"Oh, don't think I'll forget this, you inconsiderate jerk! I'll be back, and when I am, you'll wish you'd never have turned me down for that 10,000 gold!"
With that, Gaenor the Bosmer turned hard and stormed away in the opposite direction of the Nerevarine. It was quite foolish to do this to any warrior, especially Lord Nerevar Reborn, but to realize why Gaenor had done such a thing, you would need to know something of his past.
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Valenwood had been blessed with the finest summertide of the era, 3E 413. The treehouses and straw huts scattered about the city of Ebon Ro creaked and whistled with the warm breeze as the countless flowers attracted entire hives of insects to their bright petals and oozing nectar in the noonday sun. The acres of tall grass in the farmland swayed this way and that from the constant wind blowing through the maze of trees in the residential areas. Bosmeri children laughed and played through the giant oak forest of houses with glee as the farmers and foragers set out after their lunchbreak. The petals and leaves that had fallen to the wind danced in the air until they fell to the hard dirt ground far below their branches.
A storm was gathering from the west. The children stopped in their tracks and gazed up at the massive rain clouds advancing towards the city. "What is that?" one of them asked with nervousness. "It's a storm, obviously.. but I've never seen red lightning like that."
"GARONAR!! GARONAR!!" The city fell from tranquility to chaos in an instant after that word was yelled out from the sentry towers. The workers and children ran with each other with all their speed through the fields and into the dense forest of their homes and shelters. Two farmers spoke quickly as they ran, "Is this THE Garonar?" "I believe so.. this does not bode well for us at all." "But I thought Garonar was killed CENTURIES ago! How could this possibly be happening?!"
"One cannot kill that which is invincible, filthy mortal."
The words were uttered into the farmers' ears by Garonar himself who had now descended from his storm cloud chariot. The two slowed to a halt knowing that no one had ever heard Lord Garonar speak without being brutally slaughtered immediately after the last word was said.. and this time was certainly no exception.
Neither even saw him as he circled them. With demonic speed he flew until a small tornado wrapped the two farmers tightly and packed them so close to each other that they could not move. Without a sound from either of them the cyclone turned red with their own blood which had, by then, been sucked out of their bodies. Garonar let out a cackling laugh as he stopped, the tornado after him. The farmers' lifeless corpses fell at once as he raised his skeletal hand from under his cloaks and said, with his low, cracked voice echoing through the forest, "I have come for your souls.. once again."
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Garonar was the most feared of sorcerers. His heart was black as the eye of a Khajiit ready to strike and any trace of human compassion had left him long ago. He was a conjurer of nether spirits, an invoker of destruction, an instiller of fear beyond comprehension, and the most evil of all magick-users in all Tamriel. His appearance is known only by one; he who had survived Ebon Ro.
The Lord Garonar turned away from the farmers' bodies, his large hood covering the smirk on his face. A purple light shone from the the bottom of his long, tattered cloaks of black and he rose up into the air, high above the tallest treetops. "It is unfortunate.. but quite necessary. Quite necessary." He unhinged his snake-like jaw in an open smile and spread apart his arms and legs in a bracing position. "Quite necessary if you are to become anything more than simple mortals. Would you not like to become a part of me?" he muttered calmly, well aware that even at such a low volume, all he willed to hear it were able to. As soon as his last word was said, his hands exploded with red fire and he began hurling it down in fireballs to the panicked city below him.
He paused, "Not a life shall be spared. All will be consumed for the greater." and began again, this time with much larger and brighter fireballs than before. He descended back to his former spot on the ground amongst the fleeing citizens, all the while laughing and burning the city of Ebon Ro to cinders.
Whatever each ball of flame hit instantly crumbled and crashed to the ground, burning with brilliant red embers and spreading ash and smoke into the air. Garonar put his hands together and uttered an ancient spell causing a ring of fire to hold in anyone who had evaded the fires and falling trees that encompassed the entire city. The wind was fierce and carried bits of fire with it to the fields of grass and farmland. "Fire is my specialty.. have a taste."
With that he targetted the people.. and all were left hot on that cool summer night.
With his mouth still open he rolled back his eyes while the bluish spirits of the fallen Bosmeri were taken from their corpses. "Six thousand four-hundred and ninety-two. This will serve me well.. for the moment. Farewell, Ebon Ro." The souls of the Bosmeri formed into a large ball and slowly shrank down into his throat. With a flash of red lightning from the clouds above, he vanished as quickly as he came, and the clouds dispersed.
"This can't be real. I'm.. alive? After that? Mother? Father?!" A small figure crept out slowly from under a pile of debris in burnt and ruined clothing as he called for his parents. He turned aside rocks, wood, furniture, pots, barrels, anything that could possibly have had survivors under them. "Mother!? Father!!?" he shouted out across the ruins while running as quickly as he could to where his home once stood. He found his mother and father.. indeed, he found what was left of them. "But...no." is the last he had spoken for a month straight. He fell to his knees, then to the floor, unconscious from disbelief and shock.
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"I was there. The carnage was ridiculous."
"Then how are you alive right now to tell this tale, elf?"
"I am Gaenor! How could you possibly expect an answer to that question when asking it to one such as ME?!"
Fara's Hole In The Wall was packed that night. The waitresses were busy carrying trays of smoked meats and greef as a small band played on in the corner. The lights shone out from the candles overhead and on each table while the drunken occupants laughed, sang, and spoke. It was now 3E 425, 12 years after the massacre at Ebon Ro. Everyone but Gaenor had met their doom that fateful day to the onslaught of Garonar and his profane magicks.
"This is ridiculous," said an Orc, Gagrash gro-Kertag, who had previously drank 8 full tankards of liquor before settling at the bar to listen to Gaenor's fantastic tale. "I know of Garonar and how "evil" he is, blah blah blah. Everyone's evil nowadays. They all got skelly-hands and they're always raisin' 'em while sayin' some stupid line about souls and how he's aimin' to take 'em! Your little Ebon Ro isn't worth his time!"
"Oh," replied Gaenor in the middle of choking down bits of pork, "and I suppose you'd make short work of this spawn of hell, wouldn't you? You'd simply raise your arms and he'd pass out from the smell!" Those who heard him burst out laughing until Gagrash turned from green to red and stormed out. "As I was saying before that fool interrupted me, there I was, hiding under a few rather large branches that had fallen from the fires of Garonar. It was a miracle he never saw me, I tell you, because he was but 3 feet away! I couldn't bear to watch as he..." He carried on for another hour when he ran out of money, bid the bartender farewell, then stumbled back to his home.
