Ahhh, our Khajiit has a history with Vincente. It definitely doesn't seem to be the happy type either. Way to take the advice you mentioned in Malpense's story about slowly revealing tidbits about the character.

Excellent work!

Great stuff Jack. Can't wait for more!

Chapter 3: Threads rebound.

With the dagger pressing into her back, there was little she could do but to go outside as he’d told her.
,,What’s go…” Her question was rudely interrupted by the dagger which pressed a bit harder, nearly penetrating her clothes.
,,Silence!” The Argonian hissed in her ear. He led her into one of Cyrodiil’s many alleys. When the pressure of the dagger onto her back ceased, she turned around. The scaled creature was comfortably leaning against the dirty wall, still holding the dagger loosely.
,,Now, we’ll wait for a while. Don’t speak if you value your life.” He warned her.

After a few tense and silent minutes that seemed to drag on with each heartbeat lasting an age, the distinct sound of heavy boots hitting cobblestones drew closer. Moving faster than she’d ever expected, the Argonian pressed his hand against her forehead and spoke an incantation.
,,Ocsdros, Jike bei.” A greenish cloud of smoke poured from the hand and engulfed the Bosmer. Rajn coughed loudly when she inhaled some of the smoke in her surprise.
,,What was that? Stay here, I’m going to take a look.” A deep voice spoke from somewhere on the streets.

The Argonian placed himself against the wall again.
,,No matter what happens, don’t move, talk or touch anything. If you disobey, you die.” He told his captive and scraped some dirt from between his claws with the dagger. Just a moment later, a heavily armed Legionnaire entered the dark alley. His eyes instantly shot to the Argonian who looked back at the Imperial with a blank expression.
,,You there, Argonian. What are you doing here?” The man asked sharply. The Argonian tucked the dagger between his belt and shrugged.
,,Shade-Sitter just trying to stay out of the hot sun. Sun hot, yes. Very hot.” He answered with an even heavier accent than before.

The Legionnaire was obviously not used to dealing with the lizard-like creature.
,,Right. Anyway, we’re looking for someone. Nothing important but did something come through here recently? Something that came out of the Roseworks office just down the street over there?” The Imperial soldier looked down the alley, incidentally locking eyes with Rajn who held her breath, feeling cold sweat of fear trickle down her neck. Somehow, the man failed to see her, even though she was standing right in front of him and so nearby that he only had to reach out with his hand to touch her nose.

The Argonian positioned himself between them, hiding her small frame with his own considerably larger mass. It was now that Rajn got a glimpse of the heavy muscles that hid underneath his robe. This only made her even more frightened. He could easily realize his threats.
,,Just arrest the guy, please. He wants to kill me!” She thought.

,,Shade-Sitter saw a few rats here. Big rats. Shade-Sitter hungry so he ate them. Shade-Sitter hopes that iron man is not angry with him.” The Argonian said. The man obviously thought that he was dealing with some incredibly dumb creature now.
,,Rats are bad umm…..Shade-Sitter can eat rats anytime he likes.” Having said those awkward words, the Legionnaire turned on his heels and fled the alley. His voice could be heard one more time.
,,Nothing, just a dumb lizard. Looks like the old guy won’t get his reward then. Let’s move on.” The sound of heavy boots hitting cobblestones became progressively weaker as the two Legionnaires walked away from the alley.

Shade-Sitter turned around, grabbed his captive by the arm and dragged her towards the end of the alley. There, he knocked on a door three times.
,,Who bothers a poor fisherman?” A rasping voice asked from the other side of the wooden door.
,,Someone who fishes in the dark and murky waters for odd fish.” The Argonian replied. The door creaked loudly as it was opened. The owner of the rasping voice stood in the doorframe. His body was clearly not that of a fisherman. Countless scars marred his arms and the Waraxe in his hand had seen its fair share of use as well.
,,Marsh, get in quickly.” He whispered and stepped out of the way. The Argonian entered the small room, pushing Rajn out in front of him.

He didn’t speak till the door had been closed again. Once again, he pressed his hand against the Bosmer’s forehead. This time, a soothing mist covered her. The fisherman’s eyes shot towards the unexpected guest.
,,Explain.” He ordered the Argonian while still looking at the girl.
,,I will. Please, take a seat.” The creature offered and sat down himself. Once everyone was seated, he began his explanation.

,,I am Marsh-Speaker, though you may call me Marsh. Miss Treesap, I am simply stunned by your complete lack of common sense.” He hissed sharply.
,,What common sense?” The Bosmer snapped back. She’d just come to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be killed in the end. With the reason for her fear gone, anger took its place. The man and the Argonian glanced at the door nervously.
,,Shh, keep your voice down. There are many unwanted ears in this place.” The scarred giant warned. Rajn jumped up out of her seat and slammed her fists down on the table.
,,In the last few days, I’ve been forced to crawl out of a pit in the ground! I’ve been humiliated, intimidated and I even nearly got eaten! Then, just when I was about to go home, you come along! Now I’ve been poked, threatened and nearly choked with some greenish smoke! And now you try to make nasty comments about my common sense? I’ll let you know that I’m seriously pissed right now!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her captors glanced at the door again.
,,Maybe we should gag her.” The fisherman whispered. Marsh held up his hand, both to stop the Bosmer’s tirade as to dissuade his friend from his plan.
,,I apologize if I hurt your feelings. Allow me to explain my actions. Miss Treesap, you have been put on the Emperor’s black list after escaping from his supposedly escape-proof prison. As such, he’s put a price on your head and spread your name among those who might get in touch with you. The clerk was one of these people. When he learned of your name, he went out to call the nearest guard in the hope of getting the reward for your capture. If I let things play out, you would’ve been arrested and most likely, executed.” Marsh leaned back in his seat, the Argonian equivalent of a smug expression on his face.

,,Since you were unwilling to save yourself, I forced to come with me. In the alley, I cast an invisibility spell on you so that the guard was unable to see you. Now, you’re here in what is probably one of the safest places this city has to offer.” He looked amused at seeing her anger diminish and turning into regret and shame.
,,Ah, sorry. So, I owe you my life? Thanks.” Rajn apologized and sat down again.
,,All I wanted was to go home. Is that too much to ask?” She complained to no one in particular.

,,The borders with Valenwood and Elsweyr have been sealed off. The only way to get to Valenwood now is through Argonia. A perilous undertaking, I may add. In short, Valenwood is out of your reach for the moment. Perhaps in a few months, you can return. Till then, you’ll have to hide.” The fisherman commented. He then turned to his Argonian companion.
,,That prison, is it the same one as?” He asked with a frown. Marsh nodded.
,,Yes, the same prison where Tamriel’s champion was locked. Excuse me for asking, miss Treesap, but did you perhaps meet an Imperial, quite young?”

Rajn thought about the question for a moment.
,,Call me Rajn, please. The Treesap part was just because I needed a last name for dealing with the Empire. Well, I never manage to tell one of the manraces from the next but yes, I did meet a young man. In fact, he’s the one who opened the door. Called himself the Champion. He left along a different path. That was a few days ago.” She answered meekly. The Argonian bared his teeth.
,,Days, it is as we feared. His escape began not days, but weeks ago. I have to find out what happened to him.” He whispered.
,,I’m going to the sewers tonight. And I’m taking Rajn with me.” He informed the fisherman. The large man nodded and withdrew a curtain that hung in a corner. A crack was visible, leading underground.
,,Get in there.” He said resolutely.

Rajn looked at the small crack.
,,In there? I don’t like being underground. It’s so cramped and I just can’t stand it. Sitting in this room is hard enough.” She stammered, her claustrophobia striking hard. Marsh’s tail wagged from side to side.
,,Don’t worry, the basement is actually quite large. The ceiling is higher as well.”

As he’d already predicted, the basement was much larger than the small room upstairs. The interior also formed a stark contrast with the fisherman’s hut. Not a single septim was spared in filling the room. Countless racks stood among the walls, alcoves were filled with various suits of armour.
,,The Emperor is not the only one with access to hidden resources. Unlike him though, we can’t afford anything really expensive such as Ebony. Everything you find here can be bought at the smith in the city though here, no one will know of your ‘purchase’.” Marsh spoke with pride. He gestured at a sturdy bow placed on a table, next to a quiver of arrows.

,,I assume that this item will be of the most interest to you. You can practise on the target at the far side of the room. I suggest you get your marksmanship back while you still can. Tonight’s trip will be fraught with danger.” He advised as he browsed through the large selection of weaponry. In the end, he settled for a simple wooden staff lined with silver. He procured a blueish orb from a chest and mounted it on the staff to form the headpiece. He held out the staff and the orb began to glow. When he gestured with his hand, a lone dagger lifted up into the air. Satisfied, he lowered the dagger and put his staff against the wall. A moment later, the room was filled with the sound of loud snoring, with the occasional twang of a bowstring.

Ahh, the plot thickens! Who are these people who wish to help our escapees? And where does the Champion of the Empire fit into it all? Good to hear from you Jack, keep up the good work!

Well if I remember correctly, the Champion of Tamriel is now a corpse, so I'm sure these Argonians aren't going to be too happy once they discover this. Here's hoping they don't get into too much trouble. But then, how would that make the next update any good?

Oh, he's a lot less than a corpse, remember MM? That Khajiit turned into a werewolf and ate him!

Indeed, the plots do thicken. There is so very much going on here--it's great!

Jackie! You´re a post-machine as well.....oh yeah...great work you have here......great work!

Hmm, I don't hold the record at postmachining though. (Heh, it has evolved into a word of its own. Cool.)
Anyway, it's time for some fun!







The day had ended and now the moons dominated the skies. As the warmth of the day fled the land, the night reached out with its cold fingers. Cyrodiil’s citizens had fled into their homes. Where during the day one had to shout to get over the chorus of countless voices, now one could hear the rustle of a leaf falling. Guards patrolled the empty streets with torches in their hand.

The guards were not the only ones out on the streets. A cloaked man moved carefully from shadow to shadow, a spear tied to his back. The light of a torch gave away the approach of a guard. The man made himself as small as possible and waited till the guard had passed. After that, he dashed across the plaza and jumped down the well, using the hanging rope to control his descent.

Ra’trith stood on the walls of an abandoned fort. Beneath him, the corpses of a goblin tribe were littered around the courtyard. He was facing west, towards Cheydinhall.
,,Vincente.” He breathed into the wind. He turned to the east. He could just see the walls of Chorrol on the horizon.
,,I’ll go east, far away from here. Perhaps to Hammerfell. The Dark Brotherhood must be willing to take me in. My skills are too valuable for them to let go.”

