Chapter 3: Bodyguard
A few days later, I still couldn’t believe it. And since I couldn’t believe it, I was grumbling all the time.
,,Oh, just knock it off. You act like a child who’s broken his toy.” Ro-El said one day as we wandered through a city known as Mournhold.
,,I don’t want to stick around here. It’s still Morrowind. I was going to go far away, dammit.” I retorted. The kid shrugged.
,,Running won’t help you much in this case and I need a bodyguard anyway. I’ve told you that a dozen times before. Besides, if you really wanted to run, you would have done so, deal or no deal.” Was all he said.
,,And I’ve told you a dozen times before that you don’t need one, mister I-dodge-lightning-with-my-eyes-closed. There’s nothing that can possibly touch you. Besides, you’ve got a whole army in the hold of your airship. Forget about manners, instead of parking off the coast you should have just flown the whole thing in. And meh, I guess I stick around because I’m bored and really don’t have anything better to do.”
Ro-El didn’t look at me while we continued our conversation.
,,While my mission is here to assess the political situation and use the House Dwemer plan to establish an independent Vvardenfell for after the inevitable fall of Vivec, I am not going to just barge in and tell people what to do. That would be stupid. It is wiser to investigate first, to get a feeling for what is going on here right now. We are working with outdated information.” He spoke and pointed at a notice.
,,For example, it seems like there is a new king in town. One Helseth. I’ve read a story about him while in training. It seems that he’s quite the plotter.”
I looked at the notice myself which, beyond the signature of this Helseth, was completely uninteresting. Something about raised taxes. Taxes are always being raised. I’d never paid a single coin in taxes in my life. Either I was not a citizen, or I was the big boss around and as such was the one who should be receiving taxes rather than paying. That said, I never bothered to ask for taxes at Tel Uvirith.
,,So you are going to beat him at plotting?” I asked my ‘client’. Ro-El laughed and shook his head.
,,No, while I’m trained as a spy, I’m not much of a plotter. I’m good at sneaking and punching people, that’s all. Now let’s find a place to crash.”
Ro-El promptly turned and began to cross the street.
,,Hold on a sec. There’s a good tavern right over there, why won’t we rent a room there?” I called as I turned around myself and matched pace.
,,No, too expensive and it doesn’t quite offer the privacy I’m looking for. Remember the old rule among the Blades? I’m sure you have the same rule we do. If you’re looking for information, find a barkeep. He’ll tell you everything there is to know about the subject for a small price. That is true, but I’m worried about the rule that follows. You’re not the only customer.” The little guy explained. I had to agree with him. There had been a few times that I’d learned private information from a barkeep. It was only natural to assume that others might get private information on us if we dealt through those channels.”
,,So, where are we staying? I don’t like sewers.” I said once we’d reached the other end of the street. Ro-El pulled a key out of his pocket and tried it on the door of a small manor.
,,Simple, we’ll use Ilmeni’s old home. Did you know that she spent some time in Mournhold to study? Even though she came back to Vvardenfell, she never sold the place. She insisted on me staying here during my business. The rent is good for another two months, and I’ll make a deposit tomorrow to renew the rent.” The key fit and the lock opened with the soft click of a well-maintained mechanism.
,,It must be nice to know royalty.” I muttered as I caught my first sight of the comfortable yet not excessively decadent interior.
,,It does have its perks.” Ro-El admitted.
,,Well, Luper. Make yourself at home but try to keep things clean. Ilmeni might come back here someday and she would not be pleased if we leave this place in a mess.”
We stored our luggage and while Ro-El chose to lounge on the sofa and read a good book, I chose to take a walk around town. Standing outside the door to Dren manor, I looked at the tavern I’d noticed earlier and wondered if I should go get a drink. Then I suddenly realized something. Wouldn’t it be even more suspicious if we stayed at the place of a noble? I skipped back into the building and placed a mark on the doormat.
,,Ro-El, won’t people get suspicious of us being here?” I asked, waving my hand all over the room. The agent didn’t even look up from his book while he answered.
,,No, it’s ok. I’ve got papers and everything for this. Your presence is explained as my official bodyguard and I’m staying here under the name Roland Wolf-tail, a Skyrim noble who met Ilmeni somewhere in Cyrodiil someplace. Besides, she told me she has a reputation for lending her place to friends and stuff. It will be alright. If anyone bothers you, direct them to me.”
I shrugged and went back outside. I still wasn’t convinced it would work out. I walked past the tavern without going inside for a drink and simply followed the road wherever it would lead.
,,Oh, Almsivi. I don’t believe it!” A woman gasped as I passed her door. I rose an eyebrow and faced her.
,,First Redguard you’ve seen in your life?” I asked her sarcastically. Apparently she didn’t catch the undertone.
