Lovely continuation!

First, let me get the nit out of the way: I think you're missing the closing quote there.

Now on to other things. When I looked at the screenie, my mind shouted KIMCHI POTS!! Yup, they made kimchi in pots very much like those, buried in the backyard. My Korean friend actually made daikon kimchi for me, and I loved it! Of course, I enjoy vinegary things, pickled food, and the hot radishes just made it all sublime for me. Now I have to go to Korea and find the traditional foods there!

Your description of the tea brewing is pretty spot on - tea is best when brewed for short periods. Want all the flavor without the bitterness (tannins)? Use lots of tea and brew for very short times. I do boil my water, but then I let it come down a bit. White and green tea (I assume that's what Ulpia made - green tea?) require the lowest temperature, black tea the highest (just at boiling) and oolong in the middle. The lone item on my Xmas wish list this year is a water heater that heats water to temperatures that I select.

Loved the interaction between Aela and Ulpia. And yes, Aela should know full well that people aren't always as they seem!

This delicate dance between Aela and Ulpia was a pure joy throughout. Ulpia’s grace with the tea service made the perfect setting for their conversation. I imagine her carefully thinking through her next words and actions as she patiently infused the tea.

Aela's heart was a hammer in her chest, and she had to fight to keep her breath calm and even. Was Ulpia really interested in her, that way? Did she feel that way about the Imperial? It had been so long, she could hardly remember what romance was like.

I love the confusion that comes with Aela’s rush of feelings. How very true!

Loved Ulpia’s library, with its nod to such famous folk as Sinderion and Jane Austen Juno Austenius.

You did a fabulous job of keeping hands busy brewing hot tea, while filling heads with more of Agrigento’s history and speeding up hearts with uncertain and tentative flirtations.

So Agrigento was formed by the Remanless Outcasts. That sounds like a bonzer name for a head-banging, tail-thumping rock band!

Oooh, Aela’s met someone interesting. And lonely.

Funny that an Imperial knows how to make the best Argonian tea!

So have the rumors spread, or is Ulpia observant? I’ve seen some women that look like men, and vice versa, and honestly the idea of transgender never entered my mind.

Nobody hires Argonian musicians. They'll only work for scale.


Now I read that "no-one in particular" as possibly meaning "any of them". But Aela's not going to know until...

So, more of the SubRosa-realism in the form of "Economic Structure of Tamriel" lessons.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, especially the historical development of the town's soju manufacturing. It's a realistic and accurate way of modeling growth that you've put into your stories, a portion of the world-building that too few writers will employ. It's good stuff.

I'm interested to see how Aela and Ulpia move forward, and whether Ulpia happens to play for the other team, so to speak.

But mostly, I'd be perfectly happy if you included more of the Economics Theory. It creates a distinct world that identifies the Teresa-verse which carries through all your stories (and separates it from, say, my own interpretation of the game's mechanics of being more highly-industrialized to account for all those ebony and glass weapons I sell by the wagon-load every time I'm in a town big enough to buy the stuff off me).

haute ecole rider: Looks like Aela's archaean buried her closing quote there...

So those are called Kimchi pots? I had no idea. I found the picture when I was looking up traditional soju brewing. The tea brewing was also something I researched, since I am not a tea drinker. Thank goodness for the internet, it makes writing so much easier, since all of these things are a google away.


Grits: The tea seemed like an excellent setting/excuse for Ulpia to get Aela alone. The rest of that cautious dance is something I am all too familiar with. And just like in my own experiences, it ended with more questions than answers.


Acadian: I do not think Sinderion has any books in the game, but I could not resist promoting him to author as well as experimenter. He seems like the type who would publish his findings, at least in one form or another. Plus he is so well known and loved that I wanted a familiar name.

The cautious flirtation seemed like an ideal place to insert a history lesson about how Agrigento got started. It not only helped build the setting, but also gave some more time for Aela and Ulpia do dance around one another.

Maybe the Remanless Outcasts could do a double bill with the Bob Seger and Silver Arrow Band?


King Coin: I know it is going back years, but the Argonians don't like the Argonian White Tea. That was something that Morcant mentioned to Teresa waaay back Chapter 16 - The Temple of the TF. So I am sure only the Imperials drink it in Agrigento!

Ulpia knows that Aela is trans because she was sitting at the table in the Lonely Suitor when Seridwe said that she wanted in just to work with an Ardhanari. Given that she was staring at Aela the entire time, there was no doubt who she meant.


ghastley: Working to Scale - Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck....

I read that as not any of the either. But nothing is ever as simple as it appears...


Captain Hammer: I always like looking into the economic factors of a setting. People need to earn a living after all. Exploring how they do that is a great way to start building up how a society works, and what it values. I was thinking the soju would fit like a glove in Agrigento, because they are already growing the rice. So they have at least partial vertical integration. They even own their own wagons to transport the stuff. All they really need is their own storefront in a major city or two for complete integration of their product. But I don't see that happening.

We will have more Aela and Ulpia in a few episodes. It might be what people expect. Or not. Or both.


Previously On Seven: In our last episode Aela started working on brewing potions for the upcoming battle, using a set of kimchi pots that Ulpia owns. Over a cup of tea Aela learned that the pots were originally used by Ulpia's father to brew the first batches of soju in Agrigento. It turns out that her father and many others founded the village just 35 years ago, after emigrating from the Imperial City. He and all the others were poor, lower class people, with no futures in the IC. So to them Agrigento was a chance for a new start. Until the bandits came, they had been very prosperous, gradually earning enough money to steadily expand the soju enterprise over the decades. Aela also got the distinct impression that Ulpia was romantically interested in her, but could not be certain.


Chapter 2.9

Talun-Lei and Meen-Sa stood atop one of the hills ringing Agrigento's small valley. A field of white orchids stretched out around them, lending their sweet scent to the air. To the west, the setting of Magnus splashed a brilliant shade of gold across the horizon, drawing the gazes of both Argonians.

"So this one is Hathei's daughter?" Talun-Lei turned to the water priestess.

"Meen-Sa is," the water priestess said. "Hathei did not tell Talun-Lei and his companions this?"

"Nay," Talun-Lei shook his head. "That one never mentioned anything at all."

"Why is Meen-Sa not surprised?" The Argonian woman shook her head. "This one's father wanted her to hide when these ones arrived."

"Why?" Talun-Lei scratched the scales behind his head in confusion.

"This one's father feared that those who were hired might be little different from the bandits," Meen-Sa sighed.

"What if that had been so?" Talun-Lei asked.

"Stalks-The-Marshes would never bring such to our village," Meen-Sa stated plainly. "Nor would Ulpia. Besides, Meen-Sa's dowsing crystal told her that your warband meant these ones no harm as soon as they arrived."

"It did?" Talun-Lei eyed the curious arrangement of pendants that dangled from the other Argonian's wrist, especially the small flask of water that glowed with a soft azure light. "What does it tell this one of Talun-Lei?"

"It says that Talun-Lei is brave." One of Meen-Sa's hands slid across the male Argonian's wrist. "That his body is strong and fit, and that his heart is true."

Talun-Lei stood a little straighter at the compliments. Meen-Sa's words made him feel like he was taller, that his shoulders were wider, and his chest was deeper. He turned his arm so that her fingers slid into the palm of his hand. Moving it ever so slightly, he found her fingers intertwining with his own.

"It is unfair that this one can see so much with her powers," the Argonian observed, "while Talun-Lei is but a mortal Saxhleel."

"Good!" Meen-Sa smiled wryly. She briefly turned to watch the sunset, then looked back to the young warrior. "This is how it should be between males and females."

"Says the female!" Talun-Lei laughed. Then he turned seriously once more. "How did Meen-Sa become the water priestess?"

"It was always meant to be," Meen-Sa replied. "This one's mother was a water priestess before her, and that one's mother before her. Some day this one's daughter will also be a priestess after her."

"This one seems very certain," Talun-Lei noted.

"Our destiny is our destiny," Meen-Sa said plainly. "We are as the Hist made us. We can be nothing else, just as a turtle cannot be a serpent."

Talun-Lei thought about that, but said nothing in reply. He had left the rice fields of his home to make his own destiny as a warrior. Meeting the landstrider Aela had only proven to him that his fate was his own to make. Yet here he was back in the rice fields once more, albeit this time with a spear rather than a basket. Had the Hist preordained him to live and die in a rice paddy? Or was his future still his to make?


* * *

"I wish our fathers were brave like you," the young Imperial Dellius said.

"Aye, they have always bowed and scraped to the Nagas," Luka added. "I never thought they would fight."

"Khajiit does not want to hear that about these one's fathers!" Do'Sakhar said sharply. He stood with his tan-colored sandcrawler bow in hand, and a reed arrow set to the nock. Looking away from the target he had been shooting at, he cast his gaze down upon the children at his feet.

"This one wishes he had a father who was brave enough not to fight," the desert warrior went on. "It is easy to rush into battle. What is hard is swallowing one's pride, and thinking of one's family first, instead of one's cojones! Do'Sakhar wishes his father had that kind of courage. He wishes he did as well."

"But Do'Sakhar!" Teegla protested. "They run when the mercenary in black kicks their shields with his boots!

"That is because they want to live for you, you fools!" Do'Sakhar turned from the children and back to his target. Loosing the string, he watched as the arrow plunged across the empty space between him and the wall, and buried itself in the first ring around the bullseye he had painted there.

"Be thankful for your fathers," Do'Sakhar looked down at the children once more. "And your mothers. There are many who wish they were so lucky as these ones are."


* * *

As she did every morning, Nashira performed the Serpent dance. The kata alternated between drawing Barafu and striking with lightning speed, and quick, flowing movements to parry and riposte. She followed the intricate choreography around the empty space of the square, and for not the first time she felt more like a dancer than a swordswoman. Perhaps it was only steel that separated the two? In any case, by the time she was finished her muscles felt loose and limber, ready for a new day.

As she had every morning since arriving in Agrigento, the Redguard noted that she was being watched. This time the spy finally decided to approach her however. It was Rullianus, the young Imperial whose home she and the other Seven were living in.

"You're incredible!" the Nibenean proclaimed.

Nashira simply stared at the farmer. His was not the first compliment she had received, and might not be the last. Yet like all compliments, it was naught but empty air. Worse, she knew that if she ever actually believed them, her own doom would not be far behind. For pride always came before a fall.

"Will you train me?" Rullianus continued when it became obvious that the Redguard was not going to reply.

"Train you?" Nashira finally did speak. "What is wrong with the training Valens is giving you and the others?"

"It isn't with the sword," said Rullianus. "He's teaching us to fight in a mass. There's no skill to it! It's all about standing in place, or walking forward, or kneeling down, or walking backward. We're not learning anything!"

"That is how you fight in a shield wall," Nashira said bluntly. "Individual skill means little in pitched battles. It is all about how well you keep to your formation. Follow Valens' instruction, and you will live, and be victorious."

"But that's not enough!" the young Imperial's eyes glowed with a light Nashira had seen far too often. She could see that he did not care if he lived or died. Rullianus only wanted vengeance.

"It is more than enough!" Nashira snapped. "I will not teach you."

The Redguard turned away from the farmer, and began to walk away. She was stopped by a hand upon her shoulder. She turned to look at Rullianus, and then his hand. After a moment, the Imperial withdrew the offending digit, but not before he spoke again.

"Why not?"

"Because if I do, you will die," Nashira said. "Or you will live, and become the same as the Nagas. I will be responsible for neither."

"You," the Imperial cried. "This isn't about you. What about me? What about my life?"

"Get on with it," the Redguard said. "We all stumble, we all fall. Pick yourself back up again, and just live. Don't hide behind revenge. It will consume you like an endless sandstorm."

What a great scene between Meen-Sa and Talun-Lei. Not only do we see more romance blossoming, but the sunset conversation did a magnificent job of peeking into why Meen-Sa is a rather firm believer in one is created by fate and changing that is not part of how she sees the natural order. The implications regarding how she might view Aela are inescapable. Wonderful job!

And another nice scene between Do’Sakhar and the kids. Like Meen-Sa, his views are strongly flavored by his own history – and we know the fate of his father.

Finally, you do an insightful job of ‘showing’ us more about Nashira. The Redguard seems keenly aware of the responsibilities that come with her talents. Still plenty of mystery about this Kensai Swordsaint. One gets the distinct impression that her views are forged by bloody experience.

In each of these three scenes, you did a careful (and successful) job of ‘showing’ us the messages you intended in a manner that was both natural, fitting and with a perfectly balanced touch.

OMG! OMG! Omo! Omo!

Each of these scenes really spoke to me for various reasons.

I loved the interaction between the two Argonians. I'm such a sucker for romance in the midst of a major crisis. Blame my early readings of Robert Ludlum and Robert Heinlein for that. In any case, this really jumped out at me, as it echoes a line from The Terminator, when Michael Biehn was telling Linda Hamilton almost the exact same thing when they spent some quality time together in that motel room.

Then we move on to Do'sakhar and the kids, and I was hearing Charles Bronson again. Why didn't Do'sakhar smack that smart-mouth kid on his butt for making that remark about his daddy? Never mind, the dialogue alone was delightful!

Then finally Nashira. This whole exchange just proves to me that great minds think alike. Two years ago I wrote a character that wouldn't spar with other swordsmen because Shiver me timbers! Nashira is sounding more and more like my Daejin!

Anyway, I totally enjoyed this installment, maybe just a little bit more than usual. And I agree about Google. As my sister says, "Thank God for the Internet." I'm actually using it as I write my Nanowrimo piece.

I loved Talun-Lei’s thoughts at the end of the lovely sunset scene between him and Meen-Sa. He’s still questioning even in the face of her authority and conviction. Perhaps dying with a spear instead of a basket in his hand is the fate he will make for himself. I enjoyed his introspection.

Do’Sakhar gave the kids some much-needed context for their parents’ behavior. They only know what they’ve seen, and now they might understand it a little better.

Nashira’s scene was great. I love how her advice to Rullianus gave some hints about her background but didn’t spell it out. It’s so engaging when characters give hints to ponder.

"This one's father feared that those who were hired might be little different from the bandits,"

That might very well have been the case actually. The way those Argonians were looking for help in Bravil, they could have attracted some vultures.

This meeting was very heartwarming.

Interesting thoughts at the end by Talun-Lei, and how his view conflicts with Meen-Sa’s.

Now that we know what happened to Do'Sakhar’s father, his words mean quite a bit more.

Nashira is quite the chilly woman. Are the others ‘friends’ with her, or is she merely an ally?

Acadian: This scene with Meen-Sa was a long time coming, in that it finally gave us a real peek under the scales to see what makes her tick. She is modeled after so many religious figures who are hidebound and literal to the point of fanaticism. Not necessarily evil or cruel, just inflexible. Where as you said, Aela's life has obviously made her a champion of free will. Naturally the two are going to get along like oil and water.

I really liked that scene with Do'Sakhar. Now that we have seen that flashback to his childhood and the death of his father, we can see what makes him who he is as well.

Likewise, that scene with Nashira was also there to show us more about Rullianus, who we all know by now has lost someone dear to the bandits, but also about Nashira. In many ways she is just as much a mystery woman as Valens. Where he does not know his past, she never talks about her own.


haute ecole rider: I was not intending it when I began writing Seven, but in many ways I have seen an undercurrent of the age-old argument of fate vs. free will in this story. Talun-Lei and Meen-Sa personify this so very well in their characters, though I had not planned on it that way. So too of course does Aela, who is practically the poster girl of "your fate is yours to make". I suppose that it is inevitable when writing her, since so much of who she is flies in the face of convention, and how people are 'supposed' to be.

I spend a great deal of time doing research, on the internet and elsewhere, but mostly the internet. From fight scenes to architecture to brewing tea. If not for the computer, I'd probably be living at the library!


Grits: I was very proud of those three little scenes for the reasons everyone touches upon. They are all meant to give some more depth to the characters involved, and obviously it worked!


King Coin: In both Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven, the villagers did hide all of their women from the mercenaries because they did not trust them. That line from Meen-Sa about her father wanting her to hide was a nod to both films. And also just as you said, they would not really know if the mercenaries were indeed just as bad as the Nagas or not.

Nashira is indeed an outsider, even among the Seven. She does not have friends, or make any effort to gain any. There are a lot of reasons why, all hidden below the surface in her past. Most of that we will never really learn, just like in real life. We will only ever have a few hints to why she is such a cold, seemingly emotionless person.


Previously on Seven: Our last episode features three vignettes of different members of the Seven. In the first we found a blossoming romance between Talun-Lei and Meen-Sa, and learned that while the water priestess is convinced in the power of fate to rule everyone's lives, Talun-Lei himself wonders. He left his home in a rice-farming village to make his own fate, and now he wonders if he has been trapped by fate to die in a rice paddy, or if he can indeed make his own future. Do'Sakhar admonished his 'adopted' children for calling their parents cowards, explaining that their parents did not want to fight because they needed to stay alive to care for them. Finally, Rullinaus asked Nashira to train him as a swordsman. The Redguard refused, citing that he was overcome with the desire for vengeance, and that if it did not kill him in its pursuit, that he would become just as bad as the bandits.


Chapter 2.10

The days flew by, and when Aela was not busy brewing up potions on a massive scale with the small soju cookery behind Ulpia's home, she watched Valens as he trained the villagers in the square out front. It took some time, but eventually the Agrigentan shield wall held up under the drill instructor's boot. Yet when he charged straight into the formation and crashed into their shields with a lowered a shoulder, the farmers once more reeled away in disarray.