On the southern side of the city, a rope fell down from the city wall. Marsh looked around.
,,The coast is clear. Get down there.” He told his Bosmer companion. Rajn wasted no time in sliding down the rope. Marsh followed once she was clear. He left the rope hanging from the walls and led the way to the sewer entrance. The entrance itself was a large circular opening in the rocky island with a grating to keep out any unwanted guests. Trash, organic waste and a few fish completed the scene. Beyond the opening, there was only darkness.

The Argonian retrieved a small key from his pocket and removed the lock on the grating, making sure he didn’t cause any noise. With his care to remain silent, it took over a minute before he’d swung the grating open far enough to pass through. He slipped through and waited on the other side for Rajn. The Bosmer took a step back and fiddled nervously with an arrow.
,,I don’t want to go in there. Last time I nearly got killed.” She said with a quivering voice. Marsh stood motionless for a moment, his eyes lighting up red in the darkness. He then nodded.
,,As you wish. Stay outside then and make sure that no one enters the sewers.” He whispered and was about to venture into the darkness when he felt a hand tugging at his sleeve.
,,Just why do you keep me around?” Rajn asked. She felt much more confident now that she didn’t had to face the sewers.

,,To tell you the truth, I don’t know. It simply….felt like the best plan at the time. Now be quiet, I might be gone for a while.” He pulled himself free and vanished. Behind him, the circle of light that was the exit shrank rapidly and soon it vanished completely when he rounded a corner.

Marsh slowed down. He strained his ears, trying to catch another sound beyond the slow dripping of water. Nothing. He brought his hands in front of his face.
,,Ocsdros, Jike bei.” He chanted softly. After the dark smoke had evaporated, he was truly invisible in the darkness. He gently lowered himself into the water till he was completely submerged.
,,Second passage, right. Continue till the waterflow reverses. Take the first passage to the left three times.” He had memorized the directions from his earlier visit and could quite literally find his destination with his eyes closed. His tail swept from side to side and propelled him forwards underwater.

After a short swim, the tunnel appeared to come to an abrupt end. He rose out of the water as slow as he entered it, to prevent any sound. This far away from the entrance, the only source of light would be an artificial one. Marsh took out his staff and held it above his head. As the orb at the tip began to glow, his eyes began to see. He was standing in front of a solid wall. Or rather, what looked like a solid wall. The Argonian stepped forward till his snout nearly touched the bricks. Then, he stepped through the illusion, feeling a tingling sensation run down his spine.

The light from his staff filled the small tomblike chamber. This was exactly what this place was. A tomb. On a crude altar lay the rotten corpse of someone. The flesh had been effected so much by the process of decay that it was impossible to tell race or even gender. With a slight snort of revulsion, the Argonian put laid a hand on the corpse’s heart. His hand and his entire body appeared to gleam with a white light as he chanted his spell.
,,Mertar, Bile hert, gert, oise.” The light focussed under his hand. He stepped back and watched how the shining sphere began to grow and change shape.

Arms grew from its sides, its lower side became a pair of delicate feet hidden by a swirling translucent dress. Finally, a head formed on top. What was first a sphere of Magicka was now the ghostly illusion of a beautiful yet troubled woman. Marsh knelt in front of the altar.
,,Lady Silmane, I apologize for this disturbance. I know that your powers are limited.” He apologized to the unearthly being. The woman gave him a friendly smile.
,,Don’t worry yourself. I know you would never come without a good reason. I believe I know your reason for coming and disturbing my slumber.”

Her face grew sad.
,,It has been weeks since we opened the door to the Champion’s cell. It saddens me to tell you, but he no longer walks this world. Talin, my old friend, died. With his death, the threads of prophecy have been severed. Now Tamriel is truly lost.” A tear ran down her ethereal face. Marsh didn’t notice. He was shocked by the news and simply stared ahead with blank eyes.
,,The Champion, the chosen one. Death? Now who will destroy the traitor? If the hero is gone, then who can take his place?”

Only after a long time did he regain knowledge of his surroundings. With a brusque motion, he picked up his staff which he’d put against the wall earlier.
,,I’ve been here for too long. Just tell me, quickly, is there another way? Another man to take his role, another Champion to finish what he started? Please, lady Silmane. Tell me.” He whispered urgently. Silmane shook her head.

,,I don’t know everything. How would that be possible, if it was I who was foolish enough to be in love with the traitor till the moment he struck me down? I only know of one way to find your answer.” She held out a hand. In her palm, a key took form, a key inscribed with runes in a language that was no longer used by the living. Marsh held out his own scaly hand and caught it the moment it became solid enough to fall through the ghost’s hand.
,,There is an old passage into the palace. You must remember it from our explorations when we were children. You must go there and find a way to the blind monks. They have not yet been corrupted. They’ll help you. Ask them your question. Perhaps the scrolls will reveal your path. Farewell, I hope you’ll remain safe.” The ghost of Silmane dissolved. Marsh looked at the key in his hand and placed it inside his pocket.
,,I will succeed, lady. I will, for the sake of Tamriel.”

He turned around and stepped through the illusion once more. The light cast by his staff reflected on polished steel. A black hand flashed into his sight before hitting him on the snout. As he fell backwards through the illusionary wall, he dropped his staff and the orb shattered on the hard floor, thereby removing the only source of light. Marsh saw nothing. With one hand, he clutched his bruised head. The other, he held outstretched in a useless attempt to ward of his assailant.
,,I’ve gotten careless. This might end with my death. No, I can’t!” He thought frantically, trying to find a way to escape. He heard the sound of a sword leaving its scabbard.

This is getting quite exciting... 'tis a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's a wonderful cliffhanger.

End of the Cliffhanger and the start of a new one! Yeah, I'm getting good at these things. Feels like a soap series. Every episode ends with a frightened face looking at something unseen. Anway, sorry I'm late tonight. Arena is too damn addictive. Curse Bethesda!






Marsh laid on the floor, his head resting against the cold altar. His imminent death refused to come. Instead, he heard a cold voice filled with evil intent.
,,So this is where you dragged her corpse. An unpleasant fate, to be hidden in the sewers were an amateurish necromancer can call upon your spirit whenever he pleases. Oh, who would ever wish for such a fait? Ah, I forgot. It was the great Ria Silmane herself who made the request. To bad for her, but she’ll have to go back to Tharn. Or rather, her soul will have to go back and her body can rot wherever it pleases.” Whoever had attacked him said and chuckled. The voice sent shivers down the Argonian’s spine. Yet, with his fear came the determination to survive.

He formed his hands into a cup.
,,Ukil, ukil, ukil.” He chanted softly with his eyes closed, bringing his mind into a state of pure focus. The hidden man had stopped chuckling.
,,What is that, little mortal? Are you praying for your life? You should’ve stayed in the swamps were you were born.” He taunted. With his current state of mind, Marsh did not even hear it.
,,Groht Heyat!” A pale blue light shimmered in the Argonian’s hands. He opened his eyes, which had received the same blue colour as the light in his hands. In the light he saw the face of a mundane looking Imperial. However, due to the warped Magicka in the argonian’s hands, his face became distorted, turning into a pure nightmarish visage with a elongated snout that breathed flickering tongues of fire.

,,As I thought. Even the guards have been infiltrated.” Marsh spoke with an oddly echoing voice. He released the spell which pierced through the demon’s chest and then exploded. The light spread throughout the entire system of canals in the sewers, even lighting up the exits like a miniature sun. The Imperial city bathed in light as if it was day, only with the sun shining from under the ground rather than in the sky. The creature staggered forward but was death before it could reach the Argonian. The light faded from Marsh’s eyes and he dropped to his knees. He couldn’t see a thing though he wasn’t sure if it was because he was dying or if it was simply because there was no light.
,,Marsh, you must hurry. More demons are coming to this place. You can’t fight them, not yet. I’ll pay the price for the spell you just cast. You must survive. Farewell, Marsh.”

He could hear his own strained breathing again. He could feel the stone under his body again. His body and spirit were drained and more tired than he’d ever considered possible. He realized that he should’ve died after casting the spell and he did. Yet somehow, he’d returned from the death. But someone else had been left behind. He remembered the voice that spoke to him during his death. This memory itself was nearly enough to make him die again.
,,Lady Silmane. No, Ria. I am sorry. While your spirit is now truly gone, your will is not. Farewell.” He whispered into the air. There was no response, no feeling of an ethereal presence nearby. There couldn’t be one, for Silmane’s spirit had been destroyed by the spell’s demands.

He forced himself to get up even though his legs could barely support the weight. He remembered the warning his friend had given. He had to leave, now. His hand wrapped itself around the key he’d been given.
,,We’ve gone too far to give up now. Tamriel must be saved at all costs.”


Near the top of the Imperial palace, a lone man stood on his balcony and watched the city below.
,,Such a glorious yet ultimately wasted display of Magicka. Whoever cast this must be death by now. Nothing can use such power without succumbing to it. Fools, to think they can overthrow me. All they’ve so far managed to do was disturbing my sleep.” He spoke to himself with a smirk.


Marsh stumbled through the tunnels, willing himself to move on. He knew that if he ran into another of those demons, he would die. And this time, there would be no one willing to sacrifice herself for him. Footsteps met him from behind, and in front of him. He stopped, weighing his options. The maze made it hard to judge a sound’s origin. The footsteps sounded like they were approaching, but they might be moving away. It was a risk, but he had to be sure he wasn’t surrounded.
,,Heyat.”

The light in his hand weakened him even further. It flickered and nearly died a few times. His worst expectations were revealed as another of the demons blocked his path. This one had cast away its illusion of a mortal man and looked completely like the monster it was. Behind it, the grating of the exit gleamed in the moonlight. Just a hundred more steps, and he would’ve made it out of the sewer.

The demon approached him slowly. Its hooves carved into the stone and left fiery footprints behind. Marsh leaned against the wall. He was too tired to fight and even if he did, his only way to win was to kill himself by pouring all of his essence into a single spell like he’d done before. But how would he be able to explain his task to someone else so that the fight could be continued and ultimately won?
,,Good, good. Just stand still and it won’t be long.” The demon gloated, raising a barbed axe above its head. To the Argonian’s surprise, its movements stopped. Instead of striking down and finishing off its helpless victim, its bloodred eyes simply looked over Marsh’s head. If the Argonian didn’t knew better, he would’ve thought to see disbelief etched into its ugly head.

,,You, why don’t you run?!” It roared. Not at Marsh, who was too weak to run but at someone else.
,,You must think you’re brave, to kill a defenceless being. I don’t run away from cowards.” A gravely voice answered. Marsh turned his weary head to see a cloaked man stand behind him. A finely crafted spear was gripped with one hand while the other hung loosely at the man’s side.
,,I am Aran Geydar! I challenge you!” The man shouted and rushed forward. The demon couldn’t believe its eyes. Not only did the mortal refuse to flee, it actually dared to attack!






Note: Here's a pic of the demon I'm talking about. Much of thanks to the UESP.