As he fell through his doorway, he heard someone laugh. He picked himself up and squinted as he closed the door. He was much too drunk to see who was laughing, but he recognized the voice. "Gaenor, old friend, it's been much too long. Please, get off your tired legs and have a seat with me. We have much to discuss." The voice was calm, but too familiar to forget. It was his sister, Kinaryn.
"Ki.. Kinaryn? Is that you?" Gaenor fell limp on his rear at the table in confusion. Kinaryn smiled, "It's good to see you again, brother. It's been 10 years."
"The last thing I remember was.." she cut him off, "Teynari. We finally had enough money to leave Valenwood but you had your pocket picked by a thief. You selflessly gave what you had to me and told me to get on the strider for Cyrodiil. I begged you to come with me, to sneak aboard. You were always so lucky with everything that I thought it'd work, but you pushed me on without you. I cried the whole trip."
"Lucky.. like in Ebon Ro. Do you remember? Mother and father.." They both stopped and looked down at the empty plates in front of them in overwhelming sadness. Garonar spared no one, or at least no one he noticed. As Gaenor hid for days under the branches, Kinaryn was at home with their parents. As the giant tree their house was built upon fell to the raging flames, she survived the fall by breaking through the window and falling into a ditch. She had broken her left arm and two of her ribs, but she managed to flee the destruction and hitch a ride with a passing monk on his carriage.
"And now I'm here. I hope you don't think I've forgotten you, but I've been searching this whole time. You must realize how traumatic Ebon Ro has been for me and I couldn't have possibly..." "Stop this. You are my sister, you need not give explanations. Now, we are both tired, I can see it in your eyes.. and under them. Put to rest this horrid past of ours and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day." said Gaenor, rising from his seat and heading upstairs.
"Big day?"
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The two siblings awoke to a loud explosion from outside. Gaenor jumped out of his bed with a shout and toppled over a basket onto the floor. Kinaryn ran to his room barefooted and draped in a quilt to see what all the commotion was about. "I fell." muttered Gaenor, picking himself up and dusting off. "I noticed," Kinaryn replied with a giggle, "what was that loud noise?"
"Louder than last year.. fireworks. It's the annual Sadrith Carnival put on by some of the wealthier folks in town." Gaenor answered with a grin. "It's become one of the days I look forward to all year. You'll love it." Kinaryn returned to her room and they both got dressed as the bright morning sun shot warming rays of light through their windows. What a perfect day for a carnival.. and better yet, I have my sister here with me! What grand luck! Gaenor thought as he skipped downstairs and out the door.
The day went marvelously. The Slave Market was packed with citizens of each Telvanni city on the eastern islands of Vvardenfell. The children took turns at riding a young silt strider around its pen and laughed with joy while bashing into one another at the BumperGuar arena as their parents watched and smiled. A large band played merry songs on a stage in the center of the marketplace. After a few hours of their own enjoyment, Gaenor and Kinaryn sat at a bench with some food.
"This is great! How're you doin'?" Gaenor said as he wolfed down a cup of scrib jelly. "This is all so amazing.. it's hard to believe I'd be having so much fun while, I mean... I'm having a great time, Gaenor. Really." She turned away from him with a stoic look upon her face. "Is something wrong? Is it me? I know this is the first day we've spent together in 10 years, but we should be happy! Here we are on a beautiful day at a once-in-a-year carnival! I couldn't ask for much more than this, could you?" Gaenor got up and kneeled down to where Kinaryn was sitting. Kinaryn turned the other way and Gaenor followed her tearing eyes with concern.
"I haven't been exactly honest with you.. I mean I haven't told you about what's really happened since I escaped Ebon Ro." she said in a trembling voice. "What? You're in trouble. Tell me. What is it about? Are you alright?" Gaenor asked, impatient with the uncertain well-being of his sister. "We can't talk here. Come with me."
"I'm fine," Kinaryn explained to her brother behind the stage, "but I have to tell you... I t'ndid evivrus nobe or."
"What? But if you didn't survive, how are you here with me?" Gaenor shook his head and took Kinaryn's hand, "You must be too excited about the carnival.. let's go back home and get a..." she interrupted him, "ho raed rehtorb, uoht tra hcus a loof. " She took him by his hair and rammed him through the side of the stage, then fell to the floor.
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"Great, just what I need. More malfunctions.. these puppets are so unreliable."
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He didn't know where he was, when it was, or even who he was for the first few minutes after he awoke. All he could see through his unfocused eyes as he eased them open was a blindingly bright red light. "I never could understand this whole concept of animating inanimate objects anyway. I think I should just stick to the whole fireball-flinging plan.. that seems to get the job done quite efficiently, give or take a few miscalculations." After regaining feeling in his upper body, he managed to prop himself up on one arm while rubbing his eyes with the other. "Wh..wha's goi'on?"
"The Bosmer awakes! That was fast.. it's only been a week. Usually people who suffer that hard a blow to the head aren't able to move for a month or two." The voice sounded strangely familiar, but Gaenor could not match it with a face at the state he was in. He spun himself halfway around and dropped off to his feet, now rubbing his eyes with both hands. He looked up but could see only darkness. He turned around but the table and light were gone, replaced with a shadowy figure. "Kin..aryn?" he asked.
"Kinaryn? Kin-a-ryn... ah yes, the girl. She's been dead for a while now. After escaping Ebon Ro all those years ago, I caught up with the caravan she hitched a ride on. I don't leave anyone alive, you should know that most of all." The voice sounded low and cracked, and it echoed throughout the place as if they were in a cavern of some sort. Gaenor looked up at the figure and it became a bit clearer, and the fact that his sister had been dead all these years had not a chance to be processed in his mind yet.. it was too much. He could see nothing but worn robes and rags covering a skeletal body, riddled with rips, shreds, and bloodstains. A large black hood hung over the figure's head completely concealing it in shadow except for his jaw and mouth. "It is truly a pleasure to see you again, Gaenor. You remember me, don't you?"
Gaenor, now dreadfully certain of who it was, had been recharged of his energy with pure fear and adrenaline at the coming of his most certain and gruesome death at the hands of Garonar. "You will find about your neck an amulet, Gaenor. If you attempt anything, the amulet will react with enough electricity to melt you down to your knees. But you are confused.. allow me to explain to you why I take such a measure of precaution with a mere mortal Bosmer like yourself."