Ulpia often came by to see how she was doing. When the Imperial was not practicing with the other villagers, she was working in the distillery to insure her new batch of soju was brewing well. Aela still was not sure what to make of the other woman. On one hand Ulpia seemed to often 'accidentally' brush against her. But on the other hand the Imperial often seemed standoffish, and took a defensive posture, such as with her arms closed. It made Aela wonder if the brewer truly knew what she wanted?

Days stretched on to weeks, and the defensive preparations continued, along with Ulpia's dance around Aela. By now the moat had been long-since completed, and was laced with punji stakes hidden beneath the dark water that filled it. The front gate had been replaced with timber, and all of the bamboo that had once been used to fill in the sections of ruined wall had been replaced with thick tree trunks. The alleys and other narrow passages between buildings had been filled in with spiked frises, leaving only a few passable roads leading through the settlement. Even the escape tunnel between the brewery and stable had been outfitted with sconces to hold torches along its length, trapdoors in the buildings at either end, and wooden stairs leading down into the subterranean passage.

Aela also had several jugs of magical brews ready for the battle. Some for healing, others for shields, and more to resist fire. Ungarion had likewise handed out charged magicka gems to everyone that possessed a magical weapon. He had even enchanted over half-a-dozen necklaces with night eye, so that the village sentries could see in the dark.

One afternoon as they convened for lunch, Aela looked over her staff, Hrive Amaurea, or Winter's Dawn in the Imperial tongue. It was made from white wood, with darker grey vines that wrapped along its length, sprouting a few errant leaves here and there. It was tipped with a chunk of silvery white crystal wedged between two forks of the wood. As ever, tiny motes of white light danced from the gemstone, only to fade away moments later.

The Breton turned her gaze to Ungarion. The Altmer carried her staff's opposite - Andlome - or Long Night. Its black wood was tipped in red crystal, and where her weapon carried a frost enchantment, his would damage the health of any it struck, as well as weaken them against further magic.

"We could double our firepower if we gave our staves to the villagers," Aela finally spoke what was on her mind.

"Gave them?" Ungarion nearly choked. "After what we went through to get them? Loaned them perhaps…"

"You know what I mean," Aela made a face at the high elf.

"Aye, I do," the wizard nodded, "and you are right. But we might not be doing them a favor."

"Why is that?" Ulpia asked, looking from one staff to another. "Surely these are powerful weapons?"

"They are," Aela acknowledged, "and the Nagas know that. Whoever uses them will draw their attention."

"Just as we plan to draw out their mages and kill them first, they will want to do the same," Ungarion said. "We might be handing out your death sentences."

"I will take that chance," Rullianus reached out his hand for Ungarion's staff. Aela could see that the Altmer was not happy about it, but he grudgingly handed the black weapon to the farmer.

Aela looked to Ulpia. The Imperial swallowed hard, but held out a hand as well. "If this is what it takes to defend Agrigento, then so be it," she finally said.

So the two magicians began to train the Agrigentans in using their staves. In the meantime, Valens continued drilling them in the shield and spear. They finally did not flinch when he hurled his body against their wall of shields, nor when he pelted them with stones, sticks, even buckets, chairs, or anything else he could pick up. Now he was teaching them to do more than just stand in place, but to advance forward in the wall, or retreat backward, all without losing their cohesion.

The Nibenean drill instructor had also divided the Agrigentans into four centuries (although Aela could plainly see that their numbers came nowhere near a hundred each). One of the Seven had been assigned to lead each as centurions: Nashira, Do'Sakhar, Seridwe, and Talun-Lei. Rullianus, Hathei, Ulpia, and Stalks-The-Marshes respectively had been appointed optios - second in command - to each as well.

Finally Valens, Aela, and Ungarion would act as a reserve, ready to move to any point that needed extra muscle, magical defense, or firepower, respectively. Aela and Ungarion found this made them tribunes, and soon everyone was joking that Valens was the legate of their legion.

When asked privately if Talun-Lei was ready for the task of leading a century, Valens simply said: "If he's not, we'll find out." Seridwe then pointed out that all that the leaders really had to do was act as a symbol for the villagers to rally around. They were there to lend courage to the Agrigentans, and more than anything else see to it that they did not flee. Aela could not argue that while Talun-Lei might have been lacking in experience, he seemed to have no shortage of confidence.

Each century was given a wall to defend, and while Valens trained them to move in their shield walls, he did so in each century's allocated section of the village. Now they practiced advancing and retreating through the very same streets that they would soon by fighting within. Even the noncombatants were drilled in evacuating their homes to the distillery, and then traveling through the escape tunnel beneath it to the stable.

Aela had another idea to aid in the village's defense. In no time at all she was handing out small, rolled up pieces of parchment to each of the new centurions and optios.

"Since we know that our enemy likes to use fire magic, I decided to make some scrolls to summon undines," the Breton Witch explained. "They can put out the fires. Go ahead and unroll them and practice. I have more I made to hand out later."

"Teacher," Seridwe raised a hand like a first year student at University. "I have used summoning scrolls before."

"You are excused from class then goodwoman," Aela said in her best stuffy professor voice.

"Undine," she heard a chorus of other voices say in no time at all. The village square filled with women comprised of shimmering water. Their hair waved like seaweed, their eyes were deep and murky like algae-soaked pools, and their bodies flowed like gentle streams.

"Now controlling a spirit is actually rather simple," Aela explained. "The act of conjuring forms a mild telepathic link between the two of you. Simply think of what you want them to do, and they will do it. You do not need to say a word. But you do have to be careful not to-"

Aela's words were cut short when Do'Sakhar's undine suddenly leapt above her. A torrent of water splashed down upon the Breton, soaking her to the bone. Aela sputtered for breath, and took a moment to push aside the long brown hair that plastered itself against her face.

"-Think errant thoughts," Aela finished as a chorus of laughter erupted from all around. The other villagers in the square stopped to gawk as well. Even the villagers training with Valens across the square pointed their spears and hooted.

Aela smiled, and raised a hand toward the guilty undine. The spirit stopped dead in her tracks, then rushed upon Do'Sakhar, engulfing the Khajiit in a small tidal wave. The desert warrior staggered under the onslaught, slipped, and fell into a widening pool of mud. That brought more laughter, and Aela had to raise her voice to be heard above the din.

"But since these were summoned by a scroll, they are easily dispelled or banished," she shouted over the racket. "A skilled conjurer can even take control of them, so be careful."

But it was far too late for any attempt at seriousness. Soon undine after undine was splashing and drenching everyone present. In no time at all they were all rolling in the mud and water, and flinging both at each other with their hands. Others came to join in the impromptu mud fight, including the water-priestess Meen-Sa, whom Aela could feel had summoned her own undine to add to the chaos.

* * *

"These villagers certainly eat well!" Ungarion commented. Aela nodded in agreement as she chewed on a mouthful of jambalya. The spicy rice dish was complemented with grilled sausage, zesty onions, chopped celery, and diced peppers. She washed down her spoonful with a cautious sip of soju. They strong Argonian drink was not as rough as it had been the first time she had tasted it, weeks before.

Ulpia had explained a few days before that the first soju of any batch was always harsh. The best came from the middle of the brewing, and the dregs leftover at the end were often reused for the next batch rather than drank. Now that the brew mistress had been at her work for several weeks, she had supplied them a cache of soju from the ideal part of the process. Though given that it had not been given time to age, it was still not at its best.

"Aye, if I had known farmers all ate so well, I would have never become an archer!" Seridwe laughed. "Probably for the best though, I'd be fatter than a horker!"

"Do these ones think the Agrigentans eat the same fare?" Talun-Lei broke up the guffaws from the other Seven with his somber words. "Do you know what they eat? Plain Rice! Most them have not tasted meat in years. While we sit here and eat like Emperors!"

Aela stopped chewing. Suddenly the jambalaya tasted like ashes, and the soju like drain water.

In no time at all the Seven had gathered all of the jambalaya and taken it outside of Rullianus' home. Soon the children of the village were gathered, and one at a time, the mercenaries passed out bowls of the sumptuous fare for them.

Aela noted Stalks-The-Marshes standing off to one side, beside Hathei. "Now, we are one," the Argonian trader said in a low voice.

Aela smiled wryly. Stalks was right. They had a reason to fight for Agrigento, and it was not for a bowl of rice and a cup of soju.

These past two entries were particularly enjoyable. Talun Lei and Do'Sakhar had nicely contrasting scenes, and the juxtaposition emphasizes the difference of the two warriors and what they're experiencing in Agrigento.

But Nashira's run-in with a vengeance-seeking villager took the cake. Or the rice-cake, as is probably the current case.

You've done an amazing job describing the types of day-to-day activities each member of the Seven went through to get the village into a defensive footing, and I have no trouble visualizing the rebuilt Agrigento with its new fortifications and defensive layout. The strategic thinking and organizational skills of Valens, the logistical efforts of stockpiling potions and magical items, and the practice with summonings are all enjoyably functional parts of the preparation for the battle with the Nagas.

Now, going off our earlier discussion about vertical integration, what type of cost-savings should we be able to see if we start production of Restore Fatigue potions in quantities large enough to produce an economy-of-scale? We simply use brewing and distilling equipment as oversize alchemical apparatuses . . .

Some nits:


Looks like the Nagas are already trying to worm their way in, they've slipped the letter 'N' in where 'a' should stand alone.


And again. This time with a letter 'Y'.

What a wonderful job you did in this delightful update of showing the passage of time at a nice pace, while spicing it with great little tidbits of how the defense was coming along and some of the finer points of staves and undines.

I like (and share) your convention that 'soul trap' is a term used by those who fear magic, and that the effect simply captures the unused magicka possessed by all creatures that is released (and simply wasted if not captured in a gem) upon their death.

I also enjoy how you use scrolls and some of the considerations involved – especially the summoned helper of a scroll user up against a mage who is well skilled in conjuration. I do sort of the same thing with illusion; command/fear spells do not work against those with greater skill in illusion.

The mud wrestling contest was a most welcome bit of humorous relief from the tension of the village’s defensive preparations.

Then, at the end, you really brought us back to both grim reality and how close the village and its Magnificent Seven have become.

The whole episode just sparkled, from the ongoing training by Valens to the mud-slinging contest (including Meen-Sa!), but there is one bit that made me stand up and cheer - for this is my favorite part of both movie versions:



Thank you!

I think providing the staffs to the farmers is a good idea. They will just have to teach them how to use them and when to use them. Ungarion’s staff sounds very potent with its weakness effect. In Oblivion, stacking those weakness effects was always the best way to go when it came to destruction magic.

I’m trying to decide if Do'Sakhar did that on purpose.

What a sweet but humbling ending.

Captain Hammer: It has been a long time - and a lot of words! - since the Seven arrived in Agrigento. I wanted to spend some time showing the preparations for battle, and use that as a backdrop for the character's experiences in the village, and how they and the villagers slowly grew together. I am glad it has paid off.

I think they could put some green claw marks on the side of the bottles, and call those mass-produced, restore fatigue potions Monster.


Acadian: I do not want scrolls to be overpowered, so that is one reason I made them easier to dispel/banish the effects from. The other is of course that IRL magic is all about the will of the practitioner. As it has often been said, magic is the creation of change through the application of will. So there is nothing as good as a mage actively applying themselves.

The mud-wrestling was a fun little part that as you said, was a great way of relieving tension, and showing how the Seven and villagers were growing closer to one another.


haute ecole rider: That scene of feeding the children was really the bookend to Talun-Lei's speech when the Seven first arrived. It shows just how far the two groups have come to being one group. As such, it also had to be the end of the chapter, since now we have seen that growth.


King Coin: I am not sure if Do'Sakhar did it on purpose either! The use of the staves was something that came to me while I was finishing up chapter 2's first draft, and wasn't in my original outline. It struck me as a good way to maximize the power of the defense. Plus I always forget to have the characters use them anyway!


Previously On Seven: In our last episode Aela and Ungarion loaned their staffs to Ulpia and Rullianus for the village's defense, and showed the villagers how to use them. Aela also passed out scrolls to summon undines to all of the century captains and lieutenants, for use in putting out fires started by the bandits. In the process of showing how they were used, a water/mud fight between all ensued, much to the hilarity of all. Finally, as the Seven ate a sumptuous meal of jambalaya that night, they learned that the other villagers do not dine nearly so well, eating plain rice instead. That led them to give their jambalaya to the village children.


Chapter 3.1

5th Sun's Height, 3E425

Aela and Ungarion sat upon the wooden stage that took up the southern end of the square and watched as the Agrigentans practiced their shield wall. The villagers had come a long way since they had began a month earlier, when a single kick from Valens had sent their entire wall scurrying like mice. Now they stood firm as stone as he, Do'Sakhar, and Nashira battered at their shields with shoulders, hips, and feet. As they held their line, the Agrigentans jabbed through the openings between shields with blunted practice spears, striking at their would be attackers from every angle.

The formation reminded Aela of a hedgehog, in that it presented a prickly adversary to any who would come up against it. As she was about to discover, this hedgehog also had a few surprises up its sleeve.

"Open the shield wall!" Seridwe cried out from where she stood behind the Agrigentans. Stepping up to the villagers, she slapped two of them on their shoulders. The Agrigentans parted to either side, creating an opening in the barrier between them.

Seridwe raised her Valenwood bow and instantly fired through the gap. Her blunt practice arrow hammered into Valens' ebony-clad chest, rocking the Nibenean back for a moment. It was plain that the wound would have been fatal if it had not been a practice arrow, and he not wearing ebony armor. Now Aela could see why Valens was so confident that they could smash the Nagas against their shield wall. It was designed to slowly but certainly grind down any force that attacked it.

"Close the wall!" Seridwe now cried. Before the drill instructor - or any of the other mercenaries - could take advantage of the gap, the two Agrigentans stepped back into place beside one another. A moment later Valens beat against the faces of their round shields with a mailed fist. Yet the wall remained as implacable as a mountain.

"They certainly have improved," Ungarion noted. "They appear as obstinate as Alessia Ottus."

"And much more welcome," Aela smiled.

Then the shield wall did splinter. Not because of the assaults by the mercenaries, but rather simply because Valens called a break. The century of villagers who had been practicing now shuffled off to their homes. Many paused at the well in the square to wet their throats, and some even upended buckets of water over one another's heads, much to the amusement of everyone involved. Even Valens drenched himself in this manner, and Aela imagined that the cool water must come as quite a relief after such a strenuous workout, especially in the summer heat.

"Aela!" Ulpia cried as she trod from the well to the edge of the square where the Breton and Ungarion sat. "I was hoping I might see you."

The Imperial doffed her wicker helmet, allowing her jet-black hair to spill across her olive-skin in a riotous mane. The Nibenean absentmindedly brushed it down with a sweaty hand, but it only plastered itself against her equally sweaty skin. Her entire body glistened with sweat in fact, and her cheeks were rosy from exertion.

"I had an idea for potion bottles," the brewmaster said as she stepped up to the pair of mages. "I was hoping we could go over it together, in my home."

"Now where did I put those magicka gems. I could have sworn I had them a moment ago…" Ungarion patted up and down his robes with both hands, apparently in search of said items. He looked up to the two women and shook his head. "I am afraid you will have to excuse me, I know I left them somewhere…"

Aela tried to hide her smile as Ungarion scampered off. She hoped his excuse to give her and Ulpia some privacy was not as transparent as she thought it was. Then again, perhaps it was all for the better if it was?

"Those practice sessions look grueling," Aela said as the Imperial led the way. "I don't think I could take it."

"I didn't think I could either!" Ulpia said breathlessly. "But here I am, a hersir fighting in the skjaldborg."

"When did you become a Nord!" Aela laughed as they approached Ulpia's home.

"Valens says our shield wall is more Nordic than Imperial." Ulpia gestured to the door with her spear, for Aela to precede her. "He says the Legion uses sword and shield, so they don't fight so closely together. But in spite of all that talk of axes with blades big as the moons, he says most Nords fight with spear and shield, just like we are doing."

"Well, he would know," Aela nodded as she climbed the steps and entered the upraised house. The Breton stepped aside to let the taller Imperial in, and took the bamboo spear from Ulpia's hand.

"Oh thank you dear," Ulpia sighed. She let her wicker helmet fall from her fingers, and leaned back against one wall. Aela noted that the other woman was careful not to put her weight against the rattan sheeting that comprised most of the wall, but rather upon one of the support beams of strong durian wood.

"You look done in," Aela noted. "Would you like me to come back later?"

"No, just give me a moment to get my breath," Ulpia fanned herself with one hand. "I guess that took more out of me than I expected!"

The Imperial moved to sit in one of the wicker chairs, and leaned back into its frame with eyes closed. Aela stepped to the kitchen area, and produced a chipped terra cotta pitcher and poured water from it into an equally battered cup. Walking back to Ulpia, she set the cup into the Nibenean's hand.

Ulpia's skin was warm and damp under her fingertips, and Alea allowed her hand to linger there. The Imperial did not object. Rather she smiled and did not open her eyes. She moved her other hand to take the cup, leaving the first still clasped with Aela's fingers. Ulpia finally opened her eyes to take a long drink, then rolled the cool surface of the cup across her sweaty forehead.

"That is just what I needed," the Imperial said. Aela wondered if Ulpia meant the water, or her touch? Her heart picked up its pace, and she had to resist the urge to lick her suddenly dry lips.

"We should get you out of this armor," Aela said quietly, nodding to the simple cuirass made up of vertical slats of bamboo that encased the other woman's torso.

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"Splendid idea." Ulpia leaned forward, and reached down to start undoing the cords that tied it together down her side. Aela bent forward to assist, and in no time at all the two women pulled the light, but sturdy armor from Ulpia's body. The black tunic that the Imperial wore beneath it was soaked through with sweat, and clung to her frame like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination.