This is actually one of the more powerful monsters, similar to a Dremora Lord in Morrowind or a high ranking Dremora in Oblivion. (Kylvan, Markynaz or something?)

Wow... maybe I should try to play Arena sometime. I got it to run on my PC once, but I couldn't quite figure out what I was doing at the beginning. Once I have some free time I should try again.

Yeah! It´s awesome....I also have Arena but never tried it...Hmmm your story inspires me to do so..

Great work Jackie!

Oooo creepy monster. I wonder want to be trapped in a sewer with one of those. Let's hop Aran knows what he's doing.

The highest rank of dremora is a Valkynaz, one of Mehrunes Dagon's councilmen.

I can tell you one thing about Arena, it's damn hard. My level 4 Redguard knight has to rely on the retreat-slash-retreat-slash technique to survive. Goblins are swordfodder now but everything else simply slaughters me. And that in full plate armour and a mithril saber.
Another hard point is navigation. You thought Vivec was a pain in the behind to navigate? Wait till you see any of the cities in Arena. No recognizable features and no civilians to ask for directions after 6:00 pm.




The demon moved sluggish, still not willing to believe what was happening. The spear stabbed like lightning, tearing through the monster’s hand so that it was forced to drop its axe. Fire burst out of the minor wound. Again the spear struck, wedging itself into the knee.
,,What are you waiting for?! Get out of here!” The Dunmer shouted to Marsh as he ducked under a clumsy blow from the confused creature. He retaliated by hitting an armpit.

Marsh took the advice and dropped himself into the water, letting the flow carry him towards the exit. With his last remaining strength, he pulled the grating away and drifted out of the sewer into the lake surrounding the Imperial city.

Aran evaded another blow and fell back. The demon’s surprise had faded. Now it was fully devoted to taking him down. So far, the Dunmer’s spear had struck at vulnerable areas like the joints at least a dozen times. Yet the steel tip only seemed to form a minor nuisance for it. Still, it moved a bit awkward which hinted at some damage to the muscles. Aran exploited another opening and aimed to hit between the ribs. His spear failed to penetrate the thick skin around the chest and made only a barely visible scratch.
,,Not every area appears to be soft.”

He retreated even further. Behind him, he could hear the stones crack under the weight of another demon. On pure instinct, he dove for the floor. A heavy blade sliced through the air, taking the Dunmer’s hood with it.
,,Two against one. Not much sense of honour with these.” He thought and got back onto his feet just in time to pin the first demon’s tail to the wall.
,,Ten seconds, that’s my estimation for my continued survival.”

In his current position, he could not release the first demon for it would promptly bite his head of. Likewise, he had to release it for otherwise the second demon would hack his head of with the cursed axe. He was facing a hard dilemma and needed a way out. Preferably within the next five seconds.

Two seconds before his death and one second before he was going to release the tail, the second demon snorted. Aran looked up, ready to duck away in any direction. If the situation wasn’t so serious, he would’ve laughed at the sight. The demon was clawing frantically at its face, trying to pull a small arrow out of its nose with claws that weren’t designed for it. Aran took his chance and pulled his spear out of the tail. Instantly, the trapped demon spun around on its hooves and opened its mouth to reveal a collection of obscenely sharp teeth. While it had hoped for a head to chew on, it instead received a foot in the throat. It trashed against the wall, wheezing for breath and clutching its throat. By the time either of the two had recovered, their intended snack was already past the grating.

Marsh breathed weakly. His vision was blurred from exhaustion but he believed that it was still night. So he hadn’t been unconscious for that long. He turned his head utterly slow. Sitting next to him were two blurs. Judging by their length, he concluded that the shortest of the two was the Bosmer he’d left behind to guard the exit. The other was likely the Dunmer who’d come to his rescue.
,,To defeat one of those things without dying is quite a feat. Who is this man?” He thought but instead of asking the man’s name he chose to berate the girl.’
,,You were supposed to keep everything out.” He spoke as sharply as he could in his weakened condition.

,,I tried! But this guy came, completely normal looking. Only, he wasn’t normal! I could see!” Rajn squealed and began to sob. The Argonian blinked. He hadn’t been that angry. After all, he knew that if she’d tried to hold back a demon, she would be dead now.
,,Don’t cry, it doesn’t matter. I’m still alive.” He spoke with a friendly tone. He now saw the time right to involve the Dunmer into the conversation.
,,Thanks to you. I don’t know how you did it, but the fact that you stand here means you defeated that wretched thing.”

Aran scowled.
,,Only a fool would continue a battle he can’t win. Most people would say I ran, I call it a considered retreat. There were two of them. Rajn hit one of them in the nose. A stupid target.” He answered.
,,Hey! I was aiming for the eye, I swear! It’s that lousy bow’s fault that the arrow landed a bit lower. Why are you all so mad at me?” The Bosmer complained.
,,I’m not mad at you. It was a stupid target, but it did give me the chance to escape.” He sighed and then spoke the words he had never dreamt he would speak.
,,I owe you my life. By tradition, that means I must defend you till you consider my debt repaid. I was planning to return home to my tribe but I cannot abandon you for that would mean forsaking my honour.”

Rajn looked up at the Dunmer.
,,What? Oh, you don’t have…..” She was interrupted by a scaly hand covering her mouth. Marsh sank back on the ground after his sudden movement, still tired.
,,I appreciate your honesty but it would be wiser for the moment to accept his offer. No doubt you’ll face foes in the nearby future you can’t fight on your own. Any help could be crucial.” He advised, earning him a stern glance from the Dunmer.
,,Your counsel was not requested.” He noted.
,,But he is right. You shouldn’t dismiss me so soon, even though you think we’re even. I can see that something is wrong when demons hide underneath the city, disguised as guards. Please accept my offer. I, Aran Geydar, promise that my hand will forever be at your side to smite those who wish you harm.” He pleaded and lied his face on the cool earth.

He felt a pair of hands touch the back of his head.
,,Oh, just get up and stop kissing the ground. Alright, I’ll accept it but only for as long as is necessary.” Rajn decided. Next to her, the Argonian let out a relieved hiss.
,,So it has been decided. Welcome, sir Geydar. I am Marsh-Speaker though I would prefer it if you simply called me Marsh. Now I’ll explain our next course of action.”

He waited till he had everyone’s attention before he withdrew the key from his pocket. The glint of rubies shone in the moonlight.
,,As soon as I’ve rested, we’ll enter the city.” He explained. Rajn threw her hands up into the air.
,,I don’t believe it! Have you lost your mind?! After all that trouble to get out, you want to get back in?!” She shouted, taken by surprise. Aran crossed his arms in front of his chest and responded much calmer.
,,Be quiet or the wrong ears will hear you. Where exactly in the city, Marsh, do you want to be?” He inquired.

,,The Imperial palace.” Marsh replied with a blank expression.
,,Miss Treesap, if you wish to voice your objections, please make sure not to raise your voice.” He added, half-jokingly. The girl glared at him.
,,Yeah, I freely admit that I think your plan is complete suicide.” She whispered.

The Argonian shrugged.
,,I would think the same thing under normal circumstances. But right now, my duty demands that I go to the palace and make contact with the blind monks. As if breaking into the palace isn’t bad enough, we also have to evade the patrols and find a path to a location I have only been before a single time. That time, I was blindfolded.” He elaborated. His breathing was stronger now and he felt his strength beginning to return.
,,It is not as bad as you might think. Rajn here is a Tower.” Aran interjected. Marsh made a perfect imitation of a frown.
,,And how is that supposed to help us?” He asked.

Rajn muttered something under her breath.
,,Alright, I’ll just come out with it. I’m a tower yes, but not a normal one. I’m the rare version of the tower, the more extreme one. Five words: I CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS. Thanks to that I was always considered a freak back home and treated as trash. On second thought, maybe I don’t want to go home.” She reluctantly admitted.
,,Ah, now I understand. I read a paragraph on this during my studies. Only a dozen words at most. I can see how that might help us. Fine then, we’ll rest here and come up with a detailed plan in the morning.” Marsh nodded to both of his companions and closed his eyes. Soon, he’d drifted off into sleep.

Fantastic!

And yes, Arena is really hard. I got it up and running again today and it took me about 4 attempts to figure things out enough so I could get out of the sewers. I ended up in Windhelm (after rising to level 3 down in the sewers) and it's bloody difficult to get around. Now I just need to make some money to get decent gear...

Lovely update Jack! Looks like things are going to get more and more difficult for our heroes. Hopefully they'll formulate an excellent plan. Keep it up!

Whoa....so thats what its like to read one of my stories....miss a day, miss five updates! Nice work Jack! SGM, keep it up!!

I love Arena. It has such a creepy atmosphere.
Some good moments was my duel against three mages. First fireball knocked out half of my health, the next two dagger hits got me into critical. I finished them only to find out that there was a third one behind me. Less than 10 hp left in the end. I really felt like I'd claimed a hard victory.

Or the castle outside Vulnim gate in Hammerfell. Inside it is really creepy. Monsters seem to actually respawn constantly. And the sound of doors closing and opening somewhere out of sight. Man, that's scary. I grabbed everything I saw, beated up a rogue and a Spellsword, two goblins and a bunch of rats. After that, I ran because my nerves couldn't handle it. Two thieves had surrounded me just outside. Another battle finished in critical condition. But the rewards was worth it. 700 septims at least! Woot!

Anyway, back to your daily corruption. A really short one. I need to focus on an Agent update really.



The next day came with a dull start, the sun hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds.
,,Ugh, looks like the whole world shares my mood. I just don’t get it.” Rajn complained. Her two companions had their eyes fixed on the gate.
,,Guards? What is there you don’t understand?” Marsh hissed. He was still a bit tired but he refused to rest any longer. With the stakes so high, personal comfort was not among his priorities. Besides, he had been raised in the Black Marsh. Comfort was hard to find there so he was used to a slight muscle cramp.

,,Human. Anyway, I was saying something. Why are we going to walk through the front gate? If it was up to me, I would wait till night and climb over the wall.” She continued after answering the Argonian’s question. Marsh blinked and gave a sheepish grin.
,,Alright, I’ll try to explain it with a simple question. Finding the answer yourself is more rewarding than having someone tell you. So answer me. If you were looking for three wanted people who are about to break into the most heavily secured building of the Empire, when would you expect them to come?” He asked and looked expectantly.
,,Well, during the night of course. It’s dark then, everyone is sleeping and….oh.” Rajn answered without hesitation.
,,I get it now. During the day, no one would expect us to do it.”

Aran held up his hand and made a few quick gestures.
,,We split up here. Remember the plan. Rajn leads and avoids any disguised demons. We follow separately from a distance. We’ll only join up again when we either reach our destination or if one of us meets trouble.” He moved his lips without a sound. They all nodded at each other and soon slipped into the mass of farmers willing to sell their wares on the market.