Gaenor stood in the same position, frequently and quickly glancing down at the amulet hanging at his chest while sweating profusely. "Be not afraid of it." said Garonar as he telekinetically flew two dust-coated chairs in from the darkness and placed one behind Gaenor and himself. "Be seated." Gaenor forced himself down with all his strength and dared not move a muscle while he listened to the lord of evil speak. "It will not harm you as long as you keep control of yourself." said Garonar in a calm tone as he slowly sat down at his chair, his garb hanging down from all sides.
"Four thousand years ago there lived Selk, the most powerful necromancer in all of Nirn. He was a masterful enchanter and had vast knowledge of the powers of soultrapping. During an expedition in the arid desert wastes of Djer-Ionas, he chanced upon and entered the tomb of an ancient Khajiiti tribe in search of preserved corpses. It turned out that the tribe had not decided to allow intruders to enter such a holy place without paying tribute. 'I shall offer the souls of ten Azeri Dragons in return for three of your strongest warriors' corpses.' he demanded. The dead do not usually exchange their own for mortal valuables, but the Khajiit are a backwards race. He recalled to his lair in High Rock with his newly-acquired puppets, as we call them, in the hopes of animating them as servants."
"Centuries passed and his puppets served him well. However, he sensed them to be especially powerful in spirit, probably due to their ancestry. Each night after Selk retired to his quarters, they would plan a rebellion against their master so they would be able to return to their tomb and rest in peace. The night had finally fallen, after years of careful discussion over how it would go about, and they managed to rip through Selk's defenses and take his heart. They returned to their desert home victorious, but they had neglected to destroy the heart."
"The Heart of Selk continued to beat on the stone block floor of his dark fortress. In a fortnight's time it had bled out a new form to hold itself within. The blood filled each crevace and solidified into that which you see before you this day. I have grown ever stronger with each soul I harvest and have become quite nearly invincible."
"However, each force of evil is accompanied by another - one who is able to destroy their dark counterpart with great ease as to maintain balance in the dark one's power. The fates have brought us together and made us as one. You see, Gaenor, you and I are much closer than you may think."
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Garonar arose and his chair vanished. "I believe I have told you enough of our rather unique relationship. You are the only one capable of destroying me." he told Gaenor, still rooted to his seat. "Whilst you wear that amulet, enchanted with the soul of a Shadowfiend, you may not so much as insult me. Begone with you, and know that the devastation of Tamriel is inevitable!" The cloaked figure raised his arms and became enveloped in the surrounding darkness as it turned into white brightness before Gaenor's eyes a moment later.
He found himself in the middle of the road from Vivec to Ebonheart, still sitting in the old wooden chair. He let out a sigh of immense relief, then got up and ran towards the large Imperial fort in search of as many guards as he could find. "Someone! Please!! Garonar is going destroy us all! My sister! He killed her! I..." he shouted as the guards turned and caught him before he fell over. He had fainted, and with good reason.
He awoke this time in a bed. "Sera? I am Terenius. The guards brought you here yesterday from the docks. They told me you were babbling something about Garonar and your sister? Are you feeling better now?" asked the soothing voice of a healer. It took Gaenor much less time than before to regain his sight. "I've given you something to calm you down. I advise you to rest here until tomorrow at least, you were burning up when you got here." said the healer. "Burning? Garonar said.. that this amulet is stopping me. Where am I?" asked Gaenor hurriedly. Terenius replied, "You're in Ebonheart, an Imperial Fort in southern Vvardenfell."
Terenius placed a damp rag over Gaenor's forehead and he fell fast asleep. He dreamt of his ordeal and of Ebon Ro. He cried while remembering what was said of his sister being a mere 'puppet' and that their day at the carnival was absolutely meaningless and used to lure him into Garonar's trap. He let out his great emotional pain in his nightmares and awoke early in the morning with tears in his eyes. "I will not allow this to go on. Ebon Ro was not the only place to be decimated in such a way. There have been countless others whos' lives and souls have been stolen by that menace. But.. I can do nothing. If I stand before his power he would surely strike me down as he would anyone." Gaenor thought aloud while sitting at the side of the bed.
"Garonar, again? Let me see your amulet."
Gaenor looked up and paced around the room with his quick Bosmeri eyes. "Who speaks?" he asked in a whisper. "Will you let me see your amulet or won't you? I will try to help, but I fear touching the thing might.. do something I would rather not have done to me, understand?" said the voice. Gaenor turned to some curtains near the window and asked, "Honestly, no.. but if you wish to see, grant me my wish to see you."
Out from the moonlit curtains came Terenius the healer in his brown hooded robe. "The guards who brought you here told me you were rambling about Garonar and that amulet in your unconsciousness. Everyone knows about Garonar the necromancer, but you unknowingly divulged some possibly useful information as you slept." Terenius walked to a chair in the opposite corner of the small room and continued as he sat down. "Garonar is unstoppable. He wreaks havoc wherever he goes, you know the rest. Your experience in Ebon Ro was enough for me." Gaenor's eyes widened, "How do you know about that? Did I talk about it while sleeping?" "No," the healer responded, "but perhaps you are familiar with the term 'telepath'?"
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"So," Gaenor said with a smile, "you're a mind-reader. What exactly did you pry out of my head while I slept?" Terenius hunched over at his seat and fixed his eyes upon the amulet. "I assure you that I have only taken what I felt was important for me to know. After hearing what you said about that," he motioned his head to the amulet, "I thought it would be necessary to have learned your original connection to Garonar." "Well, now that you know so much about me, allow me to ask you something." Gaenor said with a stern look.
"I offer you aid in ridding the world of this destructive freak by any means." said Terenius as he stood and advanced slowly towards Gaenor. "How did you.. oh. You wish to help me? But.. why? Other than the obvious reason that he must be stopped somehow." Gaenor rested his elbows on his knees as he thought hard about a way to defeat Garonar. He didn't know where to start, what to do, where to go, and if he could trust this healer who had offered himself as his ally for no reason at all. Terenius kneeled down and asked as he beheld the amulet, glimmering in the moonlight, "Will I be killed if I.." Gaenor interrupted, "No. It's designed to kill me if I try to harm Garonar." he said with reassurance and despair.
Terenius grabbed the amulet quickly and pulled at it, hurling it to the floor and Gaenor with it. "HAA.. aa.. oh. I guess you can't take it off, then?" he asked while Gaenor lay on the floor. "You could have simply ASKED me!!" he shouted, then picked himself up and coughed while massaging his throat with his hands. "I apologize." said Terenius, "I was anxious to remove it so you'd be rid of the burden. I am a healer after all, I try to help people." Gaenor whinced at him and said through his teeth, "Well, I thank you for helping me become more acquainted with the ground. Why are you so ready to sacrifice yourself to help me?"
