I direct you towards the 2920: The end of the whatever it is era.
Suffice to say both the Duke and this girl appear in it. I've made it easier for you people now, cause she gets a name and a faction.



,,Now just wait a minute. I am not here to hack of your head or anyone else’s, for that matter. So don’t even start about it. What made you all so messed up anyway?” I said just before we got outside. I’d rather not have any misconceptions about me and swords, not while in a crowded city full of little Dunmer wannabes who wouldn’t mind seeing my head on the end of a very long, very sharp spear. Oh, and some Cliffracers, the scene just wouldn’t be complete without them.

,,What made me so messed up? Why, for months we were….IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSSINESS!” I actually burst out laughing right there, even though she was anything but joking.
,,Oh, I get it. You’re the Duke’s little secret plaything. Figures. Like a kid, nobles tend to get bored and like a kid, they trade in their old toys for something new.” I chuckled but it wasn’t long before I got serious.
,,And with that, the Scamp jumps out of the box. He wants to get rid of you, and he sends me along to look after you cause he doesn’t like a smartass either. Lovely, just lovely. There goes the whole master-plan, right down the drain into Vivec’s most elaborate and stinking sewer canals…So, what are you going to do now, girl? Plan anything?”

She didn’t answer, so I let myself fall behind a bit and busied myself with looking at everything and everyone we came across. More than once did I see a hidden dagger being grasped and released again as soon as I locked eyes with its owner.
,,What a peaceful city. Everyone here seems to want to slit my throat just because I’m so foreign. Morons.” I muttered to myself. The place was beginning to get on my nerves. Just after I’d taken upon myself the oath not to kill unless there was absolutely no other way, this happens. I get stuck in a place where I’ve got to intimidate every living soul one after another just to make sure I don’t get a dagger planted in my back. Granted, the chance that one of those rusty things could penetrate my cuirass was negligible, but that did little to ease my mind.

,,I think I’m going to my parents, tell them everything.” I my gaze shot from a carpenter with a nasty gleam in his eyes back to the girl I’d been following.
,,Your parents? What for?” I asked. Apparently, she’d decided it was my business after all. I flipped the scenario over in my mind, but I saw absolutely no reason why she would do that. What were her parents going to do? Take revenge for her? How where they thinking of doing that? Unless one of them was the high priest of the Tribunal, they just wouldn’t ever match the power of the Duke. Or what about hiring the Morag Tong? Did that gang of religious loonies already exist, for that matter?
,,You’re bound to get a spanking.” I warned. It was the only result I could see to her actions. The only thing her parents could do, really.

,,If a spanking was all I got, I would be the fourth living god.” The girl replied.
,,You’re awfully talkative, all of a sudden, girl.” I commented. I didn’t know what else to say. She was probably just trying to vent her heart and I was the perfect subject. Total stranger, not likely to tell anyone else and if I did, everyone would think I was a lying foreigner.
,,Know what, I’m going to have to follow you around anyway, since that’s what the big honcho told me. I like it as much as you do, but those are the facts. So how about we broke the ice a bit, tell each other our names? I’m Luper Alkad, born on the other side of the continent. I’m a…well, I would love to call it adventurer, gives a whole nice ring to it…but I’d be lying. It would be more accurate if I said that I’m a troublesolver for a certain goddess you should stay clear off.” I nearly got another laughing-fit from that. A troublesolver. Puppet, more likely.
,,Turala….of House Redoran. What I do isn’t important. I’m not robbing people on the roads of their hard-earned goods, like you.” I cringed. Redoran. It had to be Redoran.

,,Well, I can see why you’re about to get a lot more than a spanking. Redorans and their honour. And just for the record, I am not a robber. Why, I saved an old Chimer couple from a trio of robbers just the other day.” I said.
,,Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you just try to cover up things? Not tell them? The Duke sure as heck won’t. It would be an outrage. The Duke shows he’s just a petty noble like any other, inconceivable. There would be a riot! Oh, and you would probably end up killed by the pro-Dukes. So, don’t let out what happened.” I then advised.
,,You said it yourself, Redorans and their honour. Even if he wants to hide the matter, I can’t.” Turala answered. She clutched her stomach.
,,And covering it up would only be a delay.” I frowned.

,,And what is that supposed to mean….nevermind.” I cut myself off for two reasons. One, she had just given me the kind of glare you only give someone who is too stupid to live. Two, we were obviously getting close to wherever her folks lived. This place was Redoran territory to the extreme. Every guy here was walking not with a dagger, but with a full-blown longsword. If it wasn’t for the lack of variety, I would think I was back in Hammerfell and every Redguard had turned into Chimer. But there weren’t any more exotic swords, nor the uniques made by the local master, so no. Redoran were high on honour, and pretty high on swords, but not as much as Redguards.

Uh-oh, someone's pregnant. I sense an escalation is about to happen. Things are getting very intriguing. MORE!!!!

Sorry, if that came off too demanding

Somebody's going to be branded, MM. Doesn't she eventually join a witch coven in Cyrodiil?
I can't tell if the girl got off easy or not, the Emporer executes his favorite mistress and sends for the sister to be his new one.

Woah, Revan. Let's not spoil everything.
Ah, whatever. Guess the word's out now. So yeah, Turala is going to get more than a spanking and yup, the Emperor will execute his own love-toy somewhere later. But can't blame him. Everyone was indeed conspiring against him, one way or another.



It wasn’t long before we stopped at a mansion, the same as any other, though that didn’t mean much. All the houses were miniature forts around here. It made me wonder what would happen if the neighbours got angry at each other. At least the Telvanni kept a lot of distance between each other and were usually too absentminded to notice a war if it was happening on their doorstep. These guys were sitting right on each other’s toes. And with the personal armies the average Redoran noble possessed, things could get nasty. Oh, and I had some personal experience with the Redoran armies when I recruited them for the assault on Red Mountain. Those guys were pros, and I was not going to assume that their ancestors were any different.

While I entertained myself with the hypothetical neighbour’s squabble, Turala had been staring at the door of the mansion we stopped in front of. I gave her a moment before moving in front of her and raising a hand to knock.
,,Still want to go on?” I asked. The Chimer lass gave me a weak shrug. I sighed and dragged my knuckles across the steel-studded wood.
,,This is going to be such a bore.” I muttered. This made her temper flare again.
,,Hey! You’re not the one who’s in trouble!” She snapped, then cast a half-panicked glance over her shoulder. No one seemed to take notice of whatever she’d said. Nearly all Redorans were focussed on me and the few that weren’t were absorbed by their own activities.
,,Me, not in trouble? You’ve got no idea how wrong you are, girlie.” I chuckled.

The door, gate was a better word, opened shortly and a Redoran in full armour peered at me through the slit in his helmet. People standing inside in full body-armour. Yup, that felt like Redoran alright.
,,What?” He snarled and his hand went for the sword at his hip immediately. I held up one hand in a calming gesture and unbuckled the scabbard with another.
,,Easy, easy. I’m not here to cause trouble of any sort. Here, you can hold my sword during my stay here.” I spoke. The girl skipped past me.
,,Good day, Gaulis.” She said. The Redoran performed a short bow for her without ever loosing sight of me.

,,You gave up your sword awfully easy, Foreigner.” He said with what could be either surprise or suspicion. I couldn’t tell which, so I merely gave him a nonchalant shrug.
,,Oh, I’m getting used to it by now. Seems people don’t trust you when you have one, and try to kill you when you don’t. Except inside, there you can generally walk around without. So, may I pass? I’m with the lady…purely a business-relation, I assure you.” I replied. Gaulis’ eyes narrowed for a bit but in the end he took the sword and stepped out of my way.
,,Make no commotion, maintain your manners. Probably the same rules in the house of a human noble.” He warned me. I smiled. Finally, one guy who was willing to admit that we were not that different in the end, even if it was on the subject of rules.

I followed Turala into what appeared to be a living room where I leaned against the walls, behind a pillar. Sure, all the servants were keeping their eyes on me, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was not dragging too much attention from the big boss in this place, who was sure to arrive soon. And arrive soon he did, all dressed in fancy clothes but still with a sword at his side. A sword that had more weight going into its decorations than into its blade. I whistled at that, which had the unpleasant side-effect of drawing the guy’s attention. His hand gripped the hilt of the sword and he unsheathed a finger-length of it.
,,Who’s that?” He asked in a venomous tone.
,,Just the new bodyguard, that’s all. Don’t mind me.” I answered, folding my arms in the process. The noble turned his back on me, after making sure two guards were blocking me from moving any further into the room. I shook my head.
,,Ouch. If this guy is so jumpy with his daughter as well, she’s definitely going to get a lot more than just a spanking.”

For a good three minutes or so, no one said a thing. The noble father and daughter just sat on their pillows, the guards tried to string me into a staring-contest and I leaned against my pillar waiting for something to happen. That something came in the form of a wrinkled old maid carrying a tray and two cups. Drinks. Turala and daddy each took a cup and began to drink.
,,Oh, come on. Just start talking already. Geez, are you two going to sit there all day?” I thought. It turned out the drinks were part of some kind of ritual because right after the two cups had been put down, the guy did talk.
,,You’re back early dear.” He said. I sighed loud, earning me a pointed glare from every guard in the room.
,,Oh please. Spare me the small-talk, will ya?”

,,I don’t mind you doing things by yourself. Independence breeds spirit. However, I do have to question your decision to hire a foreigner as a bodyguard. Didn’t I tell you that only members of the House are acceptable as shields?” The guy added. I rolled my eyes. More glares from the guards.
,,Alkad was a gift from a beneficiary.” Turala replied. For a moment, I wondered why she’d used the word gift, then I realized that this was Morrowind. Slavery and all that. I frowned but kept silent.
,,Great, now I’m being shoehorned into the position of slave? Fine, I’ll play along…for now. And could you two get down to business somewhere this era?”

Ahh, I love Luper's impatience in this update. A short, but fun read!

This is crazy. The whole story is spiralling out of my control! *shrugs* Ah, whatever. I'll just follow it and see what comes out of it.