"Why don't we get this off as well?" Aela said breathed, and gently tugged at the linen. Her heart was in her throat, and she prayed to Dibella that the Imperial would not be offended.

"Let's," Ulpia said in a husky voice. She raised her arms above her head so that Aela could whisk the garment from her body. The Imperial rose to her feet as Aela pulled upward, so that a moment later she stood just inches way. Her naked chest glistened in the light that slanted through the windows, and her hands found their way to Aela's sides.

Aela dropped the tunic, and the next thing she knew her hands were sliding across Ulpia's back, pulling her close. She leaned her head forward, and the Imperial's lips met her own. They were soft as rose petals, and Aela rejoiced in the feeling as she planted one kiss after another them. She felt the Imperial's hands racing over her bodice, and paused to help her undo its laces. A moment later it too fell to the floor, followed by the white chemise that Aela wore underneath.

Somehow Aela had the presence of mind to focus upon a spell to enhance her strength. Briefly freeing one hand, she raised it into the air and channeled her magicka through it. Releasing it in a flash of white light, she felt her limbs suffuse with strength. She lifted Ulpia in her arms, and was gratified to feel the other woman's legs instantly lock around her waist. Carrying the Imperial across the single-room house to the sleeping area, she gently laid her out upon the floor.

Ulpia pulled her down, and Aela found herself rolling across the wooden planks. Now Ulpia straddled her, and showered her with kisses. She reached up to caress the other woman's breasts, then let her hands drift down between her thighs.

Ulpia stiffened then, and sat back on her haunches. He arms crossed over her chest, hiding her bared breasts.

"What is it?" Aela felt her heart sink like a rock in Niben Bay. "What's wrong?"

"I can't…" Ulpia shook her head, and turned away. "I can't do this."

Aela closed her eyes, and felt the other woman's body slide off of her own. The taste of Ulpia's skin, which has just moments before been sweet as honey, now turned to bitter ash on Aela's lips.

"Because I'm a woman?" Aela asked softly, "or because I wasn't born one?"

"I…" Ulpia stammered. "I don't know Aela. I really don't know. It just, doesn't seem right."

"It seemed right a moment ago," the Breton did her best to keep the exasperation from her voice.

The Imperial rose to her feet and walked across the room to pick up her tunic. Hoisting the sweaty garment over her head, she pulled it down over her olive skin.

"You don't know what it's like," Ulpia sighed. "Do you know why I run the brewery? Because my father did. Meen-Sa is water priestess because that's what her mother was. Rullianus is a farmer because his father was. Our lives were all laid out before we were even born, and having a woman for a lover was never part of that. It's…"

"Unnatural?" Aela finished the sentence for Ulpia. "That's Meen-Sa talking."

"I'm sorry, but that's what I've been taught all my life." Ulpia's voice began to rise. "Maybe I'm just some thickheaded yokel after all, just like our water-priestess."

"No, you're not," the Breton argued. "You are whatever - and whoever - you want to be."

The Imperial leaned over to pick up Aela's bodice and chemise, and held them out to the Breton. When she spoke again, her voice was soft once more. "I'm sorry Aela, I really am. I just cannot do this."

Aela rose and took her chemise from the other woman with a sigh, and slipped the loose garment over her head. Afterward she laced on her bodice in silence, then brushed her long hair back into some semblance of order.

"So where does this leave us?" Aela asked the question, already knowing the answer. Still, it had to asked anyway.

"Cannot we just be friends?" Ulpia said, as if on cue. "Like two normal women?"

"We are normal women!" Aela's tongue lashed out before her brain could stop it. Shaking her head at her own loss of temper, she sighed.

"Yes, of course we can still be friends." Just like with everyone else in the world, thought Aela.

Oh, so close!

But bully for Aela for not pushing things with Ulpia when the other is so unready for things. Not like a lot of men.

All I can say is patience, dear Aela, patience! Ulpia may yet find it in her to move beyond "just friends." It's obvious to me that she is attracted to Aela, but her mind is too busy right now interfering with her heart. Will she accept the fact that she is attracted to someone like Aela? I can only wait and see . . .

A neat demonstration of the shield and spear wall - complete with archer support!

"They certainly have improved," Ungarion noted. "They appear as obstinate as Alessia Ottus."
"And much more welcome," Aela smiled. ‘ - - A delightful nod to the opinionated authoress of Cyrodiil’s city guide series!

"Now where did I put those magicka gems.” - - As soon as I read this, I smiled, for I instantly knew what Ungarion was up to. He knows Aela well and is a good friend.

A wonderfully-written scene where sweat turns to steam, then fizzles into disillusion as poor Aela gets friend-zoned.

"Because I'm a woman?" Aela asked softly, "or because I wasn't born one?" - - This really highlights the dual nature of Aela’s concerns. I’m glad that Aela has the courage, when the opportunity presents, to dance. Who knows, perhaps the dance with Ulpia has not run its course? Aela’s wise enough to know that the ball is now in the other woman’s court. Perhaps time will influence what Ulpia’s body and heart are clearly trying to tell her mind.


Nit: "What is it?" Aela felt her heart sink like an rock in Niben Bay. - - I’m sure you wanted ‘a’ instead of ‘an’ here.

Oh, the undine water battle was delightful! Good thing Seridwe got out of there first, she might not be so amused to have a water spirit go after her hair.

Aela smiled wryly. Stalks was right. They had a reason to fight for Agrigento, and it was not for a bowl of rice and a cup of soju.

What an awesome end to the chapter!

"I had an idea for potion bottles," the brewmaster said as she stepped up to the pair of mages. "I was hoping we could go over it together, in my home."


"Now where did I put those magicka gems. I could have sworn I had them a moment ago…"

I can just see Ungarion giving himself an elaborate pat-down as he develops a sudden need for whatever he doesn’t have on him at the moment. Love this guy!

My heart was in my throat right with Aela throughout the breathless scene with Ulpia. Beautifully done. I feel for Ulpia’s disappointment in herself as much as I do for Aela’s in the whole situation. I think Ulpia is going to be kicking herself for being so fearful.

"Because I'm a woman?" Aela asked softly, "or because I wasn't born one?"

Oceans of pain under those questions. Sigh.

haute ecole rider: Oh so close is indeed the story of Aela's love life! That episode was just a little slice of what her life is like, thanks to her decision to change her gender presentation. I wanted to show that she faced some serious consequences because of that, even from people who genuinely like her.


Acadian: I could not resist working in some TES lore there with the thick-headed Alessia Ottus. I could not imagine anyone more obstinate than her to use as a reference!

I am glad Ungarion's dissembling was so transparent to the reader! He knows when three is a crowd, and the last thing he wants to do is cramp Aela's style when it comes to another woman.

And friend-zoned it is. Just like with Teresa, although for different reasons.


Grits: I don't imagine Seridwe would have appreciated her hair being ruined by undinic water one bit!

And I am glad to see that just as Ungarion's dissembling was transparent to the reader, so too was Ulpia's...

Those two questions at the end are indeed the source of a great deal of pain for Aela. Mostly the second. While being transgendered has given her some extra magical 'oomph', it also comes with a heavy price.


Previously On Seven: Our last episode found us moving four weeks into the future from when the Seven first arrived in Agrigento. Thanks to Valens' training the villager's shield wall not only stands firm under all attacks now, but even has the skill to open its ranks to allow archers to fire through it, and to close up again afterward before it can be breached. Aela also had a romantic encounter with Ulpia, which fizzled out when the villager found that she could not go through with it, because she was raised to believe it was not right. They left as friends, but with a great deal of frustration.


Chapter 3.2

Talun-Lei lay back in the orchids, staring at the clouds as they slowly drifted across the azure dome of the sky overhead. Meen-Sa lay alongside, with her head comfortably nestled upon the scales of his bare chest. For now, everything seemed right with the world. Talun-Lei did his best not to think, and to just live in the moment instead.

Thinking was always when the trouble started. Thinking about what he was doing here, with the local water-priestess no less? What was he going to do after the battle was over, and the Nagas were gone? He knew that Meen-Sa would not go with him. She would never be the mate of a wandering mercenary without two remans to rub together. Should he stay instead?

But that would mean going back to the rice paddies again, and the life of a farmer. After all he had gone through to leave that behind, how could he do that? But did he really want to go on alone? Was Meen-Sa worth it?

"Follow your heart," he knew the landstrider Aela would say. "Be true to yourself, and find your own bliss."

But what was his bliss? Was it Meen-Sa? Or was it the life of a wandering warrior?

So much for living in the moment, Talun-Lei chided himself. Thinking, it was always thinking that ruined everything good in life…

It was Meen-Sa who broke the spell however, when she lifted her head and rose to a sitting position. She lifted one hand to the sky, and Talun-Lei noted that the water-filled dowsing crystal that hung from her wrist now sparkled and glowed with a light that was brighter than normal. The Argonian warrior rose as well, reaching for his spear with one hand.

"What is it?"

"Outsiders," the water priestess said. "Meen-Sa can smell their water, somewhere near."

Talun-Lei wondered if she could actually smell them, or if that was just a euphemism for the use of her powers? Either way, he felt his heart quicken. It had been over four weeks since they had arrived at the village. Adding the time it had taken for the Agrigentans to journey to Bravil to hire them and return, that meant the Nagas would be returning at any time. Perhaps even now?

The young Argonian looked this way and that. Yet the rainforest surrounding the clearing showed no sign of intruders. He did notice something when he cast his gaze down the hillside toward the village however. The tall grass was moving, but not with the wind. Using one hand to shade his eyes from the sun, Talun-Lei stared intently. He was rewarded when long moments later three Nagas briefly slithered into view through a break in the grass.

As Valens had said they would, they all carried short spears. Strapped to one's chest was a cuirass of three metal discs welded together into a triangle. A heart-guard, Talun-Lei thought, he had seen several Saxhleel warriors wearing such things. Made of dwarven steel, it would not rust in the swamp, yet would turn aside any spear or arrow to the chest. The other Nagas wore only loincloths, but carried small shields made of bamboo slung over their shoulders. One carried a gahk goong: a heavily reflexed bow made from slender bamboo, water-buffalo horn, and mulberry wood.

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Then they vanished into the high grass once more, and Talun-Lei turned back to the rainforest. Were there more? Or were these three scouts sent on ahead of the other bandits?

Whether the other Nagas were nearby or not, he knew that he had to act. Reaching down, he lifted his shield and javelins in his left hand. He hefted his larger battle spear with his right hand, and stared down into the grass. They had not seen him yet. If he could get close enough, he could take at least one of them by surprise with a thrown javelin. Then another before they could close with him. That would leave a one against one spear fight.

"These ones must warn the village!" Meen-Sa hissed in his ear. She tugged on his arm, and nodded toward the forest. "Come this way, they will not see Meen-Sa and Talun-Lei."

Talun-Lei's heart raced. He looked from the grass where the Nagas hid, then to the forest. Should he fight, or should he follow her? Meen-Sa made up his mind for him, when all he saw was her tail waving to and fro as she darted for the trees. Talun-Lei followed. He knew that no matter what, he had to protect her first and foremost.

* * *

Aela and Ungarion loitered on the wooden platform in the town square. The Altmer sat cross-legged, and Aela could hear him absentmindedly shuffling his deck of cards behind her. She however, sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the stage, toes touching the dirt below. With eyes closed, the Witch stretched out with her magical senses. She started with feeling the ground beneath her feet, and through it, the rest of the world around her.

Ungarion was a warm and bright spirit beside her, one she instantly recognized from years of intimate familiarity. Then there were the spirits of the moist soil, quiet and patient. They did not mind the stamping of dozens of feet across their faces, where Valens and the other Seven trained the villagers in their shield wall. Above that she felt the spirits of the air, pregnant with heat and moisture. Beyond came the water spirits inhabiting the moat and flooded rice paddies surrounding the village, brimming with the stuff of life. Farther still were the tree spirits, rising tall, proud, and serene. Mixed within those giants was the quintessence of the animals: vibrant and inquisitive.

"This does not bode well." Ungarion's voice snapped Aela from her spiritual meditation. The wooden boards of the stage creaked under the high elf as he rose to his feet, and the Breton opened her eyes in time to see him hop lightly down to the dirt of the square below. Following the wizard's gaze, Aela found that Talun-Lei and Meen-Sa were darting toward them. A moment later the Breton realized it was not exactly the two of them that the Argonians were headed for. Rather it was the alarm bell that hung from the stage behind them.

"The Nagas are here!" the Argonian warrior gasped between gulps for air. Beside him, Meen-Sa put one hand to her chest and likewise struggled to catch her breath. Aela imagined that both had run quite a distance to reach them. Probably from wherever it was that they were secretly sneaking off to in the forest…

"How many?" Ungarion asked, "and where from?"

"These ones saw only three," Meen-Sa wheezed. She raised an arm to point to the east, where the long slope of a hill rose above the village. "Over there."

"Let's not point shall we," Ungarion smiled. He gently took the Argonian's arm and lowered it to her side. "It's not polite after all. And there is no sense warning them that they have been detected."

"They are in the tall grass," Talun-Lei said. "Or they were the last that we saw them. I saw no other Nagas. They must be scouts."

"Time for us to earn our keep." Aela glanced over to where Valens and the other mercenaries were training with the villagers. Then she looked back to the others. "We'll have to handle this ourselves. Meen-Sa, go warn them. But quietly. Don't make any commotion. Take them some water, so it looks natural. Tell them to keep training, so the Nagas don't suspect that we are coming for them."

"And if there are more than three Nagas after all?" the mikumari seemed calm, but the twitching of her tail betrayed her nervousness. Her almost imperceptible glance at Talun-Lei showed to whom that concern was directed.

"Then there shall be more than three dead Nagas when we are finished," Ungarion declared. "Now let's be off to it, we don't want to keep our guests waiting do we?"

The high elf led the way, in the opposite direction from where the Meen-Sa had pointed.

"But that is the wrong way," Talun-Lei insisted. "The Nagas are-"

"Watch and learn my young apprentice," Ungarion said in his best stuffy professor voice. He spared a glance across the square to Meen-Sa, who was now on the way to the well and out of earshot. "Aela, I think it's time we used that little rabbit hole."

"I agree," the Breton Witch said. She took the lead, and the other two followed her down the winding streets between houses. She came to a halt behind one of the homes near the western wall, and carefully scanned the ground beneath her. She halted when she found the right spot, and looked back to the hill where the Nagas had been seen. The tall buildings of the village blocked it from view, and likewise, hid them from the prying eyes of the spies.

The Witch summoned an archaean with a raised fist. The colossus of dirt and stone looked at her for a moment, then followed her unspoken command to dig. In just a moment the spirit revealed a tunnel whose mouth had been covered over with soil. Aela and Ungarion wasted no time climbing down within. When they found Talun-Lei still waiting above, they both motioned him to follow.

"Come on," Ungarion urged, "we have to get cracking."

"What is this?" the Argonian stared at the walls of the tunnel as he finally descended into the depths. "When did you make this?"

"One of the most important rules of being a mercenary," Aela began.

"Is to always have an exit strategy," Ungarion finished her sentence.

"You were not going to tell anyone else?" Aela could hear the outrage bubbling underneath the youthful warrior's words.

"Do'Sakhar knows," Aela said. "We were not going to tell the rest of you unless we actually needed to use it."

"It would do little for the morale of the villagers if they were aware of its existence," Ungarion cautioned. "They would probably think we were planning to abandon them at the worst possible moment."

"But isn't that why these ones dug it?" Talun-Lei stared from Aela to Ungarion with cold eyes.

"Well of course it is silly!" Ungarion laughed.

"When you have been in this business as long as we have, you learn not to take chances," Aela said more seriously. "You never know what is going to happen, or when your employer is going to betray you. If you want to live to see your scales fade, you have to be prepared for everything, even the unthinkable."

"But they would never-" Talun-Lei protested.

"Sell us out to the Nagas?" Ungarion finished his words. "If their backs were to the wall, and they saw a choice between them and us, who do you think they would pick? Would it be their spouses and children, or a group of strangers?"

"It has happened to us before," Aela warned, "and it will happen again. It is just the nature of people: they will do whatever they have to in order to survive. It isn't right, it isn't wrong, it just is."

As if to underscore her words, the archaean descended into the tunnel behind Talun-Lei, and pulled the dirt back over the entrance, entombing them all below.

"In this line of work, you occasionally have to do dark things," Ungarion's voice came from the inky blackness surrounding them. Suddenly a point of light burst into life above the Altmer's head, bathing them all in its soft glow. "Sometimes that is the only way to survive."

Talun-Lei said nothing, but the Argonian followed them through the passageway. The exit was also filled in with dirt, just as the entrance had been. But Aela's summoned spirit easily shifted the terrain aside, and the Witch led them back into the light. They found themselves just within the forest, with the village barely visible through the banyans.

Aela looked back to the entrance of the tunnel, and watched as the archaean covered it up behind them. The Breton Witch bid goodbye to the spirit with a silent word of thanks, then turned to Talun-Lei.

"Now it's your turn," she said. "Take us to the Nagas."

I saw this post yesterday but didn't have time to read (thanks to being in retail on Black Friday). But I made a reminder to myself to come back and read when I had the time! Imagine my surprise to see that I'm the first one to comment!

First the nits: It looks like to decided to go off and live in the moment elsewhere, too!

It seems to me that we're missing a conjunction here!

This kind of rubs me the wrong way. Conversely implies the opposite, and when I look at the two halves of this sentence, one reinforces, not contradicts, the other. Wouldn't therefore or also (minus the comma) be of better use here?

Talun-Lei made the right choice following Meen-Sa's lead. Warning the villagers is of higher priority than taking out three lousy scouts.