"Is it not enough that I want to help you? Just follow me and we'll see if the Oracle is awake. She can appraise the amulet and identify what curse is held within it." Terenius replied as he opened the door and stepped out of the room. He turned around, "Coming?" Gaenor put his hands down and followed Terenius through the torch-lit stone hallways of the fort. They walked outside and across a long bridge to the Grand Council Chambers as the sun peeked over the horizon to the east. Gaenor turned to watch it and smiled as the warmth reached his face before entering the large hall. "Greetings Terenius," said a Dunmer guard in Dwemer armor, "Who is this?" He stared the Bosmer up and down with his dark red eyes. "This is Gaenor," Terenius explained, "he and I are headed to the Oracle on very important business." The guard stepped aside and let them pass, "Very well, she should be at the alter, as usual."
They passed through the opposite door and into the Imperial Chapels. The blue flames flickered on the candlesticks at all four corners of the large room, casting upon the benches and tapestries a bright glow while three priests spoke in the back. The Oracle, Lalatia Varian, was busy at the altar where the guard said she would be. She looked up from her texts and immediately asked, "The amulet.. a gift you would have rather not recieved?"
Gaenor stepped in front of Terenius and held the amulet up to the candelabra on the altar. "Yes, from Garonar. He told me it would mean my death if I dared interfere with his doings." The Oracle gasped and turned to Terenius. "Is this true?" she asked with bewilderment, "Gaenor here has met with the dark lord.. and lives.. this is strange, very strange." "Indeed, Lady. I have brought him to you in the hopes of identifying the inner magicks of the amulet he bears. Perhaps there is a way to purge its curse so he may confront the evil one?" Gaenor gave Terenius a jab in the stomach. "Confront him!? Gladly, except for the fact that he would roast me like a pig! And I also don't even know where I would go to get to him!"
The Oracle gazed at the amulet and held it in both hands. "Gaenor, it is good to see that you are willing to take up such a noble quest, but do not be too hasty. There are things that need to be taken care of beforehand, one of them being to transform this amulet into something that may help you instead of kill you. Come downstairs, we will search for the proper spell to expunge the spirit inhabiting it."
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The three headed downstairs and the Oracle told two priests who had been performing alchemical experiments to leave. "Synnolian, Iulus? Please, leave us. I am in need of The Tome." They immediately left, nodding to Terenius as they shut the door behind them. "The Tome?" asked Gaenor, watching Lalatia push the side of a bookcase. "Indeed," replied Terenius as the wall slid open from the bottom, "The Tome is a sacred text to our religion. It was written by the Psijics in the First Era, then stolen sometime later. It is unclear to anyone as to how the ancient book got to us at all as it was sent anonymously by someone in Hammerfell, probably a Cult enthusiast who had managed to get a hold of it somehow. It holds the most powerful of spells known in Tamriel, but none of them destructive." Lalatia took a torch from the wall and proceeded down into the unlit depths behind the bookcase, Gaenor and Terenius behind her.
"So you believe you'll need a spell that powerful to fix my amulet?" Gaenor asked, completely ignorant of magic. The Oracle put her hand on the wall to guide her down the spiralling staircase, "The amulet upon which Garonar has placed an enchantment has been taken from the mouth of a Shadowfiend. The soul powering it comes from the same creature." "Needless to say," said Terenius, "with a name like Shadowfiend, you don't exactly think of a bunny. Shadowfiends are known to all who have been lucky enough to live after seeing one for their huge, flesh-rending talons and fangs. Their reptilian carapace is black as ebony and can shrug off the mightiest warhammer blow with ease. They are twenty feet in height and stand on their hind legs, keeping balance with their long spiked tail. Most have been summoned by various and extremely powerful warlocks from the Second Era, and they only travel by night deep in the jungles of Argonia." Gaenor shuttered, "I get the picture.. so I take it they aren't the most friendly of beasts? You don't have to answer that."
After their careful journey down the stairs, they came at last to a great hall. Their steps echoed through lines of spider webbed stone pillars as they continued, following the Oracle's torchlight. From their rusted metal holders leaned out smaller torches that lit up each pillar with a flickering orange flame. Gaenor gasped and ducked with Terenius as a group of bats swooped down from the low ceiling. The Oracle continued as if nothing had happened and finally stopped at an altar. "Gaenor, stand here. Terenius, please stay where you are. He must do this alone."
Gaenor stepped up on a kneeling bench and the Oracle blew away dust from the old tapestry on the altar. She set her hands together, closed her eyes, and began uttering a prayer in a language that Gaenor nor Terenius could understand. As she did this, the altar began to shake vigorously, so much so that the tapestry almost slid off and onto the floor. She stopped and placed her hands in front of her with palms pointed at the altar while Gaenor watched in anticipation. "Do not fear," she said, turning to Gaenor with a smile, "I am summoning the book to this location. We store it in an alternate dimension for safekeeping." "Amazing!" Gaenor whispered as the tapestry folded itself into a rectangular box-shape and floated into midair before him.
The Oracle took hold of and opened it to find The Tome. It looked as if it had been severely damaged over the centuries with its faded and worn brown leather cover and ripped, dark yellow pages. Lalatia opened it slowly to a random page as if it had known what she was looking for. She studied it for over an hour while Gaenor remained, bored and weary, at his place on the kneeling bench while Terenius sat at the corner, dozing off. "I've found it. Terenius!" said the Oracle. He rose to his feet at once and walked quickly to her, eager to finish their foul business.
"You know what is in store. Please, be ever strong and hold The Tome as I read aloud this passage." She gave Terenius the book and he held it out in front of her. She placed the torch she carried into a slot on the wall allowing her to grasp the amulet with both hands. Gaenor closed his eyes and stood perfectly still, the silence of the dungeon far below the surface deafening to his sensitive Bosmeri ears. The Oracle began the incantation of words in what seemed like the same language as the one she had used to summon the text. Gaenor began to sweat. Terenius' hands shook. The Oracle stopped soon after she began, closed her eyes, and a blue light began to emit from the amulet.