The noble gave me the shortest glance ever.
,,I see. He isn’t much to look at, though. I fear he can’t even protect you from the weakest thug. If you so desire, I’ll sell him and give you a stronger one to guard you in return.” He said which made me grit my teeth.
,,Sell me? Not much to look at? Why, you rotten little point-eared jerk. I’d like to see you take down a God one-on-one. If there’s a weakest thug somewhere that’s stronger than your beloved Tribunal, I’d love to meet him.” I hissed.
,,Silence, slave!” Turala snapped. I scoffed and chose to take the guards up on their offer of a staring contest.
,,At least I spoke modern Hammerfellian. If that had been ancient Dunmeri, that guy would have freaked out.”

,,Father…I have something to tell you.” Turala said after seeing that I wasn’t going to do anything stupid. The noble spread his arms.
,,Go ahead, my dearest daughter. You know that you can discuss anything with me.” He proclaimed. I smirked.
,,Sure daddy. I’ve wormed my way into a relationship with someone five times my age, the big guy in town, behind your back, without any official arrangements. The price was a healthy dose of bedroom entertainment, and a lot of hiding in the closet when the Duchess came in. Pretty cool, huh?” I thought and somehow managed to keep from chuckling.
,,Yeah, I don’t think you’ll like discussing this, gramps.”
,,Father…I have been in a relation with a man.”

The Chimer’s mouth fell wide open. Not even he could maintain his distinguished expression.
,,A relation…without my permission?! You dumb brat! How dare you! You have tarnished the name of the House!” He gasped. I heard the loud smack of his hand meeting her cheek.
,,Commence the spanking. Seriously, one day I’m trashtalking gods, the other I’m watching indecent girls getting whacked in the living room, way back in the wrong era. Just what did I do to deserve this fate? Oh yeah, I’m the hero of prophecy.” I rolled my eyes and sighed. I also lost the staring-contest that way, but I didn’t care.
,,You will break off this relation immediately!” He ordered, smacking her again, this time on the other cheek.
,,You will never leave the house on your own anymore. From now on, you will be escorted!” He stopped his tirade and heaved for breath. Then, his eyes bored directly into mine.

,,An escort of my choosing! Now go to your room and don’t come out till I tell you! I’ll post a guard at the door to make sure you’ll do as I say!” Turala left the room, sobbing again. I tried to follow, but the guards were still blocking my way and the girl’s father was still trying to kill me with his eyes. I clenched my hands into fists.
,,Great. You’re not going to have a word with me now, are you?” I thought. Turned out he was.
,,As for you, you will answer my question. Were you gifted by the man she was having this affair with?” I stepped back to avoid the spittle. He was like a rabid Kagouti.
,,You could put it like that.” I replied warily. I had no idea what he was up to but whatever it was, I was convinced it would not be in my best interests.
,,I see.” The Chimer said and then turned his back to me. He walked to the same door Turala had disappeared through. Standing in the doorway, he gave the two guards one last order, still with his back turned.

,,Kill him, and cut off his head. Have it sent to that fiend who claimed my daughter’s hand. Tell him that if he ever speaks of this incident or tries to establish contact with her through any means, he will meet the same fate. The same goes for you two.” He stopped talking but did not move. Two longswords left their sheath with barely a sound and were pointed at my throat.
,,I don’t have time for this.” I growled, in what approached their own language. Now the noble did turn around.
,,What did you say?” He asked venomously. The guards did not try to kill me yet. Apparently, I’d managed to postpone the inevitable violence for a moment.

I secretly conjured a Telekinetic barrier to cover my throat before answering. Just in case.
,,I said I don’t have time for you Redorans and your hideous mockery of honour.” I spat. The noble recoiled in shock. I suddenly realized I didn’t know his title. Not that it mattered.
,,How dare you, slave! To speak foul of the highest virtue of House Redoran!” He gasped. I flashed a grin.
,,Oh, you’ve got no idea how daring I am. Besides, you’re the one who just ordered my execution without a care in the world. If that’s how you think about slaves, damn sure I’m going to support the Twin Lamps when I get home. And when I get into supporting something...things get messy.” The guard’s grips wavered slightly as they also were taken aback by my words. They were obviously not used to the idea of a slave, unarmed, who dared to talk like that with two swords at his throat. Now was the time.

Ah, it's always interesting to witness people underestimating Luper. They're always in store for some surprising results.

These last updates were quite interesting. Luper is either very brave, or very stupid. Lucky for him, his past experiences seem to give him reason to believe he can say whatever he wants. I hope it turns out all right for him (oh, wait, of course it will, otherwise it would be a very unceremonious end to the story). I'm curious to see how you'll resolve this little problem.

,,I am not the slave you think I am. Slave of the omnipotent being called my mom, perhaps. Slave of fate, perhaps. Slave of some stuck-up girl who is crying her heart out over some lost romance I don’t care about, no way.” I shook my head dramatically. The Chimer was getting more angry with every word I said. Good.
,,Seriously, Turala has some real issues. You must be one loser of a father, first to have this happen in the first place, second to have it end like this. Pathetic, just pathetic.” That was the last drop. The noble drew his own sword now and stalked across the distance that separated us.
,,Out of my way, I’ll kill him myself!” He spat. The guards stepped aside, though they did keep their swords trained on me. I looked at the one to my right and grinned.
,,Ya know, I had this wonderful plan of going undercover and stuff, but someone just happened to put a crack in the wheel. So that means….” Both swords flew out of their hands and into mine.
,,I can do stuff like this again without worrying about the consequences.” I finished casually. My anger was making place for amusement.

The guards instinctively stepped back when I brandished their own weapons at them, giving me all the room I might need. I broke the one in my left hand against the wall and tossed away the remnants.
,,I’ve never been a fan of this dual-wielding crap. Sword and shield or really big sword, that’s the only option there is.”

I could see that the guards really wanted to strangle me. Two against one, they still stood a chance even without their blades. After all, they were wearing armour which made killing a tad harder. I wasn’t wearing a helmet either, so my throat wasn’t exactly well-protected. But they were still under orders and even if they hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have offered them that chance. I paralyzed them with a spell to make sure they could not intervene no matter what was going to happen. The noble himself was still coming. He was too angry to notice the use of magicka. He probably assumed I’d disarmed them with some quick sleigh of hand and knocked them over the head or something.
,,You wish to fight me? Good! It will make killing you all the more satisfying.” He hissed. I laughed.
,,Oh boy, how great and honourable we are. Ok, a duel is considered a honourable way to settle disputes in my homeland as well, I’ll give you that. But the honour of it is vastly overrated when one of the two simply stands no chance. In this case, you’re the one without a chance.” I chuckled.

The noble roared and charged, even though he was barely two metres away from me. He slashed horizontally across my throat so I blocked. Our swords barely touched before he drew back for another swing, this time a feint at my weapon-hand. I parried the real attack going for the leg and forced him back with my counterswing. He was good, I had to admit. Unlike most swordfighters, he refused to lock blades and get into a pushing match. As it was, I was up with my back against the pillar, unable to move anywhere and forced to stop all his thrusts and swings with my sword. There was simply no room to dodge. I blocked a thrust at my face. This guy was good. Redoran through and through, that’s for sure.

But good or not, I still had some tricks of my own up my sleeve. So when I got tired of fighting, I merely aimed a flamelance at his sword and melted it down to the hilt.
,,What is this sorcery?” The noble asked himself as he threw away the now worthless hilt. He glanced at the two guards, who had now slumped to the floor. Finding no help from them, he spread his arms wide as he stood before me.
,,Go on, kill me! Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that all you barbarians want? To kill, to murder a helpless man?” He said with a triumphant tone in his voice. I put the tip of my sword at his throat and pushed, just far enough to draw a single drop of blood.
,,Oh, I get it. If I kill you, I’m going to be bad because you’re unarmed. Let’s forget for a moment that this is exactly what you were planning to do earlier, mister civilized. If I don’t kill you, you’ll sick every single guard in the building on me.” I replied and threw the sword away.
,,Guess what? I wasn’t going to kill you even before you pulled this little trick on me. So go on, bring the guards. Just more pigs to the slaughter.”

The Chimer smiled and tried to turn but I grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him off his feet with a single hand. The other I used to ready a fireball.
,,Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily. I have some questions for you. If I find that your answers satisfy me, I’ll let you walk out of this unharmed. If you try to warn some more guards or refuse to answer though, three guesses where this fireball is going to end up. I’ll give you a hint. It won’t be the wall.” I said in the most menacing voice I could muster. I wondered why no one had come to take a look at what caused all the racket earlier.
,,What do you want? Money, freedom? Access to the sacred vaults of the House?” The noble asked me in return.
,,I’ve got no need for money and how were you going to give me freedom? I’m already free, free to kick your behind along with that of every sword-bearing Chimer in the city.”

,,So, you are after revenge.” The Chimer concluded. I shook my head and let the fireball grow a bit more. By now, its heat was noticeably beginning to warm the room we were in.
,,Nope, wrong guess. I’ve only got a simple request for you. Tell me how I can get to Almalexia, the one and only. I know she is in this city, only I don’t know which room of that temple she is in. Now no tricks, just answer.” To my surprise, he laughed in my face.
,,You want to meet Almalexia herself? You have a deathwish after all. You should have chosen my sword, it would have been a lot less painful than whatever fate she would give you for trespassing on her ground.” I sneered and held the fireball just in front of his nose.
,,I said, no tricks. If I have a deathwish, so be it. Just tell me how I can get to her.” I whispered.
,,You can’t. She has left the city two months ago. She is at Summerset now.” Well, I had only one word to describe that answer. Crap.