The guards looked at each of the farmers as they passed through the gate. Especially the one on the left side of the gate seemed rather attentive. With this level of awareness, it all came down to whether or not they’d received a description of the soon-to-be burglars. Rajn took a deep breath before stepping through the gate. When the guard looked at her for an exceptional long time, she felt her cheeks burning and feared that she’d been caught.
,,Hey there, pretty lady. No need to be shy. Why don’t you come over to the barracks later, eh?” The guard said in a tone she certainly did not appreciate even though she was slightly relieved. He hadn’t been staring at her for so long because he recognized her from a certain wanted list. The guard standing on the other side of the gate laughed.
,,Stop hitting on the women!” He shouted at his colleague and winked at Rajn in a way she didn’t appreciate either. The Bosmer glared at both of them and wiped some imaginary dust off her sleeve.
,,Guess the standing outside all day in rusting armour must have caused something else to rust as well.” She said out loud which managed to shut up the two lecherous guards.

She stepped through the gate as fast as she dared.
,,Hey, we only do this because it pays well, really! And it’s not rusted!” The first guard shouted after her. He’d taken the insult rather hard it seemed. Rajn turned around just long enough to stick out her tongue and passed between a group of priests. Once she was out of earshot, she glanced behind her to see if the Dunmer and the Argonian had made it past as well. The tip of a spear rising up over the heads and the end of a tail told her they had. She looked towards each side of the street and made her decision. The encounter with the guards had given her an idea. She joined up with a group of young yet rich-looking people. They should be able to get her and her companions inside the palace without any sneaking through secret passages filled with traps. All they required was a little persuasion. And a good kick between the legs afterwards.




Note: Don't mess with the females.

Hehehe... I think I know where this is going

Excellent update.

Oh Man jack,..see what you've started!! Even I couldnt resist using the idae in my stories!! Not your fault, its the injuries fault for being so funny!

Tsk, tsk, tsk, what is the word coming to? It seems that ball-kicking is the most popular underhanded trick. What happened to the classic back-stab?

Back-stab? Bah, waste of arrows and they can't learn from their mistake when they're death.

And I'm quite sure I have some surprises in store for all of you. Anyway, gotta run. School's waiting.

Marsh shook his head when he saw the Bosmer girl strike up a conversation with a few young nobles.
,,Silly girl. Do you really believe that is going to work? They’ve been told from birth to watch out for such tricks.” He thought and quickened his pace for a moment. He decided however that while it wouldn’t help their task at all, the only damage in the end would be her pride. Under normal circumstances, the young men might actually do her physical harm but only a drunk fool would mess with a bow-wielding Bosmer. So she was quite safe as long as she didn’t go too far. Reassured, he fell back again.

Aran looked at the scene up ahead and moved as close as he could without drawing attention to himself.
,,She’s acting like a fool. Not all men fall easily to a woman’s charmes. This is even more true when said woman does not know how to use her charms. It looks like fulfilling my debt will be a hard task. She just seems to run headfirst into trouble at the first opportunity.”

Rajn followed the group calmly. For the first two streets, the men did their best to act as if they hadn’t seen her. Only when they were about to pass through a gate did the one in the rear acknowledge her presence.
,,Can I help you?” He asked in a friendly yet slightly impatient tone. Rajn came to a full stop and now found the whole group fixing their stares at her. She blushed under all the attention.
,,Drat! I hadn’t thought of what to say! I need something, quick!” She thought in a slight panic.
,,Umm, where can I find the palace?” She asked and gave the group what she thought was her cutest smile.

The man who’d spoken to her, a Breton somewhere in his early twenties, returned her smile.
,,Oh, that’s simple. The palace is the big tower right in the middle of the city. You can’t miss it. To get inside though, you need an invitation.” He explained. Now that she’d something to work with, Rajn had a much easier time finding her words. She faked an extremely disappointing look, including widened eyes.
,,Aww, but I travelled all the way from Fallinesti to see it. I wanted to see the throne room, the old men in their fancy robes, the library, the Emperor’s bedroom, the kitchen. Now what am I going to do?” She pouted. The whole group turned away in disgust but the Breton didn’t move.

,,Come on, Lucius, don’t waste your time with that low-class elf.” One of them told. Lucius held up a hand.
,,No, it’s alright. You can go on ahead without me. I’ll come over later.” He replied and watched them walk away. Once they were out of earshot, he laughed.
,,Quite the tourist, aren’t we? I would’ve expected the treasury to be in your list though. Aren’t Bosmer known as thieves?” He said in jest.
,,Yup, and we sure are proud of our reputation. Robbing the treasury would be great fun, but how would I ever walk away with all that heavy stuff?” Rajn shot back, laughing as well.

The Breton scratched his chin for a moment, his mind elsewhere.
,,Do you know how to use that bow?” He asked with an absent voice.
,,Hey, I am a Bosmer. Of course I’m good, better than anyone else in the province.” Rajn said, beaming with pride.
,,Bosmer, stupid I asked. Well I would hate to see your journey turn out to be useless. Though I heard that the Emperor is holding an archery competition. If you decide to take part, you will actually get to see the inside of the palace. You and whoever you hire to look after the occasion, that is.” He offered after some more thinking.
,,Great! Where do I sign up?” Rajn shouted, falling completely out of her role for the moment. It didn’t matter, for a display of boundless enthusiasm was just what she needed.
,,In the palace of course, follow me.”

The two continued their walk towards the palace, chattering away. Aran still followed within the crowd. He shook his head a few times.
,,Unbelievable, just unbelievable.”

Lucius waved at the guards who held the doors to the palace.
,,Hi!” He greeted and gestured to the Bosmer that she should be quiet.
The guards nodded.
,,Good morning, young sir Stoneleaf. Who is that behind you?” They greeted in return, going straight to the point.
,,Ah, that’s Rajn Treesap. A friend of the family. She’s quite accomplished as a hunter so I thought that she might enter the archery competition?” While the Breton was talking with the guards, Rajn slipped around whenever they weren’t looking till she could reach one of the guards. When the three were fully focussed on their conversation, she put a hand on the guard’s belt and retrieved a surprisingly small set of keys which she quickly put into her pocket without any rinkling. The doors were opened by the other guard and she was allowed inside.
,,Wow, I actually did it.” She thought to herself, surprised at her own success.

Aran shook his head again as he saw the doors close.
,,Unbelievable, truly unbelievable.” He repeated to himself. She was now out of his reach and the best he could do was pray for her safety. He felt a scaly hand on his shoulder and turned to see who’d touched him.
,,Excuse me, dark-skin. You are blocking the road.” Marsh hissed loudly with a hateful voice.
,,I’m a noble and they’ll let me in. I’ll keep an eye on her. Wait at the nearest tavern.” He whispered, without any trace of the hate he’d just displayed. He then left the Ashlander behind and walked confidently up to the stairs.

,,Ah, Marsh-Speaker. My, what happened to you?” The guards asked him. The Argonian looked at his dirty robe and growled.
,,Bandits. It’s impossible to even travel the roads in safety these days. I’m going to file a formal complaint.” He answered. The guards shrugged and opened the gate.
,,Hey, I can’t find my keys. I must have left them at the barracks. Anyway, try to keep it calm, Marsh. We don’t want a repeat of your last complaint which had us buy a new table. The Emperor was not pleased.” The one who’d been robbed by Rajn warned.

So far so good, wonder how long their luck will last. Seems Aran is high and dry as of the moment; it must suck being in a foreign land without any prestige........ and having your life endebted to a bosmer who jumps head-first into uncertainty.

Lovely update! I also hope this plan works without any incidents.

Say, does anyone know what the Imperial palace looks like on the inside? Honestly, I'm improvising here. Ah well, I bet that it has a character like the one in this update. Or it should have.






Once inside, Marsh looked around, looking completely disinterested with those around him. In reality though, he was fully alert to any change in the situation. Once he’d spotted Rajn and the Breton, he followed them, stopping to gaze at the various paintings on the way. The two had apparently picked up their conversation again which annoyed the Argonian ceaselessly.
,,She’s going to mess up all of my plans single-handedly like this.”

,,The palace can be seen as the heart of the Empire in more ways than one. Of course the Emperor is seated here but that’s not all. All provinces have had an influence on the interior of the palace. We’ve got Glass relief’s from Morrowind, Silver statues from High Rock, Lanterns from the Summerset Isles, Carpets from Argonian silk, furniture from Valenwood and I forgot what Skyrim offered.” Lucius pointed all over the place like a tour guide. To complement the scene, Rajn was staring everywhere in wonder like a tourist. That was till she saw the furniture.
,,What?! They cut down trees back home and turned them into tables?!” She blurted out.
,,I know, different cultural values. I still don’t like it.” She added, doing her best to calm down. From the other side of the hall, Marsh sighed and left the hall.

He couldn’t keep an eye out on her any longer. The moment he’d entered the palace, he’d entered the endless game of politics. Any lingering in the hall with his current clothing would raise suspicion. Naturally, the attention would then shift to the other strangers in the hall. It wouldn’t take long for an observant eye to reveal the connection he had with eh Bosmer. He wasn’t without options though. Like everyone else, he secretly paid several of the servants to be his hidden ears and eyes. As such he approached one of the servants on his payroll and requested a glass of whine.
,,Keep an eye on those two, especially the Bosmer with the bow.” He whispered and left, knowing that he would receive a report in less than an hour. Though he also knew that he wasn’t the only one who was watching them and he was being watched himself. That was the life of a politician in Cyrodiil.

,,Well, I can’t honestly say it ever bothered me. Then again, I’m from High Rock and we look different at things there. As you said, cultural values. But then again, there is something called respecting another person’s culture. So since your people view plantlife as sacred, we should’ve taken the wood from somewhere else.” Lucius said by way of an apology. Rajn waved him off.
,,Don’t go kiss the floor because of my feelings. I’m getting used to seeing strange things that would have you hung back home.”

Before either of them could continue their discussion on the furniture, they were addressed by an exquisitively dressed Altmer.
,,Good morning, sir Stoneleaf. Perhaps you might grant me the honour of introducing me to your companion?” He asked with a rather snobbish sounding voice which caused Rajn to immediately dislike him. The fact that he was easily twice as tall as her didn’t quite help break the ice either. Lucius showed none of his feelings.
,,Ah, forgive me. Housemaster Alvuis, I’d like to introduce Rajn Treesap to you. She’s a recent addition to the ones my family are happy to count as friends. Rajn Treesap, it is my pleasure and most distinct honour to introduce to you Housemaster Alvuis. He makes sure that the household of the palace is always conducted orderly.” The Breton said, making a deep bow to his listeners.