"...and may the Nine find mercy upon this soul and banish it to the darkest bowels of Oblivion for evermore." Lalatia recited as the blue light grew causing the healer and Gaenor to shut their eyes and turn away. "What's going on!?" shouted Gaenor as he covered his ears from an extremely high-pitched tone. "Why are you shouting? The Oracle is delivering the evil spirit from within your amulet." replied Terenius at regular volume. The blue light grew even larger and shined through her fingers as a dark grey line of smoke arose from the center of the amulet. Gaenor could bear the sound no longer and fell, but Terenius quickly tossed placed the book down on the altar in time to catch him. "Don't let him go, the spirit is emerging!" the Oracle exclaimed as more smoke floated away from the amulet. It collected above her head in a swirling mist until she let go of the amulet and thrust her hands up into it. The smoke flashed in all colors rapidly as Terenius laid Gaenor down and braced the struggling Oracle. "Mara, give me strength.." she muttered as she ripped her hands out and fainted, Terenius holding her. The mists' changing of colors died down until it became a faded white, then burst into brilliant blue flames and blew off into nothingness.
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Terenius laid the Oracle down near the altar and helped Gaenor to his feet. "Congratulations, you've done it!" he said happily. Gaenor was confused and scratched his head, "Uh.. what did I do?" Terenius took him by the shoulders and said with a smile, "With your power of will, you've expelled the spirit from the amulet! I must say," he continued as he returned to the Oracle and lifted her onto his arms, "I am quite impressed. I sense a bit of Mara in your soul, Gaenor." The elf nodded and they both returned to the surface after a long walk back through the hallway and up the stairs.
Terenius turned around at the door to the chapels, "I will bring the Oracle to the apothecary. You should wait in your room until she recovers." Gaenor entered the room where he had been brought the day before and sat at the edge of his bed and looked down at his amulet as he held it. No longer was it rough, black and fang-shaped, but round and smooth with outlines of red and white with a dull blue gem in its' center. I wonder if it's still enchanted.. or if I can even take it off now. he thought. Standing up he pulled at the chain as hard he could and it snapped at the back of his neck, then slid through his fingers and onto the floor. "Huzzah!" he yelled and clicked his heels in the air.
It was now the evening and Gaenor lay in bed holding up the amulet to the orange light of the setting sun. He couldn't help but grin at the thought of his willpower being so strong that he alone, without even knowing it, had successfully withdrawn the evil spirit inhabiting it. As he thought, the Oracle slowly opened the door and he sprang up to greet her. "I am alright, Gaenor," she said softly as she sat at the chair in the corner, "You have done something incredible this day. By removing the spirit from your amulet you have taken the first step to the defeat of Garonar." Gaenor sat back down at his bed and replied, "I thank you.. although I am still not sure as to how I did what I did. But, more importantly, you are aware of me and my situation - I want Garonar's skull-head on a pike, but I feel so inferior to his wrath. If I were to contest him now, I would surely fail."
"Young Gaenor," answered the Oracle, "you are bold and wise. Your amulet has changed as you may have noticed. It now harbors the essence of Mara, and therefore, of healing and goodness." "Please, tell me more. How will this aid me?" asked Gaenor as he leaned over, rubbing the amulet with his thumbs in excitement. He was eager to learn what power it now held and how it could be used against Garonar.
"What I did was exchanged the soul of the Shadowfiend for that of another being. While banishing the evil one to Oblivion, I took a different spirit with which to enchant your amulet with. This beings' soul is very powerful when applied for enchantment, so it was the obvious choice for me. In our world, she guards the Daedric Ruins scattered across the land with her armor of gold and weapons of glass and ebony." Gaenor perked himself up, "A Golden Saint?" "Yes, Gaenor. Your amulet has been imbued with the soul of a Golden Saint. She cooperated with me and allowed me to transfer her spirit into your amulet on this plane of existence."
"Cooperated? You spoke to it?" Gaenor asked. "The reason I needed to hold your amulet at the altar underground was to contact a worthy soul in the Spirit Realm. Using telepathy I spoke with the Golden Saint whose soul currently resides within your amulet." Gaenor looked back down at them amulet in his hands as the Oracle continued. "After explaining your situation and task at hand, she quickly agreed to power the amulet you hold with her own essence. Such selfless actions fit the Golden Saints' character perfectly." Gaenor raised his head and stood before the Oracle with his chin up and shoulders back.
"Well then. Tell me what this thing can do so I can get on with this and make Garonar wish he'd never have come to Ebon Ro!"
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The hot wind howled and carried burning cinder through the scattered stalagmitic stones that stood up like fingers reaching out from the extrusive black ash hills. The sky was a dark grey to match the thin castle standing alone on the edge of a steep cliff. Garonar's Keep was a monument to evil, its demon guards performing sentry duties at all hours in their heavy black armor and rigid swords at their sides. They would pace back and forth across the fortifications, snorting and growling with natural anger that forever brewed inside them.
"So quickly has this Gaenor exorcised my amulet's power over him. He is now free.. but to no avail." thought Garonar aloud as he echoed the words softly through his dim, cavernous throne room. "It is not worth my time to even think of the elf as a threat in any way. If he cares to challenge me, he must first face me, and that is no simple task for a Bosmer to accomplish. I shall not put any more thought into this. It is unimportant." His seat creeked as he lifted himself slowly and slid his feet across the solid marble floor and down the chipped stone stairs to his study.
Long, ripped curtains blew from a now raging ash storm as Garonar sat at his desk between tall bookcases filled with ancient scrolls and books from centuries beyond remembrance. With a subtle motion of his hand the windows flew shut and the room was quiet. "Seven, three." he muttered, causing the seventh scroll from the left to break from its cobwebs and slide off the high third shelf to float slowly down to his open hand. He unravelled it and read the satanic glyphs while following them with his forefinger as the storm raged on outside. "Aou Domicae Nor Danem Grevet Jiore." The runes on the parchment burned a fiery red as a window of smoke materialized before him. He laid the scroll aside and stood, respectfully lowering his head.
"Garonar. What news?" boomed a voice from within the swirling mists. "My liege," he replied, raising his head as he spoke, "I regret to inform you of a minor setback in our plans." "Setback! For what reason have I employed you as my ally, necromancer, if I was to expect setbacks?" questioned the voice as the smoke turned blood red with its anger. "You should not expect them my lord, but I fear I must tell you of Gaenor and his transformation of the amulet. He seeks me out from the Imperial fort of Ebonheart.." the voice interrupted with ferocity, "Gaenor? A Bosmer of Valenwood. You leveled Ebon Ro and spared his pointless life." The mist returned to grey, "You've told me of this before. I ask again, what news?"
Garonar sat back down and the cloudy origin of the voice followed. "Indeed, sire. The Bosmer seeks me out from Ebonheart with his newly-blessed amulet. He has vowed to stop me at all costs with the help of a fairly powerful healer. You, the Ash Sovereign of Morrowind, are surely well-aware of my might." The voice answered as if its' rage had been tamed by the mention of one of his titles as the Ash Sovereign, "Indeed, I know you well. I recollect your telling me of one whose unique power of will held enough force to destroy you.. and Gaenor is this one. Do I sense fear in your tone, necromancer?" Garonar chuckled as he sat back in his chair, "Think of him as a fish out of water - completely helpless. He could not even comprehend what power he's promised to vanquish if explained to him by the most learned of scholars. Worry not, my lord."