I let him drop and walked out of the door. In the doorway, I stopped. The whole situation felt oddly familiar to the one where he ordered my execution. Only now, the roles were reversed.
,,By the way, Turala’s lover? It’s the duke. Now knowing a thing about nobles, you’re probably going to kill her to spare yourself the embarrassment. I’ll hang around though and if I notice you’ve done that, I’ll be paying you a visit. And it won’t be for cookies. So don’t. Don’t kill her.” I said and strode into the corridor. The guard at the door handed me my sword back without a word. I frowned, which he apparently misunderstood for a question.
,,The lord must have been practicing his swordplay again. He tends to get carried away and do it in the livingroom. Makes an awful lot of noise.” So that’s why no guards came. They merely assumed it was their boss performing his hobby. I smirked as the door opened.
,,Ah, can’t take away a man’s toys. See ya later, buddy.” I said and walked out.

Back on the streets I sighed and put my hand on the hilt of my sword to scare off any cocky Chimer. So Almalexia was on the other side of Tamriel. I supposed it was a good thing then that the Duke threw Turala into my lap. If it wasn’t for her, I would still be going around trying to be a spy, all for a goal that was unattainable anyway. On the other hand, Almalexia was on the other side of the continent, so my big idea of contacting Nerevar through her was gone. Now what? I walked past a rack of weapons. They were mass-produced specimens, without the unique wear and tear any used weapon had. New swords and spears, for new recruits in an old war. I froze. The war, the answer lay in the war. I could not reach Almalexia, but I could still reach one other member of the Tribunal. After all, didn’t I know where Vivec was going to fight soon? If I left the city now, I might just make it before the battle.

Nicely stated.


LOL, I can't help taking this way out of context and into ... err ... right ...anyway

Good update

ps - Luper has got to somehow help Turala, change the past just a little bit?

I've read the past few updates and I must say they were thoroughly brilliant. I especially liked the one in the throne room with Luper motivating how he chose the site of Bodrum for the place where the Imperials were going to attack. Smart choice.

I've also read the past few updates regarding Turala. I've read 2920 The Last Year Of The First Era about three times thus far and I know most of the book pretty much by heart. It's one of my favourite books and one of the best TES books overall if you ask me. Good thing you're using it as a base for Luper's exploits.

I'm curious to see how Luper will change the future any further. I've played a few time traveling games and I can say that changing the past is not a good idea.

Originally, I had Luper move right on to Bodrum, but I figured this was both funnier and more in character.



There was no need for me to stick around any longer anyway. Everybody hated me by default and the way I was doing things, I was making real enemies by the boatload. The longer I stuck around, the greater the chance of running into an angry mob with various farming tools. And that was definitely not something which would do my current mood any good. I turned for the gate and walked till the end of the street before stopping. Just what was I thinking? Was I really just going to walk off just because a Redoran had claimed Almalexia was taking a trip?

I turned back around and began to walk again, this time in the direction of the temple. It wasn’t as if the Redoran was incapable of lying. Sure, they love to cultivate the impression they’re saints but in the end, a Redoran isn’t any different than any other guy with a sword and a private army. Besides, I am Telvanni. If there was ever a place where I should let good old mushroomlord paranoia rule, this was it.

Two Chimer stood on each side of the big gates of the temple. And I mean big. They were bigger than the gates to the city, or the gates to the castle. That made it pretty obvious that this was the place of someone really important. That, or maybe they were so big since the whole city population came through every morning for the daily rituals. Or maybe both. Either way, I wasn’t really impressed by it. I’d seen bigger. Not doors perhaps, but I had seen bigger things.

The four guards slipped into a more aware stance as soon as I approached. I sighed at that. This was so getting old. I thought I should be the paranoid one, being a single foreigner and all that. I shrugged and kept approaching. I subtly sized up the Chimer. They were clothed in a heavily decorated robe and their weapon was a Morningstar. I also noticed they had the sign of ALMS…ALMNEVI tattooed on their foreheads. They looked like the prototype of the Ordinators. Perhaps not as well-armed, but still similar.
,,What are you doing here, scum? How did you get in the divine city?” One snarled. Prototype of the Ordinators alright, they even had the limited vocabulary and the attitude. Judging by the everpresent red shawl, this guy was the leader.

,,Ah, well, perhaps it would be better to ask the guards at the gates?” I suggested and presented my papers. The Ordies didn’t seem too impressed though.
,,Watch your manners. We asked you a polite question. Now answer, if you know what’s best for you.” The lead Ordie said and his tone got just that little bit colder. Ordinator through and through in spirit. It made me want to puke. If there was one thing I absolutely loathed, it was an Ordinator.

I had now reached him and brought my face close to his.
,,First things first, I’ve been holding onto my manners in this city as best as I can. Which says a lot, given how no one else here seems to hold onto his. Secondly, threatening and name-calling does not fit the definition of polite. Third, you’d better calm down before I get pissed off. Almalexia with a broken fingernail isn’t as bad as me when I have to deal with a bunch of stuck-up Ordinator wannabes. And to think that you’re just the seed that will grow into a revolting plant full of thorns, awfull.” I hissed. The Ordie spat and I grinned.
,,I knew you were going to do that. Too bad I had a tidbit of telekinesis handy to smack it into your face instead of mine, huh?” I chuckled for a moment before getting serious again.
,,As for why I am here, I’m here simply for a little friendly conversation with the big hotshot goddess herself. Now why don’t you step aside or open the gate, or do you want me to do it myself, Telvanni style?”

The Ordie whipped off his own spit. He made a quick gesture behind his back and the other three advanced. By how their eyes flashed at the streets behind me, I could conclude that a whole crowd had formed, probably expecting me to get trashed. Too bad I was going to disappoint them. When the four morningstars rose up as one, I simply drew my sword and made three quick cuts across the lead Ordie before jumping away. When the whole front end of his robe came off, everyone either gasped or stifled a laugh. That gave me the chance to simply dash past them and get to the gates. Said gates buckled and crashed down into the temple, leading to a second round of gasps.

The proto-Ordinators were unwilling to continue fighting.
,,What…who are you?” One of them gasped. I looked at him and flashed a smug grin.
,,Ah, I was already wondering if someone who was not wearing a red shawl could talk. As for who I am…” I glanced at the castle for a split-second and shrugged. If the Duke’s spy network was any good, he would hear off it. Heh, whatever. I bet he would be surprised at what his little spy could do if fired.
,,I’m Luper Alkad, dragongod of Tamriel. Lorkhan is my brother and by that, you could also say I’m ALMNEVI’s uncle. Now if you excuse me, it’s time for me to have a family-chat.” I continued and walked in unopposed.
,,Hilarious.” I muttered to myself and laughed as I walked over the now flat gates. It was fortunate that the doors had been made out of a light bugshell. If they’d been more massive, I would have to cut out a hole instead of smacking them down entirely. Then again, only a goddess would have been able to open them if they were that heavy.

I quite like that way of dealing with the 'Ordinators'. Total moral victory without killing everyone: it's the most satisfying sort. I've been reading these before I signed up, as well, and I think that's the first time Luper's referred to himself as an actual god. Does he see himself like that, or is it just to get some more fun out of the fanatical Ordinators?

EDIT: actually, I think I'm wrong on this, but it still for some reason came as a shock to have it stated that bluntly.

Great stuff.

Solid and definitely a hilarious update. We get a little of the old Luper mixed in with the new. Good stuff!

Well, he did call himself an Aedra, but that was while he was in either his own realm or Azura's, so that doesn't really count. On Nirn, I don't remember him ever saying it directly.



Priests and their acolytes scrambled away as soon as they saw me. At the same time, more Ordinators moved to form a wall and push me back out. Apart from notifying me that I was not wanted here, it was also rather amusing. I jerked a thumb at the fallen door.
,,Oh, come on, guys. I just bashed down the really big door. Do you really think you can stop me?” I chuckled and put a hand on the hilt of my sword. I’d sheathed it for some reason. Probably an old habit. I had the tendency to keep my sword sheathed till the moment people were already swinging at me. I shrugged at the thought. At least I’d cultivated one of the quickest draws in Tamriel.
,,Looking at you, I’d say you might slow me for….all of five seconds. And that’s being generous.” I added.

The Ordinators faltered. Fanatic belief in their goddess was one thing, but it didn’t go so far they would just throw themselves into battle. They had more brains than I’d expected, not bad. Or maybe they’d just figured that if I could get past four of them, half a dozen extra wouldn’t make that much of a difference. I grinned.
,,Ok, now I’m a reasonable guy so if you’d just let me have a word with little Allie, I’ll be out of your hair in a second. So, what about it?” I asked. Several of them frowned as they tried to make sense of my words.
,,With Allie, I’m referring to Almalexia.” I coughed as a clarification.

,,Almalexia is not here.” The latest person with a red shawl said. I sighed.
,,You know, the last guy who said that tried to execute me a minute earlier, so I’m not going to put much faith in you. Try harder.” I replied.
,,I said, the lady is not here. I don’t know who you think you are, Outlander, but the word of….” The Ordinator snapped. I cut him off with a dismissive wave of my left hand.
,,The word of an Ordinator? I’ve been lied to by one of your kind before. As for who I think I am? Why not ask the rest of the town, they heard the news. Now if you excuse me, could you be so kind as to call the holy one down here for a second. Just say it’s her uncle.” I interrupted.

The Ordinator was visibly becoming agitated. His subordinates were eager to fight but the lack of an order held them back.
,,I am not an Ordinator, whatever that might be! And as I said, the Divi…” Again I cut him off.
,,Ok, I get it. We’re getting nowhere here and just for the record, I’m going to keep calling you an Ordinator cause that’s what you are. That pillar over there looks very fragile, don’t you think?” I spoke and calmly walked over to the pillar I’d indicated.
,,Oh, and look. It appears to support the roof. It would be a shame if it were to….” I punched it, adding a telekinetic blast to the blow. A sizable portion of the pillar fragmented and crumbled.
,,crack, don’t you think?” I finished.

,,Look, I see that you are rather stubborn over this, but I am not lying to you.” The Ordinator said, pretty calm for someone who had just seen a stone pillar get smacked.
,,That’s right, I am stubborn. Now why don’t you just run up there and tell the hag to get down here? If she won’t come, tell her that I know she’s just a lousy rip-off of Lorkhan. If she won’t come after that, I’ll level this whole place and force her out.” I snapped. I gave another tap to the stone pillar. Everyone around audibly held his breath and I could hear the same tense sound coming from behind me. The crowd outside. But this time, only some dust came down. It was only a tap, after all.

