192:

So . . .Maxical got snowed! This chapter stood out among them all! It seriously did! Her internal monologuing was dripping with emotions of doubt and confusion, all because of Malan! Outstanding, indeed.



Like certain "teenage," vampires? UGH!!!!

On the story again: Maxical is struggling, yes, but she is making progress. Good progress as she starts sorting out what Malan is up to. Hopefully next time they meet, she won't be naive as to fall for his schemes . . .again. Then I would totally facepalm myself. It goes to show that vampires cannot be trusted! Their nature is unpredictable, especially if they already have manipulative qualities like our dear Malan here, which by the way, is drowning in hate right now. Give the guy a break, all he wants to do is use Maxical and others around him to bring back his long-dead lover . . .

As I said, this was a good chapter and things certainly look more dark and gloomy, a welcome and appreciated change from the comical side of things, which I don't have anything against, mind you. It just seems that the style has shifted into a darker mood with Maxical's string being pulled by the puppetmaster.

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@ King Of Beasts - Thank you so much KOB! ROFL - you had me dying laughing with that “Malan packed up Amiela and left.” You are def correct about Malvulis being a back-up in Malan’s original plans - that was when he was still planning for Janus to share his dark gift with either Maxical or Malvulis, and he would take whichever was immortal and transfer Amiela into them. Unfortunately for Malan, Janus has been a thorn in his plans since day one. Janus’s eyes were burned by his own juices - that is what the red rings around them were from, lol. Thank you so much again, KOB!

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@ Elisabeth - To quote the real Foxy (the RL man behind Sir Damien), “You ain’t seen nuffink yet!” Malan is about to show his true colors now that Amiela isn’t inside Maxical anymore. You’ll see those tips real soon, lol. Thank you so much Elisabeth!

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@ McBadgere - It is so nice to see you back here, your comments always make me smile! Thank you so much McB!

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@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian! All I can say is, you named it in one of your choices. And everyone will def get to see the instructions Maxical wrote for Eyja, lol. I was really playing with that task, had her spilling ink all over Uriel’s chambers, etc. - had to cut it out to keep the word count down, lol. Thank you so much again, Acadian!

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@ King Coin - Thank you so very much KC! Eyja was already there, and Maxical never knew she owned the lair too, so never withdrew her permission. You are exactly right, if Malan had done this right, Maxical would not have had the nature’s help on her side. Thank you so much again, KC!

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@ Lycanthropic-Legend - (chapter 191) Thank you so much DE! Malan is a master manipulator. With Maxical he’s been charming, romantic, and fun to be with. Add to that the nature working on Maxical and then there is her own Khajiit nature - Khajiit are loyal and devoted to whoever they are mating. Maxical has the seal from Azura that should keep her from mating anyone but Gils, (but ancient vampires interfere with the seal). So yeah, she was fighting a losing battle against having her heart turned. Thank you so much again, DE!

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@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! I am so glad they are useful - to be honest, they helped me summarize what I’ve gotten out so I know where it is headed, ROFL !! Maxical really is getting Uriel’s lessons into practice now, (maybe a little late), but not lighting into Janus as Acadian pointed out, and fighting back the shock over Fathis’s possible fate on her own - she has def matured some through all this. I’m really glad it came through! It is one of the names that has been bandied about in conjecture, it won’t be long before everyone knows. Thank you so very much again, Grits!

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@ Darkness Eternal - (chapter 192) - Thank you so very much DE! You made my day with your kind words - that meant a lot to hear!



ROFL !!! It will get a lot darker now, because all that pleasant Malan (Maxical has come to know) will be gone with Amiela, and the side of Malan no one sees till right before he kills them is about to come out. Thank you so very much again, DE!


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Chapter 193: Two Can Play That Game




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Attn: Eyja

The residents of the Imperial City felt you should have the below instructions. We hope you will use them in the future.

How to polish a sword:

1. Lay blade on flat even surface
2. Using heavy emery, sand blade with firm even strokes, repeat with fine emery till sword gleams.
3. Apply polish in short vigorous strokes using fine steel wool
4. Buff to a high sheen

A concerned citizen.


**********************************




“BWAAHAA! SKREEEK!“

Eyja’s braying and shrieking echoed loudly around Uriel’s chambers till he emerged from his room demanding to know what was going on. Eyja held the card up, then handed it to him.

“HA!” Uriel barked out a short laugh, then raised his eyebrows at me. “Well?”

“It’s safe to talk, Azura’s seal is burning me in two. Sire, the reason Malan hasn’t moved on the Palace yet is because he promised Amiela that she‘d be by his side when he takes the throne. He tried to raise Amiela last night, but his nature protected me and stopped him. It threatened to eliminate Amiela so he’d remove her. Sometime in the night while I slept he took her out of me. He’s come too close to his dream, Sire. I’m sure he’ll grab some woman in this Palace to stick her in, then make his move.”

“The Battlemage floor.” Eyja frowned. “Janus might be able to detect her.”

“Wherever she is, Malan will be with her. One more thing, Sire. His nature turned on him last night. Afterwards he told me about Janus’s spell on Fathis. He wanted me to hate Janus, I think because we both hold his nature he’s afraid that teamed against him we’d be a force.”

Uriel nodded, pointing at Eyja. “Bring Hassildor in for briefing.” He turned to me next.

“Get down to the Battlemage floor now. If your seal stops burning I‘ll want to know where. And Maxical, go armed with a fire spell.”

“Yes, Sire.”






***


I wasn’t hunting for Malan without that vial of my virgin blood for protection. As soon as I entered the Battlemages quarters my Detect Life ring showed a line of giant pink forms lining the inner hallway. I crept down just far enough to ensure Evangeline’s door was shut so she wouldn’t be hurt, and then cast the Enemies Explode spell into the row of giants blocking her door.

KABOOOOOOM!

The ones I didn’t hit just stood there as if nothing happened, it was eerie. They had to be thralls. Malan must be nearby controlling them, or he ordered them not to abandon their post even under attack. That meant Amiela must already be here. I blasted the spell again and wiped the rest out.

BAAAABOOOOOM!

My first thought was getting Evangeline to safety. I lurched toward her door, but was brought up short with a jerk on my arm. My Life Detect ring picked up the pink outline of Malan’s invisible form beside me, he’d appeared as if from nowhere.

He started tugging me back up toward the Royal quarters. “I need to talk to you, it’s important.”

“Let me go! I have to make sure Evangeline is okay, some of your army were outside her door!“

“She’s more than okay. She is bedding one of my high officers as we speak…unless your blasting out here scared his mating ability away.”

“What were you doing here, watching? Why is your army guarding your high officer’s trysts inside this Palace but not you and me, your supposed chosen? And why was I left unguarded while I slept?“

“They only guard where I sleep.”

“You sleep with me! Why do I have no guard?”

“They guard where I normally sleep.”

“Do they guard an empty bed, or have you been sleeping with Evangeline?”

“NO! My high officers have their own guard.” Malan tugged my hand. “There‘s some things we need to talk over.”

“Yes, there is.” I know a lie when I hear one. My stomach churned into a twisted rage thinking about him harming dear Evangeline. He better not have.

It was possible I was wrong, Evangeline was known to enjoy a guard here or there. But I couldn‘t forget how free and easy Malan was walking into her bedroom when he was impersonating Sir Damien. And Evangeline was Uriel’s second in command after Ocato…and her mind was weak.






***


I could feel Malan’s nature gathering momentum for battle inside me and had a dread fear that it would confront Malan. Coming at him head on would be suicide, but it already had control over me before I could blink. It opened the vial and sprayed me with my blood. I heard Malan inhale on a gasp.

It was like watching a scene unfold, I couldn’t stop the nature as it tugged the front of Malan’s loincloth playfully, whispering up to the pink outline of his face with a mischievous expression.

“Hurry, Malan. The nature just showed me a secret using the ‘kiss of fire’. Something about polishing swords, but we’ve not much time. Uriel wants me in his chambers. Give me your juices so I can show you before he calls me.”

A whopping amount of testosterone filled the air and already red droplets of vampire juice were dribbling and spattering the stone floor beneath his pink outline. No doubt his nature knew Malan’s jaded palate and lust for new sensations would make him malleable, but…was it manipulating him or me? I wish I knew what it was doing.

It kept the teasing expression on my face while tugging him around playfully by the loincloth till we stood centered under the arched door frame to the Royal quarters that had been blown open by the blast of my spell.

When his back was to the Battlemage floor I whispered, “Now,“ pretending to reach up for the juices while moving back from him slightly.

When he took the step toward me I felt an odd sensation within me, like a tumbler clicking into place. The circle of his nature locked into a closed band that began expanding inside me.






***


Malan’s eyes were bulging so drastically that even invisible it could be seen in his pink outline. He’d felt it too.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

“I’ve made you my chosen, Malan. You vowed that’s what you wanted last night, remember? See, Khajiit consider promises as binding contracts too.”

“There isn’t a new ‘kiss of fire‘?”

“No, I lied. Two can play that game, Malan. One good poaching trick deserves another.”

“You tricked Dagoth-Malan?”

“You shouldn’t toy with Khajiit hearts, Malan. You made vows to me and broke them. You promised I’d have all the privileges of a chosen. Maybe now your guard will remember whose door they should be in front of.”

“AAAARRRRGGGHHH!”

“OH! Need I remind you that the Royal quarters and Theryon are both MY lairs now? Make sure you remember that well, Malan. I‘d best not find Amiela’s soul in either of my lairs if you value her safety. It’s just the nature of the beast, Malan. I‘ll see you when your heart grows fonder.”

For the first time in my life I got a taste of revenge against a legendary foe. For a brief second I savored the sweetness of it.