Rajn blinked a few times.
,,Ok, so basically you just told our names? What’s up with all the cryptic mumbling?” She asked, which brought out a most displeased expression on Alvuis’ face. This expression became even worse when he looked at the floor.
,,Perhaps lady Treesap would be pleased to alter her attire for her stay in the palace?” He asked, sounding even more snobbish than before. Rajn blinked again. Lucius leaned over to her ear once he saw her confusion.
,,He asks if you want to change your clothes. He doesn’t like the muddy footprints.” He whispered politely.

The Bosmer looked down at hr feet. Indeed, a trail of wet mud clearly showed where she’d set her feet.
,,I can’t believe it. I’ve walked through the whole city and I’m still trailing mud.” She imitated the Altmer’s snobbish tone.
,,I don’t have any other clothes though.” She whispered back to the Breton after her fun with the Housemaster.

Lucius thought about it for a second before snapping his fingers.
,,Ah, that should be no difficulty. Housemaster, please give her a room for the night. I’ll send over one of my servants with a more proper choice of clothing.” He said to Alvuis and turned away.
,,Just follow the Housemaster. I’ll take care of everything else then.” He told Rajn before whispering into her ear again.
,,You might want to take a bad while you have the chance. To be honest, you reek as if you’ve spent times near the sewer exit.” When he tried to walk away, he felt a hand tugging his sleeve.
,,Wait just a minute. I can’t go and accept that. You’ve done too much already.” Rajn complained.
,,Besides, I already pilfered the keys I need and I don’t want to take this too far. If you keep being so nice to me, I’ll actually feel bad about ditching you like a broken lockpick.”

,,No, no. I insist. You should take advantage of the situation whenever you can. Now, I’ll see you later.” Since he had his back turned to her, he did not see the girl’s irritated expression.
,,Damn, he’s simply too cute. This will be harder than I thought.”
Alvuis looked down on the Bosmer. Now that the noble had left, he had no reason to continue his polite manners. She wasn’t a noble and as such held no real rank here.
,,I suppose it is my duty to help those less fortunate than myself.” He said, his disgust now unmasked.

Rajn stabbed a finger at his stomach, the highest she could reach.
,,Now you stop this whole ‘I’m better than you’ nonsense! Less fortunate than myself, phah! At least I’m not the one who always has to talk in sentences that make my tongue twist into a knot. I’d like to see you walk outside with that attitude. Those fancy robes aren’t going to stop the wolves.” The Altmer gave her a scorching stare and then walked out of the hall, his robe swishing in his wake. After a few seconds, Rajn figured she was supposed to follow him and somewhat reluctantly, she did.

The two kept a cool silence during their walk through several halls and up several stairs. Alvuis finally stopped at one of the countless doors that were indistinguishable from their brethren.
,,Consider this chamber to be your home during your sojourn in Cyrodiil. Inside you’ll find all the necessities. I’ll have a servant sent to you.” He spoke and left without giving the required bow. Rajn glared at his back till he was out of her sight.
,,I should’ve tried to hit on him. At least then I wouldn’t feel any regrets about the betrayal later on.” She muttered to herself and opened the door.

Heh, quite the saucy one, that Bosmer...

Well it seems that they've gotten inside easily enough. I have a feeling getting out might be a bit more difficult than getting in. I guess we'll find out. Great work as usual Jack.

Ok, after our scene of breaking and entering. (little breaking, much entering.) It's time to switch to a scene with less action or tension.




The sight that greeted her was worthy of the Emperor himself. The room was the epitome of decadent luxury and decoration. Life-sized marble statues of past Emperors and heroes guarded the door leading to the bathroom as well as the door she came in through. Paintings and woven carpets showing scenes of Septim glory covered every bare part of the walls. A bed as large as her house back in Valenwood took up one side of the room, with small golden statues of Akatosh at each corner. Closets large enough to stand in were placed at either side of the bed. Finally, several chairs with soft pillows completed the interior.

Rajn looked at everything, both impressed and unnerved.
,,I don’t think I’ll get much sleep with all those eyes staring at me. Not to mention the heavy usage of wood. At least there is a window.” She concluded after her examination of the first room. With a slight hesitation, she turned the handle on the second door and looked into the bathroom. The exaggerated need for luxury was present here as well. The bath itself was a large bowl shaped out of blue glass, with a pair of copper tubes hanging over the edge. Rajn leaned over the edge and peered at her own reflection in the bowl. She also noticed a silver plug in the center.
,,Wow, I can swim in this thing. If there was any water in it.”

She stepped back and made a mental list of all the objects in the room, paying particular attention to those she could easily hide in her pockets. Before she had a chance to plan any thievery though, there was a polite knock at the door followed by said door opening. The Bosmer swiftly spun on her heels, her bow already out with an arrow on the string before she’d completed her turn. The servant dressed in his wide robe made a few trembling steps backwards till the wall prevented him from going any further. Clearly he’d never met a guest who was easily agitated. His eyes were wide with fear and he held up the greenish bundle in his hands as if it could protect him from the arrow.

Rajn held her bow out for a few more seconds just to show who was in charge before lowering it and easing her pressure on the string.
,,Next time, ask before you come in here.” She scolded him, showing delight in the power she held over the much taller person. The still shivering servant nodded a few times.
,,I had been charged with the duty of delivery.” He explained after his nerves had calmed down a bit. Rajn looked at the bundle in his hands and then picked it up. She unfolded it and found herself holding an incredibly light robe.

It was of a light green colour and while not transparent, it did allow some of the candlelight to pass through. In its design, it had some intricate weaving resembling various kinds of leaves and flowers.
,,Nice robe, but it’ll rip on the first treebranch.” She commented.

,,It’s a dress meant for indoors.” The servant corrected her and then looked over her shoulder at the bath.
,,Is there any way I can be of assistance during your endeavour into personal hygiene?” He asked humbly. Rajn blinked as she always did when she was confused. This time, there was no Lucius around to explain the weird choice of words. She had to look over her own shoulder before she knew what exactly he’d meant.
,,How about this? I would be most pleased……If you were willing…To move…..Ah, screw this! It’s like I’m trying to talk in a whole different language or something. Out, I want you to get out of here. It’s best to give a girl some privacy unless you want to gain a few holes in your body.”

The servant left faster than she’d expected, after putting a pair of shoes on the floor. Apparently, the language barrier only went one way. She turned to the bath again while still holding her new dress.
,,This is so annoying. It’s as if everyone wants to make sure I’m being watched all the time.” She frowned at her own remark. Half a second later, she had dropped underneath the sink, letting her fingers run over the wall.

Two hours later, she sat on the edge of the bowl and admired her handiwork. Half a dozen of tiny peepholes had been plugged with a towel she’d torn to pieces.
,,Finally, some privacy. Now for the next crisis. Where does the water come from?” Back in Valenwood, whenever she needed a bath, she would just empty a bucket over her head or jump into the nearest river, whatever was closer at the time. There were no buckets here and a river was slightly too big to fit in the room. After some long thinking, she concluded that the copper tubes had something to do with them. There was a little wheel on top of each tube.

She turned the left wheel out of curiosity. After a few seconds of burping sounds, a constant stream of water shot out of the tube and into the bath.
,,Wee! This is fun!” Rajn clapped her hands excitedly and then held a finger under the stream of water.
,,Ouch, hot!”

After some experimentation, she’d discovered that while the left tube spewed boiling water, the right tube brought cold water. From that point, it was a simple matter of mixing the two till she had the right temperature. While the bath was being filled with a steady stream of water, she had the time to give her dress a closer inspection.
,,Drat, I didn’t knew Lucius had been able to guess my size that accurately. It’s perfect. And just how did he manage to get the size of my feet right? Hmm, looks like he wants me to look like a noble now. That’s fine with me, makes it easier to blend in.” She reached out behind her head with a hand and pulled a clasp of bleached bone out of her hair.
,,Ok, then I guess I’ll wear the dress, put on those little shoes and maybe I should try to tie my hair into a ponytail or something. I should include my clasp though, I can’t live without it.”

Once the bath was filled, she played around for a while with the countless bottles of perfume she’d found during her hunt for the peepholes before finally stepping into the bowl.


Two floors lower and on the other side of the tower, Marsh sat in his own room, reading a book. There was a knock on his door and when he looked up, the servant he’d hired to do some spying stood in the doorway.
,,And?” The Argonian simply asked.
,,Lord, the Bosmer has retreated into a room. I lost sight of her then. She’s been quite thorough in blocking all the peepholes in the bathroom.” The servant reported, a bit annoyed at his inability to continue his observation. Marsh chuckled.
,,Well, I do suspect that she’s done her fair share of burglary in the past. It’s hard to sneak up on a thief. Well then, I guess I’ll just give you your payment then.” He spoke and brought out a pouch that rinkled heavily with coins. He slipped it into the servant’s hands who hid it under his robe.
,,Oh, and one more thing. Could you be so kind and slip this letter under the door leading to her room?”




(No, I'm not going to write a bathing scene. Apart from the fact that nothing interesting would happen, I'm trying to keep the PG-rating down here. Though with all the brutal murders Ra'trith did earlier, I don't think there's much I can do to keep the rating down. I should bring back the furry killer again somewhere. )

Yeah, Ra'Trith hasn't reared his head in a little while. Wonder where he could be?

I really enjoyed reading the description of the rooms. I could easily picture it in my head. Good work!

Ok, just a quickie with no real influence on the plot. I wanted to show what a certain character has been doing since the last time we saw him.





Far to the west of the Imperial city, a caravan slowly made its way across the path. The only wagon creaked and rumbled loudly and the horses looked like they’d seen their best days. The men and women who travelled with the caravan didn’t appear to be well off either. The clothes they wore were little more than rags and the weapons they carried for their own protection were little more than branches broken off trees.

They all stared into the darkness of the forest around them wearily. Bandits frequented this area of Tamriel and unlike most travellers, they had nothing with which to pay them off. If bandits chose to attack and managed to claim victory, they might very well slaughter everyone out of disappointment when they failed to find any loot.

A nearby branch snapped. All heads turned in the direction of the sound. As if the snapping branch had been a signal a trio of Orcs roared a battlecry and stormed out of the bushes, waving their axes. The travellers drew into a tight circle around the wagon. The Orcs stopped just outside the range of the simple clubs. They knew that they’d already won the battle before it had began.
,,Your stuff, or your lives.” The leader of the Orcs grumbled loudly. The travellers looked at each other, the wagon and then the bandits. Their eyes betrayed the fear yet for some reason, they still prepared themselves for battle.

What both the Orcs and the travellers didn’t know, was the fact that they weren’t alone in the woods. Another being was nearby, one who was sitting high up a tree. His golden eyes scanned the wagon below him. Suddenly, a loud crying could be heard. The eyes shot across the wagon till they gazed upon a squirming bundle of dirty rags. Amidst the rags, he could see a pair of deep brown eyes which were fixed upon his. The baby was the only one aware of the hidden watcher.