,,Who is he?!” The Ordinator shouted. I looked over my shoulder and saw quite a large mass of people standing in the doorway, including the Ordinator’s colleagues.
,,He claims he is a dragongod! Stupid foreigner with delusions, I say!” The Ordie who’d tried to spit at me shouted back. Now the whole demeanour of the guy I’d been talking to changed.
,,A dragongod? From the Empire?” He repeated. He took one quick glance at the pillar and apparently made up his mind.
,,Alright then. It sounds too ridiculous to be true but if we have our gods walking the land, then maybe the Empire can have its own. I must say, it takes more than the strength of a mortal to casually tear down a building such as this.” He admitted. I was pretty much stunned. A Dunmer, or Chimer, and an Ordinator even, had just admitted to the possibility that the great Tribunal wasn’t the only bunch of immortals around. That took something. This guy was just great! Oh, and I hadn’t casually threatened to tear down the building. That punch took a lot more than I’d made it look. But that is the basis behind bluffing. Make it look easy.

,,So, you said Almalexia isn’t here?” I said. I was now willing to believe him.
,,That’s right. If you so desire, we can lead you to her private quarters so you can see for yourself.” He said. I thought about it and then dismissed the offer.
,,No thanks. I’ll take your word for it. Could you tell me where she is?” I answered. For a moment, the Ordinator hesitated whether or not he should tell me.
,,I have not heard any specifics, but she was planning on meeting her lover, the great Nerevar. She went southwest.” He replied. I didn’t need any specifics. Bodrum, that had to be the place. This might turn out even better. Instead of one god, I might have the chance to meet two of them, or even all three, if Vivec was there just like in the book.

I managed to temper my enthusiasm with a sobering thought. If all three were there and they decided to stomp me into the ground, I wasn’t going to put a lot of money on me winning. It was three against one. That, and I had no idea if my alternate plane already existed, before my birth. If I was banished, would it be forever? I vowed to go the polite route for once during my meeting with them, just to be on the safe side.
,,Thanks." I said and turned around. When I walked outside, the crowd split before me without a word, opening a path. I grinned.
,,Finally, some respect."

Oh boy, oh boy! I can't wait for this collision course to happen!

See Luper, the way to get respect is to show everyone you're the guy with the power *without* being a boat at the same time.

This council of the gods will be entertaining.

Hm, the behaviour of the proto-Ordinators felt odd to say the least. I mean, one minute they're fanatic warriors who would gladly die for ALMSIV...I mean ALMINEVI, and the next they're finally becoming sensible and not trying to kill anything that's an insult to their gods. Pretty odd. Well, I guess that Luper can be convincing at times.

Oh, to hell with my doubting talk. That was a hell-of-an-update. It had everything, from style to good writing. I especially like how Luper inflates his apparent skills with liberal use of magic. I mean, one of his punches without magic to back it up would have just left a dent in the pillar, at most. With a blast of magic, it almost crumbled it entirely. How's that for a bluff?

Keep up your great work Jack! As was said, this meeting of gods will be entertaining to say the least.

Ahhh at last I've catched up on this one as well....gee I must say it's classy, like your other works here....You're very talented!

Talk talk talk talk. This might be a boring update if you're against that kind of stuff. I mean, Luper didn't intimidate or beat up anyone!




I considered doing something flashy, like levitation or some other stunt to show off my godly powers. But I decided not to. Apart from not accomplishing anything, I simply didn’t feel like doing it. I flexed the fingers of the hand I’d used to punch that pillar. Maybe the fact I already did show off my godly powers had something to do with it. Or perhaps it was because my fingers were slightly bruised.
“Next time, I’ll wear gauntlets before punching solid stone.”

As I moved on further down the street, I noticed the demeanour of the crowd change. First moving from awe to fear, to unease, to confusion and finally, back to hostility. Of course, as I moved along I left the part of the crowd that had actually seen me smacking down a door and nearly breaking a pillar. And knowing the Chimer, they had trouble believing the stories that were passed around in hushed whispers. I bet the stories had already gotten horribly mangled already, that’s the way gossip goes, especially gossip that goes straight against a dominant centuries-old religion. Whatever was the case, I brought a hand down to my sword to ward off any unwise acts of violence.

Finally, the crowd dispersed and I could breathe more easily. While there were still Redoran walking around with various bladed implements of death, there wasn’t half an army of them visible all the time. Well, there was half an army of them behind me, but I didn’t fear that pack. Those hadn’t moved when I was surrounded by them. I also noticed that half of the few remnants ahead of me weren’t paying me any attention at all. That was odd. I felt my fingers slip around the hilt in a subconscious response. There was a feeling of dread in the air, I just didn’t know for sure if that dread was directed at me.

Those that weren’t watching me were watching someone covered entirely in crude rags. The garb was so thick, I couldn’t even guess at the gender of the person beneath. I sighed.
“Oh bloody great. A victim of the Blight.” I grumbled. All the signs were there. The clothes, the way everyone avoided that person even more than they avoided me, the expressions that sat between devout rage and pity. Everything, except the era. If the Blight really had been around this early, it was the greatest miracle ever that Morrowind survived long enough for me to come around and save everyone. I glanced over my shoulder at the street behind me. The crowd had gone. I braced my shoulders and marched straight up to the person in rags.

“Well, hello there. What’s up?” I said casually once I got close enough. The person turned around and all I could see was a pair of eyes peering out at me. Those rags all over were starting to annoy me. As if it wasn’t enough already, why the heck would anyone decide to wear something like that? Even in Skyrim, that much would be considered excessive.
“You again.” She simply said before turning back around and moving on as if nothing had happened. Yup, it was a she. And good old Turala, of all people. I quickened my own pace to keep up with her.

“Woah, babe. Don’t be such a cold one. I just said hi.” I quipped. The girl didn’t answer but proceeded to ignore me. I rolled my eyes.
“Pointy-eared women. I’ll never understand them. Try to be friendly, and they still brush you off like that.” Were my thoughts.
“Hey, I’m talking to you. What you’re doing right now is just plain rude. I saved your life back there.” I tried. Now, she could no longer ignore me.
“Saved my life? You mean you ruined it, you muddy barbarian.” She hissed.

I scratched the back of my head.
“Ruined it? Geez, that’s harsh. Ok, I prevented that good-for-nothing lousy excuse for a father from cutting off your head. I see that as a lifesaving act. Oh, and I travel a lot, so please excuse me for not bathing every two hours. Not that there are any convenient springs in these parts.” I observed.
“But you did tell him who it was I was consorting with.” She countered. I shrugged, she had a point. But so had I.
“Ok, and how long did you think you could keep it a secret? Especially if that dude had chosen to threaten the fellow once he found out who your friend was?”

She looked down at her feet.
“A month, perhaps two. He wouldn’t torture me, not yet.” Turala almost whispered. I noticed that the rage of the citizens was more directed at me than at her now. That was a good thing. At least I was capable of defending myself. Couldn’t say the same of her. With her attitude, she was meek like a sheep going to the butcher.
“And after those two months?” I asked.
“I would die, but my child would live.”

I skipped a step.
“Woah, just wait a single second here! Your child?! You mean that you’re pregnant?!” I shouted. Turala glared at me.
“No need to let the whole city know. The gossip of the commoners is quick enough to do that without your help.” She spat. I looked down.
“Geez, and here I was just thinking that the noble lifestyle had made you fat. So you’re going to be a mommy, that’s great.” I averted my gaze to the sky.
“Why me? Why is it always me who gets to deal with other people’s trouble? I’m Telvanni, behaving as the proverbial knight in shining armour isn’t mentioned in the job description anywhere.” I muttered.

The Chimer lass stifled a laugh.
“Fat? You are dense, aren’t you? And a bluffer. You, Telvanni? Even if they would accept foreigners, they would never accept a swordsman like you. They’re mages, not warriors.” She chuckled. I grinned.
“That’s right. Cheer up.” I said before jerking a thumb over my shoulder, roughly in the direction of the temple.
“And you would consider me quite a bit more than a swordsman if you’d seen the architectural changes I made to the temple. I’m the best of both worlds, girly. Mage enough to make my own volcano and swordsman enough to fight an army by myself.” I added. Turala blinked, then laughed out loud. She’d apparently taken my claims to be more bluffing.

“But seriously now. Why are you walking around in rags like this and why is everyone avoiding you like that? It looks as if you picked up one really bad disease.” I said once she’d calmed down a bit.
“You don’t know?” Turala asked me. I shrugged.
“Well, I do know that I pretty much scared the pants off of your old man…not literally of course. Before I left, I told him not to kill you because if he did, I would make his brains explode with judicious use of fireballs. But other than that, I don’t have a clue.” I explained. The girl took a deep breath.
“Since execution had been made impossible, and since the Duke is too powerful for my father, there was only one option left. I have been branded a traitor and been exiled. If I am ever found in Resdayn again after a week, I will be hung like commoner.” Ok, that sounded pretty bad.

“And you prefer dying over being banished? Don’t tell me it’s got something to do with honour.” I asked.
“You may think lightly of Redoran honour, but I have been raised on it. Being executed for my mistake would not have soiled the name of my family as much as exile has.” She replied. I nodded.
“Oh, alright. I’ll give you Redoran’s some respect if you want it so much. So you hate me not for saving your life, but for taking your honour.” I noted and made an indignant sound.
“Pah, I’m not going to apologize for doing that. I’ve got better things to do anyway. As for you, stop seeing this as a punishment and start seeing it as an opportunity. You’ve never had such a good excuse for getting out and seeing more of the world.”