At Malan’s hands I’d lost everything I’ve ever loved…everything I ever loved about myself. I wanted to scream “For Fathis and Gils” in his face like a battlecry, but somewhere deep inside me a voice was crying “For me.”

The revenge soured instantly at the emptiness that cry echoed through. Inside me felt like a gaping tomb, cold and hard…empty. For the first time it struck me…I had no memories of a time Amiela hadn’t been inside me. I didn’t even know if anything about me was really mine.

With a sinking stomach I remembered practicing swordplay as a child, how familiar the blade felt in my hand the first time I touched it. A child. Practicing with my eyes closed, learning master moves…like it was nothing. Amiela was a Blademaster…it had all been her. Inside me it felt like something was dying. What else did I think was mine that was really her? I had a sickening feeling that nothing would ever be the same in me again.

They say war never changes; maybe it doesn’t. But it changes the people in the center of it. I’d never hated in my life, but I did now.







***


Just as suddenly as the nature had taken control from me, it dropped it. I stood like a dummy listening to Malan’s roaring rage echoing off the stone walls around me, watching his pink outline’s contortions and waiting for the nature to move me before I realized…I needed to run.

I shot back up through the Royal quarters and pounded on Uriel’s door screaming. There was no answer, they must be in the soundproof vault. Inside me was a suffocating feeling of doom bearing down on me, danger. I darted into my room, slamming the door bolts across just as a massive force crashed into it with the sound of a bull‘s bellow. Dear gods.

A scream rose in my throat when Malan suddenly appeared in my room despite the bolted doors. I forced it back, not wanting to die a coward. And there was no doubt he was here to kill me. His eyes blazed a hatred I’ve never seen in anyone, not even opponents in the Arena.

For a split-second I considered casting the Enemies Explode spell I’d used on his guard earlier, but no. Malan was all but immortal with all those souls stuffed in him. In this rounded and domed room…I would be the only one that would die from it.

“How’d you get in here?”

“Recall.” He was rapidly descending on me. I already knew there was no sense trying to outrun him.

“AKATOSH! PROTECT YOUR CHAMPION!” I shouted, holding one arm and pointed finger straight up like a lightning rod.

The bluff worked, Malan ground to a halt. “Why’d you do it?”

For the first time I realized he hadn't called me “Lass” once since he grabbed me on the Battlemages floor, even before I tricked him. A chill froze the length of my spine at the cold emotionlessness in his eyes. I was looking into the eyes of my murderer.

My hands were shaking too badly to open the vial of virgin blood, my entire body quaked with fear and my voice was barely recognizable in the bluff I attempted.

“Battle strategy, Malan. You took both my husbands because I might avail you. Are you done with me now? Tossing me to the street like all those Lost Children of Cyrodiil? You owe me for what I’ve lost if you‘re finished using me.”

“Why don’t you tell me what it is you seek?” Malan looked steadily at me. If I said Fathis he‘d never give it, I’d just be killed quicker.





“I saved your life, Malan. You promised me your protection. Eleven years I trusted you, felt safe with you and believed in you. You were there when I needed you, we had a connection between us, I felt it. Everything changed that night in the Bloodworks, what happened, Malan?”

“Amiela saved me that night, you don‘t have it in you to save Dagoth-Malan. Everything good in you left with her, you know it. You’re naught but the illegitimate get of a slave without her in you.”

“You put your nature inside me, my heart is turned toward you now. You knew that would happen, now here I am. I’m ready to house Amiela for you now, Malan. I want our union, I don‘t want to lose what we have together.” I grasped at straws, willing my voice to ring true. It didn‘t, instead I sounded terrified and desperate. I was.

“You lying sack of fur! Thought you’d hogtied Dagoth-Malan, did you? That I‘d give up my chosen, and centuries of a dream for the likes of you?”

“I‘m your chosen now, Malan. You put your nature in me, made me belong to you. Here I am, bring Amiela back and I‘ll do whatever you wish. And your duties as Arbiter are still before you.”

“Aye, my duties as Arbiter.” His arm shot out in a blur, his fingers closing over my throat in a strangling grasp that lifted me off the ground. Instantly I felt the weightlessness of the Recall spell taking me, and heard Malan’s voice echoing with the rushing of the void.

“Meet the Arbiter of Death, Khajiit. You won’t be my chosen long.“







***

NO! NOOOOO NOOOOOOO NO!

Let go of her, you pale, bald creep!

RAAAAH! MALAN MAKES ME SO GODAMN ANGRY!

The only things in between me and strangling him are the computer screen, and the fact it's not possible to jump into a story.

He's the biggest a**hole in existence! Can't wait to see when he's flung into the darkest, deepest pits of the void.

As I've probably stated before, I'm usually a villain guy. I've never hated a villain so much. Never. The hatred I've developed for Malan is inconceivable. You've definitely done a fantastic job creating the perfect villain, and the fact that you've managed to get me to hate him is an outstanding feat.

Thank you for the chuckles spawned by Maxical’s tips to the master swordpolisher herself. They made for a welcome opening scene right before the emotional roller coaster ride that followed!

It was downright inspired how you had Malan’s nature fully control Maxical for a time. Then the feeling of power and hope that quickly yielded to a terror-filled attempt to escape.

The full malevolence and ugliness of Malan really displayed itself at the end. Yikes!

Stunningly good, mALX!

LOVE Maxical’s letter to Vilja! And I love that she didn’t say anything about sending it when Uriel was shown what it said.

They better watch out for that randy old woman… forgot her name. Evangeline? YEAH! They better watch out for her. Malan’s proved to not be too picky. I bet he’s going to try shoving his wife in HER!

And Maxical, go armed with a fire spell.” “Yes, Sire.”
Oh no, there goes the palace!

Oh my… tugging of loincloths, kisses of fire, and juices dripping everywhere.

That… was amazing! Claiming his lairs like that! What did she do to make herself the ‘chosen?’

Oh man, Malan wants her dead now! Not that he didn’t always want her dead, but now a little more direct. She’s the chosen now isn’t she? So Malan can’t actually directly harm her right?

She must come to his lair of her own free will, walk under her own power into it (not be carried over the threshold), they must enter the lair together, and he must have the full vampire out as they enter his lair.


Malan was expanding his lair down into the Battlemages floor. The nature knew the boundary to Malan's lair at that moment was still the doorway into the Royal quarters.

The natue/Maxical got Malan to let his full nature out to produce those juices for the kiss of fire.

The nature sprayed Maxical with the virgin blood to disorient him, then playfully tugged him around by the waistband of his loincloth till he stood in that doorway (making promises of a treat he couldn't resist).

When Maxical leaned forward to get the juices from him, she stepped back and he had to step forward to reach her mouth. That fulfilled walking into the lair together with the full nature out and both parties willing. Malan was had.




Since Malan was poached, (Maxical wasn't the "marked" chosen for Malan's line), it will take a little while for the nature to turn Malan's heart (just like it did with Maxical) - AND - Malan will be fighting against his heart turning just like Maxical did, but Malan has the power of thousands of souls behind his fight.

For her own protection she'd need to trick him somehow to get him to stop fighting it, or weaken his willpower.


The reason the nature tricked Malan into becoming Maxical's chosen was to protect her, to make it where Malan couldn't harm her.



*

As a wise man was once fond of observing - Ooooh 'eck!!...

*Pulls blanket up to eyes*...This place has got proper scary lately...

Malan's right gone from one extreme to the other now hasn't he?... ...

Excellently done that though!!...

Blimey, I was right with my guess about Evangeline...She's not had it easy in this story has she?... ...

Loved the use of Enemies Explode...Brilliant stuff...

Looking forward to more...

Awww hell yeah!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

PS...I love the way you explain everything...Really shows how much you think about - and obviously care about - what you're writing...*Applauds some more*...

Oh my wow... there's alot to get through... better get cracking

Like what I see so far, Maxical is my kinda girl Can't wait to see what spin you put on the main storyline of the game!

EDIT: OOOOH, a summary! That'll certainly help then I won't spend forever catching up! I will obviously read as much as I can from beginning to end, but the summary will really help!

I'll have to think about reading the summary. It might help boost me to the current parts, but it would also be spoilers.

So I admit I've had this thread open on the same page for weeks. I guess I'm dreading the cagematch more than anything. I love Owyn and the gang, but I hate the arena. Can you imagine that? It's not the fighting for entertainment part that get's me, it's the fact that all fights are to the death. (Granted, that's also the way it is ingame.) It just feels wrong, and think about the economics! All that pr-work, all those hopefuls who end up dying and having to pray that the fresh meat holds the latest gem.

On top of that, I have a hard time fitting Maxical into it. She's a prankster, a bit of a romantic, very good-natured and sometimes comes across as naive. And despite that she regularly kills random people for money, not necesarily evil ones, to entertain a crowd. She must have a very strong mind not to think about it too much. That, or she's just too preoccupied with Fathis/Gils. Love makes people blind afterall.


And I reached the chapter with Uriel! I like how the 'you're the one from my dreams' is brought in at a slightly more appropriate time. And the time-limit means Max can prep herself for heroing rather than being dumped on the streets in some old junk found underneath the city. Well, assuming the bad guys don't move too fast just to spite prophecy.

I'm also impressed you had the courage to turn Ocato into a plotter who works with the Mythic Dawn. And finally, the Imperial City is becoming vampire central. This can't possibly end without someone being chased by the guards.

There definitely is spoilers in the summary.

You have pegged Maxical’s personality well!

The Arena: She is kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place as far as the Arena goes.

When she came to the Arena, she was naïve enough to think it would just be staged combat, getting paid for playing with swords all day long - in her mind the ideal job.

She signed the contract with the Arena under that assumption, and she's bound to them by that contract now.

She's been on injury status since (Chapter 8, Page 4), she only fought one fight since then (Chapter 65, Page 28).

