Reading about the carnage in that room has left me to feel very afraid about what Ra'Trith can do to people. I hope our adventurers will figure out a way to handle that vile murderer.

Now I wonder what's on that letter....

Marsh looked at him without saying a word. Aran threw his price into the Argonian’s hands. The words that followed made his heart freeze.
,,So, are the guys in there still sleeping?” He looked at Rajn, stunned.
,,Did she already see? Then how come she acts so light under it?” He asked himself and feared the answer.
,,I swear, you’re the least sneaky person I know. If those guys are still sleeping after you rummaged through the place, they’re either very drunk or have smoked the wrong stuff.” The girl added. Aran then remembered that she’d once said something to the effect of everything being blurry to her unnatural sight. She’d seen it, only she hadn’t realized what she’d seen. He felt a wave of relief was over him.
,,Yeah, all drunk. It’s really embarrassing and I didn’t want you to see.” He said, elaborating on the framework she’d already provided him.

,,Riiiight. You’re hiding something, and it isn’t a bunch of drunks.” Rajn replied with a sarcastic tone. The relief he’d felt vanished right then. His mind milled over the dilemma. On the one hand, he really didn’t want her to know. Marsh was neutral in the whole affair. He wouldn’t go look for himself but he wouldn’t help to get Rajn off the subject either. Aran wondered if he could make up a convincing lie but realized he couldn’t. It wasn’t in his blood. The only thing he could say in a convincing way was the truth, which was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid. He knew of only one solution. An appeal to her loyalty.
,,Listen, Rajn. If you trust me, you will control that thrice-cursed curiosity of yours just for this one time.” He pleaded.

The Bosmer was silent for a long time.
,,Ok, I promise. I swear it on my soul. Good enough?” She finally answered. The Dunmer nodded.
,,Yes, that is good enough. Now why did you lead us here in the first place?” He asked, finally able to relax. The Bosmer turned to the wall she’d been leaning against and kicked a brick just above the floor. An unsees mechanism creaked and the wall sank into the floor with a loud rumble.
,,I saw this secret passage. This should get us out and away easily. It does lead through a Goblin nest though.” She explained while casting a short glance at the ceiling.
,,That’s odd. The furrball just lobbed….a torch over the wall?” She muttered. Marsh blinked and then hissed.
,,Of course, the Orcs! I knew there was something odd with them. The Khajiit’s mission was to pave the way for them. Now they’ll come flooding in and kill everything that moves. Let’s go.” He spoke, ducked and crawled through the narrow hole. On the other side, he found that the ceiling was high enough for him to stand.

Aran was about to follow when a thought made him hesitate.
,,Rajn, we’re going deep underground through narrow passages infested with goblins and rats.” He said slowly. He felt two hands push against his back.
,,Don’t you think that is the first thing I noticed? Of course it’s cramped in there. But I’m not alone and I’ve been through this once before. Anything is better right now than walking out through the front gates. I’ll worry about myself, you worry about the goblins. Now get moving!”

Marsh waited till the two elves had joined him before casting a heyat to serve as a floating torch. Not only did it light up the tunnels enough for them to see, it was also a handy deterrent that scared away a large rat. He didn’t know how frightened a goblin would be though. He looked at Rajn, whose breathing came loud and fast.
,,Rajn?” He asked.
,,I’m fine! Just get moving before I suffocate in here!” The girl hissed back at him. Marsh shrugged and set out into the narrow passage.
,,Aran, would you be so kind and take the lead? I’ll come up second and Rajn comes up last.”

While they were walking, the Argonian unfolded the letter. Keeping one eye at the tunnel up ahead, one eye on the paper, one part of his mind on his spell and the other on the writing, he began to read.

To Erick Stonekeep, king of Stonekeep

I, Uriel Septim VII, emperor of Tamriel, have written this letter to address a very important matter. I have long been entertained by your stories of adventure and delving into old and forgotten places in search of treasure. It is due to this reason that I have directed this letter at you.

Since recently, there have been rumours about an ancient artefact, known as the Tooth of Chaos. I asked the Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, for further information. He revealed to me that this artefact is a weapon, capable of making or breaking an empire. He further revealed to me that the Tooth of Chaos has been referenced in an old prophecy. I shall quote the prophecy directly to please your curiosity.

,,And in the waning days, when the Dragon’s breath shall falter under the shadow of deceit, a traitor shall rise and betray his master for an old promise, once given in a moment of folly. And night shall fall upon dawn’s beauty. Forces from beyond the Ebony jaws shall enter in disguise. Chaos shall come, shining like gold yet burdened by sin. And his tooth shall fall, shattered in eight. And the tooth shall be united, by an unknown hand. This hand will decide when the next morning shall come, with dawn’s beauty as its arena.”

While the prophecy is delightfully cryptic in places and even ‘feels’ sloppy, I cannot allow this possible threat to occur. Through this, and through the trust I place in you, I ask of you to collect a fragment of this tooth. My scholars have ascertained its location. It is marked on the map I’ve sent with this letter.

Good luck.

Uriel Septim VII, Emperor of Tamriel.

Marsh sniffed. There was something odd about the letter. Something didn’t match. The prophecy was crude, with none of the style that accompanied the two prophecies he was familiar with. And why would the Emperor trust this minor king like that? Why had the letter not been burned, as it should have?

He unwrapped the scroll and took a peek at it. It was a crude map of Hammerfell, with a single cross near a sketched mountain with a castle on its top. ‘Dragon’s gate, first piece.’
,,This is so odd.” He noted to himself and checked the date, only to find out that it had been written today.
,,Impossible! No letter can make it to Hammerfell in a day, not without a shiftgate! And even then, it shouldn’t be here! It is as I suspected, someone has planted this here without king Erick’s knowing. But who? Not Jagar Tharn the usurper. He would never allow any information regarding a weapon that can ‘make or break an empire’ to leave the palace.”

He looked at one corner of the letter. There was a signature, in very fine handwriting.
,,A.L.”
Next to the signature was a small sketch, of a sun rising up over a tree. Marsh made up his mind. Whoever had written this had given them enough information to proceed to Dragon’s gate and find a fragment of this Tooth of Chaos. He would bring up the plan of going to Dragon’s gate. It was the best option they had. They were only going to Rihad because of something queen Barenziah had desired. After that they would move on to Valenwood, in search of a shadow. Here however was a solid plan, with a clear destination and purpose. And the Tooth of Chaos had been mentioned in his own prophecy.
,,If it can make or break an empire, it can make or break Jagar Tharn. This must have been placed here for us. It makes me wonder though who our mysterious benefactor is?”


Outside the castle, Ra’trith sat on a rock just on the other side of the river. The last Orc had just stormed through the now smashed and broken gates.
,,Well, good night to you.” The Khajiit leaped off his rock and aimed a deadly kick at whoever had sneaked up on him. It was an instinctive reaction, one he happily followed. But his foot hit nothing but empty air. He planted both his feet firmly on the ground and looked around him, observing with both eyes and ears. There he was, standing only two steps away.
,,Revarim Kendri, what are you doing here?!” Ra’trith snarled.

The old Redguard smiled, looking completely at ease despite being in the prescense of what the Dark Brotherhood considered to be the most dangerous assassin to walk the land. And the Dark Brotherhood’s opinion regarding assassins was respected among those with less knowledge.
,,I am just wandering about.” The man answered with his cryptic voice. Ra’trith was not amused.
,,Really? You just walked into death’s open arms!” He spat at the old man. Now Revarim Kendri laughed.

To the assassin’s increasing confusion, the Redguard sat down on the rock and then produced a bottle of flin and two mugs.
,,Care for a flin? It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” He spoke casually.
,,This man is insane!” Ra’trith thought but he had to admit to himself that the man had piqued his interest. For the moment, all thoughts of killing were gone from his mind. A bit warily, he sat down on the rock next to the Redguard.
,,Why be carefull? If he wants to kill me, he can do it before I get the chance to blink.”

Kendri looked up at the stars while sipping from his flin.
,,The stars are beautiful, don’t you think? Imagine, each star holding worlds so strange, it boggles the mind. And to think my son has gone to one of them. Ah, how I miss him. And how I miss her.” He mumbled.
,,His son is on a star? He’s definitely insane.”
,,But a bird has to leave its nest and learn how to fly. It won’t be long, just a few decades, before he’ll be a match for his uncle. Add a few centuries, and he’ll even surpass me. Yes, it’s good to see a child surpass his parents. It makes life worth living.”

The Redguard turned to the Khajiit seated next to him.
,,So, embodiment of darkness, what have you been up to?” He asked as if they were old friends. Ra’trith felt the confusion increase even more.
,,The normal stuff.” He said in the end. Kendri nodded with a pitiful look.
,,I presume you mean killing. I can follow your reasoning. What’s dead can’t hurt you. But have you ever considered the advantages of sparing someone’s life?” He replied.

,,What advantages? There are none.” Ra’trith claimed at which the old man shook his head.
,,There, my young friend, there you are wrong. There are advantages with mercy. How to put it? Consider this for a moment. You have just defeated someone in combat. His life is in your hands. You can take it, or spare it. You spare his life and walk away. What happens? By walking away, you show that you don’t fear the revenge of him or his allies. By turning your back on the one you’ve defeated you make him realize how futile resistance really was. Neither he nor his allies will come for you as in their mind, any attempt to kill you would only end in disaster. Even if they could succeed, they won’t realize it. You have removed a threat in your footsteps while at the same time preserved a future source of information or whatever you might need. If you would kill him, you would be practically assured that an attempt at revenge would someday follow.”

The Redguard stood up.
,,Well, it has been a pleasure talking with you, but I must be going. The ones you are following are no longer here by the way. If you want to find their trail again, go to a place known as the Dragon’s gate. Here’s a map.” A scroll appeared out of thin air into the wrinkled hands. The man put it down on the ground and vanished without a trace the moment after. Ra’trith stared at the scroll, utterly confused.
,,Strange old man.”






And here ends this chapter. I expect to move back to Novis while the 'heroes' travel to Dragon's gate.

Wow, lots of questions are raised in this installment. Like, whose providing the maps for our band of heroes? And what exactly is this crazy Redguard up to? Definitely interesting...

Very fine work, jack. Your story weaving is becoming a thrill to read. Keep it up, my friend!

Edit: Could anyone give me some more information on the Staff of Chaos, Jagar Tharn and especially Ocato? I can't get on the Imperial Library for some reason.




Chapter 5: The first lesson.

,,Well, now this is interesting.” Novis thought as he stood in a corner of the great hall. Together with him, there were five people spread about the chamber. Apart from Ei-Rin the Argonian, they were all new faces to him. He saw what looked like a big cat, a really short elf and a greyskinned elf who looked more like a warrior than a mage.
,,Wew, three elves and two beasts. This is going to be fun.” The Altmer thought.

He changed his opinion when the Khajiit and the Bosmer threw themselves at each other without warning. The same had happened between Ei-Rin and the Dunmer. Insults, threats and taunts were flung around freely.
,,Ah crap, I’m going to be the only student left if it keeps up like this!” Novis pushed himself away from the pillar he’d been leaning against and ran to the center of the room. How to stop the clashing parties? Nodding to himself, he raised a hand at the ceiling and called upon his simple repertoire of spells, amplifying his choice as far as he dared.

An intense beam of light flashed upwards from his hand, spiralling towards the ceiling where it hit with a deafening bang. Novis managed a light smile when he saw that everyone stopped fighting and instead stared at the source of the noise. Then a loud crack reached his ears and he glanced up.
,,Frick!” He shouted and dove away before he would be flattened.

Moments after the chaos had ended, the swhirling waters of a shiftgate flowed into existence and deposited Harms on the red carpet. The Imperial shook off the water and looked at his pupils with a dissatisfied expression. He saw three bloody noses, some scratches, some bruises and one clumsy Altmer who wished really hard that he wouldn’t notice the large pile of rubble littering the floor. Harms glanced up at the ceiling and noticed the large gap in it.
,,I’ve been away from Tamriel for too long.” He muttered to himself and shook his head.
,,It is part of the rules here at the Battlespire that fighting is forbidden unless supervised by Master Borog. This is not Tamriel. Any war fought there will not transfer to this place. Am I clear?” He said loudly.

The group nodded meekly.
,,Good. Now since this is the first time and in part my own fault, you will not be punished. Next time however, such transgressions will not be looked on kindly.” He added and dropped the subject.
,,Moving back to the schedule, let me give out some quick introductions. Ei-Rin the Argonian, Favel Dres the Dunmer, Novis the Altmer, Bedroth Treesap the Bosmer and Ekapi the Khajiit. Welcome to the Battlespire on the first day of your training. The training consists of classes where you will learn about theoretic and practical subjects, and regular projects which promote self-teaching. Novis, your first project is to find a way to use your shaping talent to get that pile of rubble back where it belongs. On the ceiling. With the carving intact.”

Harms led the group into one of the many hallways.
,,For your first day, we’ll be looking at your specific talents and what selection of skills fit best for you. We have twenty years to train five students, so personal training schedules are the norm rather than the exception. Tomorrow we will give you your first real lesson which builds on what we’ll learn about you today.”

Separated by the infinite distance of the planes of reality, the Imperial palace was silent and dark during the night. This silence though, was an illusion. If anything, there was twice as much scheming going on right now than during the day. Jagar Tharn was standing on the balcony connected to his room. He had shed his disguise as the emperor and enjoyed the moment of rest. He looked down on the empty streets, a look of sadness in his eyes.
,,You’re all being ruled by a grotesque lie. I can’t do this, I can’t keep deceiving everyone.” He shouted into the night, hoping that someone, anyone would hear it.