We came upon the gates. The guards there were still under my influence, so I could pass without much of a hassle.
“The lady is with me.” I said. The guards looked at Turala funny and I slapped my forehead in exasperation. Right, she was wearing the rags of an outcast, forgot about that.
“I’m to make sure she leaves the vicinity of Her Ladies home.” I explained to them and they shoved her out through the gate quite rudely.

“Why did you do that? They would have let me pass without your help.” Turala asked. I shrugged.
“Being a gentleman is not part of my job, but it’s not as if those five seconds I just took to help you were five seconds wasted. It’s not going to end the world.” I joked. The Chimer unwrapped the rags around her head. Once she’d gotten her face free, I could see it was drenched in sweat. I knew that many rags was unhealthy.
“End the world? You talk as if you’re some kind of a hero on a great quest.” She said with a frown. I laughed.
“Maybe I am.”

More talking and no violence.




She looked at me in a very amusing way. Mostly because she was so confused, her eyes ended up staring at her own nose.
“Modesty is a mystery to you.” She mumbled after a moment. I shrugged.
“I don’t have much use for it. If you want to get anywhere in my world, you can’t go wrong with a bold attitude.” I answered and flashed a grin. I turned for the road and was somewhat surprised when I heard her footsteps follow me. Wasn’t she going to take her own path. I shook my head.
“Nah, she may be Redoran but I haven’t seen her wield a sword yet. She would get messed up by the first bandit she came across….doesn’t explain why she chooses to trust me though.”

I made up my mind. If she was going to follow it, so be it. My grin faded.
“Listen, girly. I don’t bloody care what you decide but if you’re going to tag along with me, you’re going to tag along my way. First thing first, ditch the rags.” I said. Those were the wrong words apparently. The Chimer lass went right into a screeching fit.
“You want me to get naked?! What kind of barbarian are you?!” She screamed. I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, great. You’re not wearing anything underneath. Just great. That complicates matters.” I muttered to myself.
“Complicates?! Now you listen, I know exactly what you’re after and you’re not going to get it!” Turala continued. I stopped and looked her in the eyes. She shut up instantly and her eyes flickered away. To my hands, to my sword. Then, she knew.

While it might have been a matter I would normally joke about, this time I was dead serious.
“Get it now? If I wanted to rape you, I would have done so already. Believe it or not, but I am not interested in you. Pointy-eared girls are just not my type. Besides, my reason for asking was quite practical.” I pulled at one of the few rags still draped around her head.
“You look like an outcast, not a good way to travel.” I added.
“Oh….forgive me for judging you too soon.” She whispered so soft I could barely hear her.
“But I can’t give up these clothes. This is the punishment for my transgression. I will have to bear it if I still have any dignity left whatsoever.” She claimed, louder.

We began to move forward again.
“You’re really not giving them up for something less eyecatching?” I asked. I could have badmouthed the Redoran and their honour again, but I already knew that would be not very effective.
“No.” Turala said.
“Really not, even if it was in your best interests?” I probed further. There had to be an argument I could use somewhere.
“Not for any reason you can come up with. My life at this moment, is irrelevant.” When she said that, I snickered.
“What?” Turala asked a bit irritated.
“Nothing, I just noticed how stubborn we both are. This is going to be a long trip.” I chuckled. But at the same time, I realized I’d found the argument I needed.

“So you won’t change into a proper outfit for yourself, but would you do it for someone else?” I inquired. She frowned. She was judging me to soon again.
“So, what do you prefer? Skimpy?” She stabbed.
“Not for me, you muddy-brained idiot. For your child. The way you appear right now is just begging for a sword between the ribs coming from the first Chimer we come across. You want that? Come on, use that skull of yours for one second. Or is it just decoration? That child had no choice in the whole matter. Does it deserve to have its life thrown away together with yours?” I countered. She was so stubborn, I was slipping back to insults no matter how hard I tried not to.

“Why, you! I am not a mud….oh.” She fell silent. I stared at the road ahead and joined her silence.
“For the sake of my child, I have to survive. To survive, I should not wear the garb of an outcast.” She took a deep breath.
“Fine, I will wear whatever you tell me to wear.” She decided after a long hesitation.
“Just make sure it’s nothing too embarrassing.” She added.

I grinned.
“Don’t you worry. I have no fashion sense whatsoever.” I chuckled.
“That doesn’t sound too reassuring.” Turala noted.
“Well, look at it this way. The clothes I’m wearing I picked out for myself.” I indicated the brown shirt, the matching pants, the torn cloak and the sturdy belt with the Ebony saber buckled to it.
“It doesn’t look fancy, but it gets the job done. Comfortable, durable, hard to see from a distance in most environments and…” I rolled up a sleeve.
“A full suit of chain and plate underneath.” I deliberately didn’t mention the fact that my chain and plate was an ancient artefact of unmatched quality. If she knew that, she would probably be intimidated rather than reassured.
“I can’t pick out clothes without considering their practical qualities. So your clothes will be fine for travelling. They won’t get you any good marks during a nobleman’s party, though.” I finished.

Looking over my shoulder, I could see that Mournhold had vanished behind a hill. The road split soon after. With Bodrum in mind, I took the path heading west.
“There is something I’ve been meaning to ask. But where are you going to get clothes?” Turala wondered. I looked around and shrugged.
“Simple, we’ll just keep walking till we run into either a patrol of your army, or into a raiding group of the Empire.” I answered. She blinked. Probably cause she couldn't figure out how that was an answer to her question.
“Aren’t you an Imperial yourself? You talk as if you don’t have anything to do with it.” The girl asked me with a frown.
“I’m not with the Empire. We have conducted business before, but we’re not exactly at good terms.” I glanced at her.
“Not every person’s allegiance is determined by his blood.” I added.
“So, then what side are you on? The Empire, or Resdayn?”

No wait, that was wrong.
“Although, I suppose I can’t really say that for myself. My allegiance has been determined by blood.” I said but didn’t voice the thought behind it.
“Immortal blood.”
“So what side are you on? Just then, you said you weren’t with the Empire, but now you say you are.” She pressed on, unsatisfied with my answer.
“What side am I on? As a separated existence of Akatosh, am I not an important part of the Empire? A representation of their greatest god, the deity that grants the Emperor the right to rule, among things. But Azura has always used me to help Morrowind. No, not even that. She just uses me for her own goals.” I shook my head angrily.
“Did I bring up something bad?” Turala wanted to know. She sounded slightly frightened. An instant later, I knew why. I was clutching the hilt of my sword.
“I don’t know what side I’m on. But it is neither this Empire, nor Resdayn.”

It's good to see an update to this story.

I don't mind the "talking and no violence". Makes a nice change of pace. Can't have all fireballs all the time. I think it's good to alternate; it keeps it interesting.

Months ago, when you first put Turala in this story, I thought she was going to be a romantic interest for our hero. You've since explained that this is not the case but I wonder ... will he ever have a romantic interest, a soul mate, what have you, in some future story? Or instead, being what he is (half god?), is it impossible for him to to get close to anyone?

I'm glad that Turala is tagging along. For one thing, this will provide lots of good banter/argument/dialog and for another thing, it opens up more plot possibilities. Also, it is perhaps a way to show even more of the main character's personality. At the very end of this installment, her questions to the character force him to think/rethink some things. Fascinating! Further questions from her might cause more to be revealed to the readers.

Since you're bending Lore so much, maybe you can set up a happier ending for her? I know I asked this before -- sorry.

Yea, I don't mind a good, interesting discussion in a story either. I'm sure you've noticed it in my work as well so I fully endorse it's use.

It seems that blockhead basically touched on everything, so I conclude with what I generally say: Great work!

Talking, you said? Well that's awesome, I, if any can appreciate talking, because that's what I do...all the time!

Great stuff Jackie!

Hmm, if Luper will ever find his 'true love'? (Or the closest approximation)

I dunno. I do know that I'll put him into some different kinds of relationships just so I can expand his personality. But anyway, whether or not Turala will get a better ending still hangs in the balance. I will need Mehrunes to destroy Mournhold, so someone will have to summon him. That could be Turala, or it could not. I'll have to see how it works out. But rest assured, Luper will do everything he can to ensure a happy end. (Cause he's got a heroic streak in him, even though he wouldn't admit it.)

Now the time for talking has come to an end. It is time for action!



The girl was silent for the most part of the trip, something I was glad for. While I had been expecting to encounter a patrol within moments, I failed to see anything other than the local wildlife. It made sense when I remembered I hadn’t encountered anyone last time I took a walk through the countryside. Sure, there were those Redguards, but no Chimer soldiers. I wondered if every soldier not stationed in a city was with Vivec. That would explain the lack of patrols. It would also explain how those Redguards had managed to penetrate into Morrowind so deeply without using a disguise or stealth.

We never made it to the army before sunset. I gathered some wood and used it to make a small campfire.
“I’m hungry.” Turala complained. I had to admit to myself that I was somewhat hungry myself but unlike her, I was used to irregular and sparse meals. With my lifestyle, it was impossible to have three proper meals a day. A rat was sitting on some nearby rocks. Its beady black eyes gazed at us as it sat there. I gazed back and measured it up. It looked different from the rats I know. The fur was smoother and its behaviour was far more relaxed. Probably because it was living in a pretty hospitable place.

I shot a flamelance through its skull, killing it instantly.
“What was that?!” Turala gasped. I gave her a wry grin and winked.
“Thought all I could do was swing a sword, didn’t you?” I chuckled and hung the rat over the fire. Normally I would skin it first but if I were going to give her a quick lesson at survival, I might as well go all barbaric on her. She looked away, both from me and the rat. I could see her wrinkle her nose.
“I thought you were making empty claims with your insistence upon being Telvanni. But now I see that you have the blood of a mage in you. So did House Telvanni really accept you?” She whispered.