I hate writing fights, and I’m not good at writing them at all. So throughout this story there are very few actual battles.

When Owyn brought up that Cage Match Maxical had just barely got through the attack on her - did not want to do it. She was terrified and dreading going back into the Arena to fight.

Gils reminded her she was locked into that contract with the Arena - they own her, they set fights up and she has to go out there. (Chapter 28, Page 11):



That is when/why Gils decided to buy her contract out, so she wouldn’t have to fight anymore. (Chapter 59, Page 25)


Maxical wants out of that contract badly so she doesn‘t have to fight again, but can't do it on her own.

Gils said he will buy out her contract, (but Agronak has control of him, so Gils can’t really be relied on to keep any promise).

Fathis dropped her off at the Bloodworks and never gave her the option to stop fighting. She has a lifetime history of trusting Fathis, but he gave her no hope of breaking her contract with the Arena.


Not sure if that gives you any indications without giving any spoilers away, which I know you don’t want.


** On Ocato - yeah, I figured that had to be an inside job to get that close to Uriel and his sons, be set up in escape tunnels only the highest security clearance would know of. The only one that benefited from Uriel's death was Ocato (who had the rule of Tamriel after Uriel's death + had the highest access to top secret information).



*

Easier than polishing a spear, I say! Malan has his own gang of thralls? Why am I not surprised? The showdown has come! Oh my and it drips with suspence as Maxical runs for her life.



This was a powerful line alone. It shows that Maxical finally has taken action and truly stands up for herself despite trusting Malan before. The courage she has now drives her into a full-blown confrontation with him! The lack of "lass" shows that Malan is not in his most confident self, and now his true emotions towards Maxical comes to light. Vampiric rage!!

Eleven years, Max. Eleven years you trusted that fiend(whom I admire, by the way,) and I hope you make the decision to do what you believe is right!



Right! Definetly some jungle fever here!



So, the man's true colors . . .his brightest colors has shown! His antagonist-self has shown here tremendously! And damn, what a climax to this chapter. Arrh! Maxical can't meet her fate! Not yet.

Oh my gosh, what a stunningly awesome chapter!!

What a powerful and heartbreaking moment. I have to admit I am crying my eyes out here. Time to refill the tissues and get another cup of tea. *sniff*


Oh crap! Malan was breathtaking in his anger, and he sure knows the most hurtful things to say.


Double crap and oh no!!!

I am left wondering how Maxical will accidentally get out of this one. But then I remember that she has allies, so now I'm wondering which one comes through.

(Maybe Cliff comes back as a zombie after he's been hanged?)

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@ Elisabeth - ROFL! Thank you so much Elisabeth!

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@ King Of Beasts - Thank you so very much KOB! What you said really made my day!

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@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian! Your kind words mean so much to hear, I appreciate that a lot!

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@ King Coin - Thank you so very much KC! You’ve pegged a few things here! You are about to find out what happens when Malan tries to hurt her now. Thanks again, KC!

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@ McBadgere - No one sees Malan’s evil side till they are on the receiving end of it, then that charismatic jovial guy they’ve known completely disappears.



I really do care, tried to think this plotline through carefully - it means so much to me to hear you say that! Thank you so very much McB !!!!

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@ Eva - WOO HOO! Thank you so much for stopping by, hope you end up staying and liking! You came just in time for the chapters summary, I posted that like a week ago, lol. Hope it helps!

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@ Jack Cloudy - Your assessment of Maxical was spot on, and I loved your comments on the plotline. Not sure if you saw my response to your questions, so I’ll PM them to you. Thank you so very much Jack!

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@ Darkness Eternal - Thank you so very much DE! Your comment, your kind words - this meant a lot to me! You made my day, thank you so very much again DE !!!!

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@ Grits - Your comment touched me so much Grits! Thank you so very much for your kind words, they mean the world to me!

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@ Ghastley - And thank goodness for those allies! Thank you so much Ghastley!


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@ EVERYONE:






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Chapter 194: Beginnings of Battle


My mind was screaming, “STOP! MALAAAN, STOP! AKATOSH HEEELP!” The words could barely be heard as airless gasps through Malan‘s crushing grip on my throat. I dug my claws into Malan’s neck and tried to cast the Enemies Explode, knowing it would kill us both. Immortal or not Malan couldn’t survive headless, he‘d die here in the void. We both would.

At first I thought Akatosh really had interceded, so great was the power of the devastating force that struck both of us at the same time. I felt the overwhelming sapping of all strength and magicka all but paralyzing me with weakness till I could barely flail at his neck with ineffectual pats. Not even a sizzle of the spell oozed from my palms.

Malan‘s strangling grip on my neck loosened so quickly that I was nearly dropped into the void in the seconds before the Recall spell landed us in Theryon. The expression in his eyes was shock, then defeated rage.

Whether the nature caused him to grab me or he did it by reflex, Malan caught me by the arm I had just been trying to claw him with and held tight till the floor was beneath us. When he released the arm, his massive form crashed almost on top of me as I crumpled to the floor.

It felt like a weight of tons crushed me down by my chest. My lungs ached for air to fill them, but couldn’t expand to take in more than tiny gasps that scraped painfully over my crushed and bruised windpipe.

On the floor beside me Malan lay prostrate, gasping for air as badly as I was. His eyes burned hatred into mine, his lips mouthed soundlessly the words, “Damn you” after each whooping straining breath.

It took me a full minute of staring at him in terror to realize he couldn’t move either. The same debilitating weight of weakness I was feeling, he was too. That’s when I realized it was Malan’s own nature that had saved my life, not Akatosh.

Through wheezing ragged breaths and a voice that barely hissed the words I asked Malan, “Heal…heal;” finally dragging his hand back to my throat. “Heal me.” He did, then rolled over onto his back with visible effort and lay sprawled like a dead man.






***


Malan didn’t hide how much he hated me now that Amiela wasn’t inside me anymore, but to his nature…to his nature I was the sacred chosen and it wouldn‘t let Malan kill me. Beyond that I didn‘t know, but for right now that was enough. Malan couldn‘t kill me.

Even through the pressured gasping breaths I felt the relief of that. Maybe for the first time I realized the extent of how huge a mistake he’d made by placing his nature inside me. It knew every thought he was thinking, every one of his intricate plots. It knew where Amiela was. It could take down Malan through all those thousands of souls that gave him his super strength.

Maybe Malan wasn’t as omnipotent as everyone thought. Looking back on the last months since Malan started this war, his error count was gaining in momentum the closer he came to that throne being realized. But the grossest mistakes all centered around Ameila and his conviction that she be by his side when he takes the Palace.

He could have had the throne by now had he acted, he’d come within a hair’s breath of it. Centuries of planning and anticipating it…but that wasn‘t his main goal anymore, Amiela was.

We would never have known of her existence at all had he not been so overanxious and impatient to see her, excited to show he was keeping that promise to her. Rousing her inside me that day without any preliminaries, not waiting for the right timing…that was when all his plots began unraveling.

He‘d been off balance since, scrambling to adjust his plots. He wasn’t thinking anything out thoroughly anymore, but reacting in defense of his plan because he was obsessed with it…obsessed with Amiela. Amiela was his downfall.

Malan’s labored breathing continued long after mine had eased, and no doubt he was still consumed by the almost paralyzing draining of his strength just as I was or he would have risen from the floor. His mind was plotting though, that could be seen in his eyes and felt in the air. It was an aura that rose off him and surrounded us.






***


Without caring what I said, I talked to break his concentration. The more distracted he was, the less chance whatever he was plotting would prevail.

“How long will we be pinned to the floor?”

Malan looked like he was going to ignore me at first, just lay there struggling to breath. Finally he answered.

“Till the nature lets us up.”

“Do we have to make peace with each other or something?”

Malan barely shrugged one shoulder.

“It wasn’t a lie, Malan. I want Amiela back. I don’t know who I am without her, she’s been there as long as I can remember. I need her back to feel whole again. Please, Malan. Everything feels empty and out of balance inside me without her there. I don’t even know if I can wield a sword without her. I need her back.”

“Aye, couldn’t wait to rid yourself of her till you realize the blade skills were all hers. Watching you practice, it could have been her. Closed eyes, listening for the sound of the sword leaving the sheath; all of it her. Everything good in you left with her. You’re nothing but a mangy cat without her there, you’ve the right of that.“

“MANGY!“ I nearly choked trying to swallow my rage. I tried pleading again.

“Don’t do this to me, Malan. Put her back. I’ll even let you make me immortal if you want, just not a vampire. Please?”

“You had your chance, Maxical. Now thanks to that trick you pulled on Dagoth-Malan, can’t anyway. Necromancy is considered harm to the chosen.” It sounded like he fought spitting when he said the word ‘chosen’.

“Malan, I‘m sorry I made you mad, but it was your own nature did that. It was fighting for our union, I couldn’t stop it.“

“Liar. You wanted this, said it yourself.”

“It’s true Malan, but you caused this when you took me and made me belong to you! You’re the only man I’ve ever mated, I don’t want another now. Bound or not, we Khajiit fight for our mates. I fought for what was mine like any cat would.” I reached over and stroked his arm gently. “Malan, why don’t you call me Lass anymore? I liked it when you called me that.”

He brushed my hand off his arm with as much strength as he could muster. “It wasn’t you, was always her. She’s the only Lass I’ll ever have. You think, Maxical. You’ve been to school, know what Khajiit are in Vvardenfell. Aye, we took their pleasures sometimes, but they had their place and knew it. You think, and you’ll know it would never have been you.“






***


If I could have leaped up I would have, but the nature still had me pinned to the floor. I seethed silently, burning with pain and rage at my own stupidity. I’d been right originally in thinking I’d been naught but a decoy, a diversionary tactic. Malan had someone else in mind to use all along. I’d been an idiot, falling like a fool into thinking it was me he wanted. Believing him when he said it was.

