catching her in the face with a well aimed punch. Telina staggers backwards before getting caught by at least ten more fists from Taillus. I watch as blood escapes Telina’s mouth as Taillus buries a dozen more fists into Telina’s ribcage, doubling her over in pain. Finally Taillus makes the mace of Molag Bal appear in his hands once again as I run to Telina’s aid but it was in vain as I watch the mace crash into his back, sending her to the ground.

Oh no! Poor Telina! Xander better smarten up and realize his potential or they're all goners.

Excellent battle scene Taillus. Your stuff is impressive as always.

poor Telina? Well if I know that lady right, she will not only survive this attack, she will hit back! Ohhh great story Taillus.....really a good read!

Umm, ouch? I suppose Xander can't summon the great power of imagination and blow up all of this fake Vvardenfell along with Taillus? Ok, I definitely don't know how to get out of this.

All right. Time to end this Chapter and bring this story to an end. I belive this will be over by the end of Chapter 7 or at the very latest, Chapter 8. I hope you all have enjoyed this story to this point but after the Hero in Disguise, I will be starting a new series with entirely new characters. Perhaps a cameo or two will be seen but I am not sure at this point. Anyway, Enjoy the finale to this chapter and I hope it is to everyone's liking.


Just as Taillus was about to force the mace to collide with the fallen Telina again, I step in and catch the head of the mace in my gauntlets. I can feel the mace draw my energy from me even in holding it so I aim a knee into Taillus’ ribcage sending him back a few steps as to give me some breathing room.

I decide to drop my sword and accumulate some magicka for an attack. I had to get Taillus down so I could have enough time to check on Telina. I was surprised that she went down that fast, I thought she was as strong as Taillus but that is impossible. No one can beat this man… No, that is not true! What am I saying? Taillus has already been beaten! I beat him already! This is my fight and he will lose just as he has lost many times before.

I scream out my spell as my hands make the motions to activate the attack. Elemental Trifecta was my best chance to put him down for the count weather he liked to admit it or not I knew it was a powerful spell. Before Taillus could react, I released my magicka sending the attack screaming in his direction. I watched as he raised his hands to block the attack but it was no use. The attack exploded on contact in an array of colors. Sparks of blue, red and yellow lit up the darkened sky bringing Taillus to his knees.

I wasn’t about to end there. As Taillus was wheezing, trying to catch his breath I fortified my strength and speed with a quick spell before running at him, using his state to my advantage. With a fierce kick, I launched Taillus upward, letting my boot collide with his chest. As Taillus hung in mid air for a second or two, I charged my most powerful fire spell. I let the magic grow in my hands as the sheer power of it made my body twitch. Finally as gravity was bringing him back to the ground, I released my attack, letting it send Taillus higher into the sky while the magic tore through his armor, reducing it to dust.

With adrenaline and pure rage flowing through my body, I brought my magicka to new levels with a spell I wasn’t sure I could even do. I clenched my fists, wishing Taillus would plummet hard to the ground at my feet. Just as I clenched my fists, Taillus stopped in mid fall. With a move of my hand, Taillus moved with it. Finally, before the effect wore off, I forcefully brought my hands downward making Taillus’ body scream downward with enough force to blast through the stone pillar we were all on, creating a large crater only ten feet away from where I stood.

Telina and I both gasped in shock as Taillus was driven into the stone ground at our feet seemingly from a powerful telekinetic spell I had never known I was capable of. I wanted to pummel Taillus with everything I had while Telina watched over me. With Taillus still struggling to even move after my surprising attack, I jumped forward, ready to attack without a moment’s notice. My blade that I had previously cast aside, threw itself into the air before landing squarely in my right hand as I met the now standing Taillus, swinging mightily at his chest.

Taillus, now without armor because of my violent display of magicka ducked and weaved as best he could but received a few large cuts from my blade. I managed to break his thick skin thrice making him wince and cry out in pain. Telina jumped in to give me a quick breath of air, launching him backwards with a spell of force that threw him headlong into the stone floor many feet away.

Telina decided to light Taillus up once again with a fierce lightning spell that seemed to increase in ferocity each second. Large blue tendrils of energy shook Taillus like he was just an infant. I watched as the lightning surged around his body, making his muscles twitch badly. Thinking quickly, I launched a complimentary attack, casting a dire weakness to shock on his body making the pain multiply exponentially.

Taillus seemed to pulsate with magicka as Telina and I both launched a fury of attacks. After Telina grew weary from her spell I decided to stand in her place, violently shaking Taillus with a wicked lightning attack of my own. His wounds were seeping blood making his knees wobble and his muscles were tensed and flexed from the searing pain of our combined lightning magic. Just as our reserves of magicka were all but completely drained, Taillus was beaten.

Finally, Taillus fell to his knees, devoid of all life but not before a rogue spear screamed by Telina and I, catching our foe in the middle of his upper chest, where his collarbones meet his neck. The spear glowed purple for a split second before Taillus keeled over, completely dead. Looking behind us, we were treated to the sight of another Taillus who was badly beaten, bloodied and sickly. We both watched as his long and tiring fight concluded, giving him the chance to realize his wounds. I reached out, grabbing the falling and unconscious second Taillus knowing instantly that he was the good version of my Nemesis.

Telina and I watched as our view changed before our eyes. Now we were standing back in the basement floor of Frostcraig Spire with all of our allies applauding. Taillus was still alive but I was confident that we had defeated his evil self. Telina patted me on the shoulder, congratulating me in my mind and after a hardy celebratory meal and a few drinks, we retired for the night leaving me actually excited for what would follow…

The next morning; Telina, Aeriandala, Merin and I ventured into the basement to see how Taillus was feeling. He was awake, but unable to move or speak. I watched as Telina stood at his side, placing a hand on his forehead. After a few moments of silence, Telina revealed to us that we were free to remove his restraints.

“The evil inside of him has long since disappeared. It seems that Taillus wants to talk to Xander privately for a few moments.” Telina states as Aeriandala began removing the Prisoner of Greed items from Taillus’ body. In an instant, Taillus was freed from his prison. If we were wrong and the evil Taillus still held strong, we would all be doomed but I gave Telina the benefit of the doubt and waited for Taillus to drink some spring water so he could speak.

I was not sure what to expect from him. Was he still going to hate me for trapping him in Oblivion, is he going to still want to kill me? Or was he going to understand why I had to do all of this and ask for forgiveness? I watched as he shakily got to his feet. Having been strapped to the pillar behind him for quite some time I was surprised that he could actually still stand. I watched as he eyed me carefully, seeing himself in me. I could tell he was confused and we would have to take it very slow in order for him to understand correctly.

Finally he approached me, clearly with a head full of questions. I decided to lead him to the upper level of the spire so that we could all explain to him what he had been through. It was going to be a very long day for all of us.

Jeez, Taillus got his rear end thoroughly kicked! That was an epic display of a whoopin' I've even seen! And now we find out what the good Taillus thinks of the events that has happened with him.

I can't wait to see how that will go!

That was a spectacular fight. So satisfying, in fact, that I almost forgot that it occurred entirely within Taillus' mind. It was wonderful to see the "good" Taillus appear at the end of the fight; I'm glad that there was still good within him. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say to Xander in the wake of this internal struggle.