I prodded the burning branches a bit to improve the air circulation.
“Well…it’s more complicated than that. Some of them did. So I’m more like an…unofficial member at the moment.” I answered after a moment. Just telling her the truth outright wouldn’t help my case. And why would she believe me? She wouldn’t, not unless I gave her undeniable proof, something which I couldn’t do without rearranging the countryside.
“At the moment?” But she had brains, in there and realized I wasn’t telling her everything. I sighed and shook my head. Whatever.
“Well yeah. To tell you the truth. I’m really a near omni-potent immortal being who came from the third era after slaying Dagoth Ur in the bowels of Red Mountain. I’m here in search of the Dragonfires which will banish all foreign gods from Nirn and to do that I plan on meeting my cousin Vivec and company so I can ask them some questions. There. Satisfied now?” I folded my arms and waited.
“You’re crazy.”

That made me laugh.
”Hard to believe, isn’t it? Well too bad, cause this crazy lunatic is going to give you rat for diner!” The Dunmer lass visibly recoiled in horror.
“What?! Don’t you have anything better?!” She practically screamed.
“But rat is the best there is. It is nutritious, easy to get and can be prepared with the most basic of tools. Sure, its taste might a be a bit bland compared to what you’re used to but ask yourself this: Do you want to keep your habit of eating the civilized food of the upper classes and starve when it is not available? Or do you want to live by eating what’s good for you, even if it smells, tastes and looks horrid?” I countered.

She kept refusing so I just ate my own share in the end and covered the leftovers with a mound of still warm ash. She would come around, I was sure of it. Her will was strong, but not as strong as the demands of her stomach would be in the end. She might keep up for as long as two more days but after that, she would stuff herself with lava if she had to. Though I doubted she would be able to march for two more days on an empty stomach.

I lay on my back, staring at the stars without really seeing them. On the other side of the campfire, Turala had curled herself up in a small hill of rags. I could hear her slow and gentle breathing that told me she was asleep.
“You’re as stubborn as a Guar. I’ll never get to Bodrum in time if I keep you around. But if I don’t keep you around, you’ll get killed by the first Nix-hound you encounter. Or even a Mudcrab. I would not be surprised if you sat down on one and got eaten. I mean, that nearly happened to me once.” I muttered and sighed. The decision I had to make was an easy one, but the implementation of it kept nagging me.

I had to leave her behind. But the way she was now, she could not survive without a caretaker. The fate of Nirn was more important than that of a single girl, I knew that. I knew, but couldn’t bring myself to abandon her. What was there that I could do? I thought long and hard about it and in the end, only two options came to mind. Summon a caretaker, or give her my sword and hope for the best. I decided on both. If one failed, maybe the other would pull her through. At least it would give her some protection and hopefully, I could find her again after my dealings with the Tribunal and bring her to a safer place.

I sat up and collected some more branches which I then arranged in such a way that they formed a crude yet readable message. Just to make sure she would really see it, I placed it right next to the campfire.
“If I’m not back in two days, assume I got killed.” Not the most optimistic message to give, perhaps. I then focussed on the summon I would call. Summoning had never quite been my thing and I seriously doubted my ability to control something big, like a Daedroth or a Dremora. But a Scamp should be doable.

“Master?” The Impish creature grunted as it took shape.
“Look after the girl. Follow her and protect her. When she wakes up, tell her that Luper Alkad sent you to guard her. That is all. Oh, and give her this.” I told it and handed over my sword. That was it. I’d prepared as best as I could. Now all I could do was hope for the best. I leapt away into the night sky, headed for Bodrum. Jumping from hilltop to hilltop, I made more progress in a single minute than I had made after an hour of wandering with Turala. It didn’t take more than three hours to reach Bodrum. The first sign I got that I was approaching my destination were the countless fires burning.
“So the army has already arrived. Quick buggers. I bet they were already here before I told that Mournhold dude about this place.”

Now I suspect things will get interesting. I look forward to seeing how Luper deals with these blokes.

Jack,

I'm new to the board and have just finished reading Oasis 1 & 2, Agent, & Redemption. All of them sucked me in & were very enjoyable to read. Thank you for posting such great writing, and I eagerly await your next installments!!

Wlecome to the boards, Ravenmind!

Ok, after the long hiatus, I think I've gotten a bit rusty. But anyway, update (albeit rather short).

Oasis 2: Free from Destiny.

Chapter 8: negotiator

I crouched down behind a thorny bush, still well outside arrow-range. Now that I was here, the only question that remained was how I was going to handle this. I couldn’t just walk right in. Not unless I enjoyed the idea of having a couple of glittering fools try to turn me into a pincushion. No, I had to do this stealthy.
“Yeah, right. Sneak past what looks like threethousand soldiers, all of whom are expecting a mayor battle any second. They’ll be so stressed out and alert, not even an ant could crawl passed.” I laughed at my own comment, despite the fact there wasn’t much to laugh about.

I tried to review the options I did have. Those were not good. A disguise? To do that, I would first have to knock out a soldier and steal his outfit. To do that, I would have to get right among them, which was impossible without the outfit I would be trying to steal. And as if that wasn’t bad enough. Mimicing gold coloured skin is harder than an ash coloured one. So no, a disguise was out.

Run through the whole mob, knocking over everyone in my path? That might work, if there had only been a dozen or so Chimer. Not thousands. And something told me the Tribunal would be less than friendly if I barged in with a whole pile of tossed around Chimer in my wake.

Revitalize the spy thing? Well there was an idea I could use. My hand was already going to my pockets before I realized I had no good story to tell them. The one I’d used in Mournhold wouldn’t work here. Why would anyone here care about a lumberjack with questionable loyalties? No, I had no story and no evidence to go with it.
“Probably because I’m not really a spy. Now the genuine article, he would have come up with a plan within a heartbeat and already be moving to follow that plan. Me, I’m just plain stupid when it comes down to things like there.” I sighed.

All this time, I’d been staring at the campfires. Something seemed off, but I just couldn’t put my finger on what had caught my eye. It was making me nervous, and irritated.
“Ok, I need something to think of before I go nuts here. Who knows, a real plan might just represent itself while I’m distracted.” I told myself and settled into a more comfortable position.

What to think about? Who did I know who was a real spy? Ro-El came to mind, but he seemed more like an odd mix between noble, diplomat, troublesolver to me with perhaps a little spying as a sidejob. That, and he’d managed to land himself in jail not to long ago. Sure, that was my fault, but a real spy would have managed to get out of that without drawing suspicion to himself.

Who else did I knew? The only other person that fit the definition of spy would be Caius. A smile creeped onto my face when I thought of the old man. Yes, Caius was a real spy among spies. Drunkard, drug-addict, living in a rotten shack with a professionally paranoid assassin on one side, a paranoid slave-that-has-swallowed-moonsugar smuggler on the other, and a whole load of Camonna Tong in town that would likely try to beat him up for the hell of it.

Then there was the fact that Balmora was Hlaalu territory, and they had the most extensive spy-ring of the three Houses. All that, no funds, and he still managed to get his hands on information as if it just grew on trees. Damn, the man didn’t call himself spymaster for nothing. I bet he could just walk, waddle, whatever, right in there without a disguise and everyone would be so bored looking at him they would fall asleep!

I bolted upright. Now I knew what had been bothering me. There was a huge mass of campfires, all signs of equally huge amounts of guards. But no one was actually moving. Everybody was sitting or lying, perfectly still. I couldn’t help but grin. The entire army was asleep! I wouldn’t have to sneak or disguise or do anything but simply walk down the hill and seek out the commander’s tent.
“Wow, that’s just plain silly. Thanks Caius, you helped me out again, even though you won’t be born for centuries.”

Awesome! Lupers back! But my question is, will Luper be able to make it to the Commanders tent without waking any guards, I know he has a tendency to fall into troubles lap. Can't wait for the next update.

Jack's back! Hurrah!

I know I sound like a whiner, but there's a few spelling errors in here: I'm always the same when I haven't been writing for a while. Nonetheless, I like it very much; it's a very wry little twist to only realise later that the guards were asleep. With any luck, that'll let Luper raise merry hell once again.

I took one step in full confidence before coming to a halt once more.
“Wait a second. Entire army sleeping, while another army is expected to arrive soon. That’s not just silly, that’s first grade suspicious right here.” I thought. For a second, I wanted to turn around and walk away, to forget about meeting the Tribunal. But in that same second I came to realize that I would only end up hating myself for running away.
“Besides, it can’t be all that bad. Sure, the whole thing screams trap, but it can’t be a trap for me. No one is expecting me after all.”

I walked down the hill to the outskirts of the camp. I took a good look at the first sentry I passed. The man was dressed in simple leathers and lying all crumpled in a position that had to be uncomfortable. Frankly, he looked rather dead. If it hadn’t been for the fact he was snoring like crazy, I would surely have bent down to check for a heartbeat.
“Asleep while on duty. Poor bugger, when his shift is over, he’s going to get one heck of a chewing-out from his commanding office.” With what the future had in store for the Chimer, I kind of pitied him for a moment. But only for a moment.
“Meh, it’s his own fault for sleeping now. Maybe I’ll rat him out to his boss just for fun.”

I made my way around the campfires and the clumps of sleeping soldiers that surrounded each one. Being right in the middle of it all, the sound of snoring was overwhelming and it seemed like a miracle that anyone could sleep with all that noise. Either it was a miracle, or something unnatural was going on.
“Unnatural sleep, spread across a whole army? That sounds like the handiwork of someone with godlike powers alright. I wonder if I can pull of the same trick in a few decades. Though, I don’t know why they would put their own side asleep and not the enemy.” I thought and then shrugged. The Tribunal was a bunch of egocentric bastards anyway and wouldn’t need much of a motive to act like jerks.

Open campfires gradually gave way to tents, both lit and unlit. I took a peek in one of the unlit ones, only to find sacks and crates. The lit ones, I kept my distance from them. That was till I heard voices coming from one.
“…can’t win the battle tomorrow, I’m afraid.” I stopped and listened. The voice had come from my left, from one of the lit tents. The silhouettes of two Chimer in full armour were cast on the fabric. I noticed one of them playing with a helmet decorated with plumage. Going by that, I deduced that those two were pretty high ranked. At least good enough to lead a hundred men.
“Have faith in our lords, friend.”