,,You have to keep it up. You know that.” A voice answered. Jagar scowled and turned away from the old Imperial who had appeared out of thin air.
,,I know, Aureus. I know. It is just that I don’t know if I can do this.” He said. The Imperial shrugged and looked out over the city without saying a single word.
,,Aureus, my friend. Did you do it?” The Imperial Battlemage asked after a while.
,,Yes, the bait has been placed and taken. There was a minor complication, so I had to improvise.”

Jagar nodded.
,,Good. The plan must be kept on course, whatever the cost. If it fails, we will be set back by years. There has been a complication on my side as well. I have defused most of it, but I still fear that Valenwood and Elsweyr can erupt into open warfare. I want you to go to the border and limit the engagements as much as you can. Do whatever you feel is necessary. And stay away from people’s throats.” He said with a slight chuckle. His vampiric friend hadn’t drunk a drop of blood in the last twothousand years. The Imperial gave a curt nod and vanished the same way he’d appeared. Jagar Tharn clamped the railed. A light breeze tugged at his robe as the air flowed into the manshaped vacuum next to him.
,,Yes, the plan must be protected till it has matured, far enough to achieve its goal.”

Lots of thinking in this one. Enjoy.



Novis looked over his shoulder at the rubble he’d left.
,,Way to make a first impression. Frick, how am I ever going to get that stuff back on the ceiling? It’s like ten floors up!” He thought and felt like he could kick himself. Something poked him between the ribs without warning and he jumped a bit to the left while looking to the right. The Bosmer gave a jolly smirk and theatrically pulled his thumb back.
,,Oh, and apparently the shortie is up to something. Just great.”

,,Umm, what?” Novis asked after the tense silence became too much for his nerves.
,,What a show! Boom, and the whole ceiling comes down! Whee, the stories they tell about you uptight snobs sure aren’t exaggerated!” The little guy said with an oddly squeeling voice. Novis frowned while he put his hands in his pockets. After his last spell, he didn’t trust his own judgement about what was enough and what was too much.
,,Uptight snob?” He instead asked as neutral as he could.
,,Well, at least one person is impressed by my act of redecoration. But calling me a snob right afterwards? Frick.”

The Bosmer brought up a hand to his mouth in a show of mock surprise.
,,Oops, did I say that out loud? Anyway, I wanted to thank you. That furrball was all over me. Thanks for getting it focussed on the roof coming down.” He replied, still with that squeeling voice. Novis kept himself from shaking his head.
,,Don’t tell me this clown is supposed to become a first-class mage.”
,,You’re welcome, I guess. But don’t you think that attacking someone who is a head taller than you and outfitted with claws is a bad idea?” The Altmer said with an added touch of sarcasm. While he wouldn’t admit it, he could be a bit snobbish at times. Especially when he thought that someone had done something incredibly stupid.

,,Well, I would have stuck with what I do best, turning that furball into a pincushion. But you see, I have a sister and she borrowed the only bow in the family so I was, emptyhanded. I’m Bedroth by the way, call me Bed.” Bedroth whispered in a conspiring tone and stuck out his hand. Novis looked at the hand, but didn’t shake it yet.
,,Oh, frick. Now I’m thinking politics. Shake this guy’s hand, and the Khajiit will hate you forever. Hmm, gain the enmity of a pile of claws or a little archer. I guess I’ll take my chances in case he finds a bow around here.” He reasoned with himself and shook the Bosmer’s hand, fully aware of the yellow eyes glaring at his back.

,,Ok, Bed. So is your sister called Pillow?” He joked.
,,Ok, worst display of humor ever. How often can I screw up during a single day? Wew, now I’ve got to watch my back for the Khajiit. Maybe I should have thought this over a bit more.”To his surprise, Bedroth actually laughed at the bad humor.
,,Pillow?! You’re killing me! Pillow, wait till I tell her that. She’ll go absolutely nuts! I’d better not. It would be bad for you. No, she’s not called Pillow.”

Ahead of the group, Harms stopped at a door made of plain wood. He made a few gestures with his hands and a lock clicked.
,,Listen up, everyone. Open spell, one of the first spells you’ll learn. Most doors here are locked with low-level lock spells. I expect that you will be able to open them on your own within a week. Restricted areas are locked with higher-grade spells. You won’t be able to open those till you’ve advanced far enough in your training.” He explained as he led his students through the now open door.

The room beyond the door was as unassuming as the door itself had been. There was a desk on one end, and two desks opposite. A few candles on the wall complemented the scene. What came next was obvious. Harms went behind the single desk and the others all gathered themselves at the other two desks. Novis found himself behind the desk closest to the door, sandwitched between Bedroth and the Dunmer whose name he’d already forgotten.
,,Yo, elves got to stick together, don’t you think? Pointy ears forever.” Bedroth commented which made the Dunmer sneer.
,,Eh, right.” Novis mumbled.

Harms raised his hand above the table and waited till he was sure of everyone’s full attention. Then, he opened his hand with the palm up and caused a silver dagger to shimmer into view. He held up the dagger for a moment and then allowed it to vanish.
,,Shehai. An old Redguard trick so to speak. Handy for opening letters and the like though more commonly used to perform an autopsy on a living subject. Anyway, it is mandatory that every Royal Battlemage masters the Shehai. It is a symbol of our office, so to speak. Not to mention that a Shehai practically means you’ll never be found empty-handed. Unlike the Redguard Ansei though, you will be free in what you choose, as long as it is appropriate. So no pink flowers, please.” He spoke solemnly.
,,We had that once, and it was horrible.” The Imperial thought and inwardly laughed at the memories.
,,Now, I want you to raise your hand above the desk and focus. Imagine a weapon, any weapon. Now force it into existence, into your hand.”

Everyone did as said. For a while, Novis simply stared at his hand without actually doing anything.
,,A weapon? Oh boy, I don’t know what to choose. Ok, I’ll just scrap what I don’t want and take what’s left. A bow, not without arrows. An axe is too heavy, so is a hammer. Sword would be a classic, but one slip and I lose my hands. A dagger, like Harms? Nah, too short. Ah, what the frick. I’ll just go with a piece of wood. Like I’m going to need a weapon after a bazillion ‘how to blow things up’ lessons.”

He focussed, imagining a smooth shaft of wood. Yet his hand remained empty. He focussed harder, going so far as to develop the intricate lines in the wood in his mind. Still nothing happened. Only a bead of sweat dripped from his forehead.
,,Frick! Why isn’t it working?” He carefully cast a glance at the other pupils. To his relief, no one had actually managed to form a Shehai. Now he didn’t feel like a fool so much. But to his great surprise, Bedroth had conjured a grey whisp of smoke which he was now trying to stretch and press into a shape only he knew, with wild gestures of his hands.
,,You’re kidding me. An Altmer like me completely fails at this simple starter’s test and a little clown manages. Frick!”

Novis threw himself back on the test with doubled efforts. A single moment, he thought he saw a small spark leap across his fingers, though it might just be a reflection of the candlelight on his golden skin.
,,And even if it isn’t, I’m probably casting a lightning spell which is not what I’m looking for.” He thought when someone clapped his hands. Everyone looked up. Bedroth’s smoky construct vanished without a trace.
,,I’d say that is enough for now. The Shehai is a complex idea, a realization of will. It takes weeks to master its basic form and years to reveal its true potential. You’ll practice many times but for now, we have other things scheduled.”

Hmm, lots of interesting things over these last couple of updates. The hidden motivation behind Jagar Tharn and Aureus has me speculating on what is actually going on. It almost appears that Tharn is just a pawn in the greater scheme of things by the way he's acting.

Also, Novis' first day of lessons and meeting the others was indeed humourous, especially the fact that Bed seems to be more magically suceptible to the SheHai. I look forward to more of these lessons.

Heh, I'm definitely taking a lot of artistic license with Tharn. What can I say? I like my Tharn better than the official one.




Harms turned to the wall behind him and muttered an incantation, too soft for his pupils to hear. It wouldn’t do them any good even if they did hear. The vocal part of any spell is merely an aid to help focus. The real spell is formed in the mind, an abstract result of will, imagination and focus. He couldn’t help but laugh whenever he heard of how a supposedly almighty mage was defeated simply because he had been silenced. That mage hadn’t been defeated by his enemy, but by his own belief that vocalizing was an essential part. In essence, he had silenced himself by believing in the effect of the spell cast upon him.

As he finished his incantation, the wall vanished, first becoming transparent before losing all visibility. Behind the wall, a second room was revealed, one filled with all kinds of arcane tools, books and an ordinary broom.
,,Namely, trying to figure out what kind of spells you are best suited for. To do that, we have a nice little gadget, a relic we once got from the Psijic order. Quite a nice item.” He said while rummaging through the racks and boxes till he found what he needed.

The ‘gadget’ was minitarue mockup of Nirn with Masser and Secunda, all suspended above a bronze dome by metal rings. At each side of the dome, there were two handholds. The Imperial tapped Masser with his finger and pushed it along its ring to see if everything was smoothly functioning. He repeated the process with Nirn and Secunda before he gave a satisfied nod and planted the peculiar object on the table.
,,Now let’s see, who to begin with? Ah, Bedroth, why don’t you come forward?” He spoke and waved the little Bosmer over with his hand. Bedroth grinned sheepishly and hopped over his desk and landed near the Battlemage.
,,Show-off.” Ekapi the Khajiit whispered, yet still loud enough for everyone to hear.
,,Well, even though I’ve just allied myself against you, I concur. That was pure showing off.” Novis thought.

,,Now, grab onto the handholds with both hands. No need to hold tightly, just a light touch is enough.” Harms instructed and watched as Bedroth took hold of the mockup.
,,Good, let’s begin. Now focus as well as you can. Imagine a wall of pure force around you, a wall that can shield you from anything that might happen to be flying, from the smallest pebble to the largest mountain.” The grey Imperial instructed next. Bedroth looked like he didn’t quite know what to think of this but he complied, trying his best to imagine what a flying mountain would be like in the process. Before everyone’s eyes, Masser and Secunda trembled but they did not move. Harms frowned as he looked at the object and poked in the air with his finger, till he touched the Bosmer’s forehead who let out a surprised yelp.

,,Hmm, nothing. Alright then, let’s move on to the next one. Imagine that you’re invisible, that no one can see you no matter how hard they try. I’m not talking about hiding in the shadows here, I’m talking about not being seen despite standing in broad daylight right in front of someone’s nose.” He said next and again the two moons trembled upon the elaborate construction but they still didn’t move. Harms brought out several more ideas, all with the same result. Finally, he dismissed Bedroth and the Bosmer returned to his seat, looking rather glum after his failure.

,,Perhaps….perhaps it isn’t working right. I need to find out.” Harms thought out loud.
,,Very well. Novis, you are so far the only one who has already displayed skill with Magicka so you shall take the test next. Not only will we find out where your talents lie, but I’ll also see if this thing isn’t broken. The Divines know it’s a thousand years older than it should.” He waved over the Altmer. Novis moved past Bedroth on his way to the desk.
,,Yo, maybe you could….screw up or something. Just to not make me look bad.” The little guy whispered at the considerably taller elf.
Novis shook his head slightly.
,,And look bad myself? No way. Though I do wonder why there was no reaction. I mean, he was the best at the Shehai earlier.”

Novis gripped the handholds like Bedroth had before him and focussed on the test. He began with the wall of force. As soon as he focussed, Masser and Secunda slowly but surely began to orbit the miniature Nirn.
,,It does work as it should.” Harms mumbled and barked a whole list of orders right afterwards. Novis did his best to keep up. At times, Masser and Secunda would slow down while at others, they would accelerate. After barely a minute, Harms gave his last order, to imagine himself suddenly standing somewhere else without having moved. With a loud clash of falling metal, the ancient device dropped to the floor and broke into countless pieces, exposing its internal mechanisms of gears and springs.

,,Frick!” Novis shouted half in surprise, half in fear of what new punishment he might receive for breaking everything.
,,First the roof, now this. How often can I screw up on one day? Well, at least I gave Bedroth his wish. I screwed up and made myself look bad. Damn, who knew that thing was so heavy without a table to support it?” He thought to himself. When he warily glanced at Harms, he saw that the Imperial was rubbing his goatee while looking at the mess with an odd expression.
,,The rest of todays lessons shall be delayed. Return to your rooms. Those of you who arrived today, ask one of your fellow students to show you where to look.” He spoke and the class filed out towards the door.
,,Novis, follow me.” Harms ordered as he went off in the opposite direction.
,,Frick! I’m toast!”

A have a sinking suspicion that Harms isn't going to be that angry with Novis. Call it a hunch.

You and your hunches. Anyway, a really short update. Ok, I need an excuse for that. What about this one?
This update brings about the end of a really short chapter and it is not fitting to start a new chapter in the same update. Also I have written a scene of a potential Oblivion fanfic, in which Mankar Camoran gloats a lot before realizing that he's utterly screwed after the protagonist said just one sentence. Everything else is classified information.




Harms eventually led Novis into an office. Like with the hidden room of earlier, it was cramped with all kinds of odd curiosities as well as a large pile of scrolls filled with jerky writing. Novis heard the door close with a feeling of impending doom. The blank gaze the imperial transfixed upon him brought his nerves to the point of exploding.
,,What do you have to say?” The Battlemage eventually asked with a voice that was barely heard over the silence in the room.

,,Er..I’m really sorry. I didn’t meant to….I mean…I” Novis stammered. Harms cut him off by raising his hand.
,,It is not the first time someone broke it. Breaking is part of learning how to build. No, I want to know what you thought of your teleportation. Or rather, what you thought during your teleportation.” He explained. Novis let out the breath he didn’t knew he had been holding. He wasn’t going to be punished for that, it seemed.
,,Well, nothing. I don’t remember thinking anything.”