Loved how Ungarion kept his cool through all this. "Let's not point, shall we? It's not polite, after all." The interactions between the two older mercenaries and the young fiery one was quite amusing in the midst of the seriousness. Comic relief, indeed. And a rather gentle lesson in the harsh realities of a mercenary life.

I wonder if you are going to use one of my favorite lines from The Magnificient Seven: Horst Bucholtz is overwhelmed with admiration after James Coburn pulls off an impossible shot and shoots a fleeing bandit off his horse just before they disappear over the hill. "That is the most amazing shot I've ever seen!" young Horst exclaims. Coburn glances at him in disgust. "The worst! I was aiming for the horse!" Though the Nagas don't ride horses, so I wonder what you would do with that?

Scene I: Afterglow. Ah yes, a good woman or the life of a martial adventurer? Having experienced both, Talun-Lei, I’d urge the former. But then again, I am much older than you and did not always think that way. Uh-oh: Nagas! Here we see the impetuous, youth and rashness of Talun-Lei as he begins planning his ambush on the intruders. Happily, Meen-Sa’s judgment on what their priority should be was spot on - and her waving tail was enough to convince the young warrior to follow.

Scene II:
‘If you want to live to see your scales fade, you have to be prepared for everything,’ - - Not only is the scales comment deliciously appropriate here, but the advice that followed really characterizes this scene. I see that A&U quickly came up with a pretty good plan – have Meen-Sa warn the others, then take Talun-Lei and try to ambush what they now assess as a scouting party. And to do so quietly without ringing the village alarm bell to alert the Nagas.

My hopes are threefold:
1. The three Nagas are indeed only a scouting party and not actually the front element of a closely following larger force.
2. The three amigos that have popped up from their rabbit hole can put together a decisive and elegant ambush with no losses.
3. That they glean some useful intelligence from the Naganese corpses.


Nits -
‘Talun-Lei wondered if she could actually smell them, or if that was a just euphemism for the use of her powers?’ - - Although I can see somewhat of a case for ‘a just euphemism’, I suspect you may have intended, ‘just a euphemism’?

‘Reaching down, he lifted his shield and of javelins in his left hand.’ - - I figure the ‘of’ escaped deletion during editing changes?

The drilling with the villagers seems to be going well! Hard to believe they’ve lived there as long as they have without some sort of militia. Now, they should drill each wall against the other!

I think a spear and shield would be a better wall anyways. I would much rather have the reach of a spear than the blade of a short sword the legion formations probably use! Speaking of large blades, I read that those large two handed swords were employed to chop spears into pieces, and then often used like a spear themselves.

Water or the touch? I think both!

Now, if I know my movies right, as soon as they start to really have some fun, that’s when there will be an important interruption.

Ah, perhaps the Imperial just needs some time. This might be easier too, because Aela will probably not stay, and the Imperial will probably not want to leave either.

It seems the two Argonians are having similar thoughts as I am. And there are intruders! I was hoping they would have a little more time to drill!

Scouts. I like Ungarion’s thinking. Perhaps they can remove the scouts if they are quick! I would think Aela’s elemental spirits would be hell on wheels for that.

And I wonder if they have made the Argonian’s decision for him? Whether to go and be a warrior, or to stay and be a farmer?

What was he going to do after the battle was over, and the Nagas were gone? He knew that Meen-Sa would not go with him. She would never be the mate of a wandering mercenary without two remans to rub together. Should he stay instead?

There’s the dilemma. And would their relationship survive the changes they went through so they could keep it? I can’t help but imagine Ulpia having similar thoughts if she and Aela had ended up cuddling in the grass, only with the thought that Aela wouldn’t stay.

"These ones must warn the village!" Meen-Sa hissed in his ear. She tugged on his arm, and nodded toward the forest. "Come this way, they will not see Meen-Sa and Talun-Lei."

Whew, that’s a much better plan. I loved Meen-Sa’s quick action with Talun-Lei catching a glimpse of her departing tail. She knows how to win an argument!

Ungarion and Aela’s calm response was just awesome as they went from drowsing in the sun to handling the situation.

"In this line of work, you occasionally have to do dark things," Ungarion's voice came from the inky blackness surrounding them. Suddenly a point of light burst into life above the Altmer's head, bathing them all in its soft glow. "Sometimes that is the only way to survive."

And here’s a look at Talun-Lei’s future if he decides to stay out of the rice paddy. Awesome!

haute ecole rider: Thanks for all the nits. I try to quash them all, but it seems like no matter how many I step on, there is always another.

Ungarion was indeed Mr. Cool in that episode. As you said, he and Aela really show their experience there compared to the inexperience of Talun-Lei.

I know that scene you mean, it is one of my favorites too. I briefly thought about. I discarded it though, because as you said, nagas cannot ride horses.


Acadian: Meen-Sa definitely forced the issue of fight or flight with Talun-Lei! He still has to make that choice, and it will not be until the final episode that we learn what he does.


King Coin: They did have a sort of militia. I am sure everyone does out in the backwoods. But they never had the kind of professional training that Valens could give them, and because of that they lacked the discipline and skills needed to fight a true stand-up battle against a professional foe. Compare the American militia in the Revolutionary War to the post von Steuben Continentals. Washington was disgusted by the militia, because they usually fled when they went nose to nose against British regulars, and he lost several major battles because of that.

Historically swordsmen do better over spearmen. The Romans vs the Greeks (and pretty much everyone else) is perhaps the best example of that. The reason is that spearmen tend to form into inflexible formations, that only operate well in flat, open terrain. Once they get on broken ground, or in the woods, they are easily outflanked by the more flexible swordsmen. The spearman has an advantage in reach, but that is really his only edge. Once a swordsman pushes inside the range of the spear, he wins. The Battle of Pydna is a stark example, as is Cynoscephalae.

Ancient and Medieval warfare was really a paper vs. rock vs. scissors affair. Each weapon system has strengths and weaknesses. For example heavy cavalry (melee horsemen like Medieval knights or Alexander's Companion Cavalry) always thrashes light infantry (missile foot soldiers like lonbgowmen or javelin throwers). OTOH, heavy cavalry loses against heavy infantry (melee footmen like pikemen or Roman legionaries), with the only caveat being that the footmen have to keep their formation. If they split up, the horsemen can pick them apart, as they eventually did at Hastings. Heavy infantry loses vs light infantry though, because they cannot close and come to grips with them. The Spartans vs. Athenians at Sphacteria is a sterling example of this. Likewise light cavalry trumps heavy infantry as well for the same reasons, albeit even more dramatically, such as at Carrhae. It even drills down to spearmen do best against cavalry, because no horse will willingly impale itself upon a spearpoint. That is how Wellington defeated Napoleon's lancers at Waterloo. His infantrymen fixed bayonets and formed squares. The French cavalry could do nothing against that. Swordsmen have more trouble against cavalry, because they do not have that forest of spearpoints to hide behind. But they still win in the end, as the Roman infantry did against the Parthian Catapract charge at the beginning of the battle of Carrhae (the Parthian's won later due to their horse archers).

You are probably thinking of the zweihanders used by the German Landsknechte. They were double pay men, because they fought in the front line. It is disputed whether or not they could actually chop the heads off of pikes. Greatswords strike with a prodigious amount of force. This video shows the power they have. I am sure if you put a pike or spear in a vise and chopped at it with a zweihander it would be cut in two with one blow. But I doubt anyone could hold onto a pike under that much force, especially with that blow falling at the far end. So they at least knocked pikes aside, which would in turn break up the enemy formation. That of course is the key to victory in straight infantry vs. infantry battles.

You can bet that the little glimpse into the ugly realities of mercenary life has had an effect upon Talun-Lei, and what he decides to do in the future.


Grits: The scene between Ulpia and Aela was originally much larger. Among the things I cut was Ulpia declaring that once everything was over, Aela was going to leave. But she had to stay there and live with everyone else (and the stigma of being a lesbian) for the rest of her life.

I think the Meen-Sa vs. Talun-Lei decision-making is a classic example of testosterone vs. estrogen.

My original intent with the tunnel was not to provide Talun-Lei a glimpse of the darker realities of mercenary life. But once I started writing it, that is what I found myself concentrating upon. It is one of those wonderful moments where things just came together in a zen like fashion.


Previously On Seven: Our last episode found Talun-Lei and Meen-Sa cuddling on a hillside outside of the village. They detected the presence of a trio of Naga scouts, and ran back to the village to warn them. Aela and Ungarion met them first, and prevented them from raising an alarm. Instead they had Meen-Sa warn the others quietly, so at not to cause a disturbance. Then the two of them slipped out of the village with Talun-Lei, using a tunnel they had secretly dug. Talun-Lei noted that the only purpose of building the tunnel and keeping it secret was so that they could abandon the villagers if things went badly. Aela and Ungarion admitted to the truth of that, and explained that if you want to survive as a mercenary, you have to be ready for anything, including betrayal by your employers.


Chapter 3.3

"Stay behind us," Ungarion whispered. The Altmer wizard stopped the Argonian with a soft hand upon one shoulder.

"And don't go charging in when it starts," Aela murmured. "Just stay back, and leave the rest to us."

Talun-Lei had tracked the Nagas through the tall grass and into the bamboo forest south of the village. A quick search of the area nearby revealed no sign of any other bandits, so they were not merely bait set by a larger force. Now the mercenaries were closing in on the unsuspecting scouts, crouching down to be less noticeable. The two magicians scuttled forward, and a glance back from Aela showed that the Argonian was dutifully following.

Aela hoped that he would indeed stay back when the fighting started. There was nothing worse than having a comrade run in front of your spell. Still, she was thankful that the Argonian was unarmored, for at least he moved silently through the bamboo. In fact, she had to admit that he made even less noise than she and Ungarion did.

The Nagas were at the edge of the forest, staring down at the village below. They spoke in harsh, guttural tones, too quiet for Aela to make out the words. But the tone of excitement and outrage was clear. They were not happy to see the village nestled behind stout defenses, or training to fight.

Aela saw that one had a bow. Its recurve shape reminded her of a Valenwood bow, but rather than golden sila wood, it seemed to be made from bamboo, with darker wood at the ends. The other two were armed with short spears that seemed to be tipped with some form of animal spines, or perhaps even giant teeth?

She nodded toward the bowman, and Ungarion nodded back. That one would be his. Creeping nearer, she set her eyes upon one of the spearmen. He and the others were still too far away for her absorption spells, so she was obliged to sneak in closer, until they were no more than thirty paces away.

One of them turned and stared directly into Aela's eyes. His hiss brought the others around in an instant. They were raising their weapons when a whoosh of flame filled Aela's ears. A bolt of fire sped past her, and engulfed the bow-armed Naga in an infernal wreath. Ungarion had struck the first blow.

The first Naga did not hesitate as his partner screamed, and flung his spear for all that he was worth. With reflexes that came from both years of practice and experience, Aela thrust her left hand forward, palm flattened outward. Magicka poured through her fingers and filled the space in front of her with a glimmering shield of energy. The spear crashed against her ward with a flash of light, and the hard spike at its tip snapped as the weapon clattered aside.

Aela darted forward and to one side, acutely aware that Ungarion was behind her and needed a clear line of fire. She gestured forward with her right hand, fingers splayed out as if she was grabbing for the Naga. She caught hold of his lifeforce, and a blood red light sprang up between the pair as she ripped it from his body and began to pull it into herself. She twisted her hand, feeling the snakeman's heart underneath it, and yanked all the harder. A moment later he fell over dead. His scales were now grey, and his skin looked shrunken, like a tent that had collapsed.

Aela felt the warmth of the Naga's energy suffusing her body with vigor. She quashed the little feeling of guilt that always rose in the back of her mind whenever she killed that way. After all, they were just as dead as if she had burned them alive with fire or hacked their heads off with a sword.

The third Naga turned and fled with all the alacrity that his serpentine body could propel him with. He did not go directly away from them and out into the open fields surrounding the village however. Rather he sped along the fringes of the bamboo forest that ringed the southern end of the valley. Nor did he move in a straight line, but instead he wound this way and that around the green bamboo.

A beam of red energy reached out from Ungarion's fingertips, seeking the Naga through the wall of bamboo. But the bandit eluded the magical attack by dodging behind one of the stalks. Aela saw that he was out of the relatively short range of her absorb health spell. Instead she concentrated upon the spirits around her. She felt the energy of a sylph meandering high in the treetops above. Enticing the spirit to join her, she poured her magicka into a raised fist.

That is when she saw Talun-Lei step past her, and hurl one of his slender javelins toward the Naga. The marauder tried to dodge again, but this time he was too slow. The bronze head of the light throwing spear buried itself squarely in the serpentine being's side, and he sprawled face-first into the dirt.

Aela sighed, and let the magicka subside from her hand. A glance toward Talun-Lei showed that he was smiling with that toothy rictus that all Argonians possessed. His heavy fighting spear rose from the ground behind him, its butt-spike planted deeply into the soil. He still held his crescent shield in his left hand, along with a second javelin.

"Well, so much for taking one alive for questioning," Ungarion said dryly as he stepped forward.

"But these ones never said-" Talun-Lei's smile went crashing down like rain from a thunderstorm.

Aela stopped him with a raised hand. "It's not your fault," she admitted. "We should have said something." She took a step closer to the Naga, and realized that he was still twitching. She moved faster, and finally broke out into a run. Kneeling at the stricken outlaw's side, she lay one hand upon his chest, and felt the life still flickering within his frame.

"It's not too late," Aela murmured. Filling her hands with bright white light, she now laid both of them on the scales around the Naga's wound. Sending the healing magic down into its body, she felt where the metal head of the javelin had rent flesh, severed blood vessels, chipped ribs, and tore into one of the bandit's lungs.

Taking hold of the Naga's blood, she sent it racing back into his veins and arteries, then held them shut. That would hold him for the moment. But she had to get the javelin out before she could begin to truly heal his wounds. While she could tell he was still barely conscious, the Naga seemed to lack the energy to move, a fact that Aela was thankful for. She would not have to waste magicka dulling his pain, or immobilizing him.

"Talun-Lei, would you get this please?" Aela nodded to the javelin still jutting from the Naga's hide.

"Aye," the Argonian said sheepishly. He grabbed hold of the missile with both hands, and Aela felt it twist as he tightened his grip. The sharp head sliced farther into the Naga's lung, creating new rivers of blood that flooded into his air passages. Quickly reaching out with her energy, she staunched the sanguine flow once more, and turned it back into his arteries and veins.

"Gently!" Aela warned sternly.

The javelin stopped turning. Then the Argonian began to slowly draw it forth. Its barbed head caught upon the flesh behind it, ripping more tissue away with every inch it withdrew. Aela set her lips to a hard line, but said nothing. Why did they always have to use barbed heads?

Finally the weapon was free of the Naga's chest, and Aela could get down to the real work. She started by purifying her hands with a simple spell, leaving them clean and free of any contaminants. Then she reached down into the open wound with her fingers, and pulled out bits of torn scales and leather from the harness he wore. She wished for her forceps, or even a pair of pliers, but all of her tools were back in her bag at Rullianus' house. Still, she was thankful that the bandit had not been wearing a tunic or shirt, for that would have left even more foreign material in the wound. When she was certain that she had gotten all of it out, she withdrew her fingers and set to the task of actual healing.

Starting with the deepest point of injury: the lungs, she slowly pulled his rent flesh back together, stitching the wounds shut with her magicka. Moving upward, she reconnected blood vessels, and allowed them to once more carry their cargo to the rest of his body. The nerve fibers were a greater challenge, and she did her best to rejoin them. But since she had never worked on a Naga before, she could only hope that she wove them back together correctly. At least this was good practice, she thought absentmindedly. If nothing else, she was getting some valuable experience in treating an uncommon race.

Then came the ribs. The metal head of Talun-Lei's javelin had cut between two of the bones, tearing chips out of each. She pushed the broken shards back into place with her fingers, and fused them all together with magicka. Next were the bands of powerful muscle, which at least were easy to mend together. She thanked Mara that Talun-Lei's javelin had not landed near a joint, as the delicate tendons that linked the muscles to the bones were untouched.

Finally she sealed the Naga's skin closed over the former wound. She was even able to take some of the pieces of torn scales she had pulled from inside his body and graft them back onto his hide. But they had been broken and deformed from the impact of the javelin, and she found that she could not rebuild them to their original shapes or pattern. That left a massive, scaleless scar in his flesh. If only he had been a human or an elf, she could have sealed the skin shut with nary a sign of its ever being broken.

Now the Naga did begin to stir. Aela felt down for the magicka to put him to sleep, but Ungarion got to it first. With a flash of red Destruction magic from his hand, the Altmer wizard extinguished the bandit's stamina, sending him into a deep sleep.

"Well, it appears all of those Restoration classes really did pay off." Ungarion observed. "Perhaps we can get some useful information out of this fellow?"

Aela rose to her feet, but teetered for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She felt a soft hand from Ungarion take her by the shoulder to steady her, and could not resist yawning. Now she wished that the Altmer had not knocked the Naga out. She could have stolen his endurance instead, and refreshed herself from the effort of healing him. But now that he was unconscious, there was nothing left for her to take.

Aela looked to Ungarion, and he took his hand away from her at a nod. She knew that the Altmer would never carry the Naga back to the village. She also knew that she did not have the magicka to summon a spirit to do it, not without losing precious time waiting to recover her energy, or even worse, wasting a magicka potion. Finally her gaze settled upon Talun-Lei.

"It was your spear that felled him," the Breton Witch declared. "You can carry him back."



Edited to Add:
I came across a decent illustration of Agrigento's defenses. This is almost exactly the same. The only thing missing is that the wall is not crenelated.