“Why’d you stick her in a Khajiit then? She was so precious to you, why stick her in the child of a slave?” I all but spit the words at him, the venom I was feeling releasing in my voice.

Malan‘s lip curled back, his mouth hung curved open like he’d just tasted sour meat. He spoke with slow emphasis on each word as if they were boring through him an old rage from his memory of that day.

“Dagoth-Malan didn’t. Never would have.”

How I longed to rake my claws across his face at the disgusted tone that dripped in his voice. “Who did then? I need to know, Malan. My body was used for fifteen years to house her, I deserve to know why.“

Malan turned his head away from me. I waited a while before finally realizing he had no intention of answering. I needed to keep him talking, find something he would discuss. I changed tactics.

“You said the night Vicente attacked me you cleaned house, why then?”

Malan‘s head turned back to me, his eyebrows furrowed down in irritation. “You just answered yourself! He left Amiela in danger he’d been warned of! Getting a chosen is a privilege, a gift. Man don’t protect the chosen don’t deserve to have her.”

“HA!” I struggled with my temper before finishing. “I mean…wasn’t your plan for Janus to make me immortal first, then come for me?”

“Aye, planned to.”

“How could you let Janus mate me while Amiela was inside me?”

“She was dormant then, supposedly. Thought I could stand it. Needed to stand it so she’d never die again. Sacrifice had to be made for her.”






***


“So originally you did plan to use me, Khajiit or not.”

“Aye, then.”

“What changed, Malan?” He didn’t answer, didn’t have to. He’d found someone better. Uriel’s second in command. A Breton like Amiela, and weak minded enough that Amiela would rule her easily. I prodded him again.

“Supposedly dormant, what does that mean?”

“He swore she’d be dormant till awakened, should have known ‘twas lies when I saw your swordplay. Then…“ When he didn’t continue, I prompted him.

“Then?“

“She gave signs. Then I knew. Couldn’t go through with it. Changed everything.”

“Signs?”

“She saved Dagoth-Malan’s life, turned to me for solace and begged for my help. Said she felt the bond of ages between us. She knew ‘twas me under the illusions, recognized my soul beneath the disguises of both your Fathis and Sir Damien. Ancients see the souls inside and remember them for eternity. Those are signs, Maxical.”

“Those were all me! It was me doing all those things, not Amiela!”

“That’s a lie. You don’t have that kind of good in you, proved that. What did you do to Dagoth-Malan the second she was removed? Deceit, trickery against me. You’re lying and sneaky, can‘t be trusted. Evil cat.”

“EVIL! I can’t be trusted? Your own nature did that, I didn’t!”

“You tried to kill me with your exploding spell! My nature saved me from you, that‘s why you can‘t move now!”

I gaped at him. “It was self defense, you came to kill me first! And it protected me from you, that’s why you’re pinned to the floor, Malan!”

“Where you hate, she loves. You smothered her away from me the whole time we’ve been together. Jealous of her, planned to kill her. Vile beast.”

“JEALOUS! Your perception of everything is distorted in your own favor! You can‘t pick through everything I’ve done and attribute all you liked to her, then say I did the rest! They were all me! AND VILE! ARGH!” I fumed.






***


Malan glanced pointedly from the burning rage in my eyes to my ears pinned so tightly against my head that it felt like they may leave dents in the scalp. Then he made a deliberate show of watching my tail beating the floor with loud rapid thumps. His smirking expression clearly showed he viewed my temper as confirming his theory. I choked back my rage and held my tail still before he could vocalize what he was obviously thinking, point it out as evidence. I wasn’t sure if he was serious with this or just manipulating me to anger purposely.

“He swore she‘d be dormant? He who?”

“Don’t ask what you already know.”

“Know? I don’t know!” Suddenly it hit me. “Mannimarco?”

“Aye, Mannimarco. You said it true that night in the Temple of the One, it cost dear.”

There was no way to stand what I was about to hear. There is a vast difference between finding a soul has lived inside you and hearing the details of the necromancy performed on you. I suffocated the sickness roiling in my stomach, forced myself to listen.

“Er…you…met with Mannimarco?”

“Aye. Left the Arena just after that explosion. Thought Hassildor would protect Amiela as he should now that he’d accepted his chosen. Flew back in that morning that I found you in that cave with the Khajiit women.”

“That was you? I thought it was Jak the bird.”

“‘Twas me. You left the cave, walking alone. I followed to keep Amiela safe. Almost killed Janus for leaving her out there unprotected. City full of ancients, a virgin walking alone. Came a hair from killing him the night Vicente attacked her, immortal hope or not.”

“Vicente attacked me, not her. She didn’t have virgin blood, remember?”

Malan propped one hand under his head like a king lounging comfortably, but his shallow breathing showed he was still pinned to the floor. I had the eerie feeling he’d come to a decision in his plotting, now was ready to just toy with me till the nature released him.

“So…er. You said Mannimarco is in…uh…Tamriel?”

“Aye, in Cyrodiil. Up almost on the Skyrim border just west of Bruma. Took over the old Echo Cave on the border. Quite an operation he’s got there, Dagoth-Malan funded it.”

My nerves tingled a warning. If he was giving me information he wouldn’t want carried to Uriel, then he didn’t plan for me to make it out of here to carry tales. Dear gods, did he plan to put me in his dungeon?




*

Sheesh! Now how are they supposed to kill each other with the nature trying to make them play nice? XD

I find it funny that Malan is calling MAXICAL evil...

Not funny, Ironic.

Then again if you look at it from Malan's Point of View, Maxical is evil.....

But I'll stick with staying on Maxical's side




Yup....Malan has to die now

Grrrr...Ever heard of muscle memory Malan?... ...

I'm so hoping that Maxical hasn't forgotten everything she learned...And uses it to great effect...

So looking forward to what you bring to the party next... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Wow! By pinning them to the floor, unable to harm each other, the nature sort of forced them to talk and hiss to each other.

Mannimarco! I should have known perhaps the foul black robe was somehow involved. And Malan was desperate enough to trust the wormy necrodude!

Maxical sure gained lots of info here, but she’s also wise enough to realize that Malan doesn’t intend for the info to walk away.

I was glad to see Maxical piece together the holes in Malan’s lies. It wasn’t all Amelia. Everything good that Maxical is did not come from Amelia. Not Amelia. Not Amelia.

Flattened ears and thumping tail? No wonder! Grrrrr!

Okay, let's see if I've got all this straight:

Fathis is a thrall.

Gils is dead.

Maxical was possessed.. then not. But her nature is still bound to Malan.

Malan has descended (or should I say ascended) upon Cyrodiil and truly wrecked some shop!

I'm not fully caught up yet, but I'm almost there. You once told me that you didn't know where to take Maxical's story beyond the Arena. Safe to say you have found a direction!

*whew* I'll have more to say once I've fully digested everything.

I dug my claws into Malan’s neck and tried to cast the Enemies Explode


I’m so glad the nature protected her! I suspected that he wouldn’t be able to kill her directly… but I didn’t really know. Amazing that she could even get him to heal the damage his attempt at strangling her. Such a cool moment.

Maxical (and the Empire) got so lucky that Malan hadn’t seized the throne when he could.

Does Maxical have any of her talent with the blade still, or did all of that go with Amielia?

I liked the inclusion of her ears and tail. I don’t like whatever it is that Malan has in store for Maxical! Her attempt to distract him did not work… Maybe he’s finally formed a new plan and threw out his old one? Cliff hanger!

In response to your pm, mALX. I scan the comments but have elected not to read the summary. Reading a story midway and at the end simultaneously would just confuse the hell out of me.


I'm still plugging along way behind the rest of your folk. So far I have learned that Jakben is a jolly good chap, even though he has the vampire thing. I have also learned that not all creatures of the night are gifted with the charm. That, or Hassildur should polish his ring before going out hunting. Make it nice and shiny. The fact that a prostitute was the only one to say yes was just the icing on the cake. And even she talked him down during it.


Then we had a family reunion. Maxi's virgin-status has been reconfirmed and both of her folk looked like they were drowning as they tried to get her back on the straight and narrow. That said, I can understand her frustrations. Fathis has a huge reputation for his ah, manly conquests. Yet no matter what she does, he turns her down. And he still tries to keep her to him at the same time.

Now I know that at least in part that is because he's been hypnotized up the gills, but that doesn't make it any better from her point of view. She already has a poor view of herself and being the only girl who can't make Fathis long for the bed doesn't help. (hell, thinking of it. The romantic feelings he may have for her could have been part of hypnotism as well. Maybe the real Fathis just wants to be a father or favourite uncle to her. Who knows?)

This chapter dripped with negative and raw emotion between antagonist and protagonist. Malan Vs Maxical! And is the beginning, you say?

At first I thought Maxical was actually going to die and drag Malan with her, but the nature stopped it, didn't it? I totally envisioned the epic battle as they were transported to Theron and it was intense! I can see Malan snarling "damn you" lol. This part was vivid. You certainly brought it to life.



Sucks for him. They'll just berate each other to death, then! Or she can just apologize . . .which she actually did! What's up? One moment they are at each other's throats and then "forgive me". Hehe.



As a supporter of "evil is a point of view," I must applaud this chapter! Malan is not painted as the "I am evilz for the hell of it" but a man with his point of view. So . . . he pulled off a Darth Vader? "From my point of view, Maxical is evil!"



But . . .isn't deceit, trickery and lies the same tools he used against her? Funny guy. And we end with Mannimarco's name! Good Daedra, what will happen now? Let the Necromancy commence!!!

*

@ Elisabeth - Thank you so much Elisabeth! Lol, Malan trying to guilt trip Maxical, lol.

*
@ King Of Beasts - Thank you so much KOB! GAAAAH!!!!!