Harms turned away and looked at a large painted view of the Imperial city from a nearby mountainside.
,,There are many kinds of teleportation, yet they all have one thing in common. They require a destination, an image. That is how the mark and recall combo operates. The mark forms an image, an ‘anchor’ for the recall. In some places, like Vvardenfell in the east, the temples of the local gods are marked with a symbol that acts as an anchor for any believer who wishes to teleport to the nearest temple. As a result, teleportation is bound to a single plane, for one cannot create an image of a plane one has never seen.” He spoke with his back turned.
,,Yet, all teleportation is an area of effect by its very definition. All desired parts, like the limbs, need to be transported. Not to mention variables, like clothing. As such, teleportation is done in the form of a sphere in which everything is transported, even the ground. Therefore, the advice to all teleporters to jump before teleportation. But that was not the case here.”

The old man took a short pause, long enough for Novis to shift uncomfortably.
,,I know the sound of air filling a spherical vacuum as left after teleportation. Yet this time, the sound was different. An irregular vacuum, skintight and taking only that which was desired to be teleported, without any conscious effort on your part. You didn’t even take the time to form yourself an image. And there is only one conclusion I can draw.” He turned around and fell silent again. After a long wait, he spoke.
,,You are dismissed, Novis. Go to the library and get a book that details the architecture of the Battlespire, you will need it in order to repair the ceiling. That is all.”

After Novis had left, Harms again turned towards the painting.
,,It is in his blood to shift from place to place, across the planes if needed. The answers are hard to find, yet I must persevere. I will ask my friends to aid me.”

Ahhh strange potential. Always a nice thing to have. I look forward to the continuation of this story.

Heh, the shifting is from my personal universe. There it is teleportation, but with a two metres limit, no dimensionhopping and some really high frequency. Just for comparison, a camera capable of making 2000 shots each second won't be able to catch the shifting. Since there is not enough time for gravity effects, shifting can be used as a form of flight. If shifting though, breathing is impossible because the air molecules never get the time to enter the lungs after being pushed away by the body popping into existence. The two persons using it both compensate the same way they compensate for being coldblooded and living in a frozen landscape colder than Solstheim. They wish the air into their lungs.

Novis's version has a slower frequency, slow enough to be actually visible to the naked eye if one is paying attention. On the other hand, his maximum movement with each shift has been increased to ten metres and he can do dimensionhopping. On the other hand, he can't do the 'summon air into the lungs' thing. Anyway, update!



Chapter 6: The Dragon’s maw.

They looked upon the Dragon’s gate. It was a simple stone construct, elegant in its simplicity. On its flat top however, was a gigantic statue of a Dragon, suspended between two pillars. A small distance from the gate was a large castle whose walls were beginning to crack after long years of neglect. With the Dragon on one side and the castle on the other, it was an impressive sight indeed.

,,If cell 3 holds brass, cell 2 holds the gold key. If cell 1 holds gold, cell 3 holds brass. If cell 2 holds brass, cell 3 holds the gold key.” Rajn mumbled to herself as she’d been mumbling for three days now.
,,Still going on about that riddle the shopkeeper gave you?” Aran asked dryly.
,,Uhuh. I just can’t figure it out. If one goes, the other doesn’t. I can’t make sense of it! At least I got some nice jewellery while he was giving the riddle. Like my necklace? Look, real Ebony!” The girl replied and smiled.
,,If it wasn’t for the prophecy, I would’ve never brought a thief along.” Marsh noted.

,,So where do we look first?” Aran asked the Argonian in an attempt to change the subject. The fact that he had vowed to protect a thief with his life didn’t sit well with him either. But his honour was at stake and he would not back down. Besides, she did have her good sides, from time to time.
,,Our sources specifically mentioned the Dragon’s gate. According to the locals, the gate is that structure with the dragon. I’d say we go in through there.” Marsh explained. Aran nodded and flipped out the blades on his spear. He had a hunch that they couldn’t just walk in and pick it up, neatly wrapped in paper and sealed with a red ribbon. It would be dangerous.
,,Rajn, stay here.” He commanded.

,,Stay here? I don’t think so. What happened to the ‘all for one, one for all’ spirit?” Rajn complained. She demonstratively pushed past them and jumped on the rocky path leading to the gate.
,,No, you’re staying here! Here it is safer than there. Besides, we’re going underground.” Aran added when he noticed that as usual, she wasn’t listening.
,,So? I’m not a wussie!”

Marsh sighed as the two began to squabble once again.
,,I am with Aran. If I may be so blunt, you would only be a hindrance.” He hissed. Instantly, the girl's glare shifted from the Dunmer to him.
,,A hindrance? Explain!” She shouted.
,,We don’t need a hysterical claustrophobe who tries to strangle my tail while screaming about big dogs trying to eat her.” Marsh shouted back.
,,You didn’t see it! And you shouldn’t have poofed out that light!” Aran felt that this argument was getting a bit too hot now and stepped between them.

,,Stop this! Rajn, you know that you can’t handle being underground. And Marsh, did you ever look at her legs?” He spoke loud and clear. Marsh blinked. He had no idea what this comment was supposed to mean.
,,Look at her legs? What, does he now think I’m some kind of pervert? Heck, she’s an elf, not my type!” He thought.
,,Well hello, little Bosmer to big Dunmer. Of course he didn’t look up my legs! If I wanted people to look up my legs, I would be wearing a skirt! And I don’t wear skirts outdoors! Too breezy and no privacy!” Rajn shrieked. Both the Dunmer and the Argonian frowned.
,,I said, look at your legs, not up.” Aran noted.

,,Marsh, Rajn once nearly got killed by a large wolf or something. I believe she’s still suffering from it. It happened underground. And it was a talking wolf.” He continued. At the last sentence, Marsh’s eyes widened.
,,A lycanthrope?” He asked out loud.
,,I see, my apologies. But I stay at my opinion. You will stay outside. We’ll come back as soon as possible. And don’t worry, I am certain that there isn’t a lycanthrope anywhere near. Their natural habitat is Skyrim. It is too warm for them here.” The Argonian said and motioned to Aran to get moving.
,,You didn’t have to tell him that I have this big trauma.” Rajn grumbled, kicking a pebble.

,,Geez, no fun with these bozos. You’d think that all men outside my twin brother are all either incredibly dull or sick perverts. Eh, I guess I’ll go raid that castle and look for some shiny.” She fumed in silence.
,,And don’t go raid the castle. It is probably not safe there.” Aran called out over his shoulder.
,,Gah! He’s a mindreader!” The girl yelled in shock. Aran rose an eyebrow.
,,A what? I can assure you that I do not read minds, I simply know how you think. And could you pick the door leading into the gate? I’ll see if I can find anything shiny down there to make it up to you.” He grunted. At the mention of shiny, Rajn raced forward and took a lockpick out of her clasp.
,,There you go, have fun. I’ll just go sit there and be bored.” She said after the lock clicked and creaked.

The two men vanished into the dark depths of the Dragon’s gate. Within the cover of the forest that ringed the gate and the castle, two yellow eyes peered out, gazing at the sun and then at the gate.
,,It will be a full moon tonight. And they left her all alone. How fitting, it was the werewolf that injured her, it will now be the werewolf that kills her. I hope you’ve made your peace, Rajn.”


(Yeah, I'm not too sure about leaving Rajn up there, what with Ra'trith tailing them and her insistence on not using her ultra-vision all the time which would point him out in a second. But it feels like the thing they would do right now. Oh, and a small note about the skirt and why she doesn't wear it outdoors. Well remember that she grew up in Fallinesti, a treecity. Open walkways on multiple levels and skirts, you do the math. Skirts are a private, indoors thing there, I'd say. Unless the Bosmer have different decency values.)

Another strong, character building update jack, my friend! I have a hunch that perhaps the altercation between Ra'Trith and the others will be a little more urgent and forceful this time around. We'll see I guess!

Keep it up!

Who is it? Yes that's right, him!



Marsh and Aran looked into the dimly lit corridor up ahead. Old and rusted tracks ran along one side of the wall, soon taking a dive into the gate’s depths.
,,This isn’t a gate. It’s an abandoned mine.” Marsh observed.
,,Hmm, I now doubt the Dwemer involvement as well. The architecture on the castle is nothing like what I’ve seen in the libraries. Nor did the Dwemer have this fascination for dragons.” He added. Aran looked over the rough walls of hewn rock and concluded that he had to agree. This was nothing like the Dwemer ruins he’d explored as a child, despite parental objection.
,,I’ll be a bit more reserved before claiming it to be abandoned. There are torches on the wall, burning torches.” He said, bringing his voice down to a whisper.

Marsh now looked at the row of burning torches as well. He edged closer to the nearest and studied it as well as he could without touching.
,,Magicka. Magic torches. These have been burning for a while, but not for thousands of years. You’re right, friend. This place isn’t as abandoned as we thought.” The Argonian concluded after a while.
,,And look at that split in the path up ahead. The torches only follow one of the paths. Is it a trail?” Right after he’d wondered about this, a gray hand brusquely shoved him back.

,,A trap. And no way to go forward but right through it. Stay behind me, Marsh. And be prepared to cover me.” Aran spoke and put himself in front of the more fragile mage. Marsh nodded behind the warrior’s back and lit up a Heyat.
,,Then let us proceed. If you see any enemy that is clearly of supernatural origin, give me a sign. I smell the scent of necromancy here. Be on the lookout for moving corpses and skeletons.” He hissed. The two retreated into silence and moved into the mine, following the trail that had been set before him.

Outside the gate, Ra’trith pressed himself against the damp ground. He was grateful for the change from a desert to a colder and wetter forest, though the foliage provided other difficulties with sneaking. He felt quite secure with his hiding place. Unlike last time, he had yet to be discovered, and it had been two hours since the elf’s companions left. He looked at the sun and grinned.
,,Just a bit longer. When the moons rise, the time has come.” He gloated.

,,Having a crush on a young lady? You are quite the stalker, it seems.” Ra’trith rolled his eyes and reluctantly peered over his shoulder. A familiar old Redguard leaned against a tree with his arms folded across his chest. His brown robe and equally brown skin were an almost perfect camouflage against the bark of the tree.
,,Revarim Kendri, I do not have a crush on any lady, nor will I ever have. That foolish emotion known as love is only for the weak. If I have nothing to protect, I have nothing that can be taken from me.” He whispered. Not that it really mattered much now. The Redguard had not even attempted to keep his voice down.

Kendri gave one of his peculiar smiles.
,,No need to whisper. There is a silenced zone within ten metres.” He said casually. The assassin peeked his ears.
,,Ten metres? That’s quite a lot. Not something every mage can do.” He realized. Not only was the old Redguard an impressive fighter, but he was also an accomplished mage now. Ra’trith had found a new side to his unwanted follower, a side he’d rather not seen.
,,Just why are you following me?” He asked in a demanding tone.

,,I’m not following you.” Kendri replied which got the Khajiit angry.
,,You are not following me? Then how come you are always getting in the way when I try to do my job? If it wasn’t because of you, I would have been done days ago.” He hissed and fell silent as he came to a realization.
,,You are following them. Why?” He noted to which the Redguard nodded.
,,Sharp, willing to think despite that hotblooded attitude. Even willing to wait and observe the situation in case the first attempt goes wrong. Yes, you do have potential. Perhaps I should watch you more closely.” The old man said mysteriously.

,,Dammit, Kendri! You will answer my questions or you will die!” Ra’trith interrupted which made Kendri laugh.
,,Die this, die that. You have a one-track mind, a flaw that needs to be corrected if you wish to have any chance at achieving your ultimate goal.” Ra’trith got up from the ground and walked closer. The Redguard didn’t move, not even when the Khajiit put a claw on his throat.
,,I could kill you with a single stroke. Do you want to mock me?” He whispered in the man’s ear.
,,I doubt you could, not now and not ever unless something happens to make you learn of the greater power you possess within your soul. I have survived a slitted throat before, give or take a dozen times. It is quite annoying. I can’t speak properly for an hour or two. Very bothersome.” Kendri revealed and now smiled openly, showing a pair of elongated fangs.

Ra’trith jerked back.
,,A vampire. What does a vampire do here? And how does a vampire survive out in the open?” He thought, not realizing he had spoken his thoughts as well. The vampire tucked his hand under his robe and retrieved an amulet with the colour and sheen of wet blood.
,,You should have guessed by now. Why else would Vicente be so interested in disposing of me? I have learned to turn my weakness into an advantage, unlike you. If a vampire can feed, that vampire can walk in the sun as much as he likes. What if that vampire learns how to keep himself fed constantly without requiring a living host? The result stands before you. But enough about me. Now it is time to begin your lesson. Listen and don’t move.”

The Khajiit wanted to answer, to tell the old man to go away but he couldn’t. He couldn’t talk, or even move. He could only breathe. He had been paralyzed.
,,First of all, let’s discuss what you are doing wrong here.” Kendri began as he paced around the frozen form of the assassin.
,,You are here to murder that girl over there who is playing with a small pile of pebbles. Why do you want to kill her? To achieve a form of petty vengeance. This is low, even for the Dark Brotherhood. Vicente has done a bad job raising you. Your skills are impressive, for what they’re worth, yet your soul has been buried deep under that smothering fog of hate.”