First the nits:

Did you mean of? Something the spell checker never finds for you!

Was this meant as a thought of Aela's? Just a little disconcerting to see the switch in tense; on the second reading I wondered if it was Aela thinking and not the main narrative voice of the story.

On to the real purpose of this reply.
I really liked how the fighting style of the mages contrasted with Talun-Lei's approach. Yet all worked together to approach silently and lay an ambush on the fly. Too bad they didn't quite get the perfect timing, but still they gained the advantage of surprise.
Reminds me of the Evil Queen Mayor Regina when she's pissed at someone!

For some reason this reminds me of an old T-shirt slogan: A Smith and Wesson beats a Pair of Mages Aces!

As a medical professional, I must admit that I read the entire healing episode with a critical eye. I really can't find any nits to pick here. While I would have written this scene differently, I also know that there is more than one way to castrate a cat, so your writing is just fine from a semi-technical standpoint.

You tell it, girl!

That went pretty well, and was a neat magical fight. I’m glad that, after Ungarion seemed unable to stop the fleeing Naga, Talun-Lei did. More important to stop the Naga from escaping with what he has seen/learned, than to failing in the attempt to capture him alive. Happily though, Aele gave us a wonderful display of her potent healing skill and brought her Naganese patient back from near death.

I’m looking forward to learning what intelligence about their foes the magicians can glean from this Naga. And how they go about gathering it.

It’s fortuitous that Talun-Lei and Meensa-Sa detected this small reconnaissance party early. I’ll be interested to see if the Seven decide that it is time to begin field screening patrols of their own around their perimeter. Or at least some sort of watch arrangement.

I simply love the care your Seven have put into their preparations. We're just beginning to see how it is paying off!

I’m pretty excited for this part. If they stop the scouts from reporting, the rest of the group will not be prepared to assault a fortified town.

I loved how personal absorbing that Naga’s life force felt to Aela.

Talun-Lei shows his worth, even if they wanted one alive. They really should have shared that tidbit. The healing process was interesting.

I love how after the magical display it was Talun-Lei’s simple javelin that brought the Naga down.

I liked Aela’s thoughts about barbed heads and leaving a scar on the Naga. They may yet kill the bandit, but she’s going to do a good job healing him first. It made me think about the bandit waking up in captivity. His loyalty might be for sale now that he has reason to hope that they’ll treat him well.

haute ecole rider: Thanks again for picking out those nits. As usual, they are the kind of thing the spellchecker does not notice, and my eyes ignore after rereading the same thing five times.

The Evil Queen indeed! I wanted Aela's life absorbing to seem at least a bit nastier than the 'normal' ways of killing folks. Glad she comes across as Arch-Villain material!

Talun-Lei's javelin cast was my way of showing that he was not just a bystander after all, and could contribute something meaningful. Also I wanted to show that while Aela and Ungarion may be the heavy artillery of the team, they are still not infallible. As you noted, it was all about everyone working together and doing their part.


Acadian: I thought it was high time we saw Aela do some healing, after only hearing about her Restoration skillz for the entire story.

This next episode will be all about gathering that intelligence. I hope it will be interesting!

We are now going into the final stretch. The value of all of those preparations will begin to really tell in the coming posts.


King Coin: You hit the gargoyle right on the head. Now that the Seven have stopped the scouts, the rest of the bandits are unaware that the village is ready for them. That gives the Seven the initiative.

I did want Aela's life absorption to feel personal to her. It is sucking out someone's life force after all and devouring it.

And it as indeed on A&U that they never said they wanted one alive. They are so used to working together that they do not need to use words to convey that sort of thing. But now they have someone else they are not used to working with, and it shows.


Grits: As I was saying to h.e.r. I wanted to show that A&U were not Marty Sue's, and that for all of their magical prowess, they still are not perfect. I also wanted to show that even in a magical world, a guy with a pointy stick can still make a difference.

I expect that Aela (and Abiene), are sick and tired of those damned barbed heads on every arrow and javelin in the world, making their work all the more difficult. It struck me as a good, ordinary work life sort of observation.

If the bandit were an average mercenary, or even a bandit from an average band of thugs, you would probably be right about his willingness to cooperate. But as we shall see, nothing is ever simple.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode Talun-Lei led Aela and Ungarion into the forest surrounding the village, and found the Naga scouts. The two mages dispatched a bandit apeice, and the third was about the escape when Talun-Lei felled him with a javelin. Aela found the Naga was still barely alive, and healed his injuries. That gave them a prisoner they could question back in the village.


Chapter 3.4

"We are not going to get anything useful out of that Naga," Valens sighed as he stepped out of the stable. "He's been interrogated before. Probably by the Imperial Legion, or the Hwa-Rang."

"The Hwa-what?" Do'Sakhar scratched his head.

"Just as the smoothskins have their knights," Talun-Lei explained, "the Hwa-Rang are the elite warriors of Argonia."

Perhaps one day Talun-Lei would be counted among them, the young Argonian thought. There could be no greater honor for a warrior. He knew that for one of low birth like himself, it would be extraordinary. But it had been done before. All he really needed was to distinguish himself in battle, again and again, to prove his worth.

Except for Seridwe - who remained watching over the Naga prisoner within - Talun-Lei and the other mercenaries stood outside of the stable. Along with them were Agrigento's leaders, and a fair number of regular citizens.

"Give me a crack at him," Rullianus seethed. The Imperial's hands clenched and unclenched, as did the muscles of his jaw. "I'll make that fetcher talk!"

"Aye, torture him and he will talk," Ungarion said. "He will say whatever he thinks you want to hear."

"But unfortunately, not the truth," Aela frowned. "Torture's only good for intimidating people."

"Getting real, useful information is harder," Valens said. "We have to make him want to help us, because he thinks it is his best interest, and he feels dependent upon us. We just don't have time for that."

"I am also certain he knows that once he does talk, we will kill him," Nashira said.

"There's that too," Valens said. "We tried the 'Good Centurion/Bad Centurion' routine on him. Seridwe promised to free him if he cooperates, and I threatened to feed him to a voriplasm if he doesn't. It didn't work. I would put septims to sausages that he's spent time in an Imperial prison. He knows all the tricks."

"Perhaps these ones need to invent a new trick?" Talun-Lei ventured. All of this talk of torturing the Naga made his stomach feel queasy. He had not hesitated to cast his javelin at the brigand, nor had he felt any remorse when he had thought the blow had been fatal. But that had been a blow struck in honorable battle. The idea of carving a helpless person up set his scales on edge. It just was not right. That was the kind of thing a bandit would do after all.

"What did you have in mind?" the landstrider Aela lifted an eyebrow, and along with all the others, cast her gaze in his direction.

"Well Talun-Lei was thinking…" The Argonian was keenly aware of all those eyes focused upon him, and glanced down to his feet. He knew they all thought he was young and inexperienced, and not up to the task before them. He could not afford to say the wrong thing now, to say the stupid thing. That would only confirm their suspicions. He had to show them his true mettle.

"Valens says that we must gain his trust," Talun-Lei continued. "What better way to do that, than by actually freeing him?"

"What?" Ulpia gaped in amazement. "You want to just let him go!"

"No," Valens said. He smiled and rubbed his fingers through his goatee. "I think I know what he has in mind, and it just might work."

"Would someone care to enlighten the rest of these ones?" Hathei grumbled.

"One of these will help the prisoner escape," Talun-Lei explained. "They will make him think they are changing sides, and want to join the Nagas. Surely he will confide in his rescuer?"

"Or stab the poor sod in the back at the first opportunity," Ungarion remarked dryly.

"There is always that," Talun-Lei stared down at his feet again. Just as he feared, the other mercenaries now thought him a fool…

"A chance worth taking I say," the Breton Witch insisted. Talun-Lei looked back up, and did his best to hold his tail still, so as not to betray his surprise.

"Aye," the tiger-striped Khajiit joined in as well. "Seridwe and Do'Sakhar can shadow them. If the Naga does try anything, at least one should be able to get a bow shot in before it is too late."

"I agree," Valens clapped one hand on the Argonian's back. "It's a brilliant plan. Now who is going to be the rescuer?"

"It has to be whoever the Naga is most likely to believe would change sides." Ungarion rubbed one hand thoughtfully along the back of his neck. "He would never believe one of the villagers would do it. So it has to be one of us."

"Indeed," Valens agreed. "So who would be the least alien to him? Who would look like a friendly face?"

Suddenly Talun-Lei realized that all of the others were staring at him.

* * *

"Why should Arsum trust this one?" the captive Naga narrowed his orange eyes at Talun-Lei. "This is the one who speared him!"

"This is the one who kept him alive," Talun-Lei insisted. "That Breton Witch wanted to eat Arsum's life energy, as she did his companion's. That one is a two-spirit: twisted and cruel. It was Talun-Lei's javelin that saved this one, and his insistence that Arsum would be more valuable alive than dead."

"And why would Talun-Lei do this?"

"Because Talun-Lei is not going to die in this pesthole. He will join Arsum's friends, and be on the side of the winners." The Argonian warrior stood arms akimbo as he stared down at the Naga. The bandit's arms were splayed out above his head and tied to the wooden planks of the horse stall within which he was imprisoned. Talun-Lei drew his dagger from the leather belt at his waist and stepped closer to the prisoner. He prayed to the Hist that he looked menacing, and that the Naga would believe the ruse.

"If Talun-Lei has made a mistake, then he should finish the Naga right now."

"What of the guard outside?" The Naga's eyes darted in the direction of the large double doors across the building.

"Talun-Lei is the guard outside," the Argonian replied.

"Very well," the Naga sighed. "Arsum will take this one to the others, and speak on his behalf."

"Good," the Argonian declared. "These ones had best waste no time then."

With that Talun-Lei cut the bonds holding the bandit. The Naga collapsed, and he was obliged to catch the outlaw, lest Arsum fall onto his feet. His heart raced, wondering if it was a ploy, and he held his dagger ready to strike in case it was. But the Naga made no move to attack, and straightened himself on his thick tail a moment later.

"This one is still weary from his wound," Arsum looked down to the scar that marred his side.

"He had better be able to keep up," the Argonian insisted. "For Talun-Lei cannot stop to wait for him."

"Arsum will keep up," the Naga murmured. "Lead on… friend."

Talun-Lei sheathed his dagger and stepped out of the horse stall. He picked up his shield, spear, and javelins outside. Pointing the way down the row of stalls, he nodded to the small pedestrian door at its end.

"Down there," he said. "It opens out on the side of the building. They will never see these two."

He waited for the Naga to go first. The bandit might appear to be going along with the plot, but there was no way to be certain. Arsum slithered down the corridor. Most of the stalls were empty, but a few still held the handful of draft horses that the villagers still possessed. Meen-Sa had told him that the Nagas had killed and eaten two of their mounts the last time they had been in Agrigento, and the same the time before that. Soon they would have none of the beasts left at all.

The Naga opened the door, and slithered quietly into the night outside. Talun-Lei followed, and again pointed the way through the maze of little alleys between upraised buildings. They had not gotten more than twenty feet when they had to stop, and dive for cover behind the support beams of one of the homes.

A moment later Valens walked past with Nashira, both fully armed and armored. Neither mercenary appeared to notice Talun-Lei or his charge however. Instead they walked on and disappeared down one of the side alleys.

Talun-Lei silently motioned Arsum to move on. They avoided the streets whenever they could, creeping underneath the upraised homes instead, and stopping to take advantage of the deep shadows therein whenever someone walked by. Finally they reached the embankment that surrounded the village. A single Argonian paced its length, armed with a wooden shield and bamboo spear.

Talun-Lei waited breathlessly for her to walk past. Then he led Arsum up the gentle slope to the crown of the berm. They paused at the wooden timbers of the palisade, and Talun-Lei was obliged help the Naga slither over one of the lower points in the crenellated wall. He deftly followed a moment later.

The outer edge of the embankment was steep, and Talun-Lei found himself sliding down the loose dirt and toward the stake-filled moat below. He stopped himself by throwing out both arms and digging his webbed fingers and toes into the loose soil, just inches above the murky water. The Naga seemed to fare better, slithering down in a zig-zag, while hugging the wall of the ditch with his torso.

"Watch for the punji sticks," Talun-Lei cautioned Arsum as he cautiously dipped his toes into the moat. While normally the feel of water was a comfort to his scales, the thought of the spiky traps lurking below its innocent surface made the soles of his feet itch. Thankfully they were angled forward, to impale anyone trying to get into the village. This made it much easier going the other way, and Talun-Lei found that if he took his time he could feel for the shafts of the spikes, and easily circumvent them.

Once they had passed through the dangerous channel and climbed up its other side, there came the final dash through the open field. Talun-Lei had chosen the southern end of the village to escape from. That meant that rather than open rice paddies before them, they were faced by bamboo-studded hills. However, the first few hundred feet had been denuded of trees, and now lay studded with the jagged stumps that remained in their wake.

These too they silently navigated through. More than once Talun-Lei paused to look behind them, searching for any sign of Seridwe or Do'Sakhar. But if the archers were truly shadowing him, they gave no sign of their presence.

Secunda had risen in the east by the time they passed into the sheltering stalks of bamboo. The small moon cast its wan light through the tall, narrow stems that surrounded them. It was toward the Secunda's pale face that Arsum led them, and finally Talun-Lei broke the silence once more.

"How far away are the others?" he asked.

"Not far," Arsum glanced back at the Argonian behind him. "They are camped in the next valley, just a few miles distant."

"The villagers tell us there are forty of you," Talun-Lei said.

"Forty!" Arsum snorted. "We have many more fighters than that now!"

"Indeed?" Talun-Lei caught his breath. As if forty was not bad enough!

"A band of your own folk joined us not a week past," Arsum went on. "We now count at least seventy in number. More will join us in time, and we will command all of the roads between Stormhold and Gideon. Then the Imperial Governor will be forced to recognize Dark-Eye as Taejo, just as the leaders of the other nine Ju."

Talun-Lei had to fight to keep his tail still. Their leader was not content to remain a simple bandit, but aspired to become the equivalent of a Cyrodillic Count? Was he that powerful, or simply mad?

"Surely the Imperial Legion or the Hwa-Rang will have something to say about that," he finally said.

"Dark-Eye has powers." Arsum stopped and turned to face Talun-Lei. "That one has made a pact with the Daedra. It is said that no weapon can slay him. The dark things that crawl and slither and skitter beyond this realm obey his command. He is the darkness that devours all."

"Arsum makes that one sound like some kind of god," Talun-Lei said skeptically.

"Perhaps Dark-Eye is," Arsum murmured. "Or one day he will be. Talun-Lei is wise, to have chosen to serve him, rather than oppose him."

The Naga's head darted to one side, and he stared intently into the shadows that crept behind the tall stems of bamboo. "What is that?" he hissed.

Talun-Lei could not help but to turn his eyes in the same direction. Was it one of the landstriders? Had Arsum seen them? He felt something brush against his side, and was turning back to look when his ears were filled by the loud thump of a recurve bow being fired. The deep report of another bowshot rang out a bare instant afterward, and the hissing of arrows cut through the air.

Arsum jerked to one side as an arrow slammed home in his chest, pinning him to the bamboo stem beside him. Another missile sprouted from his neck, and likewise impaled him upon the same stalk of bamboo.

Talun-Lei felt as if his heart was ready to burst from his chest. His tail wanted to snap this way and that, and it took all of his willpower to keep it still, and retain a calm exterior. Or at least he tried to. Somehow he doubted that he succeeded in hiding his shock as Do'Sakhar and Seridwe rose like wraiths from the shadows around him.

He turned his eyes back to Arsum in time to see his own dagger fall from the Naga's lifeless fingers. Now his tail did begin to sway. By the Hist! Just one more second and it would have been his own lifeblood draining out into the dirt, rather than the bandit's. The realization came crashing down upon Talun-Lei like a falling banyan tree. His life - indeed all of their lives - hung by a thread.

I’m sure there are ways of getting the little snake to talk…

The Argonian’s plan sounds risky. Those Naga’s are quick, and then there’s the actual break out. If someone sees them going, they could be in trouble.

The break out went better than expected, and the snake’s lips are loose already. Talun-Lei already has some precious information to share with the other. The enemy force is double!

That was very well done at the end! Just a moment from death! And now he can share the news.

Fair dues, I have been away too long...

I have to say though, I'm glad you stick to the one a week rule for posting... ...

I've absolutely adored this story from the start...And having gone through these last few posts...Well...Eight?...The sheer depth to the story is absolutely stunning, still...

I absolutely love all of it...It's funny, clever, sexy (*winks*)...I love all the training stuff...Any time Do'Sakhar or Ungarion turn up, there's usually a laugh-out-loud not far behind...

All of the characters are stunning...So brilliant...

I'm loving all of the Mag Seven/(presumably)Seven Samurai references...I say presumably 'cause I wondered if that scene with Nashira and Rullianus was lifted from T.S.S...

Although, I did a little sniffle at one scene which suggested which of the Seven they were...(Spoilers sweetie!)... ...Nevermind, it's not like I'm not expecting what comes later, is it?... ...

As I've managed to completely derail my train of thought, I've completely lost what I was going to say...*SQUIRREL!!*...

Um...It has been an absolute joy going through this story...Such an amazing job...It's a pleasure to be back once more...

You know, reading that back, it does look like I think your story is quite good, you know?... ...

Proper Awesome!!... ...

Nice one!!!...

*Applauds most heartily*...

Playing good centurion/bad centurion. Betting septims to sausages. I love these familiar phrases adapted to your venue!