“I do have faith, but faith alone is not enough to win a battle when your army is sound asleep. Vivec surely must have had a reason for his actions, though I cannot fathom what that reason could possibly be.” The helmet was put down on a table and its owner scratched his head.
“Then don’t try to understand, but trust your faith. Trust me when I say that I am as nervous as you are. I hear no singing, no bragging of drunkards, no praying of young recruits. I hear nothing, but the snoring of countless warriors. I hear that and because I am not used to it, it frightens me. Yet as long as the Tribunal guides us, I can put aside that fear and face tomorrow with confidence and courage.”

I whistled softly.
“It must be nice, to be able to trust your gods like that.” I whispered to myself.
“Nice indeed.” Someone suddenly replied from behind me. I spun around, ready to draw my sword. But once again, old reflexes worked against me. First my hand reached into empty space where Chrysamere used to be, then into the empty space where the saber used to be. Once I’d realized I was unarmed, I let out a sigh and looked at my assailant.

Assailant wasn’t the correct word. The Chimer did nothing but look at me from a safe distance. Like me, he was unarmed and even better, half-naked. His face looked like that of every Chimer I’d seen. Sharply defined, golden and with pointy ears. Yet, there was something familiar about it. Then I recognized him.
“Vivec.”

The god nodded. Now that I’d recognized him, I could see that he wouldn’t change in the third era. Except for becoming half-Dunmer and getting a severe attitude problem, that is.
“Indeed I am. It surprises me that you know me by face. Few foreigners have seen it and even fewer would be able to tell it apart from all the other faces of my people. Now that you know my name, you have me at a disadvantage, for I do not know yours. Would you be so kind as to reveal it to me?” He whispered and bowed.
“It’s Luper…Luper Alkad.“ I whispered back while shooting a quick glance at the tent behind me. The two officers were still absorbed by their own conversation, however. That was good. Who knew what they would do if they noticed that a Redguard was having a conversation with Vivec himself just a stone’s throw away. Speaking of which.
“Umm, look. I know this might sound weird to you, what with this big battle you are preparing for, but I didn’t come here to fight…or assassinate anyone.” I told him.

Vivec chuckled, then turned around and beckoned with his hand for me to follow.
“Don’t worry, sir Alkad. I had already deduced your intents were not hostile. You carry no weapons, although you do wear heavy armour. That rules you out as either an assassin, or a spy. And a soldier? No soldier would think of sneaking through the entire camp, no matter how well the snoring might mask the sound of his footsteps. No, you are neither of those and therefore, I am curious.” He said. My confidence soared at hearing those words. It meant that he was going to let me talk before judging me.
“I hope I can satisfy your curiosity. I for one, happen to have plenty of questions myself. The least of which would be why all your men, even the guards, are asleep.” I replied.

Vivec led me deeper into the camp. I should have been wary of him, but he practically radiated an aura of peacefulness. That put me at ease and made me decide I could trust him, even though I would have fled right away if this had been third era Vivec.
“I tried to come up with a few stories, but I’ve decided to just give you the full truth. It’s a bit complicated, but I was born in the third era, under the rule of Uriel Septim VII. I came to Morrowind…that is what we call Resdayn then, as a prisoner.” I begun.
“So you are a criminal from the future? Interesting. Please continue.” Vivec’s response was so utterly calm, it nearly blew my mind. I didn’t expect him to just believe me that easily.

“Well, I’m not really a criminal. That’s just the story the Empire decided to use as a cover when they shipped me off to Vvardenfell. Err…that’s the big island with the volcano. The point that is most important though, to you I mean, would be that I am the Nerevarine.” I continued. This time, I managed to get a bigger response.
“Nerevarine? That word, do you know what it means? It’s not a word actually, but it could have been one in an old dialect that has died many generations ago. Freely translated, it would mean: Nerevar returned. But, I know for one thing that no Redguard name nor title even approaches that word and to think that your language would change to actually come up with it on pure chance. That is unbelievable.”

I shrugged.
“You’re telling me. I was rather surprised myself when I found out. But no, that translation is exactly what Nerevarine means, with a twist. I am not a returned Nerevar, but rather his replacement. You see, in the third era, Nerevar is dead.” Vivec turned around and looked me in the eye, an expression of shocked disbelief on his face. I matched his gaze.
“He died at Red Mountain, during the first era…At the hands of the Tribunal”

It will be... interesting, to see Vivec's reaction to that. Wonder what the rest of the Tribunal will have to say too. How amazed I was when I logged on to see this. You have made me a very happy person Jack!

I watched his response carefully. What I’d just said was just one of the many versions of the story, but it was the version I had believed for months. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Nerevar was apparently still alive even now, I would still believe it. Regardless, some cracks appeared in Vivec’s mask of peacefulness. The nearly unnoticeable gritting of the teeth, the narrowing of the eyes by less than a millimetre, the twitch of a finger. He had been angered, but not enough to become aggressive. Which was a good thing. I’d come here to talk and find answers, not to take him down.

“Now I wish you were joking, for this is not amusing.” He said dryly after a moment.
“So, this is what the historians claim in your era. The Tribunal…as the slayers of Nerevar Indoril. That is preposterous, to put it mildly. I swear to you that we have not, and will never, kill one of the leading figures of our society. Nerevar is a hero. If he were to suffer as much as a broken fingernail, the entire population would go into mourning.” He added. I spread my arms.
“I know. What I know as ALMSIVI, happens to be ALMNEVI. While the historians claim that Nerevar died at Red Mountain, everyone I’ve met so far claims that Nerevar is alive and fighting at the frontlines of this damned war. Does this mean that the historians were wrong?”

Vivec had regained complete control over himself. He gestured towards the nearest campfire and sat down, after telekinetically moving the clump of soldiers to another campfire. The Chimer didn’t notice a thing and continued their sleep without stirring.
“It is not my place to judge your fellow men, but it seems that they were wrong indeed. Surely there are other versions of Nerevar’s life? Versions of history that do not claim he died at Red Mountain, at our hands?” He argued. I sat down on the other side of the fire and shook my head.

“While there are other versions indeed, they only differ in the details. The one I’ve already given you is the one that is believed by the Zainab, Ahemmussa, Urshilaku and Erabenimsun. It is also the one that circulates the Empire. However, the Great Houses place the blame either on Dumac, or Dagoth Ur. The Tribunal temple holds Dagoth Ur as the actual murderer, while saying that Nerevar was already severely injured from wounds he received during a duel with Dumac. As such, he could not defend himself against his friend’s treachery.” I explained.
“But there is one detail they all stick to like a fly in a spider’s web. Nerevar died in the first era, either during the last moments of the battle for Red Mountain, or shortly afterwards. There is not a single version that claims that Nerevar lived, or joined the Tribunal.”

Vivec rested his chin on his hands as he listened to me.
“Not one version. Even the Tribunal itself claims that Nerevar died then. I see why you are confused. They couldn’t all just get it wrong. That would be ridiculous. The way I see it, there are three answers, all of which could be right. One: Your journey through time brought you into an alternate timestream, one where Nerevar lived, instead of dying. Two: Nerevar will die at the moment you mentioned, but not until someone travels back to that timeperiod and manipulates events to make it happen. Three: Nerevar did not die and your historians are incorrect. In the case of the last scenario, it is most likely that someone went through a lot of trouble to rewrite history in order to cover up the truth.” He said softly while staring into the flames.

“And I mean a lot of trouble. It is not just the point of death that needs to be altered. All of his subsequent deeds must be erased as well. And even then, just changing all the texts is not enough. One needs to make sure that oral transfer of history is also changed to the new version. Not even a single person may tell his or her child the truth. Of course, it becomes easier when one can enforce the new history over the span of several generations.”

I whistled, which made him look up.
“In which case, the most likely rewriters of history would be the Tribunal. They have the time, and the influence required for such a thing.” I noted.
“Indeed. But without a very good reason, we would not attempt it.” Vivec concurred.
“And in scenario two, you are the most likely manipulator, sir Alkad.” He then continued and cast a sly grin. I blinked. I hadn’t expected that.
“Good point. I’ve already gone back once, so I can do it again. But it’s not that easy, I’m afraid. I never came here voluntarily. Nor did I come here under my own power. That was Akatosh’s doing, and Azura’s.”

Now it was Vivec’s turn to whistle.
“Akatosh and Azura. You have odd friends. Or puppeteers.” He seemed to make up his mind about something.
“I’ll introduce you to the man who has been the focus of our discussion. But first, I promised you an explanation about the sleeping Chimer, didn’t I?” He hadn’t promised, but I had mentioned my curiosity.
“I would appreciate it if you told me why. From what those two officers said, I’ve concluded that you are the one who put everyone to sleep. But I don’t understand why? Wouldn’t you at least need a few guards to prevent spies, assassins and the like from sneaking into camp and sabotaging your efforts?” I asked.

Vivec waved a hand through the fire. The flames billowed and sparked, then lifted from the wood and form into a floating sphere.
“I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion. Spies and assassins are indeed a very real threat. However, we won’t need the guards to be awake. Let them rest with alongside their peers, so that everyone is well-rested tomorrow. They’ll need all the strength they can muster by dawn. Meanwhile, I’ve taken it upon myself to patrol the camp and deal with any undesirable elements.” He explained and winked.
“Don’t you think it was a bit odd to see me so far removed from the central tent at this hour? Anyway, while we’re on the subject of undesirables, it appears that two parties of raiders have entered our camp. They’re probably planning on destroying as many supplies as they can and slit a few throats on their way out.”

I noticed that the sphere of fire had turned into a sort of mirror. The masked faces of a band of men or women could be seen in it. I couldn’t be sure, but going by their build, I guessed that they were Nords or Imperials, not the more slender Chimer.
“Two, huh? Probably coming in from both ends of the camp. Want me to take care of one group while you take care of the other?” I proposed. Vivec smiled.
“Do you think I trust you enough to do it?” He countered.
“I do.”