Ra’trith’s tail twitched slightly. The paralyzation was losing its effect slowly.
,,You are so obsessed with this that you have forgotten your greater purpose. To assassinate the man who sits on the throne. As it is right now, you don’t stand a chance. I have told you about mercy before, what advantages it can bring. Did you ever hear of the saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’? While it is rather naïve, there is truth. An enemy of an enemy can be your greatest ally. And an alliance, while usually shortlived, has the potential of surviving long after its original purpose has been fulfilled. You don’t understand now but if you take the time to observe and learn from those who you’re following, you will understand someday. And you will know the truth that I’m speaking.” The Redguard stopped in front of the Khajiit’s face.
,,Learn to look beyond your lust for blood. Look at what helps you achieve your goal. And of all things, remember that a strong will cannot be defeated by the swords of an army, or the claws of an assassin. If your will is absolute, you cannot be defeated even by the Daedra. Now if you excuse me, I have business on the Valenwood-Elsweyr border.”

The paralyzation released its hold upon him without warning. Enraged, Ra’trith lunged at the vampire, digging his claws into his face. Or at least, that’s what he tried. Kendri was no longer standing there. Ra’trith felt the air thin as he passed through the location where the man had been. It was as if the man had left a hole in the air where he’d stood.
,,Kendri!” He roared. He could feel it now, the tingle that had been helt back while he was paralyzed. He was beginning to change. The werewolf had been awakened.
,,I’ll deal with you next time. But now, I’ll show you how much petty vengeance pleases me!”

Rajn looked up from her pebble-tower. She’d heard something. Nearby.
,,You may wish to flee for now. That lycantrophe out there is not in a good mood. My apologies, for I believe I was a bit too harsh on its fragile self-image.” A voice whispered in her ear. She jumped up from the rock she’d been seated on and drew her bow as she turned around. Nothing, there was nothing. She now looked more closely, with her unbound eye as well. Once again, nothing. Except a trail of magicka.
,,Drat, somekind of practical joke with magicka-messages. Marsh, I’ll stomp on your tail real hard when you come back. That’s not funny!” She thought. Then something howled which made her turn around again, to face the forestedge. A hulking shadow leaped from the bushed, a hulking shadow with two blazing yellow eyes and two rows of sharp teeth that glittered silvery in the moonlight.
,,Waaaaahhh!!!!!” The Bosmer screamed and ran away in panic.




Wow, I'm really turning Kendri in mystery guy number one here. He just keeps popping up and saying weird stuff. Where did I get this idea in the first place?

Its really not too different from Kriea in KOTOR 2..... Or Nara in my story (yes, I had to reference my own Fan-Fiction)

Haha, I tend to do that too. What can I say, I'm proud of my work.

Anyways. Very solid update. Kendri is quite an interesting character. His motives are something I want to try and figure out. His interaction with Ra'Trith is simply a great read. Continue please!

Oh ho..nice work Jack! Gosh, you guys are so industrious...I just wish I was....So keep it up, I need to read more!

Heh, I guess every story needs at least one mysterious dude or gal. And there's still more to Kendri that I haven't revealed yet though the clues are there, especially for those who've read my earlier fictions. Likewise with Novis, there are some clues that tell you more about him than even he knows.

And Minque, it's all because of school. During breaks there are basically two options. 1: Go outside and smoke, either with your own cigarette or by standing in the smoke of others. (I don't smoke and would likely suffocate.)
2: Go sit in the room where you're supposed to make homework that you don't have and daydream at will.

Three guesses which option I take. And now for the update. It's a bit short but it felt like the right place to stop.




,,Seek rest once more!” Aran shouted and pummelled the skeletal warrior with broad sweeps of his spear, scattering its bones across the room. The undead gave one last pitiful wail and collapsed in a pile on the floor, the axe it had held lay on top as a testament to its forgotten glory. The Dunmer leaned on his spear and looked at the stairs leading down.
,,I hope that was the last one. Necromancy makes me feel uneasy.” He admitted. Marsh said nothing but beckoned his companion to descend the stairs. They could only move forward.

The stepping stones seemed unusually damp. The Argonian bent down and scraped across one of the stones with a finger. Next he brought the finger up to his face and sniffed.
,,A wolf has come here, a breed I’m not familiar with. Quite recently.” He commented. Aran gripped his spear more tightly.
,,You are a better tracker than I am.” He admitted. The bottom of the stairs now came within view.
,,Perhaps, but don’t forget that the land you were born in does not provide much opportunity to hide while my land provides plenty, as well as many kinds of poison. A good nose is essential to survive in Argonia. But this is recognition of smells. If it comes to following tracks, I’d put my money on Rajn back up there.” Marsh replied. They took the last step and entered another room.

A peculiar sight greeted them. They were in a wide corridor, with cells lining both walls. Bowls filled with burning oil lit up the walls that separated each cell. The trampling of countless legs reached their ears and they both felt slightly nervous at the sound. Aran stepped further into the room and moved towards the first cell on his right.
,,Wait, there could be tripwires that trigger a trap. This place feels like a trap through and through.” Marsh hissed urgently. Aran slowed down and now methodically checked the ground before him before making another step. Finally, he’d reached the cell and peered inside.
,,A huge spider, about the size of a dog. And there is a half-rotten corpse near it. The corpse looks like it came off of a horse.” He said, half-surprised and half-disgusted at the sight.

,,All of this sounds quite recent. I wonder if….” Marsh began yet fell silent. He cocked his head to one side and listened. Had he heard something, something that was not excited spiders running around in cells?
,,Marsh?” Aran asked with one eye on the cell and the other on the Argonian.
,,Shhh! I heard something.” Marsh hissed back. Now both listened and tried to shut out the spiders from their mind and focus on that elusive sound they’d heard.

,,Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!” Out of the shadows from the stairs came a small form that rushed right past the mage and didn’t stop till it had wrapped itself around the Dunmer’s leg.
,,Rajn? What are you……We told you to stay outside!” Aran scolded her and rolled his eyes in annoyance.
,,Oh great, what did I say about hysteric claustrophobes?” Marsh sighed.
,,D…..D….Dog! It was big….big and black…a dog!” The Bosmer stammered inbetween panicked screams and gasps for breath.
,,And there’s the dog again.” Marsh commented. He shook his head.

,,Aran, it looks like we’re going to have to knock her out or something. She’s less of a bother as dead weight than she is right now. Or we could head back up and tie her to a tree or something.” He suggested. Aran glared at the Argonian and brusquely shook his head.
,,Marsh, I’m not going to hit her on the head, not ever. And you won’t either. Now come over here and pull her off of my leg!” He ordered. Marsh sighed again and casually walked over to the two.
,,You’re making the spiders go crazy.” He told the shivering girl who didn’t hear him.
,,Now why do I have to drag her off your leg? She’s hysteric, suffering from delusions and likely to bite me like a rabid dog.” Marsh answered, counting his arguments on his fingers.

Aran stroke across the spear’s shaft with his thumb, causing the two blades to extend to their full length.
,,She isn’t suffering from delusions, Marsh. And speaking of rabid dogs, there is one standing just behind you. Looks like it’s upwind because you didn’t smell it.” He said calmly. Marsh glanced over his shoulder and gulped.
,,Ok, now get away from him.” He said and yanked Rajn away. The moment his leg had been freed, Aran jumped in front of the two and raised his spear to chestheight.

,,I don’t have a quarrel with you, Dunmer. Step aside and I might just let you live.” The werewolf growled. Aran gave a grim smile.
,,Marsh, take her with you and move on. And as for you, I told you before. You are not worthy as an opponent.” He said, directing his last words at the werewolf. The Werewolf was startled. In his mind, he recalled a foot hitting his snout and sending him over a ledge into a bottomless pit.
,,So that was you! I’ve changed my mind. Come on, you’ll be my dinner!” He snarled. Aran’s smile vanished.
,,I’m sorry, but I refuse to be anyone’s dinner. Now come and feel the might of my spear!”

No! Not a cliffie before a battle! Argh!!


You tease me, good sir! Now I will suffer until the next update. Thanks alot!

Fight time!

The werewolf laughed, a sound that was nearly indistinguishable from his growls.
,,You think that you can fight me with one hand and a piece of wood? What are you, a fool?” He taunted. Aran stood motionless.
,,Perhaps I am a fool for fighting one like you headon. Yet that makes me a fool who has something to protect. The Nix-hound that has been backed into a corner will fight the Kagouti.” He replied. This only served to further amuse the werewolf.
,,Protect? You think that by throwing your life away you will protect anyone? Don’t you know that after I’ve ripped you apart, I’ll tear your friends to shreds as well?” The werewolf spat and looked over the warrior’s shoulder. There he saw how the Argonian was dragging the Bosmer with him past the many cells filled with spiders. This enraged him. He roared and tried to walk past the Dunmer.
,,Out of the way! I have no time to play with you!”

Aran pressed his feet into the sand for better balance.
,,If I die, then yes I believe you would hunt them. Yet I am not dead yet. With this spear, I invoke the power of the Urshilaku. You may speak your threats, but only after you have defeated me!” He shouted and dashed forward. The werewolf blinked. That man actually dared to charge him headon?

,,Fool!” He roared and sweeped horizontally with his claws. But Aran hadn’t been charging without keeping his mind about him. Even before his foe had begun his movement, the Dunmer smashed his feet into the ground and jerked to a halt. His arm flew out still with the momentum of his charge. The spear, whose blade was like a small needle compared to the claws of the werewolf, found its mark.
,,As long as I breathe, you will not pass.” The soft words were punctuated by the steady drip of blood.

The werewolf glared at his smaller opponent. The wound on the back of his hand burned.
,,Silver, yet not poisoned. Perhaps I underestimated you.” He chuckled. He then lunged forward, seeking to use his greater strength and weight to his advantage. Aran skid out of the way and slashed the creature’s side as it passed. Before the werewolf had managed to stop, the Dunmer had already blocked the path to his friends.
,,And you continue to underestimate me. Next time, that blade won’t cut your skin, but seek your heart between your ribs.”

Marsh rushed through the room he found at the end of the corridor as fast as he could. Rajn was surprisingly stubborn and refused to go with him, forcing him to drag her along. He would’ve expected that with the werewolf behind them, she would be the first to run away. He stopped at the other side and cursed. It was a dead end, with only three more cells lining the wall before them. Fortunately there were no spiders in these.
,,No way out. If there isn’t a way, I must create one.” Marsh muttered to himself and sought for a crack he could fire his Heyat at.

A shadow to his left caught his attention. Looking closer, he saw that it was a narrow corridor leading out of the room. He cast a glance back at the battle raging behind them. Aran was holding his own, yet he was being pushed their way. Marsh made up his mind and dragged Rajn over to the corridor.
,,Stop struggling. We’ve got to leave.” He hissed at her.

Again he cursed for again they’d reached a dead end. This time, their obstacle was a door made of pure ebony. The scholar inside him marvelled at this unique display of architectural knowledge yet the realist in him wished it was rusted iron instead. It would have been a much easier obstacle for his spells that way.
,,Damn you, why do you have to be here?!” He shouted at the door in frustration. To his surprise, the door answered.

,,Behind me lies your goal. Answer my riddle, if you dare. Answer well, and I shall serve you. Answer wrong, and I shall unleash the spiders you have passed.” It rumbled with a voice no being of flesh and blood would ever possess.
,,If cell 3 holds worthless brass, cell 2 holds the gold key. If cell 1 holds the gold key, cell 3 holds worthless brass. If cell 2 holds brass, cell 1 holds the gold key. Now answer me, which cell holds the key that unlocks me?”

Marsh blinked twice. That was the same riddle Rajn had been obsessed with for days.
,,I must think, and think quick. We must escape, for Aran’s sake. Which cell holds the key?” He thought and unconsciously relieved his grip on the Bosmer.
,,Rajn, you’ve been thinking about this for days. What option is definitely incorrect?” He asked and looked to his side.
,,Rajn?!” He shouted when he didn’t find her. He looked ahead and saw that she was kicking the door.
,,Cell 2 holds the gold key!” She shouted.

,,That is correct.” The door howled. Marsh breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know where she suddenly got the answer from, but he was glad she got it.
,,But free the spiders anyway!” She suddenly demanded which shocked him. Marsh next uttered a sigh of frustration.
,,You want to die?” He asked her but she’d already stormed off again, in the wrong direction.

Aran tried to dodge the latest blow but the werewolf had now figured out his pattern and changed the angle of his blow accordingly. He felt the claws tear through his shirt and dig into his flesh. As the claws ripped through him, they dragged him along till he hit the wall and sank to the floor.
,,Not bad, not bad at all. But it’s still too bad.” The werewolf gloated.
,,Hey, ya meanie! Leave my Arie alone!” He looked up. Rajn was standing halfway down the corridor, apparently oblivious to the fact that about a dozen giant spiders were moving towards her, with mandibles that clicked in anticipation of warm flesh. He also saw the Argonian run in, forming his hands into a cup as if he was preparing to hurl a spell. The Bosmer turned her head to look at the mage.

What he couldn’t see, was the wink she gave Marsh. Marsh stopped and his half-formed Heyat vanished. He hesitated. He should help her but she’d gave him a wink.
,,You want me to trust you?” He thought.
,,I hope you know what you’re doing.” He muttered.

The werewolf cast one last glance at the Dunmer who was bleeding his life away and then stormed down the corridor.
,,I will not let those eight-legged monsters steal the pleasure of your death away from me!” He roared. Rajn smiled and crouched down. The clicking sounds she produced were almost drowned out by the thunderous rumble of the black wolf’s feet that came closer rapidly. Yet the spiders had heard it. As one, they turned around and began to march. With raised forelegs, they leaped upon the werewolf as he passed and sank their poisonous mandibles into his flesh.

The impact of his body hitting the ground made the entire room shake. The pain of the poison, the pain of the spiders eating him while he was still alive. It was too much to endure. He noticed how the Bosmer rushed past him before he was forced to close his eyes.