"Indeed," Valens agreed. "So who would be the least alien to him? Who would look like a friendly face?" - - It was great fun to gradually realize all signs were pointing to the young lizard man for this operation! You did a nice job of gently and effectively drawing out the logic here.

And the Great Escape out of the village and into the forest went well – initially.

‘Secunda had risen in the east when by the time they passed into the sheltering stalks of bamboo. The small moon cast its wan light through the tall, narrow stems that surrounded them. It was toward the Secunda's pale face that Arsum led them, and finally Talun-Lei broke the silence once more.’ - - Quoted simply because this is such a beautiful paragraph.

"What is that?" he hissed.’ - - The Naga pulled me in with this just as surely as he did his escort. Only after he lay dead sprouting two arrows and holding Talun-Lei’s dagger did I realize the Naga’s comment was only a distraction to take out the Argonian. A fabulous twist!

Now, was the info the Naga spilled about his band lies or the truth? Methinks that pride, ego and fully believing that Talun-Lei would never live to repeat it means the discouraging news is true.

Once again, we see the Seven working together. None of them are uber alone, but together they are quite a force.

I got an impression of Arsum thinking he might have revealed too much, and that he'd better eliminate that mistake, just before the arrows struck. But it was hard to tell if he'd detected the following archers. Even if that wasn't an intentional ambiguity, it certainly worked nicely! Either way, sneaking Talun-Lei's dagger from him was brilliant!

Talun-Lei's getting involved in a lot. I hope the others are taking note of that.

First, I'm going to echo everyone else's comments so far.

Now the nit: Talk about not seeing something after reading it five times! This jumped out at me on the first read-through, but I couldn't find it when I went back to quote it. I only found it after looking for other things to quote below!

Now, on to certain things that jumped out for me:

Hey, the Flower Boys! My heart sang at the mention of this elite group. I'm happy to see you pulling on so many fascinating aspects of Korean culture. For those who aren't familiar, the Hwarang (or Hwa-rang, as SubRosa spelled it) was the warrior elite of ancient Shilla, one of the Three Kingdoms that made up Korea during the years between 57 AD and 668 AD. Reading about them in this fan fiction brings back memories of my first K-Drama, The Great Queen Seondoek, which, while fictional, plays a bright spotlight on the early, military Hwarang. Sage Rose, you may already know this, but one of the greatest warriors of Korean history, who has a Gate named after him in Seoul, is Kim Yushin.

I love that this whole chapter is from Talun-Lei's viewpoint. This is reinforced by certain descriptions, such as the landstrider Aela, did his best to hold his tail still, (though this is just as apt for the feline Khajiiti), and While normally the feel of water was a comfort to his scales, the thought of the spiky traps lurking below its innocent surface made the soles of his feet itch.

And the Taejo! The Great Ancestor! So Dark Eye is planning on founding a great dynasty? I loved this hint of soaring ambition on the part of one who initially appears as a bandit. Like you said, more than simple outlaws indeed!

While I have thoroughly enjoyed the Korean references scattered throughout this chapter, I must question the presence, both formerly and presently, of horses as the main beast of burden in this tale. Historically horses do not do well in swamps, rice paddies, etc. They do not thrive in the mud and persistent damp of such places--their hooves will fall off. Instead, oxen, or better yet, water buffalo, are the traditional beasts of burden in such villages--they are cheap to keep, move more easily through the mud due to their cloven feet, and much more resistant to the diseases and dampness of this type of environment. Horses were typically reserved for riding on dry (relatively speaking) roads, and often to keep horses in such an environment, one would have to create dry areas for them to rest and work in. More a stylistic opinion rather than an editorial nit, though. After all, this isn't our Earth, but rather Tamriel. If you choose to keep horses in this story, I will respect your choice.

King Coin: It was a risky plan indeed. It is based on many cop movies/shows where the police catch some minor criminal, and release them on a technicality. But it is all a ruse just so they can follow the smalltimer back to the big bad, and catch them all in the act. Naturally it did not go entirely as planned...


McBadgere: McB is back! I am glad I keep that once a week rule for posting as well. In the distant past I did it a lot more frequently. These days I could never write enough to keep up that pace! I guess it is true that you cannot keep it us as long when you get older...

That scene with Nashira and Rullianus was slightly inspired by Seven Samurai, but only in a very oblique way. There is a scene where Katsushiro (the Chico One ), says to the old swordmaster "You're incredible!" after a display of awesomeness. I took that idea and worked out the rest of the scene from it in order to show us a little more of Rullianus and what drives him.


Acadian: I have a lot of fun turning familiar phrases into setting appropriate ones. It makes the world stand out as different, yet at the same time gives us something as familiar as a phrase we might hear any day of our lives.

It was also fun spelling out all those conclusions about who should be the volunteer to break the Naga out of jail. You can bet Talun-Lei was not expecting it to be him when he came up with the idea!

I am glad that Arsum's little misdirection at the end worked. It was supposed to distract Talun-Lei while he nicked his dagger and killed him with it. I was hoping it might distract the readers as well!


ghastley: I think you are right about Arsum wanting to cover his tracks about blabbing so much. But also there is his ego to consider as well. Returning to camp after being rescued does not make him look to good. He comes off looking better saying that he escaped all on his own. Or that he was never captured to begin with.

Talun-Lei is indeed stepping up. He has a lot to prove, given his none to auspicious beginning with the group. While he may not be the most experienced, or skilled, he certainly does have something to bring to the table.


haute ecole rider: I knew you would like all the Korean references. I had to come up with some basic political units for Black Marsh - like whether they have Counties, or Holds, of if they have knights, etc... So I fell back to good old Korea, the Three Kingdoms, and the Hwarang. I put the dash in to more Argonianize it, since they have a lot of hyphenated names.

I added The Great Queen Seondoek to my Netflix instant queue, though I do not know when I will have time to start watching it. Probably once I am finished with Magnum PI.

I was actually a little worried that the pov character would not be clear in the last segment. So in my later edits I went looking for ways to make it more evident that we were seeing things through Talun-Lei's eyes. Hence I started working in things like the scale and tail references, and of course the landstrider.

You know what, I originally had water-buffalo. That is what I am used to seeing in South-East Asia, rather than horses, for the reasons you specify. I am not sure where I slipped up and changed it to horses. Maybe it was when I decided that the big building across the square from the brewery was a stable. Do people keep water buffalo in a stable? Hmmm, I did a quick google and it looks like they do, even on low-technology farms. I guess you would not want it wandering off into the forest and getting eaten by a tiger. Or stolen by another farmer. So when I get time I will go back and edit out those horse references and replace them with water buffalo. Thanks for noticing that and pointing it out! The new version I am working on will have neither, but a new critter I invented based upon hadrosaurs.


Previously On Seven: In our last episode Talun-Lei concocted a scheme to get the Naga prisoner Arsum to talk. He pretended to escape the village with Arsum, claiming he wanted to change sides and join the Nagas. He learned that a second group of Argonian bandits had joined the Nagas, increasing their number to seventy. Worse, they were camped in the next valley. Arsum them distracted Talun-Lei, and would have killed him with his own dagger if not for Do'Sakhar and Seridwe, who shot him with arrows from ambush.

The next scene is a little bigger than I would like, but I did not want to break it in the middle of the action.


Chapter 3.5

"Now we know what we face," Valens said after Talun-Lei had reported to the others gathered in the brewery. "Seventy Nagas and Argonians, with a leader who is doubtlessly some form of conjurer and Daedra worshipper."

"And they will be here tomorrow," Seridwe added, "perhaps sooner."

"We have to surrender!" Hathei cried. "Throw ourselves upon their mercy!"

"They have no mercy," Rullianus growled. "Remember what they did to my wife? That will be your daughter next." The Imperial's eyes cast about the others. "All of your daughters."

"These ones have little choice," Stalks-The-Marshes said. "They either die fighting an impossible battle, or we die groveling in the mud. They may as well fight."

"We fight," Ulpia declared firmly. "We all know there is no other option. We have known it since we went to Bravil in search of warriors."

"Aye," Meen-Sa agreed. "We fight. It is the will of the Hist. We mortals can only go where the river of their power carries us."

"There it is then," Valens said. "We go to war. From this moment on I want all four centuries posted on the walls at all times. Half their number will stand watch while the other half sleeps on the embankment behind them."

"Given what Talun-Lei has learned from the prisoner, we now have the initiative," Nashira said. "I say we use it, and attack."

"I agree," Aela nodded. "We know where they are, but they do not know about us."

"Aye," Ungarion added his approval. "If we can put down twenty or thirty of them in the night, we can even up the odds before they get here tomorrow."

Do'Sakhar folded his arms and frowned. "While Khajiit sees the wisdom in taking the fight to the foe, he fears leaving the village defenseless while the Seven are away. The prisoner may have lied about the location of his conspirators. Even if not, some of the bandits might reach Agrigento before the raiding party returns."

"He's right," Valens said. "We cannot all go. Besides, as I said before, we cannot get into a pitched battle against them in the open. It will have to be a small party making a quick raid, without a protracted engagement."

"Leave it to Ungarion and I," Aela insisted. "We aren't slowed down by that armor the rest of you wear, so we can move fast. We can both summon Aedra to double our number. Ungarion can strike with fireballs, while I defend us from magic or missiles. By the time they realize what is happening, we will melt away into the night."

"Indeed," Ungarion stood with hands on his hips. "This is exactly our kind of fight."

"You will need one more," Seridwe insisted, "in case some of the Nagas get in close in the dark."

"I will see to it then," Nashira said quietly. "No bandit will live to reach our mages."

"These ones will also need someone to lead them through the rainforest," Stalks-The-Marshes said. "Someone who knows the land, even in the dark. Someone who often goes hunting in the nearby valleys, and is skilled with bow and spear."

"Someone like you perhaps?" Ulpia smiled at the Argonian trader.

"If these ones feel he is worthy," the Argonian said with a modestly that even Aela could tell was false. "Stalks-The-Marshes will indeed volunteer for the task."

"Very well," Valens agreed. "You go with them, but strictly as a scout. Do not get into the fighting!"

"I swear it by the Hist," the Argonian held one hand over his heart. "This one has a mate and son to return to in his nest."

"And this one," Do'Sakhar said quietly to Aela, "Khajiit hopes she remembers the most important rule to being a mercenary. When the fighting is over, return alive."

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.

"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"

* * *

The moons had neared their zeniths by the time Stalks-The-Marshes guided the raiding party to the Naga encampment. The Argonian trader carried a self bow cut from a stalk of bamboo. Like Nashira, he wore one of the night eye-enchanted amulets that Ungarion had created in the weeks previous. Aela and the Altmer relied upon spells to see in the dark. All of them moved quickly and tirelessly, thanks to the spells that the Breton Witch had cast upon them to fortify their physical abilities.

The encampment had not been difficult to find. The Nagas had lit several campfires, making them easily visible from the valley rim. However, Stalks proved his worth by guiding them down the easiest path through the rainforest, avoiding bogs and thickets, and insuring their speedy arrival at the camp. He even seemed to know the places where voriplasms and other predators were most likely to lurk, and cautiously led them around such hidden dangers.

Looking over the camp, Aela could not help but to shake her head. The bandits were sprawled out across either side of a small stream. The Argonians stayed together in one corner of the camp, while the Nagas took up the rest of it. However, all were spread out with no order or organization. They had not even placed sentries on watch. They looked like they were on holiday. That someone - or something - might dare to attack them seemed to be the last thing on their minds.

"Sloppy," Nashira whispered. "They clearly have no inkling of what they face."

"Or they are putting on a very elaborate ruse," Ungarion cautioned. "Either way, let's not be as arrogant as they appear to be."

"Right," Aela said. She downed a potion to fortify her magicka for the upcoming fight, and another to increase how quickly she recovered it. She saw that Ungarion did likewise. Then she passed out more potions to the others to shield them from physical harm, and finally another set to ward off fire.

"Stalks," Aela looked to the Argonian villager. "Stay here and keep hidden. If things go well, the rest of us will fall back this way when it is time to leave. Then we'll all go back to Agrigento together. If things go sour, don't stay around and try to help us. Run for the village immediately."

"This one cannot just abandon his comrades." The Argonian shook his head. "Stalks-The-Marshes is not eager to fight, but he is no coward either."

"It's not cowardice," Ungarion said. "If we die, someone has to warn the others in the village."

"Besides, if we fall, you are not going to make a difference," Nashira said bluntly. "There is no glory in dying pointlessly. Return the village, that is where you will be most needed."

The Argonian nodded grimly, and remained behind as the other three moved forward. Ungarion brought them to a halt a hundred feet from the encampment. Aela nodded to him, and in tandem the two mages raised their fists to the moons. Blue light spilled from their fingers, and an instant later a pair of salamanders took form in the air before them. With mighty flicks of their tails, the fiery serpents seemed to swim through the air as they darted toward the bandits.

The Breton filled her left hand with her ward, ready to deflect any attack that came at the two of them. In her right hand she readied her spell to absorb the health of another. While she knew that the bandits were far beyond the limited range of the spell, she also knew that they would not remain that way for long...

Beside her Ungarion formed a ball of fire between his two hands, then threw it forward. It rolled and crackled as it sped through the night. It passed the two salamanders when it was half way to the camp. Aela saw several Argonians and Nagas stop what they were doing and turn to gape at the flames approaching them. Then Ungarion's fiery missile struck home on the ground at the nearer side of the bivouac, and it blossomed into an explosion of flame.

Nagas were engulfed in fire for a good five paces to either side of the point of impact. Aela had to shield her spell-enhanced eyes from the sudden brightness. The explosion burned out just a few seconds later. But now bandits slithered to and fro, covered in flames and screaming in high-pitched voices that nearly curdled Aela's blood.

Then the salamanders were into the bandit ranks. They snatched at Nagas with burning teeth, and dragged them along the ground even as they shook the luckless bandits to and fro. They moved on after tearing huge chunks of roasted flesh from the outlaw's hides, only to find new prey moments later.

Ungarion slung another fireball into the camp, and another. The great gouts of flame did nothing to deter the salamanders, being spirits of fire themselves. But Argonians and Nagas were roasted in the inferno. Those that were not killed in the first few moments slithered and ran in a frenzy, spreading out like glowbugs across the dark forest that surrounded them.

Now arrows began whizzing out of the darkness before them. Ungarion leaned in behind Aela, and she sheltered them both behind the shimmering energy of her ward. The Breton glanced back to see that Nashira simply knelt down behind the two. She was surprised that the Redguard had not even drawn her blade. Instead the sword master sat quiet and still, as if this were an ordinary night around a campfire.

But Aela had little time to ponder that, as now lightning crackled from the camp, seeking her out with glowing silver fingers. She had no trouble blocking the attack, but even still the hair on her head stood up in the aftermath. She was thankful that she had tied it down into a Daggerfall Braid before the raid. Otherwise she imagined that she would have looked quite frightful!

Ungarion continued to sling fire into the camp. But now it had grown difficult for him to catch more than two or three bandits in his blasts of fire. Aela could tell that he was draining his magicka at an alarming rate. She knew that as a high elf, and born under the stars of the Apprentice to boot, Ungarion was blessed with a prodigious reserve of magicka. Furthermore - just like herself - seven years at University had taught him to make the most of his power. But even he had his limits.

For Destruction magic was costly, and using it over large areas was even more draining. Mages had to lessen the power of their spells in order to spread them out over an area. For all of his University training, Ungarion was no exception. Aela knew that he could burn any one of the bandits dead in his tracks with a single bolt of fire. But his fiery explosions lacked the power to kill most of the Nagas instantly. Not that burning to death over several moments was any less lethal.

Aela's guess that the elf was nearly out of his magicka was confirmed when she saw him draw a phial from his belt and down it in a huge gulp. He had already used up all of his energy, and was down to potions to restore it quickly.

"Nashira, get close!" Aela shouted. A large ball of flames roared out of the night. She braced herself and held her ward up with both hands now, abandoning her absorb health spell to put all of her energy into their defense. The magical attack struck her ward and burst into a great explosion of fire. Her magical shield held however, and curbed the flames that licked out all around them.

"I have you now," she heard Ungarion murmur. As the flames died down, he flung a two-handed fireball back at the source of the attack. A moment later the forest lit up with another explosion of fire. Yet whether or not the Altmer had struck their attacker was unclear. There was just too much fire, smoke, and undergrowth to see.

Aela felt the unmistakable disturbance in the ether of a spirit taking form. One of the bandits was summoning a salamander of their own. A moment later he flared to bright life in the darkness before Aela's eyes. The Witch traced the slender cord of power that linked the Aedric spirit to his summoner. Reaching out with her right hand, she grasped that bond.

The bandit who had conjured him was strong. But he was not a Breton, nor University-trained, and certainly not an Ardhanari. With pure brute force Aela snapped the connection between the brigand and spirit. Pulling on the string of power, she bound the newly summoned spirit to herself instead. The salamander she had previously called up winked out of existence. But Aela did not care. Now she knew where one of their mages was, and she sent the very spirit he had summoned back to kill him.

"I think it is time to leave!" Nashira shouted behind them. Out of the corner of her eye, Aela saw the Redguard dart out to one side. Now Barafu finally leapt from its sheath. The gently curved blade trailed wisps of frost in the air behind it as it struck. A frozen head rolled by in the night. Screams followed, and two more Nagas collapsed to the ground in just as many seconds.

"She's right," Ungarion murmured, "we have outstayed our welcome."

With those words the high elf's long legs propelled him back toward the village. Aela followed, slowing enough so that Nashira could get in front of her. That allowed her to shield their backs with her ward. Within moments she saw another crackle lightning reaching out from the darkness, and knew that she had made the right decision to go last. As before, her defenses pushed the magical assault aside.