*
@ McBadgere - Thank you so much McB! I’ve heard of that with amputees, but it was like a sensation hey had of the missing limb. Isn’t it? I wonder if that would work? Hmmm! What a huge comparison to make, because to her it does feel like a part of herself that has always been there has been cut out. I really appreciate you bringing that out, McB! Thank you so much again McB!

*
@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian! I guess the nature knows what it needs to do to force them to get along since chosen are supposed to live with the ancient for centuries, ROFL!!! And you’re right, it took her a while to figure out his choice of things Amiela took with her were selective, lol. But she thinks better mad, and the more he attributed things Maxical had done to Amiela - the madder Maxical was getting. In truth she doesn’t know anymore what was Amiela and what was herself. Thank you so much again Acadian!

*
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you so much Destri! (It is Malan’s nature, it is implanted inside Maxical). Er...I hope that was a good thing, lol. Thanks again Destri! And Welcome back!!!!!

*
@ King Coin - Thank you so very much KC! Oh, you said a mouthful here! Her Blade extraordinary Blade skills are gone now, if she tries to practice with her eyes shut now someone is going down. She can still wield it, but all the finesse will be gone. Not to mention all that high Magicka she had is now gone - that was Amiela too. That won’t come up till she realizes it though. And something else to wonder about will come out in this chapter upcoming. I think McB comparing it to losing a limb was very accurate. Thank you so much again KC!

*
@ Jack Cloudy - Thank you so very much Jack! You nailed every bit of what was going on. Maxical doesn’t know Fathis is under spell, so all she can think of is (her fur is a turn off).

Also, Fathis was obviously reluctant even before the spell was cast on him. Being her guardian for eleven years left him feeling awkward about being romantic with her - so yeah, you could very well be right that his feelings are more avuncular than lover. He does love her, but maybe not in the way her schoolgirl crush was thinking when she made that promise to him.

In case you aren’t reading the comments up this far ahead, I’ll PM this to you. Thank you so very much again, Jack!

*
@ Darkness Eternal - Thank you so very much DE! Your kind words about that scene where he was saying “Damn you” - that meant a lot to hear, thank you so much!

Malan is a master of manipulating people, Maxical is just naive enough to feel guilty despite her anger, lol. That’s where the apology came from. That and she realizes for the first time how much of the things about herself she depended on were Amiela all this time. (not to mention he can’t/won’t kill her if Amiela is inside her). By apologizing, she’s hoping he’ll put her back. Thank you so very much again DE !!!


*

*


Chapter 195: Rare Commodities


“How long is your nature going to keep us mashed on this stone floor? Doesn’t it know how hard and cold stone is? I’m freezing, and ache all over.”

My spine felt raw from being pressed against the floor, and the cold dampness of the stones had long since seeped into my bones. I tried to shift positions, roll toward the soft looking carpet…even worm myself to it, but trying to go any direction was like trying to budge against all the forces on Nirn…any direction except toward Malan, that is. I wasn’t going to try that.

The nature would probably release us when the anger was gone, but…I’d never be released if that was the case. Between Malan’s insults and name-calling, it was as if he was deliberately keeping me enraged. Wait, was he? Why would he do that? Uriel said Malan never did anything without a reason.

As suddenly as the thought struck me I knew that’s exactly what he’d been doing. Keeping me angry so he’d be released first. Well, two can play that game.

A touch on my arm startled me. I turned my head to see Malan had stretched out one arm toward me, a bland look in his eyes that instantly raised my suspicions.

“Come closer, Dagoth-Malan is warm. You can lay your head on my arm.”

Dear gods I wanted the warmth and comfort right now, had to force myself not to move into his arms. But Uriel said when Malan is being nice to suspect him most. No doubt the second I cuddled in his warmth the nature would release us, and Malan would grab me and drag me to the dungeon. No doubt.

“No. I don‘t trust you.”

He drew his arm back as if I'd bitten it. “That’s the difference between you and Amiela, she would have trusted me.”

“You didn’t want to kill her. You can’t manipulate me anymore, Malan. Not now that I know how much you hate me.”

“What if I told you we have to mate before the nature will release us?” He didn't look me in the eye, and his voice sounded more like he was baiting a trap then trying to get something started. It had to be a lie.

"HA! This mangy sneaky cat doubts your ability to perform your duties under the circumstances. Remember, you said I can't be trusted. No telling what evil trick I may be plotting..."

His eyes flashed irritation and he cut me off. "Don't worry about Dagoth-Malan doing his part, getting off this floor will make the effort worthwhile."






***


“No sense forcing yourself, Malan. I'm sure you'll figure another way off the floor eventually if your reputation is accurate. I've heard that since your plots are always failing you've been forced to constantly figure out numerous other ways to get what you want accomplished."

Malan’s bland look disappeared into rage. He champed his mouth and ground his teeth in a visible effort to curb his temper. Even then his words came in panting gasps when he answered.

"Just thinking of your discomfort, Dagoth-Malan isn't the one complaining of the hard floor or cold."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm sure Janus will come looking for me, didn't you just say that I'm his accepted chosen? Since he shares your nature and doesn‘t hate me, I'm sure it will let me leave with him. Then you‘ll be stuck here alone on the floor. I‘ll kick an urn closer to you on my way out.”

“GARRRH! Hassildor can’t enter my lair, vampires can’t cross the invisible barrier into another ancient‘s lair.”

“HA! I know Janus can enter your lair; he’s your split-apart, remember? He actually already has, he crossed your barrier that morning after we left the Temple of the One using that key you gave me. I gave it to him just in case he needed to rescue me one day."

“GRARGH!“ Malan roared and fumed. Within seconds his breathing had become ragged and labored, just as mine had done earlier when he was egging at my temper. Immediately there was a tangible releasing of the pressure on my chest.

I'd thought Malan tremendously strong to lounge comfortably under all that extreme force on him. Now I knew it was a question of balancing out the force between us, that the brunt of it would be wielded against the one who was angriest. That explained why Malan had been baiting my temper.






***


Although I still couldn't rise from the floor, the easing brought the relief of being able to stretch and shift to a more comfortable position. I was able to rest my head on my arm just as Malan had done earlier. I did, then pressed on. Turnabout is fair play

“Janus said he was but a thought away, maybe I should start sending thoughts for him to come save me. Now that I’m the only chosen, I wonder if he’ll be able to track me?” I actually did send Janus a desperate plea for help within my mind. I also prayed to Akatosh that Malan would be stuck there long enough that I could escape.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing, slave?“ Malan spat across the short distance between us. It barely missed my face, and only because I shielded it with my arm. I held my temper. I wasn’t taking any chances that he’d be freed before me.

“You can’t make me mad spitting and name-calling, Malan. You’ll have to do a lot better than that.“

Malan’s realization that I was onto how the nature worked was written in ludicrous clarity in his expression. He slumped onto his back, and from the teeth gnashing I heard was making obvious efforts to control his own temper. I continued pressing his rage to keep him off balance.

“Fifty years waiting for Janus to leave his lair, when any first year Mage knows blood duplicates. You could have duplicated Ur’s blood and had that immortal army anytime. Everyone at the Arcane was laughing about that.”

“You remind your little Mage friends that Ur’s blood held the divine essence of Lorkhan‘s heart, its power. Metabolically different from blood. It wouldn’t duplicate.”

His voice held the truth of remembrance. He must have tried everything possible to duplicate it. I turned around and watched his face, genuinely interested.

“Then how were you able to do all those experiments? Hannibal said you closed yourself up in the Crystal Tower for centuries trying to figure out where you went wrong in your own making, how to make an immortal. Weren‘t you experimenting with blood?“






***


“Aye, as you say there were centuries of experimenting. Used other rare blood with traceable properties, metabolic changes.”

“Centuries of...how could you possibly find that much rare blood?”

“Rare blood is a commodity, like anything else. Not something you’d find in Alchemical stores, brokered on the black market for prices you’d never believe. The rarer the blood, the higher the cost. Dagoth-Malan lost his fortune many times, had to be done.”

“Ew, people sell rare blood? Like who? How could they possibly get it?”

“Mannimarco, for one. Funded his growth many times over back then. There’s others. Movarth had a nose for finding them, and sometimes for procuring it without the expenditure.”

“Movarth? You mean Movarth Piquine? Hannibal said he was the one that gathered all the vampire bloodlines for your original cocktail, and that he was the first person you attacked after making yourself into a vampire.”

“Aye, that was Movarth. Assisted my experiments for over three centuries, both at the Crystal Tower and here at Theryon. Trusted him. Secrets Dagoth-Malan paid fortunes to learn, taught him freely.” Malan’s expression flickered hatred.

“Theryon! You let him in your lair? Is he your enemy now?”

“Not anymore. He was. Tried to wield power over Dagoth-Malan. Stole the soul gem, switched it for another." He touched the gem hanging off his breast plate, the one he said was where he’d stored Amiela so long.

“Thought he could get one over on Dagoth-Malan. Hid her, made me hunt Tamriel for her. He’s dead now. Caught up with him, cursed his soul before killing him so he‘d never see life again.”

“Maybe your curse didn’t work. That ‘Hero of the People‘ Azzan swears he killed Movarth and his whole clan in a cave outside Skingrad just before the war broke out.”

Malan‘s eyes flashed a momentary fear, but quickly recovered their bland expression. “Your friend Azzan was just trying to make a name for himself.”

“Probably. How did you find her?”

Malan turned his head away from me. I didn’t have to hear the answer, and he never gave it. Movarth working in Malan’s lab right above where my mother was killed. An orphaned Khajiit child of a slave couple no one knew existed here in Cyrodiil. Malan would never have found Amiela again if fate hadn‘t brought him to the orphanage five years later seeking young girls to farm.