,,Arie! Say something!” Rajn pleaded, pushing against the Dunmer’s chest. Aran coughed and winced.
,,Just stop pushing the wound and tear up my shirt! Wrap it around the wound, as a bandage.” He wheezed. Marsh, who had stayed behind to make sure the werewolf was no longer a threat and had observed that the spiders only had interest in their meal, now strode up to them.
,,Let me help.” He simply said and wrapped the makeshift bandages tightly around the Dunmer’s chest.
,,That’s good. I’ll need a healer though to fix up the damage caused from muscles not healing properly. But that can wait.” Aran whispered.

Marsh heaved the Dunmer onto his shoulder. Rajn fell in at the other side, only to notice that she was too short to be of any help with lifting. Instead she went back to the spiders and clicked some more after which the spiders all scittered through the now open door.
,,How do you do that?” Marsh asked her once she’d returned with a smug grin. Rajn shrugged.
,,Dunno. I think I made them think I’m their child or something. They’re off hunting out there. That’s what they think. I think they’re providing an escort.” She said. Aran chuckled.

,,Who would want you as their kid? You’re nothing but trouble. Nice trick you pulled on the dog though. Want to take his teeth for a souvenir?” He said and winced again.
,,Eek, I’m not getting near that thing! It may be dead, but I’m still afraid it’s gonna kill me if I get to close!” The girl shrieked. She then blinked and looked up.
,,Wait a minute, I’m underground? Aiiieee! I’m scared!”




Note: I don't know why Bethesda turned the command creature into a 1 time each day power. It has short duration, low magnitude in my opinion and it isn't that usefull unless you can command like a dozen spiders at once. I mean, if you can talk to animals, you're not suddenly going to forget it for the next 24 hours, do you?

That was an interesting use of the spiders, but something tells me that Ra'trith isn't dead yet.

Rajn is still clausterphobic after all that's happened........ Some things just never change I guess.

Would large caverns (for example, the Marhun Kar village cave) be an exception to the clausterphobia thing?

I have the same sentiments, canis. Lousy spiders aren't going to take out Ra'trith that easily. I guess we'll see though. Excellent battle jack.

Hm, I haven't exactly had time to catch up with this entire story, but by reading the last update, I can draw quite a few conclusions. Illuminate me though, Aran is a Dunmer, Rajn is a Bosmer and Marsh is an Argonian, right?

I liked the last update, especially the fight with the werewolf. Nice, cocky, dog-like attitude. Well done!

I have a few exams these days, but I'll catch up to your work. I read the last update since I thought "Hey, maybe if I commented on his latest update, maybe he'd comment on my latest fan fic. It worked for Trey!"

I hope my thinking will get me a much-sought first reply.

Hmm, the Marhun Kar village? I honestly don't know. I suppose that if it's brightly lit, it will be easier for her than if it's pitch black. Still, she'll probably whine about it for a bit.

And Griff, you've got the races nailed down correctly. How far are you? I don't want to spoil anything. To be honest, I'm amazed at how fast I pumped this one to nine pages. It's like, wow. I need to go back to gaming before I run out of plot.

Well, I have an exam at Maths and an exam at Geography the day after tomorrow so I haven't really had time to properly catch up. I've only read your latest update. I'll catch up with all of it though. I'm a pretty fast reader and I can read even faster if a story is really good, and yours are always good and entertaining to read.

And off we go again.


The door had opened without a sound, which was rather eery. It was a sign that its hinges were well-oiled, and had been oiled recently. Together with the spiders, it told Marsh that this place was much less abandoned as the outside wanted him to believe.
,,Aran, think you can lean on your spear instead of me?” He asked the Dunmer who managed to nod. He gripped his spear tightly with his hand and drew his crippled arm around Rajn to keep her from running around aimlessly. The Bosmer visibly calmed down the moment he did that.
,,Good. Stay behind me from now on. I’ve got a Heyat ready for whatever is waiting down there and I’m not afraid to use it.” The Argonian mage added.

The sight that greeted him could not have surprised him anymore, if his mind hadn’t grown numb to surprise after all which had happened. So as it was now, he merely shrugged at the sight of the red carpet, or the sight of a vicious black wolf ripping into a spider, fire leaping from its fangs with every bite.
,,More wolves. At least not the werewolf type.” He simply noted. He heard a mufled ‘dog’ behind him and shook his head.
,,Keep an eye on her, friend. I’ll handle this one.”

The spider had now been thoroughly dismembered and the hungry demon turned on the three newcomers, its flaming eyes displaying a savage hunger. It howled and began its charge forward, it leaped into the air, aiming straight for the Argonian’s scaley throat. Marsh raised his hands before his face and filled his lungs.
,,Heyat!” He shouted, the bolt of blinding light formed and shot out, striking the wolf in its wide-open maw. The searing heat of the spell did little to the creature, being accustomed to breathing fire as it was. Yet it had struck with such great force, that it crashed through the mouth, up through the skull where it vaporized the much more fragile brains before breaking free behind its ears. Marsh leaped aside to dodge the now limp corpse which continued on the path it had taken in life.

The Heyat arced back around and again it struck the infernal creature, tearing through it twice more to make sure it had truly been defeated. It then came to a halt near the ceiling where it hovered, awaiting further instructions of its master.
,,That would explain the wolf tracks you discovered on the stairs. There may yet be more. It would be prudent to keep that scorching light around.” Aran reasoned.

Slowly, both because of the Dunmer’s wounds and out of general discretion, the group followed the red carpet. As they came across yet more arachnid remains, Marsh was the first to notice the gradual increase in temperature. The tunnel they were in curved to the right and the Argonian sent his Heyat around it first to bait out anything that might be waiting. A skeleton screeched, then its bones were scattered by a few passes of the spell. Rounding the corner, they saw a large chamber, greater than any they had seen before. A bridge that seemed to continue forever was suspended above a lake of steaming magma.

,,Magma? I thought this was only found at Red Mountain.” Aran whispered, stunned. Rajn peeked out from behind his back.
,,Oh, pretty.” She gasped. Marsh checked around for any threats after which he dissipated the Heyat.
,,While it is unlikely and even inconceivable to find such a large deposit of molten rock, it is not impossible. It is definitely within the limits of whatever being has constructed this place. Sentient doors, a room so vast, its roof would collapse under its own weight if not supported by an invisible force. A bridge, built to cross a pool that would make building it quite a challenge, to say the least. This was not the work of Dwemer, but of something else.” The Argonian spoke softly. He carefully set a foot upon the bridge and after realizing that it wasn’t an illusion and would hold his weight, he continued with more confidence.

After a long time, something appeared at the edge of their vision. It was an island, suspended above the boiling waves. A cage of dark steel had been built upon it and a golden door beckoned for them to approach.
,,I hope it is not another riddle.” Marsh whispered as he strode up to the portal. As he had feared, the shining barrier sprung to life and a deep voice echoed throughout the chamber.
,,You have passed my sibling. Now I shall test you to see if you are truly worthy of the prize I protect. Answer my riddle, prove your wits. Know that there shall be no consequences if you fail, safe for that you shall find these walls to be impenetrable. However, don’t answer recklessly for I shall give no more than one chance.” It instructed. Marsh sighed. He had come too far to turn back now. On the other hand, he did not belief in the ‘no consequences’ portion.
,,Keep your distance, you two.” He told his companions.
,,Present your riddle, door.”

,,I am skin, yet neither flesh nor scale. Five fingers have I, yet neither bone nor blood. I am a part of you, yet not. Answer, what am I?” The door asked. The Argonian thought long and hard about the riddle. He had only one chance and he was determined to make it count.
,,Skin, yet neither flesh nor scale. So it is a soft and flexible substance, but not part of a living being. Five fingers, yet neither bone nor blood. Hollow? Part of you, yet not. So it is not part of me in a way. Part of me only when I choose? Part and not part as I please?” He gazed at his hands, flexing the fingers and studying the fine lines of his scales.
,,Of course.”

He rose his voice.
,,Glove.” He spoke loud and clear.
,,Correct.” The door replied and opened without any further sounds. The mage chuckled.
,,Ok, so we’ve got the test of mind in the forms of these riddles, the test of strenght in the form of spiders, skeletons and wolves. So where is the test of speed?” He wondered out loud as they entered the cage. There was nothing to be seen. Its walls were smoother than ice. There were no lights, no distinguishing features anywhere. When they pressed on though, it was as if a veil had been lifted. Suddenly, a sharp wedge of ebony floated before their eyes, purple flames flickering in an everchanging pattern. Behind it, there was a vertical wall of motionless water. A shiftgate.

,,So this is the Tooth of Chaos? It looks like a speartip to me.” Aran observed and coughed. Rajn frowned and pulled herself free from the Ashlander’s embrace so she could get a closer look.
,,Neat fireworks. So, who’s going to risk his hand grabbing that thing?” She asked, hiding her own within the sleeves of her jacket to demonstrate that it definitely wouldn’t be her.
,,I am more worried about that Shiftgate. It has every feeling of a trap. But yes, the fire might prove to be dif….” Marsh answered but was cut of by a howl in the distance. That howl was soon joined by another, then yet another, a dozen more.

All three looked at the door behind them. Still far away, approaching across the bridge, they could see a whole gathering of gleaming red eyes and burning flames. Aran counted them with the precision and expertise of a hunter.
,,Fourteen, too many.” He noted grimly. Rajn had been counting for herself and reached the same conclusion.
,,Wah! Run!” She screamed. A Heyat formed in Marsh’ hands as the Argonian prepared to fight for his life.
,,Run? Where to?!” He questioned. Rajn simply ran past him without a word and jumped through the shiftgate.
,,Rajn! Wait! We don’t know where it leads and it’s only one-way!” Aran shouted. He took one glance at the wolves running across the bridge, one glance at Marsh and let out a heavy sigh.
,,Ancestors, she’s going to end up killing us all someday.” He complained and gave chase, following her through the gate.

Marsh grumbled angrily at being abandoned so readily.
,,Of course. He’s got this promise to keep or he’ll lose his honour. I suppose I can cope with that and he is right. There are too many to fight. That shiftgate is our only hope for survival, no matter how slim.” He told himself, flung his Heyat at the pack, turned around, ran for the shiftgate, grabbed the speartip as he flew past and hurled himself through the gate. The last thought he had before he breached the wall of water was one of surprise. The ebony blade had cut his skin, but the fire had died out the moment he touched the odd object.

The wolves came to a halt before the pool of ordinary water that had been a gate to a faraway place at one point.
,,And off they go, right on schedule.” Revarim Kendri noted, patting one of the demonic wolves on the head. He then sighed.
,,Keeping track of a war in the south, keeping a leash on that clumsy assassin whose life I’ll have to save and keeping those three on the right path. It is too much for one old man.” He mumbled.

Hmm it seems like Kendri likes to stick his nose into everyone's business. I'm getting more and more anxious to see what his motives are.

Other than that, excellent work once more jack. I still get a kick outta Rajn everytime she does something childish.

Oh, I wouldn't call that last thing childish. Everyone has his or her own reaction to fear. Aran faces it and charges in with a cool head. Marsh is a bit more calculating and as a result tends to be a bit slow. Rajn, she simply runs away screaming.

And now, I present to you the beginning of a new chapter. I'd say it was about time we brought in an old favourite of mine again.


Chapter 7: Spinning the web.

Light. Bright, eyepiercing light. He squeezed his eyes shut against that light.
,,Ah, finally. Consciousness.” An unfamiliar voice spoke. He turned his head towards the voice and opened his eyes to open. It was a bearded Breton, garbed in the robes of a healer. His eyes scanned the room further. An open window, with curtains of white silk that billowed in a stiff breeze. A tapestry of a rich red on the wall behind the healer. A door, slightly opened. His mind conjured plans, paths to take, all out of trained instinct. He tested his muscles secretly while the healer was carefully dripping the contents of a potion into a cup. All he had to do was to decide how to kill the healer and then climb out of the window.

He tensed his limbs and was about to spring into action when a shadow, standing beside a closet, caught his eye. With an inaudible sigh, he relaxed and waited till the healer had finished rambling about being attacked by bandits, barely surviving and the Legion finding him. Once the man had fled the room, he sat up.
,,Revarim Kendri. Can’t you ever stop bothering me?” Ra’trith sneered.

The shadow became more solid as the low-level Chameleon spell dissipated.
,,Bother? I saved your life, if that’s what you mean. That healer is completely unfamiliar with the kind of poison those spiders produce. You were as well healed as needed before we delivered you into his care. Or with bother, do you perhaps mean how I stood guard here, so you wouldn’t get the wrong idea and slay that innocent man who has not even the slightest idea of who you are?” The Redguard replied with a faint smile. Ra’trith snorted.
,,Both. Whatever you want this time, I’m not interested.” He replied venomously.

Kendri wasn’t unnerved at all. This was one of the things that got on the Khajiit’s nerves all the time, the utter calm the man always displayed in every situation. Now, he flung open the large closet. To the assassin’s amazement, the back wall of the closet was made of water!
,,What is that?” He couldn’t help saying.
,,A shiftgate, a portal to another place. My employer is quite resourceful. Now, did I pique your interest? If so, step through the portal. If not, you won’t receive any interference from me in whatever you’ll do. Excluding matters where I’m involved, naturally.” The Redguard explained and then stepped through the portal, to prove it wasn’t a trap.

Ra’trith carefully got out of the bed, pleased to feel that his wounds, whatever they’d been, had been almost completely healed. He remembered what had happened, so he could make a guess towards the extent of the injuries he’d suffered.
,,Beaten by spiders. How humiliating.”
His eyes wandered back to the swirling waters of the shiftgate. It was tempting. If he stepped through, he was sure to find answers regarding that meddling vampire. But did he really want to find those answers? He didn’t know.