The Orcs gripped their axes tighter.
,,Your stuff, now. Or else we…..” The Orc cut himself off. He thought he’d seen something move, something which dropped out of a tree and landed on the wagon without a sound. He couldn’t be sure though, for it looked most like a shadow within a shadow. He looked at the wagon in silence for several long seconds, which caused everyone else present to look at him with confusion etched into their faces. Just when the Orc had convinced himself that he was imagining things, two gold spots of light appeared within the shadow.

,,You there. Your stuff or you life.” The Orc tried for the third time. Everyone followed his eyes till they also saw the Khajiit standing on the wagon. The Orc made a few threatening motions with his axe but did not attack. Something about the Khajiit was making him nervous. The furred creature had a certain feeling around him, a feeling of extreme deathliness.
,,All they have is a newborn child. You’ll find no stuff here, only death.” The Khajiit whispered.

The greenskinned Orc’s eyes blazed with fury.
,,Are you threatening us?” He bellowed. The Khajiit did not answer. His eyes closed, thereby robbing those around him of their only clue to his location. A moment later, one of the Orcs dropped heavily to the ground while letting out gurgling sounds. He grabbed for his throat, trying to seal the hole in his windpipe.

The Orc on the other side of the wagon knew he was next. Already, he swung his axe over the wagon, right where his invisible enemy should be. But the Khajiit wasn’t there. The Orc felt something hit his lower leg, snapping bone and throwing him to the floor. The last he saw were two golden eyes that looked at him with malicious glee.
,,Going under the wagon is an option you forgot.” The Khajiit gloated and hit the Orc on the forehead with an open palm. The Orc’s face pushed inwards as his skull cracked.

With one Orc death and the other slowly suffocating, the Khajiit calmly walked towards the last one, transfixing him with his stare.
,,I don’t threaten, I only tell the truth.” He hissed. His claws flashed out, into the Orc’s eyes and digging into his brains. He was death before his heart stopped beating.

As the last Orc fell on the muddy ground with a loud thud, the Khajiit turned towards the travellers. They all drew even tighter around the wagon, not knowing whether they should thank him or fear for their lives.
,,Don’t think I did this because I’m a hero. All I want are directions to Rihad. I could’ve let the Orcs kill you and then ask them but they would’ve likely attacked and forced me to do the same thing I just did. Either you answer me, or you die.” The Khajiit informed them.

The leader of the caravan, an old man who was barely capable of supporting his own weight, sat down heavily on the ground.
,,Go west till you reach a river. Follow it north and you’ll find Rihad. It’s two days away from here.” He explained, drawing a crude map in the mud. The Khajiit nodded and vanished into the darkness.
,,A final bit of advice. Take the equipment of those bandits. Either use it yourself or sell it.”

Ten minutes later and far away from the caravan, Ra’trith stopped running.
,,Why did I do that? I already knew where to find Rihad. Why?”

No real influence on the plot, eh? We'll just see about that...

Well done, again, Jack!

Not all evil is wholly evil. Not all good is wholly good.

A short one. I want to write a bit more but it's already late so I don't know if I'll be able to finish a full length update tonight.






Back at the Imperial palace in Cyrodiil, after two hours of civilized decadence, the last few drops of now cool water gurgled through the unplugged hole in the center of the bath. Rajn was at the other side of the room, trying to do something new with her hair with one hand while performing another task with the other at the same time.
,,Five….six…..seven…….that makes eight bottles of hideously rare perfume. Now all I need is to find a way to smuggle them out and I’ll be quite a bit richer.” Her eyes sparkled with authentic Bosmeri excitement. If there was something that revealed her ancestry even better than her short stature or her skill with the bow, it was the enjoyment she got from thieving.

Her search for a smuggling method led her back to the first room where she found her bow, arrows and her boots all thrown haphazardly on the bed, drenching the royal silk with a large amount of mud.
,,Hmm, I could hide them within my quiver. If I rip up that pillow and use the feathers to dampen the sound of rinkling glass, no one will know a thing.” As she formed a plan, her eyes wandered across all the faces on the statues, the paintings and the weavings that looked down upon her with a variety of stern expressions. It was as if they already knew what she was going to do and showed their objections in the only way they could. By pure chance, her eyes also caught the neatly folded envelope that had been slipped under the door.

She fell to her knees and snatched the paper from the floor, unfolding it so fast she nearly ripped it in half.
,,Oh, a message. From who? Oh, it’s written in a riddle…………What?! He wants me to do what?!” She looked at the faces apologetically after her outburst.
,,Sorry about the noise. What are you looking at? Can’t you see that this is private?” She’d walked over to a statue of Tiber Septim and stuck out her tongue at it.
,,If you’re so interested in my business, I’ll just have to tell you, right? Too bad for you, cause I won’t. All I’m going to say is that it sure beats what I did back home.” She pinched the statue’s nose and then left the room, giggling.

She’d barely taken a step outside, or the servant from earlier was already in her way.
,,Any way I can help?” He spoke, somehow managing to remain within the limits of her vocabulary. Rajn’s annoyance at the man’s constant interference was washed away by her excitement about her plans. As such, she simply tapped him on the shoulder and brushed past him.
,,Yeah, the bed is dirty. Go clean it. But don’t you dare touch my stuff. And one more thing. Ignore Tiber, he likes to poke his nose in other people’s business. Like a little child.” She snickered. The dumbfounded expression on the servant’s face was priceless.
,,He’s so dumb, it’s hilarious. I wonder if they’re all that dumb. I hope he touches my bow. Then I’ll say he broke it and demand a new one. A better one.”

She walked back to the entrance hall where she saw Alvuis running around with a long roll of parchment in one hand and a quill in the other. Apparently, the Altmer was making his daily report. Without a conscious decision to do so, Rajn’s own hand reached out and plucked the feather out of Alvuis’ delicate grip.
,,Thank you, that was just what I needed.” She said with a cold smile. The Altmer looked down upon her. His thoughts were pretty much written on his face. He was fighting an internal conflict that presented him with three choices. Taking the quill back, frying the annoying girl to a crisp or simply walk away and avoid any unpleasant consequencec. He picked the last option though he nearly came back on his decision as Rajn grinned victoriously when the Housemaster conceded defeat. He ran off to get himself a new quill, happier than he would ever admit with being away from the crowded hall.

With all her preparations set, she took out the letter she’d received earlier, turned it over to its blank side for her own scribbles and then looked straight up at the ceiling. Her grin was replaced with a thoughtful look which was soon replaced with an extremely angry expression. If looks carried physical power, the tower would have to be evacuated before it collapsed.
,,No way, you’ve got to be kidding me. Not that guy. Someone should feed him to the rats, alive.” She grumbled, seething with barely contained hate. If anyone in the hall had realized that she did not have the self-restraint of a noble, he or she would thank fate for making her leave her bow on the bed.

She was so caught up in herself that she didn’t notice Lucius till he was breathing down her neck.
,,Hmm, you smell nice. Let me guess, gold kanet, stonepetal and willow anther. The standard combination of those who think that more is always better. Can’t say I disagree.” He greeted her with a charming smile. Rajn responded a bit slow, still half-focussed on other things.
,,Oh, hi. It’s my first experience with perfume. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. How in the name of whatever deity you worship did you manage to get my size?” She asked him, quickly pulling her scribbling out of his sight.

The Breton wandered around slowly, subtly forcing her to follow him.
,,Ah, that. It’s a talent I kind of developed. You see, I steal clothes from my sister’s wardrobe all the time. She was about your size a few years back.” He explained casually.
,,Ok, that you steal clothes is fine with me. As we’ve agreed on earlier, I am a Bosmer. But stealing from your own sister? That’s just stupid.” Rajn objected. The young noble simply shrugged.
,,It’s not that big of a deal. I got caught doing it long ago and we put down a few rules. Any piece of clothing newer than two months is hers. You see, she loves buying clothes but never gets rid of the old ones. If I don’t clean out her wardrobe from time to time by giving her old clothes to those with less money, we’d end up filling two wagons.”

They’d left the hall and were now in an empty corner. In an instant, the expression on Lucius’ face changed from friendly into an emotionless calculating one. He wiggled with his fingers for a second and the piece of paper the Bosmer clung to flew out of her hands and into his.
,,Now let’s see why you’re really here.” He spoke.

For a few heartbeats, Rajn was speechless and unsure of what had happened. Once she did figure out, she began to jump up and down, trying to take back the paper he held up high.
,,Hey, give that back! You, cheater!” She yelled angrily. Lucius chuckled and held the letter even higher.
,,Now look who’s calling who a cheater. Did you really think that your amateurish technique would work on me. Hah, I bet you did. Sorry girl, but that’s not how it works in real life. Now let me read this.” His head craned upwards till he could see the barely readable scribbles. He frowned, able to read it but unable to comprehend.
,,2L, 3S, 4R….and it goes on like that for a while. What is this?” He looked down at Rajn but where she’d stood earlier was now empty space. The paper in his hands rustled when it was torn free from his hand. He looked up at his empty hand in surprise and then down the corridor. Rajn had just taken a decorative sword from the wall and now pointed it at his heart.

The Breton shook his head a few times.
,,Oh, just stop this nonsense and tell me already. Why are you here? I swear, if you plan to harm the Emperor in any way, I’ll just have to stop you.” He threatened above the crackle of a fireball forming above his head.
,,I didn’t tell you, but I’m also a battlemage in training.”

Ahhh the sneaky battlemage, just when you think you've disarmed a simple warrior, they huck a fireball at you and take back their sword. They then proceed to hack and slash you up... Battlemages!

Anyways, wonderful updates jack. You're developing Rajn really well.

Battlemage?! BATTLEMAGE?!

I freaking hate Battlemages! I hate them as much I love this story! Please..keep the good stuff up Jack! (Where is Aran? Go Urshilaku!)

In a swirling cloud of Magicka, two forms wavered into view, solidifying like mist turning to water and water turning to ice. Marsh-Speaker looked both ways of the corridor they’d appeared in before nodding to himself.
,,And here we are. Now remember that you’re not supposed to be here. So please hold your breath for a moment, this might itch.” He whispered and raised a scaly hand to touch the Dunmer’s forehead.
,,Ocsdros, Jike bei.” He chanted and the familiar green mist enveloped Aran before it vanished, along with the man. Still, Marsh saw an involuntary shudder before the Dunmer had turned completely invisible.

,,You don’t like Magicka? That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Now don’t try to speak, for you might weaken the spell. Just follow me silently. We’ll meet up with Rajn in the main hall.” He explained to his invisible companion and set off on the short trip. Upon reaching the main hall, the first thing he did was to dip his hands into a potted plant, searching around its roots. His search proved to be fruitless, which was the first sign of trouble.
,,Probably hasn’t finished yet.” He concluded and his eyes proceeded to scan the hall.