***


What struck me most was that Movarth had almost succeeded against Malan. How quickly he must have acted, a snap decision…maybe that’s the only way to take Malan down. Act before he has time to realize anything is happening.

Malan plans everything intricately and to excruciating detail, his plots are overly complex. Like Uriel said, nothing Malan does has just one consequence. That’s why Malan can’t give up his plots, he works too hard on them to throw them out. That’s a weakness. It can be used to disrupt his plans. Better yet, it can be used to anticipate his moves in advance.

“Malan, why’d you get so mad at me? You could never have made anyone else your chosen since you’d already put your nature inside me. I don’t see how what I did changes anything for you. Just go be with Amiela like you planned and forget about me. How does what I did make any difference?“

“It makes a difference. As long as she was my only chosen, I could track her soul if it was taken. Same as young Hassildor tracked her. Now…”

“Now you can only track me? Then just put her back inside me, I promise I’ll do what you want Malan.”

“I can’t now, you’ve ruined everything!”

“I ruined it? Don’t blame me if your convoluted plots are going haywire! You’re the one that ruined your own plans by sticking your nature in me when I was supposedly just a diversionary tactic. If it wasn’t to make me agree to house Amiela forever, then why do it?”

“You can’t tell me you haven’t figured that out yet. Think, Maxical.“ He glared at the blank look on my face. “The mysteries! Don’t tell me you’re so dumb you didn’t figure that out! Gils would never have married you; I used mind control on him, sent him to you! I sent his mysteries to Amiela so she‘d have them.”






***





“Are you trying to say Gils didn’t love me? You‘re lying! He did, he loved me!” The hysteria in my voice was a hollow echo of the pain that went so much deeper through me.

Malan’s voice rang true, he wasn’t just being spiteful to wound me. He was telling the truth. My stomach lurched sickeningly till I thought I’d vomit from it.

Then it hit me. “Wait, you moved Amiela! Does that mean you‘ve given up on them? She doesn’t have them now, Malan. Those are mine, they would have stayed with me.”

The smug look on Malan’s face made me want to scream. Dear gods, had Azura attached the mysteries to Amiela’s soul inside me? Did I lose them too? A growing rage was building in me, despite the nature’s crushing weight on my chest. It could no longer be felt, it was nothing to what Malan’s words had wrung in me.

“If she’s got my mysteries from my marriage, you’d better find a way to break this chosen and put her soul back inside me, Malan! Those are mine!”

Inside me that hollow emptiness Amiela left behind felt like a gaping bottomless chasm. She’d stolen everything from me, even the only remnants left of my marriage to Gils?

“Wait, you are Chimer with mysteries of your own! Amiela would still have yours, they carry with the soul!”

“Aye, Givers same as your Fathis’s. Yours are the Gifts. Rare.”

Janus had said the same thing about his friend Jak, trying to use mind control on Gils...that he was obsessed with having Gils’ mysteries. They must be much rarer than Gils had realized, or made me believe. But why would Malan need Gils’ mysteries?

“Wait a minute! As Arbiter you’d have all the mysteries! Why would you need Gils’s at all?”

“Don’t ask what you already know.”




*

Excellent stuff!!...

Loved the way she realised what Malan was doing and then turned his plan back on himself...Brilliant stuff!!...

Azzan!!...Excellent man!!...Always loved him...

Blimey...Morvath certainly gets about...But, always gets his handed to him...*Applauds*...

Loving the whole stuffing out of this story...

Sticking with the muscle memory theory for now though... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

From Malan's PoV, and I'm not siding with him, because I really hate him right now


Anyway.....


This was an excellent chapter mALX, I enjoyed reading about Maxical and Malan trying to piss the other person off more

I suppose this is where those anger management lessons come in handy.....unless you've failed them




Maxical made a wise decision there How will they ever get off the floor though?



EDIT:


WAIT, WAIT!

Malan almost got OWNED by Movarth?




Now I'm not scared of him anymore!

I have two chapters to catch up this time. Sorry, it’s a quote-fest!


Maxical may have lost some things when Amiela left, but she still has her fierce heart. I think that's what I love the most about her. Despite all of the teasing, silliness, and machinations to get someone else to make her bed, she’ll blow herself up if the situation requires it. Thank goodness it didn’t work!!

I love how Maxical quit her own plotting in order to distract Malan as soon as she realized that he was doing the same thing. The nature pinning them both reminded me of telling children to sit in their chairs until they could work out their arguments.


It is a testament to your tremendous skill that you make Malan’s pain and rage as real as Maxical’s. Where’s that bowing down emoticon?! Awesome!!


What an angry Khajiit image! I love it!


Here’s another image that I just had to quote. So very Malan!


Oh crap! If he’s telling her this, then… Yeah. What Maxical said.


I just loved watching Maxical figure out how to turn the nature’s trap against Malan. Using his own tactics!


Oh my gosh, I had to take a moment here and let it sink in. You already put the clues there, but now so much about Maxical’s life is out in the open.

And then a flood of revelations from Malan. The momentum here is heartbreaking. The more Maxical realizes the truth, the more she is staggered by it and also angered and hungry to learn more. What a powerful chapter! And your characters haven’t moved off the floor!!

It was pure magic as you displayed how the nature was at work here – balancing itself between the two based on the level of anger each felt. But Maxical figured it out, much to Malan’s chagrin. Our kit is doing pretty darn well for herself considering the credentials of her foe.

Heartbreaking to review how and when Amelia was stuffed into Maxical.

Malan is really pulling out all the nasty stops to try and manipulate and piss off Maxical, but I’m pleased to see he may have met his unlikely match! Maxical may be the ‘chosen’ of Malan, but she is also the CHOSEN of Akatosh. . . .

The last part of this episode must have hit her like a ton of cobblestines. She has figured out that Malan is not the Arbiter.

What a thrilling chapter! Sprinkled with humor!



The two are just inseperable, aren't they? Oh gods!



Oh Malan, I see what you did there! Smart cookie! And then he wants to warm her a bit . . .



Warm vampires, eh? He must be lying.



Hmm. I start to see Malan painted in a different light. He does love, of course. He has his methods which us humans would argue are bad, but he does have some different sides to him. That . . .or he's trying to use those words to put Maxical into a guilt trip for not trusting him. Make her feel inferior by comparing her to his dearly beloved Amiela. Though in the recent chapters he is getting far more upset and prone to anger when Maxical starts to show signs of enlightement. One of these moments made me laugh. Below:



I found this amusing in the story because, of course, it shows how Maxical is attacking him personally by outsmarting(or should I say not falling for his schemes) him. I know his frustration because as an older cousin I always sought to prank my younger naive cousins back in the day and got extremely upset when they didn't fall for my schemes. I enjoyed the fact that Malan's own plan backfired against him. It was Maxical who made him angry and thus she felt the weight on her chest lessen.

Movarth? As in Puqine? The man in Immortal Blood(the book Malan wrote?) who he also turned? Woot! And then the chapter ended with the horrible revelation: Gils was under mind control? Egad! Or is it a load of Malan-crap?

Too bad Movarth didn't succeed in killing Malan...

I'm just thinking "Maxical has no skill in archery or destruction magic that requires aiming, her blade mastery was all Amiela's and that went away when she was removed. So all she has left is her wits."

Maxical - start to panic NOW!!

But it occurs to me that she's probably learned a lot of that Blade by doing it. And who knows how much of her other inabilities have now been removed. If she gets the chance, she needs to test the real Maxical, and find out what she's become.

Gah! The intro sent chills up my spine.

That honoured user was just trying to choke her to death, and now he’s trying to convince her to have sex with him again. I’m glad she is overcoming the nature and not going to him.

Smart girl baiting him like that to make him angry. Well, crap she gave it away, not that he wouldn’t have figured it out on his own. She needs to learn to keep her mouth shut about certain things!

Wait… does this mean Movarth put Amiela inside of Maxical?

Well, she’s about to figure out he was lying again.

Poor Maxical. It's always hard to find out that someone didn't care about you

It's the cage match! Well, the promotion for it anyway. Heh, having mister bad apple as a virgin makes more sense than it should. Might explain why he's always so cranky what with being holed up with sexbombs Vicente and that orc whose name I always forget.

Incidentally, I saw that scene in a dream. The awkwardness was hilarious. Then there was a zombie apocalypse.


And speaking of Vicente, the vampires keep spiralling closer together which promises lots of fun conflict. I also liked the addition of the nameless vampire hunter. And finally, Fathis has his sword back! Woot! Wait did he ever lose it?.......Oh, that sword.


PS: Raminus in Arch-mage clothes is funny. And obstructive.

Seeing as I'm miles behind, this is from page 61. Out of 97. *whimpers*



Hehe

Very quick post at this point, partly so I can find my way back here after This story is huuuuuuge now!


You always did the humourous side incredibly well, and there are still moments that make me literally splutter with laughter. For which my laptop screen thanks you

What's really impressed though is the sheer SCALE of what you've been writing here. The city under attack, confusion, multiple characters - just utter havoc - yet you've kept it understandble, exciting and dare I say? Yes, I believe I dare:

EPIC

In all senses of the word... I honestly don't know how you managed to keep all these strands together, but you have!

Now, food, then reading on...

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@ McBadgere - Thank you so very much McB! I am def going with your 'muscle memory' theory, Awesome idea!

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@ King Of Beasts - Thank you so much KOB! SPEW! Malan in an anger management class, ROFL! You'll see this chapter coming up, lol.

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@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! ROFL! You owe me a monitor for this: "I'm sorry, Malan can't come out to play right now. He's in a 'Time Out'" SPEW! The rest of what you said, your kind words - that meant so much to hear, you captured everything she was feeling at the end too - thank you so very much again Grits, you really made my day!