Aela ran on, keeping Nashira in sight before her. She felt an undine forming in the air behind them. As with the salamander, she reached out and snapped the cord of energy that bound the spirit to her summoner. But Aela had no intention of turning a water spirit upon amphibians. So rather than take control of her, she simply allowed the spirit to harmlessly dissipate into the ether.

Darting behind a thick banyan, an idea sprouted within the Breton's mind. Dispelling her stolen salamander, she raised her hand into the air to call forth a Dryad. Rather than the nubile young girls that bards sang of, the spirit that took shape before her was that of a towering tree. Aela sped on in the night, while behind her the tree spirit reached out to her mortal kin. The banyans and durians to either side stooped down with their boughs, completely blocking the game trail upon which she and the others fled.

Aela knew that the bandits could simply go around the impenetrable barrier of trees. But that would force them into the dense growth to either side of the trail, and slow them down considerably. Instead the bandits might simply try to burn the spirit and trees down. But that too would cost them time.

Time was all that she and the others needed of course. Thanks to the barrier, and their magically enhanced speed, they quickly outdistanced the bandits. Likewise thanks to her earlier spells, none of them became winded from their exertions. Soon they crested the rim of the valley, and paused to look back down at the carnage they had wrought behind them.

Flames still burned through the valley, and great pall of smoke hung over its center, obscuring it even from magically enhanced sight. Aela was thankful that it was a rainforest, and that the moisture in the air and soil kept the flames from spreading beyond control. If Ungarion had been throwing fireballs around the Colovian Highlands in summer, it would have created an inferno that would have engulfed miles of timber.

"Now they will think twice about attacking Agrigento!" Stalks-The-Marshes jubilantly declared.

Nashira simply shook her head. "Now they know they face more than farmers. They will be cautious from here on out. It's not over yet."

What a great way to start off the confrontation! Now the Nagas know what they are going up against - Nashira is so right. I really enjoyed reading the description of magic attacks and counter-attacks, especially the cost of throwing so much magic around. As one of my favorite characters Mr. Gold always said, "Magic always comes with a price. Thing is, are you willing to pay?" And I loved how Aela used the summoner's own salamander against him by following the spiritual connection between the two. Cool!

You are right, water buffalo were kept in barns, like horses. In Merrie Olde England, they were called byres. In Korea, I don't know! But yes, livestock were always kept under shelter, for reasons including those you listed. It was easier to keep them fed and healthy when they were housed under a roof/behind walls at night. And yes, they can be quite large buildings, often the largest in a farming village (except maybe for any religious buildings).

I quite like the hadrosaur idea for the Black Marsh setting. Minimal hair/no hair is more suitable for the damp and the wet. But be careful not to make them too large. The most successful dinosaur species were actually quite small (think velociraptors in Jurassic Park), and would be cheap for agricultural peasants to keep.

Oh, and another movie reference! puts me in mind of Sean Connery telling a despondent Kevin Costner "- and when your shift is over, make sure you go home alive. Here endeth the lesson." (The Untouchables, 1987--one of my favorites for Andy Garcia at the bottom of the stairway -- "Yeah, I got him.")

I really liked Nashira -- she conserved her energy for when her sword would really count. Smart woman in more ways than one!

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.
"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"
- - By Kynareth’s wings, you know I have smile as I think of you dreaming up the TES translation to common phrases.

Once in position for the ambush, Ungarion and Nashira did a great job of pulling the right strings with Stalks to preclude him from jumping into death’s way if things went badly.

Clever of the magical duo to use fireballs in support of their (no doubt) flame-immune salasummons. Sort of like how necrodudes throw iceballs at you that won’t harm their frost-immune minions.

‘She was thankful that she had tied it down into a Daggerfall Braid before the raid. Otherwise she imagined that she would have looked quite frightful!’
- - So much to love here! Showing us the effects of shock magic in action, a TESified hairstyle, and Aela’s adorable concern about her appearance in a pitched firefight. Clearly, she has been paying attention to Seridwe about ‘If something is worth doing, it’s worth looking good while doing it.’

As Rider said, it was neat how Aela snagged the enemy mage’s summon and turned it to her purpose.

Wow, things are really heating up now! *groan*


Nit? ‘In her right hand she readied her spell to absorb the health of other.’ - - Just guessing here that you intended an ‘s’ at the end of other?

I like where this is going. Send the spell casters to even up the odds. With surprise, they could do a lot of damage, especially with summons!

If they have night eye enchantments, I would expect the enemy to as well. They best tread carefully. Yikes, campfires? Perhaps no night for them then. Glad they are still fat and happy!

I would have liked to see Aela’s earth elemental in this attack! I am just imagining it pulling snakes into the ground and burying them alive.

And with that massive fireball dropped on them, I would say it’s time to leave. Aela turning the summon against its master was a great move. Her use of magic is quite different from Ungarion’s.

Last episode:

I was spellbound throughout the entire escape right through the surprise at the end. Talun-Lei’s cultural perspective and limited world experience gave great flavor to this whole episode. I felt that I was in the thick of it right along with him.

Somehow he doubted that he succeeded in hiding his shock as Do'Sakhar and Seridwe rose like wraiths from the shadows around him.

That was just beautiful!

I was surprised when Arsum turned on Talun-Lei and also wondering if he actually heard something, but it made perfect sense for him to do so. Talun-Lei represented too much risk to the Naga for the small reward of one more fighter, and Arsum already got an eyeful of the defenses on his way out. Plus, ego. You pulled that off flawlessly!


This week:

"Given what Talun-Lei has learned from the prisoner, we now have the initiative," Nashira said. "I say we use it, and attack."

That’s what the Nord who’s reading over my head (and dropping crumbs, thanks a lot) suggests. He’s quite a fan of this story. If he makes his own account and starts commenting in person, someone please PM me. I may need to adjust my meds.

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.

"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"

Those two.

Those that were not killed in the first few moments slithered and ran like burning ants, spreading out like glowbugs across the dark forest that surrounded them.

What a vivid image! How funny about Aela’s Daggerfall braid. Such a practical thought amid the battle underscored her and Ungarion’s previous experience in these situations.

Aela’s focus with the bandits’ summonings was a delight to see, and I remembered all of the time she spends with her head in the spirit world giving her such familiarity. Really neat. I also shuddered to think of the undine casually filling their lungs with water.

Excellent fight!!...

I do love your fight scenes...So amazingly well detailed...

I loved that Nashira just sat there until she caught them bandits sneaking up behind her...

Aela's just proper awesome really...I absolutely love her as a character...



...

Amazing story...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

haute ecole rider: That is an excellent saying by Mr. Gold! Of course we know what Aela can do to summonings and their summoners from the last chapter of the Teresa Fic. I was debating whether or not she was capable of doing so in this story, as she was younger, and not as experienced. But I realized that in spite of that, she still has the brute magical power to do so. Especially against mages who lack the kind of formal training she received at the Arcane U. Even as relatively new kids on the block, Aela and Ungarion are quite formidable.

I could not resist the nod to The Untouchables. It seems like just the sort of creedo that mercenaries would adhere to. After all, they are not fighting for a cause, or a king, or even a country. In the end, the only thing they really do have to fight for is one another.

Nashira held back because she is a master of the iai draw. She is actually more dangerous with her sword in its sheath than out in her hand! As one of the original iai masters said: "The essence of our tradition, and the attainment of an unassailable position, comes from cutting down our opponents while the sword is still in the scabbard, stifling our opponent’s actions and achieving victory through not drawing the sword."


Acadian: I actually had to work on the chopped mud crab/kwama line. I went digging through the UESP Wiki for likely candidates for chopping!

Just like Teresa with Carandil in Anutwyl, the Terrific Trio did not want Stalks getting mixed up in the fighting, and being killed. So talking him down was important. Ungarion with reason, and of course Nashira with her characteristic bluntness.

You hit the Naga right on the head with the reason for the dual salamanders. No need to worry about friendly fire with them!

I could not resist the thought of how electricity makes your hair stand on end, combined with Aela's long locks. Good thing for Seridwe's training!


King Coin: Those Nagas were fat and happy indeed. That was the advantage of preventing their scouts from returning. They were also arrogant of course, not believing that the village in the next valley could pose any real threat to them. To them, this was just an ordinary night.

The salamander won out because as Acadian pointed out, he is immune to Ungarion's fireballs. We will be seeing an archaean very soon however, next week Friday in fact, he will make an impression upon the bandits.

With Aela and Ungarion being the only two mages in the group, I wanted to make sure they were both unique in their use of magic. I am glad it worked out, as now we know if we see a fireball it was Ungarion, and if spirits are involved, you can put septims to sausages that it was Aela.


Grits: To be honest, Talun-Lei has been one of the most enjoyable characters to write in this story. I think it is for the same reason that Horst Bucholz got the spotlight in The Magnificent Seven (he gets more screentime than anyone else). As the inexperienced kid, he has the most opportunity for character growth. He is also the one that is easiest for folks like us - who do not kill people for a living - to identify with. So I think we can all put ourselves in his scales.

If there is any belching or farting in your posts, I think we will know to call the men in white coats!

Of course I could not resist a little fun between Ungarion and Do'Sakhar. They are like Stan and Ollie.

I am glad you pointed out that glowbug line, because it made me see a nit in it and go back and fix it. Describing the bandits as burning ants and then as glowbugs in the same sentence was redundant. So I trimmed that down.

As you noted, Aela spending all of her time with the spirits is one reason she is so powerful with them. As h.e.r.'s Mr. Gold said, magic always comes with a price. That is one of the prices she pays. While other people are having fun drinking, playing cards, or just having fun, she's got her head in the spirit world. This was actually partly inspired by Jennifer Leitham, a jazz bass virtuoso who is also trans. When she was young, spending all of her time practicing her double bass was a form of escapism, a place to get away from the bigotry of the real world, and the confusing issues of figuring out one's identity. Aela has exactly the same reasons for spending most of her waking hours with the spirits. It has made both of them exceptional at what they do.


McBadgere: That was sort of a new fight scene for me, as it was almost all magic, and on a scale I have never done before. It was rather fun to finally give Ungarion free rein with his fireballs. Not to mention to really show Aela's mastery of spirits. Plus of course, when it comes to the sword, no one can compare to Nashira.

And another vote for Ungarion and Do'Sakhar. I am so glad I followed my instincts back in the Chapter 1, when I started making them snipe at one another.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode it was decided to send a small group to attack the Naga camp in the night. Ungarion, Aela, and Nashira were chosen for the task, with Stalks-The-Marshes guiding them through the nighttime rainforest. The Argonian stayed back out of the fight while the three mercenaries sprang the ambush. The two mages sent salamanders into the camp, followed by Ungarion's fireballs. Aela defended them all from bandit counter-attacks with her ward. When a bandits tried summoning a salamander of his own, Aela took control of it and sent it back at the summoner. Likewise, she dispelled any other spirit that the Nagas tried to use against them. When the bandits finally came near enough for Nashira to start lopping heads off, they all retreated, with Aela using a summoned tree spirit to block the path behind them.


Chapter 3.6

The clanging of the alarm bell jerked Aela from a sound sleep. Like Ungarion and Valens, she had spent the night in the brewery. She leapt to her feet and took only a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes. She noticed that while the high elf was likewise jumping to his feet, there was no sign of the Nibenean. She imagined that he was already up and about, and quickly drew her pack onto her shoulders. That way she would have not only all of her potions, but also her healing tools with her as well.

Ungarion beat her to the balcony that ringed the copper distillation vats. She followed him up the ladder to the roof, and they found Valens there, gazing to the east. He pointed as they darted across the wide wooden beam that crowned the slanted roof of the building. Aela followed his gesture, and saw a small army of Nagas and Argonians making their way down the grassy hill to the east. They wove into and out of view through the tall grass, and the waving and shaking of other fronds betrayed the presence of even more of their number.

"The same place Talun-Lei first saw their scouts," Ungarion noted.

"Can you get some fireballs in there?" Valens asked.

"Too far," the high elf shook his head. "Oh I could hit the hillside. But they will have plenty of time to get out of the way. I would just be wasting my magicka."

"It looks like they are spreading out too," Aela observed. "It seems they learned their lesson last night."

Aela looked down from her high perch, and scanned the village below. She saw that each century of villagers already stood at their posts around the walls. Her eyes easily picked out Seridwe in her golden elven armor at the front gate. More difficult to spot were the others: Nashira to the east, Talun-Lei to the west, and Do'Sakhar to the south.

"That they have I'd wager," Valens murmured. "I'd say at least fifty bandits, perhaps more. It's hard to tell in the grass. If they were smart, they'd circle back through the forest and come down the grassy hill again, to make their numbers appear larger."

"Now that would be a clever trick," Ungarion said.

"Handril did it at Lindai," Valens said off-handedly. "He made the Imperial garrison there think he had sixty thousand men, when he really only had twenty. They surrendered rather than fight it out."

"Is that why you had the villagers stuffing sacks with straw and putting helmets on them?" Aela wondered aloud.

"Look down at the battlements," the Nibenean smiled. "You will see our numbers have grown."

Aela looked back down, and now she did note that many of the villagers standing guard at the parapets were motionless. Upon closer inspection she realized that they were not villagers at all, but the straw dummies she had mentioned.

The bandits swung north, and spread out into the rice paddies. Now that they were out in the open, they made easy targets. But as Ungarion noted before, they were so far away that they could easily dodge magical attacks. Even if they had not been, they were separated enough that a fireball would be lucky to engulf more than two of them in any case. They were indeed being cautious. The brigands continued to move in this manner until they reached the western slopes of the valley. This left the entire northern face of the village blockaded.

Four of the Nagas broke away from the others and slowly approached the front gate. One held a spear up over his head in both hands.

"It appears they would like to parley," Ungarion noted, "shall we oblige them?"

"It would be rude not to meet our guests," Valens smiled.

Since Aela had been last up onto the roof, she was now the first down into the belly of the distillery. She led the other two across the balcony and to the stone floor below. There the others quickly outdistanced her with their longer legs, and she had to race to keep up. Soon they came to the front gate, and climbed to the top of the embankment and stood at the parapet.

Now that they were closer, Aela had a better look at the approaching bandits. She saw that only three were Nagas. The fourth was an Argonian wearing a triple-disc cuirass made of what appeared to be dwarven steel. He carried a shield of golden elven manufacture, and what looked to be a mithril-hilted sword at his hip. The rest of his frame glittered with gold and silver jewelry. Whoever he was, he must be important, the Breton Witch imagined.

Of the Nagas, the one that stood out most was also the tallest. He wore a helmet made of what appeared to be boar tusks laid side by side in a conical pattern. His chest was covered by a corselet of white scales. Aela could tell they were not made of leather or metal, and wondered if they were taken from an actual animal. If the latter, the beast they had come from must have been gigantic, given the size of the individual scales. He wore a black leather patch over one eye, and the green scales of his arms and tail were faded with age. He clutched a long spear in one hand, tipped with a leaf-shaped point of what could only be ebony. Like the Argonian, he too was adorned with rings, necklaces, and armlets of gold and precious gems.

Boar's Tusk Helmet

Beside him slithered a slender Naga with orange-brown scales. This one wore no armor, but rather was dressed in animal skins festooned with feathers. A belt of human skulls hung from his waist, and smaller animal skulls were draped about his torso and arms. Unlike the others, he did not carry a spear. Rather he clutched a staff in one hand that was tipped with red crystal. Even in the distance, Aela could feel the power emanating from the weapon, and from the wizard. This was clearly not one to trifle with.

The last Naga was thoroughly unnotable. He carried a short spear tipped with some kind of animal fang over his head. Otherwise he wore little more than a loincloth and belt holding a pouch at one hip. Aela imagined he was literally just a spear-carrier. Perhaps because none of the other three - clearly leaders - would reduce themselves to making the symbol to parley.

"That one with the eye patch is Dark-Eye, their leader," Ulpia said. Like the other villagers, she wore a simple bamboo cuirass and wicker helmet, and carried a round shield of sturdy durian wood. Unlike them, she carried Aela's white staff Hrive Amaurea rather than a bamboo spear. "The one with the staff is his lieutenant, Vishta-Zaw. The other two I don't know."

"The Argonian must be the leader of the other band that just joined Dark-Eye's Nagas," Valens observed.

The bandits came to a halt within earshot of the walls, except for Dark-Eye. He moved a few more paces forward, and spread out his arms. "What is this?" he cried. "Why are there new walls around Dark-Eye's village?"

"We've been landscaping," Ungarion barked out in reply.

Many of the villagers chuckled at the jibe, and it was only then that Aela realized how tense they had all been. She found herself thankful for the Altmer's sense of humor. The sight of the bandits spread out across the fields was enough to make her heart race and mouth go dry, and she was experienced at this sort of thing! She could only imagine how frightened the villagers must be.

"Why is there a moat?" the Naga leader went on, as if he had not heard the high elf's joke.

"For swimming in!" Aela cried out in imitation of her friend.

That brought more subdued chuckles around the wall.

Dark-Eye grounded his spear, and looked across the mercenaries and villagers near the gate. "Where is Dark-Eye's soju?" he shouted.

"There's nothing here for you," Valens now shouted back, "except more of what you had last night."

"And who are these?" Dark-Eye shouted back. "Sellswords? Hired thugs? Where are Dark-Eye's beloved friends of Agrigento? Where are his good, and dear friends? Where is Ulpia, and Hathei, and Stalks-The-Marshes?"

"We're here," Ulpia shouted back, "and you aren't welcome!"