Again, he failed to find what he was looking for. Now, he felt a tinge of worry. He stood there, analyzing the clues he’d received. An invisible finger tapped his shoulder. Marsh nodded and retreated behind a pillar.
,,Think that Breton had something to do with it?” Aran whispered, becoming vaguely visible as he did so. Marsh forced himself not to bare his teeth and instead recast the spell of invisibility.
,,Of course. That fanatic battlemage in training must have caught on. Knowing him, he’ll go to his favourite empty spot before asking whatever he wants to know this time. The kid can be so paranoid at times which is not good for us, or her. Come on, I know where to look. He’s down that corridor over there.”

The Argonian crossed the hall at a casual pace, exchanging some pointless gossip with whoever he came across. Inwardly, he felt a need to hurry but he forced himself to go slow. Raising suspicion now would be worse than stalling. He instinctively felt that Aran had gone ahead, as his current state of invisibility conveniently allowed him to move as fast as he needed.

As Marsh had guessed, Aran had already passed the hall. With no one in sight, he broke into a run. His feet echoed softly on the marble floor. After a seemingly endless dash through empty corridors, past stairways and doors, he finally saw someone. The sight did not please him. He ran even faster, his steps now sounding like approaching thunder. Which was exactly the comparison Lucius drew as he turned around. An invisible boot caught him square on the chest and sent him tumbling on the floor. A loud snap indicated damage to his ribs.
,,As long as she’s under my protection, no one may harm her!” He shouted, placing the tip of his spear on the Breton’s throat.
,,Now you see what happens when you make your own plans. Stick to the plans drawn out for you in the future.” He told Rajn, not letting the battlemage out of his sight.

With a loud clatter, the purely decorative sword fell on the floor.
,,Well, sorry. I just thought it could make getting inside easier, that’s all.” The Bosmer spoke in her defence.
,,Marsh had it all figured out. I got in here through teleportation. Something about mark and recall.”

Lucius let out a very unnoblelish curse, still with the spear pressed against his throat.
,,That lizard! I knew he was up to something.” He spat, and pressed a hand against the spear’s bladed tip, apparently to ease the pressure on his throat. Instead though, the spear’s tip vaporised into a silvery smoke. Using the obvious confusion of the Dunmer, he crawled back to his feet and formed a new fireball. Not one, but two this time.
,,Now where were we?” He asked himself, grinning devilishly.

With another snapping sound, this time from his jaw being broken, he was sent to the floor for the second time.
,,A blunt weapon in the right hands is as lethal as a sharp one!” Aran shouted at him, raising the tipless spear above his head. He was frozen in place before he could complete his strike. With a slight flare around the affected areas, Lucius’ wounds healed.
,,But magicka can beat any weapon, sharp or blunt.” He replied.

,,Heyat!” The noble crossed his arms in front of him, conjuring a barrier of magicka to stop the orb of light that sped across the hallway. A ripple spread over the barrier as the bolt exploded. Lucius lowered his arms and launched a fireball back in retaliation at Marsh who’d finally arrived. Now it was the Argonian’s turn to protect himself, though he had other ideas about a proper defence. As his instructor once told him, the best defence was a good offence.
,,Heyat!” Another orb of light shot out of his hands. The two spells met each other between the two spellcasters and the fireball exploded. The orb of light continued along its path, bearing down upon the Breton who had to raise a new barrier to stop it.

Before he could though, something hit him between the legs. Apart from being rather painful, it also distracted him long enough for the spell to hit him in the face.
,,Gah! Damn you, Marsh! Do you have any idea how much that burns?!” He yelled, lying on the floor once again and clutching his face. The Argonian shrugged.
,,Of course I know. That’s why I call it Heyat. It’s your own fault for not knowing the Argonian dialect I speak.” He replied as if talking about the weather.
,,Well, this is definitely your own fault! I’d just decided not to kick you but then you had to turn out to be as bad as that damn fake who pretends to be the emperor!” Rajn added to the verbal barrage.

Everyone fell silent, even Aran who’d recovered from his paralyzation by now.
,,You know?” Marsh finally asked.
,,Duh. Don’t forget what I am. I saw him when I looked up through the ceiling. I know that guy, he’s my last escort job back home at Valenwood. He owns me like a hundred shiny coins. But instead of paying me, the rotten rat threw me in jail on the charge of aiding a conspiracy against the emperor!” Rajn’s voice became increasingly higher during her rant.
,,He always had a way with words. Aiding a conspiracy, that’s so like him.” Marsh replied using a neutral tone. With Aran’s help, he proceeded to tie up Lucius. After locking him inside a closet, they continued with their plan.

,,Did you get the directions to the library on paper?” Marsh asked, holding out his hand. Without a word, the girl pressed the piece of paper into it. Marsh brought it in front of his eyes and began to read.
,,2L, 3s, 4R…..second passage to the left, third stair, fourth passage to the right.” His words declined into a soft mumbling. Aran inspected the now blunt tip of his spear as he walked along. His annoyance was etched into his face. He’d just received the spear and already he’d managed to damage it. Still, the damage could be repaired easily enough by attaching a new blade at the end. His examination concluded, he lowered the weapon and quickened his pace to catch up with the Argonian.

,,I don’t like magicka but it could be vital to know. I noticed something during your duel back there. The boy didn’t utter a word yet you always say something when casting your spells. Does that mean your form of magicka is different than his?” He asked. Marsh looked up from the paper and blinked once.
,,While the spells we use are unique and therefore different, the magicka we use to form these spells is the same. It’s all a matter of concentration. I’ve found that actually chanting the name of the spell helps me focus. Most mages I know are opposed to my point of view and call it the sign of an amateur. That’s why Lucius always has to show that he’s a true mage by casting spells silently and as quick as possible. This need to show off weakens his concentration and therefore, it weakens his spells.”



Note: It's funny how a story changes while writing. Originally I had Lucius planned as a good guy who kinda helped the heroes by causing a distraction and stuff. Now, he's turned into a fanatic emperor-lover. Not a bad change though, it gives me reason to bring the glory back to the two males in the party. I loved writing that duel between the mages just then.

Well I hope you enjoy writing this, as much as I do reading it Jack! Please keep it up~!

I'll try to get the Elder scroll part done tonight though I can't make any promises. Till then though, enjoy this little update.





Most of their walk through the palace was done in silence. Aran didn’t feel like talking, Marsh was too focussed on the paper and the preparation of his spells in case something went wrong and Rajn, she soon stopped talking when no one replied. That was till she suddenly held up her hand to stop the two men. It had been ten minutes since they last saw someone else walking the corridors.
,,Just beyond the corner is the door you need. There are two guards……..not human.” She whispered nervously. She still remembered their encounter with the demons in the sewers. She did not feel good at the thought of having to meet them again.

Marsh leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. It appeared that he’d fallen asleep while in reality, he was thinking. He knew a spell that could take them out but as he’d found out before, it would mean his death and alert everything else about their presence. There had to be another way.
,,Their disguised form is smaller than their true form. As such, it is more than just an optical illusion. This is more like…….shapeshifting. There is a very good possibility that while disguised as a human, they have all of a human’s weaknesses. That makes them killable.” He mumbled, more to himself than to the others. His eyes opened and he looked up.
,,Rajn goes in and distracts them. Then while they’re distracted, Aran and I take them out before they can revert to their true form.” He explained and focussed his gaze upon the Dunmer.
,,Or do you object to the danger I’m putting her in?” He asked. Aran frowned heavily but in the end, he nodded.
,,Fine, that’s how we do it.”

Marsh nodded as well.
,,Good, now get going.” He ordered, forming his hands into a cup and beginning his spell. Rajn sputtered for a bit, claiming she had no idea how to distract them but a grey hand shoved her into the guard’s sight. Instantly, two pairs of eyes were levelled upon her. Taking a deep breath, the Bosmer walked up to them.
,,Hi, is this the way to the bathroom?” She asked with the most innocent voice she could muster. The two guards looked at each other in a confused way and then turned their heads back to her.
,,No, it’s not. Now go away, you’re not supposed to be here.” One of them barked.

,,Ah, but I really need a bathroom now! Can’t you at least tell me where to find one?” Rajn squeeled. By now, the two demons were feeling rather awkward. Under normal circumstances, they’d simply kill the Bosmer and forget about it but these were not normal circumstances. They’d been ordered not to kill unless there was absolutely no other way to protect the door they guarded. Showing a great deal of reluctance, the guard who’d spoken lowered himself down to her height.
,,Look, you go back the way you came till you reach the stairs going down. Go down one floor and take the first passage on…..”

Marsh and the Dunmer nodded to each other. Both leaped out from behind the corner.
,,Heyat!” One of the Argonian’s scorching light spells flashed across the distance, curving around the Bosmer before plunging into the crouching guard’s face. He was thrown back by the impact and clawed at the steaming mass. His body began to shift, growing and losing all signs of humanity. When the shapeshifting had ended, he was in his demonic form, minus the head which had already been burned away by the spell before the transformation could be completed.

Even as Marsh’s spell struck the first guard, Aran had thrown his spear at the other. This guard brought up his shield to protect himself from the shaft which was quite lethal if it hit him with that speed. The spear bounced off the shield and the guard brought his hand down to the hilt of his sword. Before he had a chance to draw though, Aran was already on top of him. The Dunmer lodged the nose of his boot under his foe’s chin while his hand picked up the spear. As the guard’s head snapped back from the hit, the blunt end of the spear slammed down on his now exposed windpipe, crushing this vital supply line of fresh air. He too shifted back to his demonic form during his death throes.

Far away, in the Imperial throne room, the Emperor looked up from the report he’d been reading. He looked towards the guard standing next to his throne and nodded. Without a word, the Blade left the throne room, moving towards a destination only the Emperor and he knew. The Emperor returned to his report, though his face was now etched with worry.
,,The Elder scrolls. They’re trying to get the Elder scrolls. But how, how did they manage to defeat the guards?” His frown grew deeper.
,,It must be that mage who destroyed one of my minions in the sewers. He might turn out to be a threat of great priority.”

Looking down on the two corpses, Marsh brushed a speck of dust from his robe.
,,It appears that my theory was correct.” He spoke as if he’d never doubted it.
,,But how do we open the door? They don’t have a key.” He continued, his illusion of confidence fading. He still had the key Ria Silmane gave him, but that one was too big to fit in the keyhole.
,,I’ve got a key! Snatched it from that guard outside the building.” Rajn spoke up and proudly presented her treasure.
,,That won’t work. Only a fool would give the key to this place to a simple guard standing outside. Do you have any better ideas?” Marsh answered.