"Worry?" the voice laughed, "Lord Dagoth Ur does not worry. Deal with him as you see fit. Within five years' time I shall deal with a Gaenor of my own." The smoke turned a bright white and vanished in a flash. The necromancer leaned forward and placed his hands limp on the desk. "I never understand that fool. Why do I bother informing him of my troubles? He could never truly appreciate the raw energy eminating from that elf. Who do I attempt to fool? I must ponder this awhile.. Gaenor, that has been quite enough." He arose and disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell.
"You will not get far."
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It was a bright new morning in Ebonheart. Gaenor and Terenius sat amongst the Legion soldiers at the dining hall and listened to their exploits over breakfast. The cloudless sky held the bright sun whose warming rays shone through the tall windows and onto the banquet table. The soft crashing of waves could be heard from below amongst the talking and laughing. Today would be different from other days - it would serve as the introduction to an adventure.
"To be honest," admitted Terenius as he ate, "I was doubtful that the Oracle would have successfully transformed your amulet and survive." Gaenor turned to him with a puzzled look, "Then why did you let her go down there in the first place?" The healer finished his meal and stood up, "Two reason.. one was because she is very wise and the strongest in spirit out of us all. She knew what she was doing. The second reason is.." The Oracle walked in the large double-doors behind him. "It was not clear to me either whether I would live after the exorcism, but thank you for your concern." The soldiers and Gaenor quickly jumped to their feet as she sat at the opposite head of the table. "After breakfast," she said as she took her silverware, "I would like to speak with you and Gaenor in the chapels."
They waited until the Oracle came through the door. "Good. We must get down to business, we have had enough time for rest. Gaenor, take this." She handed him a note written on Cult stationary and lowered her head at the altar, "This will explain what must be done. Bring it with you and keep it well-hidden.. no one must know of your quest." Gaenor and Terenius looked at each other in partial confusion. "It hurts me to do so, Terenius, but I must send you with him. Gaenor shall surely perish without a means to heal.. not to insult your abilities, but your death would mean Garonar's victory." Gaenor tucked the note into his inner vest pocket, "You know that I am eager to do this.. but once again, I am ill-equipped to meet Garonar in battle." The Oracle gave Gaenor a key from her sleeve and whispered something into his ear. He promptly left with Terenius trailing behind. "Wait, where are you going? Thank you, Lady!" he shouted as he closed the door on his way out.
"Shut your big mouth! Just follow me and try to keep quiet!" They left the fort grounds and circled it by its outer walls halfway to a door hidden by foliage in a large boulder nearby. "What is this place? Wait, it says 'Armory' in daedric letters here.." Gaenor slipped the key into the rusted handle and turned it. The door eased open slowly and triggered the torches to spark their flames, lighting the large storage room. They couldn't believe their eyes.
Breast plates, cuirasses and coats of ringmail and chainmail were hung all around the room. Helmets of all shapes and sizes, models and materials adorned the rows of tables in the center of the room. Smaller tables along the walls were filled with gauntlets, girdles and pauldrons, each part of a set to match the other pieces of armor. Greaves, leggings and boots lay beneath them, piled atop one another in heaps. Gaenor gasped and walked in slowly as Terenius rushed in, the door closing behind them.
"This is amazing! The Cult always claimed their armor was smelted to provide tools and weapons for the Legion centuries ago, but it's here! All of it is here!!" Terenius ran to each table and let out an excited laugh as he recognized every piece of equipment he saw. "Calm down, will you? It seems the Oracle was holding out on us.. if I had discovered this place any earlier I'd have been on my way by now.. but it's good you're coming with me, Terenius. I believe that you and me, with the help of this and my amulet, can destroy Garonar and avenge my family, Ebon Ro, and anyone else that murderous wizard has killed... um, Terenius? Are you listening to me?" Terenius stopped and looked at Gaenor with a silver helmet in his hands, "Gaenor, I'm listening.. I want exactly what you want - revenge."
"That reminds me," Gaenor said, "you never did tell me why you want to help me in the first place." Terenius laid the helmet back down on the table and walked towards him. "Now is a good enough time as any to tell you." His face turned grim, "Much like Ebon Ro, Garonar came to the Cyrodiilic town of Vassenport. Needless to say he killed everyone.. except for me. I was out fishing after renting a small boat from the docks. I watched my hometown go up in flames that day.. it was.." He leaned with his shoulder against the wall.. "Believe me, I know how you feel.. exactly how you feel. Everyone I held dear is now within that necromancer.. their souls. But if we work together, we can give Garonar the death he deserves. Come, show me to the strongest suit of armor in this place."
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They were inside the secret armory for hours. Terenius pointed out and picked up every piece of armor and explained in great detail its' history, importance, enchantments and strength. Gaenor realized that the healer showed overwhelming admiration for the crafters and he had vast knowledge of how to care for all types of armors. Finally, they had both chosen which suits they would equip and took them to the Legion barracks.
"We need these hammered, mended and recharged.. shine 'em up too." Terenius said as he and Gaenor dropped their armor onto the blacksmith's anvil. "Surely," he replied, "fixing such grand pieces as these will be tough, but I always like a challenge. Check back here in three or four hours." The two returned to the dining hall and ate with the soldiers, then retired to their rooms to rest awhile. An hour after sundown, Terenius came knocking on Gaenor's door and they went together back to the barracks.
"Well, we have the armor," Gaenor said as he strapped on his bracers, "so the only thing we need now is a few weapons." Terenius smiled, "Don't count on Cult weapons.. none exist except for a lost sword and a cursed hammer, and don't even get me started with the Legions' - those things can't cut through a scrib. If we want to do some real damage, there's only once place to go. But before that, what's your weapon of choice?" Gaenor struck a combat pose, "The way of the sword's the only way for me!"
The full moon shone through the parting clouds over Ebonheart that night as the two made their way to Vivec. From there they would use the guild guide to Balmora and see an old friend of Terenius'. They talked to no one as they crossed the cantons to the Foreign Quarter. They kept their eyes to the floor and strode on past the Ordinators as they instructed them to 'move along.. scum.' Terenius muttered to himself after each one but it was too low for Gaenor to hear. He put on his trademark smirk at the assumption that the Cult and Temple hadn't the best of relations. Living in Sadrith Mora, a Telvanni town that has nothing to do with the Temple, he didn't know until then of their hatred towards one another. These thoughts didn't linger, for his mind was focused on who they were going to meet and what type of sword he would be wielding.