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@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian! You are so dead on about how the news about Gils hit her, and also that Malan has led her to believe she's lost her mysteries from her marriage to Gils too. Malan's rage is causing him to strike back at Maxical with some truths that have her reeling right now. She can only take just so much before her mind closes down and stops absorbing before it puts her in danger. She's not ready for the full impact of everything yet, but it is coming soon. Thank you so very much again Acadian!

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@ Darkness Eternal - Thank you so very much DE! Oh yeah, Malan was def trying to guilt-trip Maxical by throwing how Amiela would react in her face. Most def trying to make her feel inferior to Amiela. You nailed it!

Anyone who interferes with Malan's plots will enrage him. Maxical is not the brightest candle in the sconce, and so whenever she figures stuff out and upsets his plots - his rage is that much greater because she shouldn't be able to discern the real stuff he is doing. It kind of makes him feel like his plots aren't as good as he thought if someone as dumb as her can figure them out, lol.

The last part = the truth. Malan was enraged and spewing truth, just like he did that night in the Temple of the One, and just like he did that day with Janus when he found "Amiela via Maxical" walking alone in a city full of ancient vampires. When Malan loses his temper, the truth comes out. Thank you so very much again DE!!!

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@ Elisabeth Hollow - Thank you so much Liz! Lol, Movarth isn't done in this story yet.

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@ Ghastley - Thank you so much Ghastley! You are absolutely right, and most definitely test them before facing off with Dagon/Daedra/or even Malan. Yes, a good part of that huge magicka she had is gone now, along with some other skills. Hopefully, her personality will improve? BWAAHAA! Thank you so much again Ghastley!

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@ King Coin - Thank you so very much KC! She didn't have to overcome the nature to turn down sex with him, he was so obviously plotting that even she could see it, lol. You're right, she does need to learn to keep her mouth shut. Movarth did put Amiela inside Maxical, that was the truth. So was Gils being mind controlled to marry her. Thank you so very much again KC!

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@ Zalphon - Thank you so much Z! You're right, that will tear her up bad inside - hopefully it will make her stronger when she finds out the truth that he is dead. Thanks Z!

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@ Jack Cloudy - Thank you so very much Jack Cloudy! ROFL! Yes, his grumpiness had to come from somewhere, lol. I got that from his name, actually. The WIKI on says the "M" or "Ma" in front of a Khajiit name implies that person is a virgin. (and his name is M'raaj-Dar). ROFL on your dream!

Raminus - I don't know how he has come across to everyone else's Player character, but in all my games (except one) he was quite obnoxious to my Player character after they became Arch Mage - kind of sarcastic in his welcome. Figured he must have expected the Arch Mage position and was disgruntled by the Player getting it. Couldn't let something like that pass by in a story! Lol.

Loved your comment, Thank you so very much again!

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@ Burnt Sierra - Thank you so very much Burnt Sierra! Your kind words mean the world to me, thank you so much! This really made my day!

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Chapter 196: Revelations From Akatosh


As Arbiter Malan would have all the mysteries. They bond to the soul, Amiela's would still carry them. Why would he need mine? Malan had spoken in rage, but was it truth? Before he turned away I caught his expression, and instinctively knew he'd said more than he wanted me to know. What could it mean?

He couldn’t have lied, he had to be an Arbiter. How else could he have taught me my husband's mysteries, or even known which they were? True, he didn't give the sacred teachings for them, but since he still owed me three mysteries he could have been holding them out to teach later.

Suddenly there was a loud rushing sound in my ears drowning out every thought and making everything seem to be moving in slowed motion. The void, that was how Akatosh brought warnings!

Within seconds an image flashed in my mind, the inside of some kind of prison cell. A man shackled against the wall was clasping Malan’s raised hand to vow. Malan was kissing him on the mouth violently, ramming his head back and pressing him solidly against the wall with his massive body. I couldn’t see the other man at all...didn't want to, but somehow I knew he was naked and that Malan’s loincloth was pressed hard against the prisoner's naked privates.

Dear gods, was Malan mating with men? Is that what Akatosh was warning me? Malan mated with his prisoners? Ew! He couldn't have tried that with Fathis, or Malan would have been speaking in falsetto like Ocato. I'd have noticed that.

What could it mean? It couldn't be something I'd seen before, surely Malan wouldn't mate a prisoner in front of me...but somehow it did feel like a memory just out of reach. Where would I have seen anything like that? When could I have?

My left wrist suddenly had an excruciating pain. When I held it up to look at it there was a flash image of it ravaged and bloody. That image and the pain both disappeared instantly, and it was normal again.

That injury happened when Malan was bringing me to Theryon the first time, he said his bird's talons did it carrying me.

There was another flash of a vision, this one I remembered. It was waking from a nightmare about dogs attacking me just hours before Malan took my virginity. I'd sat up screaming and looking at that wrist, feeling my neck.






***


What could all that mean? Dear gods, why couldn’t Akatosh just tell me what to think instead of making me figure everything out? Has he never looked at my school records? I can't solve puzzles and riddles in dire circumstances! What kind of god doesn't just say the warning? He sure managed to go into explicit detail with Uriel over my vow to him...

The rushing sound of the void was suddenly filled with a mighty roaring, as if a terrible beast was enraged. Beside my ear was a clicking of what sounded like a claw and then something smote me on the head the same way S'Jirra used to duff me when she wanted me to think. Wait, was Akatosh trying to tell me to think harder about the vision he gave me?

I looked up from staring at my wrist to find Malan watching me so intensely that I don’t think he even realized I was looking at him yet. His eyes and aura gave off fear. Why fear? He must have read my mind and realized I was getting too close to knowing something he didn't want me to. Dear gods, had I really seen him doing that?

Baurus’s words suddenly struck me with sickening clarity. That hideous Elf wanting something from Gils, kissing him violently in Owyn's office. Baurus said Gils' head had been rammed back the same way. Malan must have been the repulsively ugly Elf Baurus saw molesting Gils!

Malan was obviously a man chaser, and both my husbands were prime bait being Dunmer with mysteries. No wonder Gils ran off with Renault, to escape Malan's attentions!

Another terrible roar echoed in the howling wind of the void, then the void receded abruptly.



***


Malan was staring hard at me, and I tried but I couldn‘t wipe the rage and fear from my face. Sucking it up wasn’t working, not when my worst fears about him hadn't even scratched the surface of what was being confirmed. He reached out his hand and tried to stroke my arm and I all but smacked it away.

“What's wrong now? You’re going to make yourself ill getting this upset, Maxical. Let me heal you…” He reached for Fathis’s ring, but I yanked my hand back and tucked it deep into the pocket of Eyja’s dress.

“No Malan. No more tricks, you‘ve lost my trust. I don’t fall for your cons anymore. You aren’t supposed to harm a chosen, remember? You tried to kill me, and I know you plan to put me in your dungeons. Oh; and I know what you've been doing with your prisoners."

“You’ve got me wrong, Maxical.”

“No I don’t. I've seen past your charms to the real Dagoth-Malan now. How DARE you take me from Fathis who loves me just to use me as some diversionary tactic! If it was never me you wanted, then I want my husband back so I‘m not left unprotected. Give me Fathis back and we part ways."

"You vowed never to see him again, remember?"

"Yes, but since everything you said to me was lies I need proof that YOUR end of that vow is being kept. Remember, Fathis was supposed to be released with his soul safely intact or I destroy Amiela. Break that vow to me and by Akatosh I'll ensure Amiela never makes it to the throne by your side like you promised her. This is no bluff."

“I have to keep that promise to her, Maxical. A vow to a chosen is sacred."






***


As if it were an extension of my own anger, Malan's nature roused inside me like a savage beast suddenly. I felt singed by its rage as it leaped hard into battle against Malan. I could feel the weight of it crushing Malan to the floor with the brunt force of its balance. It all but released me, I was barely pinned now.

“I’m your chosen, Malan. That vow you made to me not to harm Fathis is the one that is sacred. Remember, you made it after placing your nature in me.”

“She was always my chosen, still is. Your poaching trick can't change my heart...never will.” He was almost strangling from the crushing force of the nature, his breathing was so ragged I could barely understand him.

The nature obviously did, it answered him through me. I was naught but a spectator in the argument between them.

“No Malan. I'll prove it. The reason you removed her was because your own nature was protecting our union against her. Poaching trick or not, when you put your nature inside me I became your chosen because your nature didn't consider Amiela anything anymore. Your vow to me is the sacred one."

"We had no union to protect, that was YOU trying to keep Dagoth-Malan for yourself!" He rolled onto his back panting heavily.

"That wasn't me, it was your nature striving to create the union your poaching trick robbed it of. The nature gives but one chosen at a time. You petitioned your nature for a chosen the night Vicente attacked me. She was dead or you couldn't have done that, nor put your nature inside me."

"NO! It was her I petitioned for! She was inside you, that's why the nature let me put it inside you!" Malan forced out in gasps, then choked off into heaving panting breaths.

"You removed her, remember? Your promise was made to me alone. And you couldn't petition your nature for Amiela because it draws the souls for your chosen from those marked for you in the Dreamsleeve. Your necromancy kept Amiela from ever being selected again, she wasn't where your nature could reach her locked away in that black soul gem for a century. You should have trusted your nature to bring her back to you, it would have. It knows the deepest desires of your heart, Malan."






***


Malan's head rolled toward me gaping like a fish, either from trying to breathe or finally beginning to realize it was his own nature talking to him. I couldn't tell which.

"Amiela is the chosen, Hassildor followed her just as I planned she would."

"How much of your secrets did you teach Movarth Piquine, Malan? Centuries as your assistant he probably learned a lot of your plotting and manipulation. Maybe Hassildor followed me because of one of his plots instead of yours."

"LIAR!" He glared at me, the hatred and venom in his eyes filled his tone even through the panting breaths it took to get the word out.