He crept over to the window and peeked through it, making sure his face remained hidden from outside observers. He was up high, high above a city with a shape he could have recognized anywhere. He was in the Imperial City, the palace out of all things. He would have been surprised at finding himself on the other side of the continent under normal circumstances but if Revarim Kendri was involved, anything was possible. His gaze shot back to the interior of the room. Now he recognized details, details he’d last seen in the black of the night.
,,The Emperor’s bedroom. I haven’t been here since I tried to kill him. Now what does Kendri have to do with the Emperor? How come his influence spreads so far that he can actually make me rest in the most sacred bed of the Empire?” Ra’trith asked himself. He failed to come up with the answer and finally, he concluded that the answers were too tempting to ignore. He would follow Kendri, meet his employer. And perhaps, he would learn a way to kill Vicente, his master at the Cheydinhall sanctuary. Yes, just that alone would make the bother of dealing with the Redguard worth it.

The water was chilling. He ignored the soaked feeling he had and focussed on the room he found himself in. Books, strange relics, a heavy desk covered in scrawled notes. A painting, showing a group of people. There were words written underneath the group.
,,Battlespire: graduated 3E 376”
He heard the sound of breathing and looked up. A man stood behind the desk, almost invisible within the dark shadows cast by the precious few lanterns. For some reason, this man managed to make a shiver run down the fearless assassin’s spine. Those red eyes, surrounded by a stern face of dull gold. Grey hair, carelessly cut into shape by a knife. All that barely visible under the hood of the impossibly black cloak. No, not just black. There was a golden clasp at the neck. A clasp shaped like a dragon holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other with a silver gout of flame erupting from its mouth.

The man looked at Ra’trith without a word, without blinking and without a sign of whatever thoughts ran behind those crimson eyes.
,,Who are you?” Ra’trith finally asked. He looked around a bit more in search of Revarim Kendri, but the Redguard was either not in the same room, or he had hidden himself again.
,,Ah, so you do have a voice. I was wondering. Kendri told me about your snide remarks, as well as your blunt manner of conversing.” The cloaked man replied. His voice was a neutral one, yet harboured a sense of great power within each syllable.
,,I do know who you are. We have dealt with each other before, so to say. Furthermore, your actions have been in my interests for quite a while now. You are Ra’trith, the embodiment of darkness. A trained murderer with no equal, nearly no equal. As for who I am, I am the Imperial Battlemage. You know me better as Jagar Tharn.” He added and the left corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly as he spoke his name.

Wait, wait... Kendri's working with Jagar Tharn? He must have some kind of twisted, twisted plot going on. I must admit Jack, my curiosity is thoroughly piqued.

Hehe, the childish part I spoke of earlier was referring to the moment where she stuffed her arms into her sleeves but that's no big deal.

As for this update... Fantastic! We finally figure out that Tharn is Kendri's employer. Now it's time to figure out why Ra'trith is so important to their goals. I can't wait to find out!

I'm still kind of in shock.

Woot! Tenth page! Yippee!
Back to your scheduled corruption. Long live Tharny.



Upon hearing that name, Ra’trith instantly dropped into a battle-ready stance. This made Tharn laugh.
,,Stop laughing! I haven’t forgotten about you! You are the one who was asking for me! You are why Vicente, Derin Horse-Mouth and probably others as well betrayed the Brotherhood. You are why Vicente sent me after Kendri, you are the one who sent Kendri after me! Nothing makes sense here! I don’t know what you want but you will explain now or else I’ll kill you where you stand!” The Khajiit spat. Tharn continued to laugh softly and shook his head.
,,Kill me? Why, you are cocky, aren’t you? Do you honestly believe that Kendri would have left us alone for even one second if he believed there was even the slightest chance of you killing me? I doubt it. In fact, the only reason why you are still alive is because you amuse me.” He replied. Without warning, lightning arced across the room, narrowly missing the tomes and relics, crackling with an intense fury as it settled around the assassin in the form of a spherical cage.
,,As you can see, you don’t hold the power to even give me a minor injury.” The Battlemage stated.

Ra’trith growled within the confines of his new prison. With all his heart, he wanted to leap and rip out the man’s throat. He was reluctant to touch the sparkling bars though. Most likely it would be a shocking experience.
,,Go on, I dare you. Break free if you can. Show me what you can do!” Tharn taunted. Ra’trith snarled but did not move. Even he knew when he was beaten. Or perhaps his encounter with the spiders had given birth to the seed of caution.

Jagar Tharn looked disappointed. He let out a sigh and the cage vanished as sudden as it had appeared.
,,So, it seems that even the embodiment of darkness has a limit to his foolishness. I had hoped you would at least try. No matter, there are more important matters I must attend to.” He muttered. Ra’trith glared at the cloaked man. He was free to charge now, but it wouldn’t help. Even before he would’ve traversed half the distance that separated them, the lightning would return.

The heavy doors behind his back were flung open. Ra’trith seized the opportunity to vent his frustration on the hapless messenger who had entered. He whirled around, aiming a kick at the newcomer’s head. With the sound of ringing bells, the Shehai countered the kick, stopping it cold with the flat of its blade.
,,Tsk. In fine health, you seem. Yet still far too impulsive, you are. Much to learn, you have. Not understand what I’m saying, you do.” The old man chuckled. Ra’trith cursed at his misfortune.
,,What are you rambling?” He growled.
,,See? You don’t even realize that I’m playing with you by using bad grammar. Learn how to think, my furred friend.” Kendri smiled and walked past the assassin. His Shehai had returned to nothingness.

,,Pleasantries aside, we have complications.” The Redguard said to Tharn as he approached the desk. Ra’trith decided he had seen enough. He bolted for the doors, which slammed shut just as he reached them.
,,Telekinesis, assassin. It is one of the first art a Royal Battlemage studies. Now stay calm and don’t interrupt us. Anyway Kendri, please elaborate.” Tharn commented dryly. Ra’trith let out an angry hiss and leaned against a pillar.

,,Yes, it is about the five seekers. They appear to be somewhat unwilling to follow the path we set for them. Also, the Valenwood-Elsweyr situation is escalating. I plan to call in the help of some old friends to deal with that situation but the fact remains that I simply can’t be everywhere at once.” The Redguard explained. Tharn nodded in deep thought.
,,I see. So we either need to get them more securely on their path or we need to find someone to nudge them in the right direction whenever they are in danger of straying.” The Imperial Battlemage concluded. He looked up.
,,Where are they now?” He asked.
,,Right on schedule. I took the freedom to utilize the shiftgate you prepared.”

Tharn nodded again. With a wave of his hand, a gnarled wooden staff took form. The green sphere at its tip flooded the chamber in an ominous green light.
,,I see. Then let’s have a small conversation, shall we?” He whispered and smirked.

The winds howled, like the cries of a lost child.
,,Atchoo!” Rajn covered her nose and sniffled.
,,Brrr, I’m soaked and freezing here!” She complained loudly. The Dunmer and the Argonian looked at her but didn’t reply.
,,I know, it’s all my fault. I’m the one who dragged you through that portal-thingy.” She admitted to the glum faces. Aran struggled to his feet.
,,We need a fire. Marsh can’t survive the cold. I’ll take the first watch.” He grumbled as he hobbled towards the entrance of the cavern and the axe they’d found there. He nearly tripped twice at each step.

,,And chop down some trees? I don’t think so! And you should not overexert yourself right now. Did you forget that you nearly got eaten by a dog? No, you’ll listen to little sis and sit down!” The Bosmer shouted. Before Aran could raise any objections or bring forth the argument that he was the one who was supposed to protect her, not the other way around, she’d already picked up her bow and jumped past him.
,,I swear. Ever since Stonekeep you have insisted on pulling all-nighters. As if you can’t sleep or something.” She grumbled at the mouth of the cavern.

Aran hesitated but in the end he sat down as close to Marsh as he could. He would try to use his body-heat to keep both of them warm.
,,Dammit. I don’t have the strength to go out and make a fire. We need a fire, whether she likes it or not. Marsh will die if we don’t have one.” He thought. Marsh was half-unconscious already.

Outside, Rajn paced back and forth in her own effort to stay warm. She had already dropped her bow, something she would never do otherwise. But the metal shaft had become cold enough to freeze the skin off her hands if she used it.
,,Gah, this must be Oblivion or something. I hate this place. It’s too cold. And what’s with them? Fire this, fire that. I’d rather die than let them chop down a tree!” She raged silently.
,,And I’m hungry!”

As if it had heard her thoughts, a deer came out of the swirling clouds of snow. Rajn let out a yell of joy, rushed to her bow and drew a frozen arrow out of her quiver. Moments later, the deer moaned and dropped on to its side, the arrow piercing its heart.
,,Whee, food!”

,,Good evening. It has been a while, little one.” A dreadfully familiar voice spoke. All thoughts of diner were forgotten and she now felt even colder than before.
,,You! What are you doing here, Nightingale?!” She shrieked, turning towards the voice. Nightingale did not respond, instead choosing to admire the cold beauty of the surrounding landscape.
,,Skyrim, the coldest place on Tamriel. It is hard to believe that anyone would choose to come or even live here. Especially Bosmer like you. Look at those trees, how short they are, how they struggle to survive. No lush forests here.” He spoke.

Rajn glared at the man in the black robe. Unlike her, Nightingale seemed completely unfazed by the cold, or the wind. The bow felt like a lead weight in her hands and she felt the pain of frozen fingers. When Nightingale looked at her directly, she gasped. Those crimson eyes of his, they’d always struck fear in her heart. She wanted to run, back into the cave, to Aran who would protect her, but she couldn’t. She wanted to draw an arrow and stick it in that rotten heart, but she couldn’t. She was frozen, like a statue.
,,You are quite amusing. Oh, it makes me laugh whenever I think of the pathetic effort you and your friends make to stop me. So you got the first piece of the ultimate weapon. I should applaud you, if it weren’t for the fact that none of you are in the right position to gather the other seven pieces.” Nightingale gloated.

,,Yes, what did you do? You made a minor struggle, a minor rebellion not even worthy of my attention. And at what cost? The Dunmer is wounded. The cold will seep into his wounds and finish what the werewolf started. The Argonian, oh it was mere foolishness of him to come here. No Argonian in his right mind would even dare come close to this land. For every lizard that comes here, dies. They need the warmth of the sun, the warmth of their stinking swamp to sustain their life.” He continued. Rajn struggled to move. Her head arced sideways, so the mouth of the cavern entered the edge of her vision.
,,Marshie, Arie? Die?” She thought. Tears filled her eyes at the prospect. Nightingale was not done however.
,,And you, what will happen to you? Due to their selfless endavours to protect you, you are physically in prime condition. Again and again they have warded you from danger. Yes, perhaps you will live, if you can hunt enough creatures of the ice to feed, to make clothes from their fur to keep you warm. But it won’t be enough. You’ll go mad, crazed by the cold. And so the valiant Champions, the heirs of Talin, the chosen of Silmane, so they shall meet their end and the enemy they sought to destroy won’t have had to lift even a single finger.” Nightingale laughed and vanished without a trace.

For a while, Rajn stood still. Slowly, she came to the realization that the man was gone. The cold was now unbearable. With great effort, she dragged the deer over to the entrance. Only the fact that the snow and the frozen ground underneath was so slippery allowed her to move the carcass. Inside the cavern, she found Aran and Marsh, asleep or unconscious.
,,Aran, Marsh?” She asked but no one replied. She shivered.
,,It’s so cold.”

The face grinned at him and laughed, blood spurting from the cloven neck like some obscene fountain. He turned to run, but a new face obstructed his escape. Again and again he tried to escape. Again and again he was halted by the horrifying images.
,,Heyat!”

Consciousness ebbed back to him. His face felt oddly warm and a soft crackling thumped in his ears. At this moment, he felt it hard to distinguish nightmare from reality. Had the chanting of the spell been another part of his nightmare, or had it been cast in the real world?
,,Marsh?” He asked and opened his eyes. Marsh was still unconscious, his eyes closed, his chest barely moving as his lungs drew breath. But before his eyes, the source of the warmth was revealed. A campfire, burning brightly. Rajn sat on the other side of the fire, her chin resting on her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, her eyes staring at the fire without blinking.
,,I….I killed a tree.” She whispered. Aran watched in silent wonder as she began to cry.
,,I killed a tree!”

Looks like it's Rajn's turn to make some sacrificies for the team. It certainly shows that she cares for her comrades if she's willing to go outside her comfort level and do something that would be considered blasphemy in her culture.

Excellent update!

Wouldn't it be easier to (I know I shouldn't point it out) to find a bunch of dead twigs and other wood from an already dead tree to make a fire. I suppose that would be difficult to be found in a place with such hardy tree though.

Nah, I don't mind. Actually, I originally went with dead twigs myself. I only picked cutting down a live tree once I realized that just picking up a few twigs lacked the kind of impact I was looking for.

A short update. I've got to figure out what comes next. I know how Arena continues, but I need to work in a plot more extensive than 'because the weird lady came to me in my dreams.' Besides, the weird lady is dead as in, dead dead.




Back in Cyrodiil, Jagar Tharn opened his eyes.
,,A fruitful conversation?” Kendri inquired. The Battlemage cast a smirk filled with subtleties.
,,Even though the conversation was a one-way tap into her imagination, I believe from my studies that the words I chose caused the correct response.” He replied. Ra’trith had been listening to every word from his position but to him there was nothing to make from them. Jagar Tharn glanced at Ra’trith before redirecting his gaze towards the Redguard.
,,So, you suggest we involve a supervisor of sorts?” He asked.
,,Yes, that was what I was attempting to imply.” Kendri confirmed. Tharn nodded curtly.
,,Very well. What kind of supervision do you prefer? Ruthless, or mercifull?” He asked next. Kendri gave one of his strange smiles as he answered.
,,How about ruthlessly mercifull?” He suggested.