"Balmora." The guild guide placed her hand to Terenius' forehead and he disappeared instantly from where he stood. "Me too!" said Gaenor with excitement as this would be the first time he'd ever used the service. Before he knew it he was standing next to the guild guide in Balmora, Terenius already heading upstairs. He gave a loud "HA!" and jogged up to him, his boots clanging against the stone floor. They left the Mages' Guild and crossed the alley to The Razor Hole, a weapons establishment owned by Thorek the Nord.
The pale stone buildings of Balmora glistened in the light from the moon and lanterns hung above doorways after a recent rain storm. Guards watched carefully the quiet city in full alert through the slits in their concealing helmets. Most of the citizens were sleeping by now and those who were awake were either shopkeepers or sentries. They eyed the two and gave them dirty looks as they walked quickly past and Gaenor thought if Terenius had any quarrels with these guards as well. He tucked the amulet behind his tunic and was glad when he got into Thorek's small store and out of the unusually hostile view of Balmora's inhabitants. "They're not usually this way.. strange." said the healer as he shut the door.
"Hail and welcome, Terenius! What brings you here after so long?" said the large man, towering over the wide-eyed elf. "My friend, it's been too long, but we are conducting urgent business that cannot be put off. We are in need of your finest weapons - a long blade for my friend Gaenor here and a mace for myself." Thorek lumbered to a closet near the entrance, unlocked and swung it open. "Aimin' to start some trouble, are ye? I've been waitin' to sell off these two, and it's great luck that they're the types ye wanted! Have a look!" Terenius entered and laughed, "I knew I could count on you. These are perfect. Bill these to the Cult in Ebonheart and we'll be on our way."
They went off into the night leaving Thorek at the door, nodding his head. "I suppose we'll catch up another day." he sighed as he closed the door to his shop. They headed back to Vivec the way they came and made way to the dock. There they planned to catch a ship to the mainland and travel the rest of the way by foot. Terenius handed Gaenor his new blade by the hilt and asked, "Are you sure you know how to use one of these?" Gaenor grabbed it, spun around and stuck it forcefully into the soft grass. The healer looked confused.. until he saw two branches fall from the tree that had been chopped off.
"Oh."
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They boarded a ship bound for Grenmoor two hours later. Their boots tramped down the hard wood deck to the captain's hold. Terenius took a satchel of coins from his belt and paid for the two of them, then led Gaenor to the base of the mast where they settled for the journey overseas. "The captain said it'd take about a day to get to the mainland." Gaenor took a woven bag from over his shoulder and opened it, "Good thing I brought this!" He handed Terenius a portion of bread and scuttle, then helped himself. It would be a long way over the sea, and the two knew it.
The captain emerged from his quarters, crouching through the low doorway. He wore a red bandana over his head and a worn vest with tarnished pants fitted his muscular body. An old iron sabre hugged against his side through a sash that hung around his waist and down to his knee-high black boots. His teeth were few and he had a large scar over one missing eye where he had neglected to cover with an eyepatch. Gaenor watched with caution as he advanced towards him.
"'Pears you two are the only'ns on me ship! It'll take a while but we'll get there'n before ya know it! Helps if ya get yerself some rest." the Redguard laughed with his hands at his hips. He was a hardy man and looked as though he had spent his entire life on the water. "Thanks for the advice." Gaenor said in a low voice. He paid no mind and strode back to the other side of the deck. "Oh," he yelled behind his back, "I almost forgot!" Terenius stood quickly and turned to Gaenor, "I knew it. Pirates."
The captain drew his sword and said with a grin, "Ya failed to notice our banner!" He kicked hard the wooden planks below him signalling his crew. Suddenly a trap door flung open at Terenius' feet and out sprung a half dozen of them - goblins. The captain let out a loud cackle and the goblins shared it in phlegmy, blood-curdling chortle. Gaenor dropped his food and jumped to his feet, presenting his blade to the goblins. Terenius whipped out his mace and prodded at them as he looked up to the banner the captain mentioned. "Skull and crossbones.. why didn't I see that? What am I, blind?" He yelled over the goblins as they closed in, "Eh, Captain Scuttlehead? We'd like to leave. We're not far from the shore and we haven't anything you need!" The captain stopped laughing and shouted, "Yer 'quipment an' lives'r enough, Cyrodiil!"
With that he stamped the floor again and the goblins let out a screeching warcry. Gaenor jumped but he would not let these creatures shake him. HIs amulet began to glow a bright blue as he held his sword with both hands before him and charged through them towards the captain. Terenius took up his mace and smashed two of the goblins over the head before having to dodge two more. "Yer sword ain't fit for a tiny elf like yerself, fool!" the captain laughed as he thrust his sabre at Gaenor with his eye closed. "Yer even lighter than I thought! Me blade feels like it sliced air and not yer skull!" Gaenor stood behind him and slowly sheathed his blade, "Hate to burst your bubble, but it seems to me that a gash that big through your torso couldn't be too healthy for you." The goblins stopped and turned to their leader, falling to his knees and then to the floor, bleeding profusely. Terenius saw his chance and knocked two more out, then threw the others over the side of the ship.
"My, for a healer you sure can fend for yourself!" Gaenor chuckled as he hopped over the captain's body and over to Terenius. "Are you alright?" he asked. The healer fell back to the mast holding his left arm, having been cut through by a goblin's dagger. "I'll be fine.. it's.. only pain." A white light emitted from his palm and filled his wound with a healing brightness. "See?" he said wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Nothing at all.. but I must say you aren't too bad yourself! Where did you learn to use a blade like that?" Gaenor gave a proud look, "What do you think I've been doing all these years? I taught myself!"
He and Terenius pushed the corpses off the deck and his amulet dimmed.
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By the time the captain fell the ship was only a half mile away from the dock. As Terenius took the helm, Gaenor watched over the wooden railing at the other end as the two surviving goblins made their way to the shore, only to meet an angry Ordinator; they don't care for goblins in their city. The remainder of the trip until sundown consisted mainly of the two sharing their lives before the coming of Garonar; their families, friends, what they did when not in school as young boys, and what they would do once they reached the mainland.