"Then explain why YOU couldn't find the soul for five years when Piquine hid it? It was by accident you found her, had you not been farming children at the orphanage that night you might never have, and it but miles from Theryon!"

"GRAAAAAHGHR!" Malan roared and gnashed his teeth. For a minute I thought he may die from lack of air his breathing was so strangled.

"You need more proof? The chosen takes the bloodlust away. Janus doesn't have it anymore, but you still had the bloodlust every minute of the time Amiela was inside me. If she was your chosen still, you'd have no bloodlust; it would be gone. I'd bet you still have it now, you wouldn't have lost it this soon after my poaching trick."

With Malan's nature guiding my hand I reached inside my pocket and pulled out the vial of my virgin blood, popping the cork and tipping a drop of blood onto my fingertip. I reached my arm out so the fingertip was almost under his nose. .

"Smell that Malan. If Amiela was your chosen it couldn't be driving the madness in you now."

"STOP! Put the cork back in!" Desperation in his voice made a lie of the words, and his fangs had fully extended and were already dripping rivulets of wine colored juices.

"This is the last virgin blood you tasted, Malan. My blood, not Amiela's. This is the blood your nature holds sacred now. Your nature wants you to make a shrine to the sacred chosen with it before it is all gone, this is the blood you should be honoring now."






***


"I'll never make a shrine to you! I'd spill yours on the ground first!"

"Would you then?" I touched the dot of blood on my finger to his lip, then withdrew my arm quickly and watched him struggle with himself to keep from tasting it.

"ARGH! This is torture! Cork that...give me that bottle!"

"Oh no, Malan. You might spill my sacred blood on the ground." I tipped another drop on my finger and wiped it on his lip, quickly withdrawing my arm before he could grab it.

"Damn the drops, give me the bottle! Damn you!"

I kept the bottle uncorked to keep him weakened. "You said your nature won't let you put Amiela back inside me. It's not going to let you kill me, and you can't take it out of me now either. I'll offer you a deal so you can be free of me. Give me Fathis back, and I'll end this chosen for us both. You can go to Amiela wherever she is, and it'll be over between us forever. Is it a deal?"

"[Censored] you! Give me that damn blood!"

"No. The only way I'll give you up is if you give me Fathis back, otherwise you'll never be rid of me.” I wafted the bottle, and for good measure sang a tune in my mind.



“ARGH! STOP! I need time to think.”

”You mean plot, don’t you? My eyes are open now, so yours had better be. This is no bluff, Malan. If you lied when you vowed Fathis's soul would be safe and intact, you and your Amiela will spend the rest of your eternities looking over your shoulder; Akatosh and I will hound you till you drop. I won’t put the blade in your back so you don’t know who did it, I want you to know it was me behind it when the time comes.”

With a shock I realized the nature had released me. I scrambled up and ran, all but tumbling down the stairs trying to activate the Recall amulet Hannibal had given me. With a huge sigh of relief I felt the weightlessness just as Malan's bellow roared behind me.

Within seconds I found myself in Uriel's vault. Before the void had even dissipated I popped out of the vault, scaring everyone. Eyja shrieked, Hannibal blanched, and Uriel's face reddened like he may explode.

"Hannibal, you’d better sit down. Mannimarco is here in Cyrodiil"

“Mannimarco!” Hannibal gasped, crumpling in slow motion. His face paled till he was whiter than me. Janus helped him collapse into a chair instead of the floor.

“I told you to sit down…”

“You’re supposed to wait till he does before you finish, Maxical.” Eyja handed a quill and parchment to Uriel, signaling for me to continue.



*

I still think Malan should consider taking anger management


Now that the tables have been turned, I wonder what Malan is going to do! That was a very smart move Maxical made, but if only she could figure out what Malan did to Fathis and Gils, ARGH!

Think harder Maxical!

HA! SO glad to see Malan FINALLY angry and helpless. His rage on the ground was PRICELESS to me. And...AND! the fact that he realized his nature has backfired, REALLY backfired, AND it got thrown in his face, had me ROLLING.

You never disappoint, mALX!!

And poor Hannibal... That has to be shocking for him. And knowing what happens at the end of that mission breaks my heart. If Maxical sees that day, she will be very heartbroken to see her greatcloaked-crusader in a soul gem...

falsetto like Ocato


Was the vision of Fathis’ transformation? Her wrist, that’s where Malan fed her blood to Fathis to turn him all the way wasn’t it?

Beside my ear was a clicking of what sounded like a claw and then something smote me on the head the same way S'Jirra used to duff me when she wanted me to think.
What a lovely image that conjured! The dragon god smacking her on the head!

Oh thank goodness she kept the ring on. He would have redecorated her head again.

I can’t tell who’s doing the talking, the nature, or Maxical! Both maybe? Malan really screwed it up, for centuries even, and he didn’t know. Nice to finally see him squirm. And she got away!

‘Has he never looked at my school records?’
The whole exchange between Maxical and Akatosh was priceless, and captured them both perfectly. Maxical was at her Maxicalest here!

"You could never petition your nature for Amiela because it draws the souls for your chosen from those marked for you in the Dreamsleeve. Your own necromancy kept you from having her as your chosen again, because instead of letting her soul be recycled properly you kept it locked away in that black soul gem for a century. Amiela's soul wasn't where it was supposed to be to ever be selected again. You should have trusted your nature to bring her back to you, it would have. It knows the deepest desires of your heart, Malan."
Wow! This is incredible stuff. It’s not wise to fool with [Mother] Nature! It is wonderful to see Malan’s world unraveling!

And YAY! Maxical is outta there!

Nit: “She was always my chosen, still is. You poaching trick can't change my heart...never will.”
I think you want ‘Your’ vs ‘You’.

*Applauds heartily*...

That was excellent!!...

An almighty battle between one man and his nature... ...Loved that...

And the Akatosh bit at the start gave me goosebumps...Brilliant that...

Looking forward to the next Uriel bit...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily again*...

I liked this Wonderful chapter!

The visions at the beginning of the chapter were very were very well written... goodness imagine having to witness Malan's dirty deeds and not being able to stop them!

Oh well, Maxcical managed to have her say in the end... and what a marvelous say it was!

MANIMARCO? AHH! It seems Hannibal didn't take the news of his return very well offer the man an aspirin or something! Haha.

Now for the quote I LOVED



Hehe



The imagery that came with this had me giggling... not sure if that was intentional, but it did. Hehe.

And Maxical's song was beautiful

GREAT CHAPTER!

ROFL! That was a perfect Maxical moment in the middle of a very intense scene!! I love that the Great Dragon bopped Maxical on the head to get her thinking!

Man chaser?! Oh good grief! And she was so close!

I loved the revelation that Malan had kept Amiela away from himself by locking her in the soul gem.

Woo hoo, and she escapes! And nearly scares everyone to death, lol! Yikes, poor Hannibal.

This was such an awesome update!! Gosh, I just loved every second of it!

Hehe, I totally can sympathize with that. I always got mad when I was little and I tricked my younger cousins and got mad when they found out. "I'm not stupid! Your tricking me again!" and I'm like "Oh, um, grrr. . .crap!"

Woah, hey now, what's going? Malan went full dude lover? Nah, it's just Maxical having her erotic visions again. Or maybe it is something deeper and meaningful. Akatosh and his puzzling mess. Even though it was a dream, Malan is a man-chaser, right? Like our dear Seridur!

I am not the first to see that Malan is losing his mind. Wouldn't it be funny if his own anger made him increasingly more careless and would result in Maxical's victory? His desire to just beat Maxical might even overpower the nescessity to carefully plan his plots. It almost seems that way. Smell that, Malan!

PS. I don't mean it. I love Malan dearly.

I found it funny when he told Maxical to conceal the vial of virgin blood. It's almost as if he he said: "hey cat-head, put a cork in it!"

The fact that Janus hit the floor and Hannibal got all pale means trouble is coming. So the necromancer plot is coming into fruition with Mannimarco coming into the fold. Maxical better got ready!

Good read.

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Malan is NOT man-chasing, he is stealing people's souls. Maxical was there when Malan stole Fathis's soul, but he erased it from her memory.

Akatosh brought the memory back, but all Akatosh showed her was Malan kissing Fathis with his head rammed back - Maxical misunderstood, thought Malan was mating men.


Chapter 178, Page 87 :

Right before taking her virginity Malan used Maxical's virgin blood as a tease/torture on Fathis Aren, who was newly made a vampire and had never smelled/tasted virgin blood yet. Malan forced the blood into Fathis's mouth until he was begging for it, then made him vow his mysteries over to Malan.

BUT when Malan kissed him to seal the vow, he rammed his head back (and stole Fathis's soul).

Baurus saw Gils swearing a vow with an ugly Elf (Malan). Baurus described the kiss that Elf sealed the vow with the same way - the head rammed back like he was going down his throat. Afterward Baurus saw Gils and he was like a soul-less zombie.

In other words, Malan stole the souls of both Gils and Fathis - both Maxical's husband's souls. The reason he stole Gils soul was for those rare Mysteries; the reason he stole Fathis's soul was because he was a powerful mage with access to high security areas of the Palace and because Fathis was Arbiter of the Mysteries and had them all.

(The mysteries are bound to the soul, so when he steals the soul he thinks he is getting that person's mysteries). So far the mysteries have worked on Maxical because she is the wife of both men whose souls he had stolen. Maxical doesn't know Gils is dead, but he is and so all his mysteries belong to her.

Malan believes that when he removed Amiela from Maxical that the mysteries would have been attached to Amiela and would be his now. The reason he thinks that will come out in an upcoming chapter.



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Ohhhhh! Doh! Silly me. So Malan isn't a man-chaser . . .just a soul chaser, hahaha. Thanks for the imput, mALX! Very helpful!