Tharn changed subjects without revealing whether or not he approved of Kendri’s suggestion.
,,Now as for what to do with our assassin. Ihave read through your plans and approved of them. Would my summer-home be suitable?”
Kendri nodded, then turned around and strode over to Ra’trith.
,,Well, my friend. It is time for you to learn of your past as well as your future. Let us be off.” He spoke. Both of them vanished from the chamber, leaving a vacuum behind that was soon filled.

Now that his guests had departed, Tharn rose from behind his desk. With the staff still in his hands, he begun to cast a spell. A symbol lit up on the floor, sparks leaped from it. Then, a thick cloud of black smoke erupted from the center of the symbol, smoke that stank of sulphur and ash. As the smoke spread through the chamber and thinned, two flaming eyes peered at the man in the black robe.

Tharn said nothing and instead peered back at the Dremora he’d summoned.
,,Hmph, it appears that your kin has not been kind to you. Am I right, Merdrar?” He whispered. Merdrar stood motionlessly.
,,I have forsaken my honor and wear the mask of shame out of my free will. What is that you wish, Tharn?” He countered. Tharn shrugged.
,,Direct as always, I see. Fine, I shall be direct as well. There are three travellers in Skyrim who seek to dethrone me.” He answered.

Merdrar’s hand rose to the demonic claymore on his back.
,,And you wish for me to kill them. Give me more accurate directions and I consider it done.” He sneered. Tharn chuckled and shook his head.
,,I was too direct, I see. No, Merdrar. I do not wish for you to kill them. Rather, I want you to join their quest and help them fulfil it to the best of your capabilities. They have need of your talents. If you do your job to my satisfaction, I’ll put in a good word for you to restore your honour.”

The Dremora stiffened, a sign of confusion and surprise.
,,Help them? You are a mystery, even though you serve my lord, like the slave you are.” He said. Tharn’s eyes blazed angrily.
,,Do not ever attempt to insult me again! Never forget that I only serve Dagon because my honour compels me to. As soon as I’ve done my part of the deal, I will cut my ties with him forever. Now go. All that you need to know is that they must gather and reunite the Staff of Chaos. They must.” He said with a voice that could even make ice freeze over.
,,After all, where would the fun be in destroying them if there wasn’t a proper reward to take from their scorched remains?” He added cruelly.

A shiftgate formed before the closed doors. Merdrar bowed and stepped through the magical wall of water.

Wow. Tharn is so cool. Short and sweet updates are completely fine with me, jack. Good work!

Marsh was grateful for the fire once he woke up, but he realized that he would still die the moment he went outside or the fire went out, whichever came first. With a sigh, he pressed the thought to the back of his head.
,,Where are we?” He asked with feigned calm.
,,Skyrim.” Rajn mumbled, still rather shocked over what she’d done.
,,I’m a murderer. Oh, what am I going to do once the folks back home find out?”

Marsh shook his head.
,,Figures. With this cold, it had to be Skyrim. Now listen up, both of you. Our plan was to turn around and head straight for Valenwood, no detours. However, we have now gone far north, which is absolutely the wrong direction. Once night comes, I might attempt to observe the stars and figure out just how far north we are. Though I wonder how long I can survive outside.” He spoke.
,,I can do that.” Both Aran and Rajn spoke up at exactly the same moment. They looked at each other and Aran chuckled.
,,The Ash can wipe away most landmarks quickly.” He explained.
,,Too many trees to get landmarks in the first place unless you’re local.”

Marsh looked from one to the other.
,,Ok, so you both know how to deduce your position by the stars. Good. Then let’s move on to the next point on our agenda. The prophecy.” He said. The Argonian dug into his pack and retrieved the scroll he’d been so careful with in the last few weeks. He opened it and began to recite it from the beginning.

Eight defiled under cold earth
Scorching light signals era’s end
Threads severed, vessel cast adrift
Heart corrupt, dragon’s blood in land with no name
Through water, the fire is lit

He who lives by the life of someone else
Unbound eye
Tooth of chaos
Ten suns of darkness
Mask of shame
Father of time’s flame
Wandering soul
Corrupted heart

Eight lands, eight destinies
Land of sand
Land guided by the moons
Land of roots
Land separated from all
Land at world’s end
Land of ice
Land uncharted
Land of curses

All come together, in the land of dragons
Divine chaos united
From lowest depth to highest top
Unnamed land given name

Having recited the words, he folded up the scroll and put it back in his pack.
,,Alright, what do we know already?” He asked as if he was presenting a riddle.
,,Somehow, our quest is tied in with eight provinces of Tamriel, followed by the province of dragons, which I assume to be Cyrodiil. We know, or rather, we are quite sure that the land of roots refers to Valenwood. Furthermore, I believe that Skyrim is the land of ice. So in short, we may not be off-course at all.” Aran pointed out.
,,Yeah, but something’s bothering me.” Rajn interjected. She waited a second before continuing.
,,If this tooth of chaos is an object? Then why the heck is it listed with the persons?” She added.

,,Good point, Rajn. I don’t know why honestly. Speaking of persons, so far we only know of two. But perhaps you are somewhere in the list as well, Aran.” Marsh commented. He took out the scroll again and pointed at the first paragraph with his finger.
,,These are just introductory words. Eight defiled under cold earth, that is not yet clear to me. Scorching light signals era’s end. That must be the Groyth Heyat I used beneath the Imperial city.” He tapped each line as he explained their meaning.
,,The spell that killed me and claimed Ria’s soul.” He added in his mind with a feeling of sadness.
,,Threads severed, vessel cast adrift. This one took some time for me. But in older stories, the fate of mortals were weaved into a tapestry. I believe this calls for the dead of Talin, the champion Ria Silmane chose. We are doing the task he was supposed to do.” He continued, and pointed out the next line.

,,Heart corrupt, dragon’s blood in land with no name. This refers to the usurper of the throne, Jagar Tharn the Imperial Battlemage himself. He is not an easy adversary, let me add that. Dragon’s blood in land with no name is something that eludes me right now but the next part is clear enough. Through water, the fire is lit. The shiftgates we encountered are walls erected from magical water. The fire probably speaks of our quest.”

He put the scroll aside for the second time and gestured at the dead deer.
,,I would love to continue my essay, but I’d rather eat right now.”

Hehe, prophecy stuff is fun. I'm sitting here trying to figure it out myself, who belongs to what and all that. Nice to know that I think I'm comprehending it as well. Lovin' it!

Whew, finally an update. It's time to go back to the Battlespire storyline.



Outside the cave, snow was still being whipped up by the harsh winds. Seemingly out of thin air, floating plane of water swirled into existence. Something heavy dropped through it and sank deep into the snow. The water cascaded down and froze within moments. Merdrar glared at the ice gripping his jagged suit of armour like a prison. The burning of his eyes intensified and steam erupted all around him. The ice melted away, only to reveal a new obstacle. The ground, having been frozen for years, now turned into a veritable swamp, causing the Dremora to sink even further.

,,Dawn’s beauty. It’s beauty is highly overrated.” He grumbled to himself once he’d dragged himself onto more stable ground. He stomped on the snow twice to ascertain the safety of his position. Once he’d been assured that he wouldn’t sink through the ground again, he took out his Claymore and swung it around in several slow arcs.
,,Go and help some mortals. Really, what is that Tharn thinking? Does he truly believe I can simply walk up to them and say something along the lines of: Good morning. I am a demon from Oblivion who usually kills everything in sight but since I’m in such a good mood today, I’ve decided to help you people for no good reason. Care for a drink?” He complained to himself.
,,Ridiculous! The way these mortals think, it is impossible to make sense of it!”


Harms Meritus looked up from the book he was reading. The far side of his office had hidden from his sight by the sudden appearance of a shiftgate. He slowly closed the book and waited. After a full minute, a black-robed figure finally stepped through and shook off the drops of water clinging to the fabric. The shiftgate swirled out of existence with none of the usual splash. The visitor smoothed out a few wrinkles in his robe before addressing the Battlespire’s Headmaster.
,,Harms, a pleasure to meet you again.” He said.

,,Master Tharn, the pleasure is all mine.” Harms replied with a smile. Jagar Tharn lowered his hood and settled comfortably in a chair.
,,I would love to chat about the good old days but I fear that I came for business, not pleasantries.” He revealed and waited a scarce moment to gain the other man’s full attention.
,,Your students, how are they?”

Harms leaned back in his own chair and frowned.
,,I’d say that I am pleased with the class on the whole except….Oh, there is no reason for me to hide things from you. After all, you were the headmaster when I was still in training. The Bosmer, Bedroth Treesap.” He began. Tharn nodded for the Imperial to continue.
,,He is a jolly fellow, fun to have around. He does well on Alchemy, the art of the Shehai and the general items of thought but at Magery he consistently stumbles. We’ve been at it for over a month now and he hasn’t even mastered a simple light spell.”

Tharn’s expression revealed nothing.
,,Cause?” He simply asked. Harms threw up his arms in a sign of desperation.
,,I don’t know. I simply don’t. The best possible theory is pure humiliation.” He exclaimed.
,,No mortal is so great that he never fails, otherwise he would not be mortal. As such, he who humiliates is a greater fool than he who is humiliated.” Tharn countered. Harms sighed in resignation.
,,Alright then. Bad intell followed by bad execution. The report told of a Bosmer by the name of Treesap living in Fallinesti who had a talent for Mysticism. So we went out and snatched the only Bosmer with that name. Honestly, we should have realized our mistake sooner. The report was about a female, not a male. If gender is wrong already, then the whole report is inaccurate.”

Tharn chuckled.
,,I hate to steal the show here, but I am afraid that your report has been accurate.” He said. Harms rose an eyebrow.
,,You see, Harms. There has been a small riot in Cyrodiil, at the palace out of all places. The riot included several people, one of which was a female Bosmer, as well as a spell I’ve identified as the Heyat. One noble, an amateur Battlemage, claims that the young woman in question is a wood’s guide going by the name of Rajn Treesap who just recently travelled there from Valenwood. See the link?” The Imperial Battlemage finished.

Harms let out a very long sigh.
,,Oh Divines, no. We snatched the wrong one.” He muttered.
,,So, do you think we should release Bedroth and collect this Rajn? Where did she learn an Argonian spell in the first place?” He then asked with a stronger voice. Tharn thought for a moment and then shook his head.
,,No, that wouldn’t do. Ignoring the fact that my own agents have not yet made contact with Rajn Treesap since the incident at the palace, the fact remains that she will have to deal with a gap in training which could be insurmountable even at this point. You of all people should remember that the pace of our training is brutal. As for her knowing a Heyat, I only claimed that a Heyat has been cast, I don’t have any solid evidence that she was the caster. As for Bedroth, if I have any experience with Bosmer, Bedroth has been in more forbidden places than is good for him. Releasing him would release some secrets best kept secret. I suggest a change in his training. You claimed he was good with the Shehai, how good?”

,,Good enough to form an ethereal Shehai on the first try. The kid’s a natural in that aspect.” Harms said.
,,Good. Then perhaps he would be the right person to teach some of the intricacies of Shehai. The diversity of shapes for example. Mold his skill with the Shehai into a tool that covers the gaps in his abilities.” Jagar Tharn decided.
,,The other students? I wish to go over them in detail.” He then muttered.

Well that was something I wasn't expecting. The Battlespire was supposed to grab Rajn and not this other Bosmer? Wow! I guess Tharn doesn't mind though since Rajn is busy completing a prophecy.

Excellent update. This story is really fun to follow.

What Mallie said! I never played Battlespire, but.....I think I will! Nice Jackie!

Yeah, I want to play Battlespire as well. Too bad it is mostly hack&slash. No school life or stuff. Anyway, a shortie.



Bedroth looked up and down the construction that had formed in the main hall. It was a large collection wooden platforms stacked on top of each other with ladders connecting each level. Three ropes snaked throughout the structure, finally coming together and leading down again, where they connected to Novis’ belt. Not only that, but a huge pile of pillows was spread over the floor.
,,You really have a problem with heights, don’t you?” The Bosmer commented, shaking his head. Novis gave a few tugs on the rope before answering.
,,Well, I fell down stairs a couple times in my youth so, yeah.” He admitted.

,,Your youth? Gosh man, most cultures would still consider you a child, especially your own! It’s too early to talk like an old grandpa.” Bedroth laughed. Novis smiled and joined in the laughter. While he had been at first rather reserved towards the Elf who turned out to be his roommate, the two had become friends in just a few days.
,,Well, ok. In my pre-teens then. So long story cut short, I don’t like heights. That, and I always like to exaggerate. You’ve got to admit, if the tower, the ropes and the pillows fail, fate really must have a sick sense of humor.”

Bedroth grinned and opened his backpack.
,,You mean if the tower, the ropes, the pillows and the potions fail.” He gloated. Novis rose an eyebrow as he looked at the unlabeled vials of purple glass.
,,Where did you get that?” He asked simply. Bedroth gave the Altmer a wink.
,,When you said you weren’t willing to focus both on levitating and mending the ceiling at the same time, I went to Ei-rin’s and borrowed some potions from her.” He explained.

Novis sighed. He really should turn down the offer but he already knew he wasn’t going to refuse. Ei-rin had the highest score at alchemy, even higher than Bedroth. If she was told to make a potion of levitation that should last roughly ten seconds, she would always add in a buffer of twenty seconds. Still, he had to voice his thoughts first.
,,Borrowed? You can’t borrow a potion. They’re used up in a single gulp. And aren’t these the levitation potions she has to present for the test tomorrow?” He inquired. Bedroth shrugged, his grin vanishing.
,,Geez, are you saying I should return them?” Novis took one of the vials and removed the seal.
,,Nope, I’m saying we’ll fire up our own alchemy apparatus tonight and gift her our own. Fair is fair. And just to ease up the manner further, I’ll cast a spell on whoever is going to drink it, just to increase the effect. Remember last week at the fireball exam? You just gestured around and I conjured a fireball for you. They never found out it was me doing the casting.” He explained and downed the potion.