"Do you see now that telepathy isn't only used for gaining information from unconscious wood elves?" explained Terenius, "If I didn't read the captain's thoughts, we would've been taken completely by surprise and those goblins could have done quite a number on us." Gaenor shined his blade by the light of the setting sun with a rag he'd found below deck, "Indeed, without you I'd have to have done all the work myself!" They laughed and decided it would be best if they slept. Gaenor insisted that he would take the wheel for he would not sleep for some time yet.
The sea was quiet and the sky was clear. As Terenius slept, Gaenor looked up at the thousands of stars that dotted the sky from his position at the wheel. He noticed the constellations: The Ritual, The Tower, and The Warrior. He remembered learning of them and their properties from his mother one evening in Valenwood. He had grown so much since then and thought about how long it had been since he last gazed at their luminous majesty. It was then he noticed something different. The Serpent had appeared. All who had been born in Tamriel knew of the 13th constellation of The Serpent. It was known to attack the others until their Protector wrested them from its' hold. Gaenor watched as The Serpent edged closer to the sign of his birth, The Tower.
He was flung off his feet and onto his back as something rammed into the bow from underneath the water. Terenius tumbled out of his bed and caught himself as he gripped his hands onto the mast. "What's going on?!" he yelled to Gaenor as they both picked themselves up. The elf hung onto the wheel as the ship shook uncontrollably from the now raging sea. He pulled himself forward to see what was happening. His quick elven eyes darted back and forth across the restless waves until he saw a dark shadow from beneath them flying through the water.
"Sea monster! Get over here!!" he shouted above the serpent as it crashed itself into the hull. Terenius made his way up to Gaenor and braced himself on the railing. "By the Nine, that thing must be forty feet long!" he exclaimed, "What do you propose we do?!" Gaenor held on with all his might as he unsheathed his sword and secured his left foot to the wooden rail. "What are you doing?!" shouted Terenius. Gaenor turned facing him and let out a loud battlecry before launching himself into the water.
The healer held himself to the wheel and stared off into the space where Gaenor had stood. "Fool!!" he said aloud and shielded his head from the violent splashing of waves. A tall shadow fell over him. He eased open his eyes and followed it up to the berserk sea beast looming over him. It was several stories in length and had monstrous fins each the size of the ship's sail. Its scales were green and slimy with algae and water which poured down its serpentine body. Terenius watched as Gaenor scurried up the rough back of the creature with his blade in hand. He made it to the top of its head and proceeded to stab at it, not caring about where his blows landed. The monster shook about wildly but Gaenor held on tight. His sword claimed an eye intensifying its rage. Terenius lost his grip and was thrown back to the mast, falling unconscious at impact.
"You'll pay for that!" Gaenor said as he proceeded with his butchering of the serpent's face. It rose up further out of the water and knocked the ship, sending it crashing along the water and in the opposite direction. Gaenor looked up and watched as the ship shrunk further and further from his vision. "Terenius!!" he yelled but only in vain, for the healer could not hear him. The beast spread its fins and dove into the angry sea with Gaenor still clutching to its scales. His grip became wet and loose and the creature shot down into the depths, leaving him floating at the surface, helpless between a berserk monster and a coming storm with no sight of his vessel.. or his friend.
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The thunder was the first thing he heard when splashing through the surface of the waves. Terenius and the ship were gone, his path to the mainland ruined, an injured and bloodthirsty sea serpent below him, a fierce tempest above him, and an especially soggy and uncomfortable pair of undergarments on him. He looked to his amulet in the hopes of its magic working to help him in his most dire time of need, but it did nothing. Its gem remained dim leaving Gaenor alone in the middle of the sea with nothing to aid him but his wits and his blade. He began to panic, "I'm done for. This beast will claim me here and Terenius will crash upon the rocks of some island somewhere. Garonar will live on and there will be no hope for Tamriel." Lost in despair, he hardly noticed the peculiar and sudden calming of the waters around him.
He looked all around but there was no sign of the monster. He dunked his head underwater and squinted through the settling sea, but still nothing. He lifted himself up again and sheathed his sword. "Well, he must've swam off from the damage I did to him. Not as fierce as I thought!" Although it appeared the serpent had escaped, Gaenor was still disoriented from the battle. A few minutes passed when he had an idea - he would use the stars for guidance. "Just as they foretold the attack of that wretched serpent, so will they lead me to shore." he said.
He knew he didn't have the energy to stay afloat for long, so he looked to the constellations. Okay, The Tower and The Warrior both move west in summer.. and the sun rises to the east.. so that must mean the mainland is south! he thought, swimming to the south. He didn't understand the logic himself, but his decision was made. He hoped that at some point he would either find a small island to rest on or a ship to bring him the rest of the way. He knew not the region, and being in the middle of the sea didn't help.
The storm was relentless. It had been raining sheets since the disappearance of the monster and the wind stirred the water into a frenzy. The struggling elf paddled on ever hopeful of happening upon a fishing boat or something else to save him. He rode helplessly along the tall, curling waves, exhausted and sick from his ordeal. His arms were tired from swimming and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to go on before succumbing to the storm.
When his situation was looking its bleakest, he saw through the pouring rain a large brown object floating towards him. His energy was renewed and he didn't care what it was, as long as it could help him. He yelled to get its attention but it kept its pace. At last it reached him through the raging sea and it became clear to him what it was - a dreugh. An exceptionally large dreugh. Gaenor gasped as its tentacles grappled around him tightly and dragged him off through the sea.
He continued to shout at the creature but it could not hear him from under the water. It increased its speed greatly and Gaenor quickly found himself moving so fast that the waves broke in halves when they met them. He turned from side to side, wincing and spitting as the salt water gushed onto his face and into his mouth. He gave up trying to break free of the dreugh's hold after multiple attempts, for its tentacles were too strong. Also, he reasoned that being carried through the storm was better than being left alone at its mercy.
After an hour, Gaenor awoke after having fainted from exhaustion by one of the dreugh's tentacles smacking itself to his face. His screams were muffled as he and the creature dove down into the water with the speed of an arrow and just as straight. The elf became quiet and realized the dreugh had covered his face to hold his breath. He then noticed the masterful skill it possessed as it swam deeper towards the ocean floor. He could feel the water pressure more and more as they travelled further down until at last they reached the mouth of a large cave on the side of a group of collapsed boulders. The dreugh maneuvered through it to an air pocket where it climbed up onto the wet cave floor and laid the coughing Bosmer down. It watched as he slowly picked himself up and rested on his knees, holding his neck with his hands as he choked for air. He opened one eye to find the dreugh holding a wooden club. Here we go. he thought before everything went black and his frail body hit the ground.
(c)2005 Shrax
On to chapter 2