"Oh yes this one is!" Dark-Eye roared back. "Dark-Eye is coming into that mudhole, and he and his men will take what they want. This one promises that whoever stands against him will die on a spit. But he is not a cruel Naga. He understands that the people of Agrigento have been led astray by the smoothskin Ulpia and her cronies. Dark-Eye will be merciful to any who throw down their arms and beg for forgiveness."

"That includes the sellswords too," the Naga leader went on. "These farmers lied to them. They led them to believe that they could fight a battle they could win. But there is no victory against Dark-Eye. He will make a deal with them. Dark-Eye will let all of them walk out the gates now, and give them free passage through the valley."

"We deal in steel," Valens growled. To add emphasis to his words, he slowly drew first one, then the second of his ebony swords.

Dark-Eye shook his head, and turned from the gates to face his men. "Generosity, that was my first mistake!" he soliloquized. "I left these people with too much, too much money, too much rice, and too much soju. Now they have used that wealth to buy mercenaries. It just goes to show, you must answer for every good deed!"

The bandit leader glanced at Vishta-Zaw. Without another word the Naga mage lowered his staff. A bolt of white hot flame roared from the red crystal at its tip and sped for Valens. Out of reflex Aela threw out her left hand and poured her magicka into her ward. The magical shield blossomed to life just an instant before the magical bolt could strike. Aela had never felt such power, and threw everything she had into her defense. Still her mystical shield buckled, then shattered. Thankfully her ward had absorbed the last of the firebolt's energy in its death throes however, and all that remained of Vishta-Zaw's attack was a few wisps of smoke. Aela staggered, and fell to one knee. She marveled at the power in the staff. It was more than enough to reduce any mortal to ash in just an instant!

"You didn't have to do that," Valens said quietly as he helped Aela back to her feet. "I could have absorbed the entire thing."

"I know Azura's Star is powerful," Aela breathed as she stepped behind one of the high wooden merlons for cover. "But I did not think even it was that strong."

"It isn't," the Nibenean shook his head. "But I was also born under the Atronach. Between the two I absorb all the magicka sent at me."

Aela glanced back around the parapet to see that Dark-Eye and the others were beating a hasty retreat. Seridwe sent an arrow chasing after them. The Naga leader must have seen her out of the corner of his eye, for he grabbed the lowly spearman and held him up in front of him. The high elf's arrow drilled home in the spearman's chest, and the Naga slid motionless into the mud. Vishta-Zaw threw up a ward of his own as more arrows winged their way, and the magical shield deflected them all as he and the remaining brigands made their escape

AUGH! I'm caught up!!

Okay, okay, first things first: Love it! Though I already messaged you a few days ago and told you that.

Second, I was sort of hoping that Dark Eye was lying about his powers and ties to the Daedra. But it looks like his wizard friend would zap anyone who objected.

And so it begins, the fight we've been waiting for!

Both sides are fully loaded for the mind games that pervaded this introduction.

Great job of painting an intimidating and colorful picture of the NagArgonian negotiating party -

Testimony to training received by the Sellsword Seven, I don’t figure any of the villagers will take up Dark-Eye on his most ‘merciful’ offer. Good thing - for the bandits’ true nature is vividly shown as one of them readily sacrifices a comrade to save his own scales from Aela’s {Oops} Seridwe's arrow during the return to their lines.

The staff-delivered fire bolt gives up and reveals some of the bandits’ abilities, in return for discovering some of the capability of those who defend the village. The bandits also reveal a couple weaknesses: overconfidence and a penchant for taunting - both of which can be exploited by cunning foes.

Like you, I very much like the idea of ward spells. I’m glad we have the whole collection of TES resources from the various games to draw from as we see fit. I quite like both ward and mark & recall effects for example.

Please refresh me. Does Azura’s Star (in your story) bestow spell absorption upon the Star Bearer? I can see where that could easily be related to an ability to absorb the dying magicka of others – can it do that as well? Can it be used to recharge weapons by those not able (like Aela and Ungarion) to do so with their own magicka?

This isn’t going to be an easy fight – for either side it seems.


Nit: ‘Without a another word the Naga mage lowered his staff.’ - - A stray ‘a’ in front of another.

*Shakes head a tiny amount*...Wait for it... ...


Aaaamywho...

Awesome!!...

That was brilliant...Loved the whole build up to the parlay with Eli...Um...Dark-Eli...Bollocks...Dark-Eye's bunch!!!... ..

Loved the whole speech with that...Did make me smile... ...

Thoroughly loved the way you brought out the tension in the approach, and then that last bit with Aela vs spell was amazing!!...

Brilliant episode...Loved it hugely...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Like many of the Agrigentians, I quite enjoyed the banter between Dark Eye and Ungarion. We see more of his sardonic humor in this small exchange, and it is just what we have come to expect of him. I could just hear Eli Wallach's voice thundering out Dark-Eye's words as he asked for his 'friends' and feigned offense at the resistance from the villagers as evidenced by the renewed ramparts and the new moat.

This story is making me want to pull out the "Seven Samurai" from the Netflix queue and watch it again.

Oh, this was such a great episode! The mental image of the approaching army was vivid enough to male me nervous along with Aela. I particularly liked the detail that she carries her pack into battle, and the reminder that Ulpia has her staff.

Dark-Eye lives up to his promise from the very beginning. What a character! Vishta-Zaw is just as fascinating. I loved to hear Valens’ confidence even after Vishta-Zaw demonstrated the power of his staff. Yay, Atronachs!

This is very exciting!

If Valens really does have 100% spell absorption, it's perhaps better that their enemies don't know yet. It could be very demoralizing at the right time for someone to find his offense is completely nullified.

I'm almost picturing Dark-eye as an armored Jabba the Hutt. How close is that?

Elisabeth Hollow: Thanks for joining the story. Vishta-Zaw will zap anyone that Dark-Eye looks crossly at. But as we will discover in a few more posts, Dark-Eye is definitely the more dangerous of the two.


Acadian: There were a lot of mind games going on between the two sides, as each tries to figure out what the other can do. We will be seeing more of that in today's episode as well.

Waaay back in the misty dawn of time Chapter 1.5 I changed Azura's Star from soul trapping to spell absorption. I never really thought of it doing anything else. I want it to seem powerful, but I don't want it to seem overpowered either.


McBadgere: I could not help but to think of Dark-Eli when I was doing my edits on that part too! Did you notice I slipped in a "My good, and dear friend Mr. Garibaldi" in as well?

Aela has finally met her match with Vishta-Zaw. That won't be the last time those two square off.


haute ecole rider: Ungarion is always a treat to write of course, thanks to his sense of humor.

I have been tempted to rewatch the movies again too, even though I did back in the summer before I started writing.


Grits: Aela grabbing her pack was written in as an afterthought. I thought of it because when she was treating the Naga prisoner she did not have any tools to dig out the bits of scale in his wound. So it struck me that she would want those with her the next time.

After so long, it is good to finally get the villains back in the story. This is kind of an oddly structured tale, in that they appear briefly at the very start, and then are absent for over half the story. I am glad they make an impression. It helps make up for that lack of page time.


ghastley: Valens' spell absorption will become a very important factor at the very end. So you are right that not revealing it now is a good thing.

Dark-Eye is not as corpulent as Jabba. He's getting old, but is still physically in his prime, and a more than capable fighter. But he is definitely as ruthless, if not moreso. So maybe think a younger Jabba.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode the bandit horde arrived and appeared before the village. Their leader Dark-Eye, Vishta-Zaw, and two other bandits approached the gate to parley. He demanded that the village surrender, and even promised the Seven safe passage out of the valley. Naturally the Seven and villagers refused. With a nod from Dark-Eye, Vishta-Zaw shot a firebolt from his staff at Valens. Aela intercepted it with her ward. The attack was so powerful that it shattered her ward, but absorbed the last of the the firebolt in doing so.


Chapter 3.7

The bandits spent the rest of the morning circling the village. Aela and Ungarion tagged along with Valens as they followed their opposite numbers in the marauder band. The brigands remained just out of bowshot, and seemed to be surveying the village. Aela imagined that as Nashira had said the night before, their raid had taught the marauders caution. Now the bandits were bound to be wondering just what they were truly facing.

When they finished their rounds, the bandits faded back into the bamboo covered hills to the south. Valens called a brief council of the Seven and leading Agrigentans in the village square afterward.

"They have had a look at us," the Nibenean said. "Now they are making their plans. Unless they are fools, they will probe us tonight. They still don't know what to expect, so I doubt they will throw everything in. I expect the real attack will come tomorrow."

"So do we throw everything in when they come tonight?" Aela asked.

"Only if we have to," Valens frowned. "We don't want to show them our full potential. But there is no point in holding back if it means losing the walls tonight."

"We'll stick to the original plan." Seridwe looked to Aela. "We want to force them to commit their mages. If they put them in tonight, then we have to use everything we have to stop them, including you and Ungarion."

"Right, so if they summon spirits, you banish them and point out the summoners to the archers." Valens said. "If they try to burn the walls down with destruction magic, then its Ungarion's turn to step up. But don't commit yourself before then. Let their mules come in and fight it out on the walls. We can hold them there with our spears."

"Until then, I suggest we all get some rest," Nashira said. "We are going to have a busy night."

Aela remained in the town square with Ungarion and Valens while the others returned to their assigned posts on the walls. Aela took the Redguard's advice, and went back to sleep inside the brewery. Valens did likewise, but Ungarion remained awake. Aela knew that he never could sleep the night before a battle. Even on an ordinary day, the high elf was filled with pent up energy. But get him worked up, and he might not sleep for days.

Aela woke to find the Altmer playing a game of solitaire with his deck of cards. Valens was already awake and gone, and the high elf told her that he had gone to inspect the troops on the walls. She joined Ungarion for a simple dinner consisting of a bowl of rice washed down with a cup of soju. As night closed in the pair ascended to the roof of the brewery, where they were soon joined by their Nibenean war leader.

Long hours dragged by as they waited. Ungarion fidgeted. Valens seemed calm and patient. Aela took the time to reach out with her magical senses and commune with the nearby spirits. They were restless, as if they sensed the upcoming battle, and the part they might play within it. They did little to ease Aela's own apprehensions, but in the very least they were good company.

Secunda had long been up in the eastern sky, and Masser was just making his entrance when Aela felt an archaean taking form beyond the walls. She opened her eyes and leaped to her feet. After casting a night eye spell upon herself in order to see in the dark, she easily picked out the land spirit. It was making its way slowly but surely across the open field west of the village.

"Archaean!" Aela cried. "He's too far away for me to banish, I'll have to go down there."

"Then go," Valens nodded.

"Just be careful," Ungarion added.

Aela said nothing in reply. She merely nodded and raced for the ladder down into the guts of the brewery. She had heard many bard's tales of heroes sliding down the rails of ladders. But she knew better than to try that herself. She would probably break her legs! So with feet taking the rungs as fast as they could, the Breton made her way down to the catwalk that overlooked the distillery floor.

She paused a moment there to cast a spell to fortify her quickness and endurance - just as she had done the night before. Thanks to her magical fortification, the trip down the stair to the brewery floor was faster. But by the time she had darted across the village to the western wall, the archaean was nearly upon the defenses. If that was not bad enough, she saw that the field was teeming with Argonian bandits. Some raced for the walls. Others hung back and fired their powerful recurved bows at the defenders on the walls. All were spread out enough that they would not make an easy target for a fireball.

"Nothing stops this one!" Stalks-The-Marshes shook his head as Aela approached. The Argonian trader carried his self bow, and already had a reed arrow nocked on the string. He stepped out from behind cover and into the open crenel between merlons. He quickly pulled his string back to his ear and fired. But his arrow merely bounced off the spirit of stone and soil that relentlessly approached.

"Leave it to me," Aela said. Stalks-The-Marshes stepped back to cover, and Aela moved up to the gap in the battlement where he had stood a moment before. She raised her left hand and brought up her ward to defend herself. She was thankful for her caution when a bandit arrow crashed against its glowing surface a moment later, only to harmlessly snap in two upon the magical shield.

By now the archaean was wading through the moat, leaving snapped punji stakes in his wake. Aela reached out for the Nirn spirit with her right hand. He stopped dead in his tracks as her magical fingers softly laid down upon the cord of power that connected him to his conjurer. She tugged upon it, and felt the Argonian mage fighting her for control of the spirit. Like the other mages the previous night, he was no match for her power. The chain of magicka snapped, and Aela effortlessly bound it to herself instead.

The archaean began his march once more. With just a few giant strides he mounted the steep slopes of the ditch. Agrigentans scurried away to either side, and Aela shouted to them that it was safe. To prove her point, she raced to the archaean's side, and gently laid a hand upon one of his massive legs.

She heard Talun-Lei shouting at the villagers to retake their places on the battlement. A moment later she found the young Argonian on the opposite side of the archaean from her, flinging one of his javelins down into the moat. Then the Argonian warrior turned back to the Agrigentans, and again waved them forward.

Aela turned her attention back to her newly won spirit. At her direction he reached out with both of his massive paws and grabbed hold of one of the timbers that made up the parapet. Twisting it this way and that, he drew the wide tree trunk up from the ground, and held it overhand like a spear. A moment later he hurled it out into the field, where it crashed into the bandit who had originally summoned him. The hedge wizard was instantly crushed, his body ground down into the mud underneath the massive timber.

That was one fewer conjurer, Aela thought with satisfaction. She stepped back to cover behind the nearest merlon, and directed the archaean down into the moat. There it set upon the nearby bandits. They were too quick for the ponderous spirit to catch with his mighty fists, but he did force them back, keeping his section of wall free from invaders.

A glance up and down the wall revealed that the Argonians had now come up to the battlements to either side of the spirit. The Agrigentans met them at the walls, thrusting their spears through the crenels at the bandits. The marauders jabbed back with their own weapons. But whenever one tried to climb over the waist-high gaps, they were shoved back by the shields of the villagers.

Very few of the bandits were killed outright in this fashion. Few were even wounded in fact, and most of those seemed to only receive flesh wounds to the arms or legs. For many wore cuirasses of bone or rattan, and some even of the metal triple-disc style favored by many in the Black Marsh. Some also carried shields, albeit smaller ones than the Agrigentans used.

However, the brigands gave no better to the defenders, and few of their own attacks did more than slide harmlessly off the villager's shields. Clearly Valens had taught the Agrigentans well, Aela thought as she witnessed the standoff. For people who had been simple farmers just a month before, it was amazing.

Talun-Lei was like a hurricane, racing up and down the wall, shouting encouragement to the Agrigentans and getting in a jab or two with his own spear while he was at it. Like the others, he did not appear to slay any of the attackers. But he did keep the villagers in the fight, and he was always there when the bandits looked to push through, and threw them back by putting his own shield into the press.

Still, some of the bandits' spears did find their way into human and Argonian flesh. Since the villagers appeared to be holding their own in the defense, Aela decided to forgo using her magic to attack, and instead moved from one injured man or woman to the next. Her healing magic mended their torn flesh, and within moments they were back into the fight.

She knew that her health absorption spells could kill many of the bandits straight out, as they had little means of defense against such an assault. But she also knew that if this was indeed just a probe, the bandits wanted her to reveal herself with such flashy, blatant uses of magic. Just as she had been able to trace the Argonian summoner through his connection to the archaean and kill him, they doubtlessly had other mages - or even archers with poisoned arrows - waiting for her to reveal herself. After all, it was the same thing they planned for the bandits.

In time the brigands retreated from the walls. The defenders cheered, and sent a few arrows, javelins, and even stones after them. Aela noted that a few of the marauders went down in the withdrawal. But rather than being abandoned by their comrades, they were carried back by the other bandits to the cover of the forest.

Aela returned to her healing duties, and by the time she was finished, she felt ready to sleep for a week. She sat down and leaned back against the battlements and rested. All around her the Agrigentans cheered and celebrated. A jug of soju was passed around, which she politely declined. She had just closed her eyes when the voice of Valens jerked them open again.

"So how did it go?" the Nibenean asked.

"Valens can see for himself." The pride in Talun-Lei's voice was unmistakable. With one hand the Argonian gestured toward the parapet. "These ones have held the walls, and lost no one."

"Enemy casualties?"

"Those ones took their dead and wounded with them," Stalks-The-Marshes explained. "So it is difficult to tell. Probably only handful killed outright."

"I saw several seriously wounded, and without proper healing they will die in a few days." Aela rose to her feet and joined the conversation. "But if they have a healer, or potions, we will see them again tomorrow. They are without one conjurer though, and he won't be coming back."

"Outstanding!" Valens grinned. The Nibenean clapped a black-mailed hand upon Aela's shoulder. "It went much the same across the village. They made a probe against the east wall too, and burned down some of it before Ungarion could finish the mage. The south wall only got a few arrows to keep their heads down. They never touched the north wall."

"And Ungarion?" Aela held her breath waiting for the Nibenean's answer.

"He's fine," Valens replied. "Casualties have been minor, we only lost one Agrigentan in Nashira's Century, burned with the wall. Meen-Sa was able to heal all the other injuries."

Aela nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She hated fighting without Ungarion. It felt like going for a walk with only one shoe. Worse, she loathed the idea of him fighting without her there to protect him.

"I suppose you want me to go and rebuild the east wall?" Aela could not keep the exhaustion from her voice.

"No," Valens shook his head. "They won't attack there again. We'll just put some frises up and maybe tip a few wagons over there. You get some sleep. Tomorrow is when they'll make their real push, and it will be at the north wall, and the gate."

"This one is certain?" Stalks-The-Marshes wondered aloud.

"It's what I would do," Valens replied. "The gate is our weakest point. There is no moat in front of it, and once they burn it down they have an open road into the village. They've attacked us everywhere else, because they want us to reinforce everywhere else. They will make their push tomorrow, and it will be in the north."