,,You’re the mage here. Don’t you know a spell to open the door?” Aran raised his voice slightly to catch all attention.
,,No, unfortunately I don’t have a spell for every situation. I usually talk my way inside.” The Argonian replied, leaning against the door as he thought over their situation.
,,Move aside.” Marsh stumbled when Rajn pushed him away from the door and peered into the lock. He looked at the Dunmer who simply shrugged. Aran also had no idea of what her latest plan would be. They both looked on in silence as the girl removed the clasp out of her hair and flipped it upside down. Stacked into neat row, a dozen metal straws became visible, embedded into several grooves that had been carved into the clasp.

,,It’s a Bosmeri thing. Any article of clothing must have at least one pick stored somewhere.” Rajn explained to her public and choose one of the picks.
,,This one should fit.” For a few long minutes, she moved the pick around inside the lock which made faint clicking sounds. Finally, there was a click louder than the others and the door opened on its well-oiled hinges.
,,Gentleman, lady, I present to you, the Imperial library.” Marsh whispered and was the first to enter.

Creative explanation for defeating the "humanoid" demons. I thought that concept to be quite interesting. I look forward to seeing what'll happen in the Imperial Library.

SGM!!

Wee, I got the next one!





The first thing that caught their eye were the countless racks filled with books that spread in all directions, seemingly into infinity. Next were the blindfolded monks who sat in a circle, singing something in an unknown language. At the center of the circle stood a crystal, shaped like a flower whose leaves had yet to open. A monk who stood nearby looked up when the three entered.
,,The red scale. We’ve been expecting you.” He whispered so he wouldn’t disturb whatever ritual the other monks were involved with.

,,If they’re all blindfolded, then how do they know that Marsh’s scales are red?” Rajn whispered to Aran.
,,They must’ve foreseen his arrival with the scrolls.” He whispered back.

Marsh bowed before the monk.
,,I’ve come to seek your counsel. Silmane, the battlemage’s apprentice has sent me here.” He spoke with his hissing voice.
,,Did you bring the key?” The monk asked in return. Marsh revealed the key he’d clung to all this time.
,,I have.”

He stood back as the monk entered the circle. With a slow, gentle movement, he pressed the key into the crystal’s side. Like the flower it represented, the crystal split open into several leaves, revealing a weathered scroll.
,,The last scroll, the only one that hasn’t been stolen from us. I’ll decipher its meaning for you. Then, you must leave this place.” He spoke solemnly. He placed one hand on the scroll while gripping a quill with the other. Still blindfolded, he began to write on a blank parchment, his movements following the rhythm of the song which brought about a feeling of peace.

In the heavy atmosphere, no one dared to speak. The only sound that filled the library was the scratching of the quill and the song. Even as he continued to write and the monks continued to sing, the blindfolded man began to speak.
,,To the end you must go, up the stairs. At the altar of Akatosh you shall find, the waters of your future.” He whispered. With one last swift stroke of the quill, he finished his interpretation of the scroll. His hands went up to the blindfold and removed the rough piece of fabric. Where his eyes had been, only pale skin remained. There was no eyelid or any other sign that he’d once possessed eyes.
,,I’ve seen the depths of time and for that, I shall never see again. Take this parchment and hold on to it.”

The moment Marsh-Speaker took the parchment and rolled it up into a scroll, the other monks stood up and positioned themselves at the door. As if someone had given a signal, the door exploded into countless fragments. A demon strode in, flames flickering at its clawed feet and burning around his teeth. Simultaneously, the monks raised their hands and began a new song, one that left a feeling of despair in the hearts of anyone who would listen. Lightning sparked among them and shot out at the demon, hurling it backwards in a cloud of smoke.

,,Now go!” The Eyeless monk shouted as he joined his peers. Marsh nodded and took off, heading for the heart of the library with the scroll clenched in his fist. Aran followed, with Rajn only a few steps behind.
,,What’s going on?! Why don’t we help?!” Aran shouted over the loud thunder that echoed all around them.
,,They’re fulfilling their part of the prophecy! To guard the holder of the land, the keepers of time must perish! That’s the prophecy I received the first time I came here! Now I understand its meaning! On the scroll I carry, the future of Tamriel is written! To enable our escape, they’ll fight till their death!” The Argonian shouted back. In the distance, he could make out the stairs leading up.

Taking three steps at a time, he ran up as fast as he could, despite the protest of his legs which were still weakened from his death earlier. At the top, he found a door which he rammed through with brute force. He skidded to a halt, his legs trembling from his exertion. The chamber he was in contained only two things. A low altar made of stone and a statue of Akatosh, the Aedric dragon of time.

Water dripped from the altar constantly. Warily, the Argonian drew closer, followed by his companions. To his surprise, where there should have been a flat stone surface, he saw a pool of water whose depth he could not perceive.
,,The waters of our future.” He whispered in awe, touching the liquid surface with a finger.
,,A shiftgate.” He concluded.

The thunder ceased. The silence that followed was somehow more frightening than the noise earlier. It meant only one thing. The last monk had fallen. Shaking off his scholarly interest in the portal, Marsh waved the Dunmer and the Bosmer over.
,,It’s a portal, leading to somewhere. Jump into it.” He hissed. Aran went first, obviously struggling with his dislike for Magicka.
,,And don’t forget to hold your breath! No one can breath this water, not even I can!” Marsh warned. The Dunmer nodded and stepped in. Within the blink of an eye, he’d sunk below the surface and out of sight. Rajn followed a lot quicker. Then, it was Marsh’ turn. He dove in headfirst, narrowly dodging a fireball thrown at him.

The demon that had thrown the fireball rushed towards the shiftgate but it was already too late. The pool of water had evaporated into a thin mist. The grotesque monster trembled in fear. Reporting his failure would not be pleasant.

Ooooo exciting, this is really picking up in the suspense jack. I'm digging it! I've really been admiring your storytelling for this particular tale. Keep it up ya hear!?

This is really thrilling stuff. Keep up the good work Jack!

*Creeperlike voice* ,,I'm postmachining!"



Aran felt solid ground under his feet and more important, air. Instinctively, he jumped to the side though this action turned out to be unnecessary. Rajn appeared a few steps to his left.
,,Eww! I’m soaked! And it was such a nice dress. Given by a jerk, but still a nice dress.” She complained. The shiftgate had resembled a pool of water much closer than she’d expected. Marsh was the last to arrive, once again appearing several steps further towards the left. Somehow, the portal had flipped him over again so he landed on his feet rather than on his head. A cascade of water followed their arrival. Normal water.

,,Marsh-Speaker, what an unexpected surprise.” A voice spoke from somewhere behind them. They all turned as one, Aran gripping his spear tightly and Rajn still fuzzing over her dress. The owner of the voice revealed himself as an elderly Breton dressed in an expensive garb and with a small crown on his head. There was a woman at his side, a Dunmer who looked much younger than the king. Though as with all elves, it was hard to judge age on mere appearance.
,,King Eadwyre. Queen Barenziah. I see that you’ve made it to Wayrest safely.” The Argonian replied and bowed.

He then looked at the scroll in his hands. While he was soaked just like everyone else, the scroll had miraculously remained dry.
,,I sought counsel at the blind monks. They deciphered the words on an Elder Scroll before……before they gave their life to ensure our survival.” Upon hearing that, Eadwyre and Barenziah lowered their heads, a silent gesture of respect to the monks who’d fulfilled their task till the very end.
,,We see, that is terrible news. We’ll hold a meeting to discuss the contents of your scroll, after you’ve dried up together with this mess.” Eadwyre spoke and ordered a few servants to take care of the guests.

Three hours later, they’d come together again, seated at a table.
,,Now Marsh-Speaker, bring us the news we’ve asked for. What happened to the Champion?” The elderly king asked straight to the point.
,,As with the monks, he died. Ria Silmane died as well, her final death. Only this scroll knows if their sacrifice was worth it.” Marsh answered and laid eyes on the monk’s words for the first time.

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

Marsh looked up from the parchment and his gaze travelled across those who were seated at the table. Rajn blinked, Aran frowned, Barenziah tapped on the table with a finger, Eadwyre played with the rings on his hands. In short, no one had a clue what he’d just said.
,,I believe we can safely assume that the message is a riddle.” Marsh spoke with a shrug. He pushed the scroll across the table so the king could see it for himself.
,,Yes, that’s quite a safe assumption. Now most is beyond our grasp, as I’m ashamed to admit, though it does seem to us that the section of the lands is a list of locations.” Eadwyre spoke as he unrolled the scroll and read it.

Rajn poked Aran who was sitting next to him.
,,The guy must be wacko. He keeps talking as if he’s two persons.” She snickered which gave her a stern look from ‘the guy’ and everyone else.
,,What?” She asked with feigned innocence.
,, 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. Eight in total. Nine if you count the unnamed land. All nice, but what do they refer to? What does the word ‘land’ refer to in this case?” Marsh repeated, ignoring the Bosmer.

,,Oh, I know. I know!” Once again everyone looked at Rajn.
,,If this is about our manner of speech, we would request that you remove yourself from this meeting at once.” King Eadwyre spoke with a sour expression.
,,That’s Valenwood!” Rajn said, not even bothering to try and translate what the old man had said.
,,Valenwood, how?” Barenziah joined the conversation, her curiosity triggered.
,,Simple. Land of roots. Valenwood is one big forest. Lots of plants not to mention big trees. Plants have roots, simple.”

Marsh gestured towards the king who gave back the scroll. The Argonian’s eyes flitted across the cryptic words.
,,Land of roots, Valenwood. That seems to fit. Each land refers to a province. It’s like a puzzle. Land of Ice, Skyrim. Land uncharted, that must be Argonia where no road survives long enough to be charted. Land of sands, Hammerfell or Elsweyr. All the others I don’t understand right now.” He spoke, drawing the link between the words and their meaning.

His eyes had now reached the paragraph above.
,, 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.” He mumbled. This paragraph was easier for him.
,,He who lives by the life of someone else. That’s me.” He revealed, closing his eyes.
,,Ria, I’m sorry. It should’ve been me who paid the price, not you.”

,,So, this is a list of the people involved? Too bad that there’s no ‘weird mumbler’.” Rajn said out loud.
,,That’s enough! Remove yourself, at once!” Eadwyre shouted, his patience had worn out. When the girl stood up, Aran reached out with his hand and pushed her back into her seat.
,,No, she stays.” He said, opening his mouth for the first time.
,,I know that she is hard to bear for you, king. That is intentional. She is bored and wants to leave. However, I think that she has a role to play here.” He continued, allowing no argument.
,,What, how? Let me go.” Rajn asked him, trying to break free from his iron grip. On the other side of the table, Marsh nodded.
,,Unbound eye.” He hissed.

Wow, things are getting more and more interesting. This "prophecy" you've written is amazing as it gives me a lot to think about. I feel like deciphering it myself! That's some excellent work if I say so.

I also have a good idea who "Corrupted Heart" is

Great work, jack. Post machine it up if you wish!