The Tribunal god stood up abruptly.
“Indeed, I trust you. If you go in a straight line towards where I’m pointing, you’ll find them. When you’re done, wait there. I’ll come for you. Hopefully, they’ll be the last intruders tonight so we get the time to meet Nerevar.” He spoke. I nodded and began to jog in the direction he had indicated. Since the Chimer’s sleep was magical in nature, I wouldn’t disturb them with some noise.
“Oh and one more thing, sir Alkad?” I skidded to a halt and half-turned.
“Please try not to kill them. This may be a war, but I prefer to shed as little blood as possible.” Vivec told me. I flashed a grin.
“You can count on me.” I answered before running off again. A thought slipped through my mind.
“I think I actually like this Vivec.”

This story is progressing excellently. I can't wait for the next update.

Indeed

I've always enjoyed this, you have a very readable style, just draws me into the story. Looking good!

More please

Thanks, this was just what I needed to open word again.



The camp was big, but not that big. At a full run, it wouldn’t take me more than two or three minutes to reach the other end, even though I had to go around all the tents and campfires. That didn’t leave me much time to come up with a plan on how to deal with the unwanted guests. Though most likely my plan would involve hitting them on the head when they weren’t looking.

Not knowing their plans was another problem. If they were ordered to strike only at high-ranking officers or the gods themselves, that would be great. If they wanted to destroy vital supplies, likewise. Those were all hidden within the heart of the camp, giving me plenty of time to intercept the intruders. But if they were meant to kill every single sleeping soldier they found instead, I would have to hurry. Vivec asked me to shed as little blood as possible, both theirs and that of his people. And I refused to let him down.

“This whole thing stinks, I’m telling you.” I heard them before I saw them and dove to the ground near the closest campfire, where I pretended to be just another sleeping Chimer. I could barely make out their silhouettes, about a dozen metres to my right. With a bit of luck, they weren’t paying that much attention and wouldn’t notice the one guy with the darker skin sitting among all the shiny golden ones. I was grateful for the lack of a standard uniform in Vivec’s army. At least I wouldn’t stand out due to clothing.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve told us that already. So they all fell asleep. Perfect opportunity I say. How about we put a knife in the eye of every pointy-eared honoured user between here and the supply tent. I’d say we could kill over twohundred of them if we don’t cause too much of a ruckus and get away with it. Just think of the bonus we’ll get when we come back and tell the commander of the slaughter.” The accent was different, but that confident tone and air of ‘I’m the most important guy in the world cause my folk claims to have conquered the whole known world’ definitely reeked of Imperial.
“I know, we could just walk in and do whatever we please. But don’t you think this is a bit too easy? I’m telling you Arctunius, I know a trap when I see one. This is just too convenient not to be one. I feel like we’re being watched. I bet they’re all awake and just waiting to jump us. I say we turn around and get out of here now.” I rolled my eyes. The name had confirmed the previous speaker as Imperial and this one sounded Breton to me. Still, if he was so convinced it was a trap, then why was he talking in the first place? At least Ro-El and his treehugging master would have the good grace to talk with gestures.

“Most likely, the Imperials don’t like the hand-communications of the Bretons and vice-versa. Now if this Imperial is anything like all the others I’ve met, he won’t be backing down.” I thought.
“If you’re scared, Astien, go back by yourself. I’m going in and get myself that delicious bonus.” Bingo. I watched one shadow march off deeper into the camp, with his partner following somewhat hesitantly and a lot more careful. Good grief, this Arctunius didn’t even bother to sneak anymore and unlike me, he didn’t have proof that this sleep was caused by an immortal with near unlimited powers.
“Well, time for me to rough them up and throw them out, I guess.” I whispered to myself once I could no longer see them. I got up and looked in the direction they’d gone.

One shadow was kneeling next to a Chimer, the other seemed to be looking all over in a nervous manner.
“Oh, crap. The Imp said he was going to kill some Chimer, didn’t he?! I’ve got to stop him!” I thought.
“Wait!” I shouted. Both men turned to me instantly. The whole situation had turned with a single word.
“Now this is not how I was going to do it. Damn, I wanted to surprise them from behind and knock them out with a single blow. Well, there was no time for that. I had to save that Chimer somehow.” My mind raced.

“So it was a trap! Arctunius, we’ve been found!” Astien yelled. In his panic, he had completely forgotten about all the sleeping soldiers. It was fortunate then for him that no amount of noise could wake them from their slumber. They would have gut him in a heartbeat, and not even I would have been able to stop them.
“Then we’ll just have to fight our way out!” Arctunius answered and switched his knife to his empty hand before drawing a short sword with the other.
“Oh great, now they’re going to fight me?!”

I raised my hands to show I was unarmed. If I could just get close enough to them without the bloodthirsty Imperial swinging at me, I might just pull this one off. Or, I suddenly realized, I could try to bluff my way out.
“Please, put that sword away. I’m with the Empire. You must be Arctunius.” I said. The mention of his name was enough to keep the man calm long enough for me to get closer. Once I was close enough, he recognized my face and lowered his sword.
“Redguard, I guess that means you are on our side. How do you know my name?” Arctunius asked, still somewhat suspicious of me.
“Well, because your partner mentioned it when I was eavesdropping. But I suppose you wouldn’t like it if I said that.” I thought and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Right now was not a good time for sarcasm.
“My superiors mentioned it. Said you were the kind of man who always tries to do more than what his orders mention. The kind of man who would grab an opportunity such as this to write history. That’s why they sent me.”

Arctunius didn’t know whether to feel offended or praised by my words. Meanwhile, Astien had been thinking for a bit.
“But why would they send someone else to stop our mission? Aren’t we fulfilling the Emperor’s will?” He asked.
“Ah, but that’s exactly why I’ve been sent. You see, they sent in another pair several hours before yours, who were to enter the camp from the northeast. Now apparently they discovered the cause of all this sleeping. Poison gas coming from some sort of plant growing in this damned swamp. Put one of them, Cyrus, to sleep and he still hasn’t awakened. Needless to say, that’s when the commander decided to recall all operatives.” I said, trying to sound as if I believed the total nonsense I was telling them.
“Cyrus?! Are you saying that Cyrus was sent out as well?!” Arctunius gasped. I shrugged.
“Don’t ask me. It could be your friend, or a complete stranger. It’s not exactly an unusual name among Redguards.”
“Poison…gas?” The Breton mumbled.

I nodded.
“Yes, that’s what the Battlemages concluded and apparently what got this whole army. The slightest change of wind-direction, and we’ll all be sleeping beauties. Frankly, I prefer to stay awake at camp but orders are orders, so here I am. I’ve got to tell you two to head back. The Emperor needs you to do your mission, but he needs you alive more.” My claims were getting more crazy by the second. But that is part of the art of bluffing. If the story is crazy enough, people will assume only two things. One, you’re crazy. Two, it’s so crazy you couldn’t have made it up no matter how hard you tried. Hopefully, dropping a name and some titles would do the trick of making them choose option two.

Lol so true Jack, so true.

I observed their responses with a flat expression. Astien almost looked relieved at the ‘order’ to head back, while Arctunius needed a bit more convincing. Still, I knew I could handle him. So far so good.
“Ah, speak of the devil. The wind is picking up.” I said while nervously looking around.
“I don’t feel anything. And besides, we can finish our mission real quick if we put our mind to it.” The Imperial scoffed. I shook my head.
“Before joining the army, I used to be a sailor. Spend a few years sailing the most treacherous straits and you’ll be like me. You either get a feel for the wind. Or you die as your ship is hurled onto the cliffs by a sudden storm. I’d say we’ll get an eastern to south-eastern wind in five minutes. Think you can make it in and out by then?”

For a moment, Arctunius still refused. But I could already see in his eyes that he’d made up his mind. While he hated to admit it, he was going to run. All because of the advise of a ‘Redguard sailor’.
“I see. Let’s not waste any more time here! Astien, why are you still standing here? We should be moving already!” The man barked and set off at a dash.
“Err…right!” Astien stammered as he ran after him. For a while, I joined them in their escape, just to keep up the pretence. It would have been very suspicious if the ‘nervous messenger’ decided to stay behind.

“Look, friends. I’m going to circle around and stay out of the wind as much as possible. I want to check up on my colleague who’s been sent to retrieve another group.” I gasped, feigning fatigue.
“Maybe we should come with you?” Much to my surprise, it was Astien who extended the offer. But then again, he was probably just the friendly type.
“No thanks. I’ll minimize the risk as much as possible, but I’d hate to drag you into it if I’m wrong. The only enemy is the breeze anyway. I won’t have trouble of the bladed sort. Well then, be seeing you. Have a drink on me at the camp.”

With those words, I fell back and changed my direction till they were out of sight. Once I was sure they’d gone, I sat down to wait for Vivec.
“Heh, that was actually kind of fun. No day is complete without fooling someone. Anyway, sir goldy should be satisfied. I got them out, no one got killed and I didn’t even have to smack them. Man, I’m good.” I noted with smug satisfaction. Noticing that a nearby bundle of soldiers had been binge-drinking before Vivec put them to sleep, I helped myself to an unopened bottle.
“Cheers, oh esteemed warriors. I hope you won’t get nightmares from the thought that a Redguard is drinking your booze.” I lifted the bottle in a mock greeting and took a hearty swig of the brew. Turned out it was Sujamma. Damn strong stuff. And damn good.



OOC: I hope you guys don't mind this utterly short update, but I'm still in the process of deciding Nerevar's personality. (which will in turn heavily influence his meeting with Luper.) Since none of my sources actually said anything regarding him pre-Red Mountain (not to mention afterwards, cause he was ya'know...DEAD ) I get to basically do him from scratch. And I definitely don't want to mess up on one of the most important people in Morrowind. Even though you never met him in the game, what with him being dead and all. He's still pretty damn important.

Err...I guess I lied when I said that none of my sources mentioned his personality. They did mention that he always took the advice of Azura and the Tribunal, but that's not a lot. And since here he's Tribunal himself...

Well written Jack. Poison gas, nice touch. Can't wait for the next update.