Instantly, he cringed.
,,Ugh, tastes like horse dung.” He muttered.
,,Horse dung? How do you know how that tastes?” Bedroth wanted to know. Novis picked up a small piece of rubble and began to climb the ladders.
,,I worked as a stableboy before coming here. I once tripped and….you get the idea.” Below him, Bedroth rolled over the floor, laughing.
,,Yeah, I get it. You’re just clumsy!” He squeeled. Novis sighed and pressed the piece of marble to the ceiling where it fused into place.
,,Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can you throw the L-shaped bit up for me, please?”

In Skyrim’s cave, the meal had been completed. Marsh had a large map in his lap which he tapped with a stick of charcoal.
,,Alright. I’ve combined both of your opinions and concluded that we are about a day’s march from a place called Winterhold, which incidentally lies on the northernmost coast of Skyrim. We’ve gone farther than expected.” He said. He folded up the parchment and adopted a self-satisfied expression. In reality, he was anything but satisfied. Winterhold was a day’s march away, yet it might as well been on one of the moons. He wouldn’t last even ten minutes outside. And he doubted that Aran or Rajn would last much longer themselves. Each of them was already suffering from frostbite.

He stole a glance at his companions. Rajn had cuddled up in the Dunmer’s arms and Aran appeared to be performing one of his meditations again.
,,We need two things.” The man spoke without warning, his eyes still closed.
,,First of all, we need to keep the fire burning constantly during our stay here. Second, we need animal furs, preferably the thickest around. I’ve heard about snowbears living here. If they are anything like the bears in central Cyrodiil, they’ll be our best chance. We need the furs to keep ourselves warm when we move out.” He continued. Rajn sniffed and Aran sighed.
,,I know, Rajn. But either way, we need wood to have a fire. Just think of what will happen to Valenwood if we don’t stop Jagar Tharn. A few trees shouldn’t be an impossible sacrifice to keep the great forest from being burned by the demon.” He whispered gently. It was a hollow excuse, he knew. But it was the best excuse he had.

,,I get it. We don’t have much left. I’ll kill another one.” The Bosmer stammered. Aran released her from his hold and nodded.
,,Rajn, dead branches that have fallen to the ground will be just fine. The fire will last long enough to dry anything you bring in. Just, don’t be gone too long.” He said. The girl blinked a couple of times. Marsh looked with interest at the blush creeping onto her face.
,,So, this is a nice event. I wonder how much further it will go before someone notices.” He thought and cast his equavelant of a smile.

The smile evaporated.
,,What’s that smell?” He asked. The other two interrupted their conversation to stare at him.
,,What smell?” Aran asked.
,,It smells like something is burning.” The Argonian explained.
,,The fire?” The warrior offered but Marsh shook his head.
,,No, the scent of the ash is different. It must be coming from outside the cave.” He insisted. Instantly, Aran pushed himself up from the floor and reached for his spear. His face showed none of the pain that wracked his body at the sudden action.

,,Eeeekkk!!” Rajn screamed as she scrambled for her bow. Marsh frowned and conjured a Heyat which he kept hovering over his hand.
,,Aran, hold your blade. Rajn, hold your arrow as well.” He quickly ordered. He then turned towards the visitor who hadn’t made a single move towards the Claymore on his back despite the threat. It looked like a Dunmer fully encased in some sort of jagged armour that looked as if it was made from burning coals or half-molten lava. But the eyes burned with an intensity not even Aran’s could match. What’s more, Aran looked positively like a midget next to this man.
,,May I have your name?” Marsh asked and hid his mounting nervousness. There was something utterly demonic about their guest.

,,Merdrar. That is all you need to know from me.” The stranger replied. The voice was grating on the ears. Merdrar looked at each face in turn.
,,Well, I am surprised. I remember those two. They were chased by Ra’trith in the dungeon. It looks like they took the opportunity I provided and got away. Interesting. But who is the third one, the lizard?” The Dremora asked himself. He still hadn’t found an excuse to explain his presence so now, he decided he simply wouldn’t use one.
,,You are freezing here, slowly. Let me help, then.” He said and clenched one of his massive hands into a fist. When he opened it, three red beads lay on his palm.
,,Take these and carry them with you. They will keep you warm, I vow this on my honour.” He claimed.
,,Ignoring the fact that I’ve forsaken my honour. But they don’t know that and it doesn’t change the truth of my words.”

Rajn was the first to make a hesitant step forward. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Aran but then continued more resolutely.
,,Anything that keeps trees alive is good in my book.” She claimed. Merdrar had to bend down to his knees before the girl could stand on her toes and take one of the beads.
,,Wowie, it really is warm! Cute!” She squeeled. After that, Marsh and Aran followed a bit more eager.

,,I believe we must thank you, Merdrar.” Marsh said diplomatically. The Dremora made a wave with his hand.
,,No need to thank me. I have my reasons.” He answered bluntly.
,,Of course. A reason. I doubt we’ll like it.” Marsh realized.
,,I wish to take you to a city that lies to the north. From there, you are free to do whatever you want.” Merdrar added.
,,In that case, we would be glad to accept your offer.” Aran spoke with a bow.
Merdrar cast a grim smile behind his mask.
,,They’re so happy, they didn’t even think to ask who or what I am. Mortals never cease to surprise me.”

Well this is a fortunate turn of events, but the question is this: how long will things stay this fortunate? My gut tells me not very long.

Solid as always jack!

Ok, massive writer's block here. I can't even get half a page. Dangit!




,,Open, you!” Revarim Kendri calmly sipped his tea and smiled as he heard Ra’trith roar.
,,Such an uncomplicated look on life. If it doesn’t do what you want it to do, hit it.” He thought.
,,You will not pass unless you give me the command.” The door replied dispassionately. Another series of loud bangs erupted as the Khajiit hammered away at the flimsy wood that somehow refused to succumb to his blows.
,,I’m telling you, open up! If you don’t want to end up as wood splinters, you will open!” He roared. He backed away, breathing heavily.

The assassin was immensely frustrated. He’d been locked in an empty room for days now. Every six hours, a simple loaf of breath and a cup of water would materialize in a corner of his ‘cell’. Kendri’s orders were deceptively simple. Escape from the room he was in. That would be his first lesson. At first, he’d believed it would be an easy matter to escape. This belief held out less than five minutes. There were no secret switches or pressure plates or other mechanisms to trigger, no locks, no tunnels, or even ventilation holes large enough to crawl through. Nothing except four walls and a door, all made of decrepit wood. Wood that still defied him even after giving it a beating that would have broken an Orc’s spine.

,,Kendri! When I get out of here, you are dead!” He howled. Sitting on the other side of the door, Kendri smiled again.
,,I doubt it.” He answered, too low to be heard. He could imagine what Ra’trith was going through now. The solution to the puzzle was so simple, yet it stood opposite to all of the Khajiit’s morals. It was so elegantly simple, he would never figure it out except by mere chance. And mere chance had the patience to wait a long time before happening.
,,Doesn’t matter. I’ve got years to prepare. The longer he spends taming himself, the shorter his actual training shall be.”

Uh oh, sounds like Kendri is looking to create a more dangerous monster in Ra'trith. I'm now even more worried for the others now....

The scent of burning insense was heavily in the air, though drowned out by the indescribable chaos brought out by the dozens of concoctions with questionable ingredients bubbling over their flickering flames. As if that was not enough, a very large pillar of fire rose up from a circular pit at the center of the room, heating it up to the point where the old and dusty scrolls lying all over the place nearly burst into flames. It was unsurprising as such that most visitors received a nasty thermal shock as they went from ‘below freezing’ to ‘almost boiling’. Some might expect the Windhelm Mage guild to do something about it in the name of customer friendliness. The truth was, they did this on purpose. Medicine to cure thermal shock was a highly lucrative business and easily funded the extravagant lifestyle of the mages with plenty of cold coins to spare for anything else.

,,Pablsis rectum expectat parsionis demitet.” The dim-eyed mage mumbled in a mysterious tone of voice. Rajn blinked, Aran looked stoically and Marsh secretly rolled his eyes. Merdrar snarled at the ridiculous display, though no one could see the threatening gesture he made towards the terrifying Claymore on his back. He’d let Marsh cast an invisibility spell before passing the city gates. The Dunmer warrior rubbed his chest carefully. He then gave the bearded man a satisfied nod. The wounds he’d suffered from his fight against the werewolf were now perfectly healed, except for a series of massive new scars which he could add to his already impressive collection.

The mage pushed his pointed hat back into place as it began to shift sideways and walked over to the cupboard to store what was left of the cure.
,,You will find that not only has your musculature been restored to full functionality, but I also removed a tumor in the Casis adiciorem.” He spoke while poking his head into the cupboard. The words elicited the same response as his last sentence had.
,,Mage gobblegygook meant to impress. Don’t listen to it.” Marsh whispered.

,,Of course, that does mean that I did more than our contract specified. I require a reasonable raise in payment. The Candi Akiream is a very important organ one must know and removing the infection wasn’t easy. So what about an extra twohundred?” He continued, oblivious to the glances being thrown back and forth behind his back. They didn’t have the money to pay even half of the bonus the mage had just demanded.
,,It would be believable if I were a total fool and if he didn’t change the name of his fictional organ every five seconds.” Merdrar thought to himself. His hand now clenched the hilt of his sword tightly. Just three steps and a single swing, it would end all of his nuisance. He forcefully released his grip. No one would trust him after he slaughtered an old and obviously crazy mage.

Aran caught Marsh’s eyes who shook his head. At that, Aran surpressed a sigh and gave one short nod to Rajn. The Bosmer smiled with glee and quickly moved behind a large rack of books.
,,Twohundred? I think that is a tad too much, considering the fact that we never asked to have it treated.” Marsh countered, drawing the mage’s attention. The man pulled his head out of the cupboard a tad too fast, and all the potions stored within crashed down on the floor.
,,Ayeh! You startled me and look at what happened! How do I ever clean this up? If the headmaster finds out, he’ll turn my head into a mudcrab’s tail!” The man shrieked and caught his hat that had begun its own descent to the floor.

He was still wringing his hand and standing in the multi-coloured pool of liquids when a large puff of purple smoke exploded from his desk.
,,Achoo!” Rajn sneezed with tearing eyes.
,,No, the fabled dragon’s breath! Ah, what have you done?!” The mage shrieked, now in absolute panic. He shivered so hard, his hat again slipped sideways. This time, he was too preoccupied to notice and it reached the floor unimpeded.
,,I didn’t do it! The Imp did!” Rajn coughed and pointed an accusing finger at the winged creature whose mouth fell wide open in disbelief.

The mage spun to face the creature. His eyes had lost the dim glaze and now seemed to shoot sparks.
,,You!” He began, drawing a deep breath for what was to follow.
,,Master. I didn’t…” The Imp stammered to no avail. Already its master had flung his hands up into the air and collected two bolts of crackling energy within his fists. The Imp screamed and flapped away to dodge the spells.
,,I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR PETTY EXCUSES ANYMORE! EVERY TIME, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A MESS OF THIS HALL. I’LL TURN YOU INTO A FROG!”

Five minutes later, the fabled dragon’s breath was the least loss suffered by the Windhelm mage guild. The mage scarcely noticed. He only grinned mischievously at the quivering snail he held on his palm.
,,There, that will teach you. You’ll never make a mess again after having been a fish for a week.” He gloated. Rajn sighed and shook her head behind his back.
,,What a wacko.” She whispered to herself and handed Marsh several heavy pouches rinkling with gold.

Marsh opened the pouches andcounted out threehundred coins which he put down on the table.
,,Use the change for repairs I’d say. Thank you for your help but we must be going. Have a nice day.” He spoke and left for the door before the mage could either accept or reject the payment. Outside, no one could keep his or her laughter. Even Merdrar cast a grim smile behind his mask.
,,Now that’s what I call a quality distraction folks. Tip over one small bowl of purple stuff, then blame it on the Imp.” Rajn giggled. Aran closed the door behind himself.
,,You know my opinion on stealing but this time I don’t mind. We were low on funds and he was obviously trying to rip us off. Paying him with some of his own septims was just perfect.” He noted.

Marsh looked left and right before renewing his spell on Merdrar.
,,Ahem, let’s find ourselves a private room where we can discuss what to do next.” He suggested. Hearing no objections, he followed a sign pointing towards the nearest inn. He mentally counted the money they had left after his payment.
,,Enough to rent a big fourroom suite in a luxurious establishment. After all we went through, I think we deserve some decadency.” He thought.

Rajn dug a hand into a pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in paper.
,,I took the chance to do some shopping at a discount. This is for you.” She quipped and handed the bundled to Aran who looked at it with a resigned frown before he stripped off the paper. His fingers found themselves holding a small bone which had been hollowed out. A thin cord was tied around one end with a loop which made it clear to him it was meant to be worn around his neck.
,,It’s a magic whistle. If you’re ever in trouble, just blow on it. You’ll get a dozen arrows on whatever’s bothering you in no time at all. If it’s still moving after that, you get your money back.” The girl promised with a cheeky grin. Aran sighed.
,,Well, thanks. That’s nice of you.” He answered as he tied the whistle around his neck.
,,But am I really supposed to thank her for it? It is stolen after all. I’m just encouraging her with my praise.”

Hehe, nice trick on that mage there. He definitely made for amusing buffoon.