,,That pommel, that hilt. Could it be, could it? Yes, it must be! Chrysamere!”
I rolled my eyes. Great, an artefact fanatic. We had a lot in common but it was a bit scary to see people literally drool at the sight of my sword. It was worse than having people worship the ground you walk on while chanting ‘Praise the Nerevarine’. The Dark Elf somehow managed to compose herself and rushed to wipe away the drool with a handkerchief before anyone noticed.
,,I haven’t seen this sword since the Simulacrum. Perhaps…Ahem, my name is Torasa Aram and I am the caretaker of the Mournhold Museum of Artefacts. We of the Museum extend the offer of a healthy cash price for any owner of an artefact. We will display the artefact in our hall. Part of the proceeds gathered from visitors will go to the original owner and the original owner’s name will be listed as well on the plaque. Our price for this item would be 30000 septims, enough to buy a large mansion and live in full comfort for the next ten years.” She stammered. I rose my other eyebrow and walked past her into the Museum where I found the hall to be practically empty. Judging by the state of the place, Torasa Aram didn’t have even a thousand septims, let stand thirty times as much. If I sold Chrysamere, which I wasn’t going to do for even a million, she would likely wave me off with a ‘I’ll pay tomorrow’ and flee the city that night to sell the sword somewhere on the black market where she could easily fetch three times as much as the price she’d just offered.
,,Two words. Tel Uvirith.” I said and walked back out.
,,Tel Uvirith? That sounds like the name of a Telvanni residence. Does this mean that you are willing to sell and wish to buy that residence?” She called out to me. I turned around and jabbed a finger at her chest.
,,Listen, I’ve been trying to be subtle and polite which is something I’m not good at. So let me explain this, my style. I am Telvanni, I live at Tel Uvirith, I gave the order for its construction, I captured the souls needed to grow the damn mushroom and I filled it with countless artefacts that would make your head spin, all gained through hard work and wandering into places you’d do best to avoid. You don’t have the money to pay me your price, and my own price can’t be matched for all the money in the world. If you want this fraud to become real, start practicing and find your own samples. Have a nice day.” I snapped and walked away at a brisk pace.
I hoped that would be the last annoyance during my walk but it was not meant to be. Mournhold was going to get on my nerves real fast. I hadn’t even walked out of the street when I came past a small crowd. They were gossiping about something, something about a powerful mage with ambitions.
,,I heard he’s going to challenge the king soon. But first he wants to make a statement by killing all those who are not with him.”
,,Really? I heard he’s a powerful mage. I think I’ll leave the city for a while, long enough to find out who’s going to control it next month.”
,,He lives openly in that house over there. He must be powerful if he can afford to live right under the king’s nose.”
I stopped when I came upon ‘that house’. So a powerful mage was living there, threatening to kill everyone who opposed him and stuff? My hand rose to the hilt of my sword behind my shoulder. Then it dropped again. I stuffed my hands firmly in my pockets and walked on. I’d decided not to interfere. Let someone else be the hero for once and soak up the fame. Besides, it was just gossip. It was probably all lies. I wasn't in the mood to take out a cranky old scholar who couldn't hurt a fly even if he tried.
There were no further annoyances and I returned to Ilmeni’s manor at sunset. Ro-El and I ate a simple meal and then went to bed. There wasn’t much for us to do today.
The next day, we rose up early and headed out of the door.
,,So, what are the plans for today?” I asked Ro-El. He stopped to buy two breads from a street vendor.
,,First of all, we’re going to eat these things. After that, we’re going to sneak into the palace during the daily ‘consultation’ hour where citizens can meet the king and tell him of their problems, after which he decides what to do, or to do nothing at all.” He explained and handed me one loaf. It was hard and rather bland, but it filled the stomach.
It happened when we walked over the Plaza Brindisi Dorom, a large open area with a magnificent fountain. Halfway across the plaza, there was the distinct swoosh and sparkle of a teleportation taking place. I looked long enough to see a Dunmer dressed in an outrageous robe and then brought my eyes back to the alley up ahead. The Dunmer however immediately launched into a speech that we could hear even from here.
,,I, the great battlemage Velas, the hero of the Battlespire, he who vanquished Mehrunes Dagon himself when he invaded this ancient sanctuary. I have come here today, to bring a message to this so-called king. To make sure he shall listen, I shall display my power, by turning his foreigner friends into dust!” He rambled.
,,Great, another racist Dark Elf. And I guess the rumours weren’t wrong for once. Ah well, not my problem.” I muttered. Ro-El froze.
,,What, something wrong?” I asked and looked at him just in time to see a fireball hit him squarely between the shoulders.
The Nord frowned for a moment, then grinned when the next spell rushed in and hit the same spot. I looked up and saw that the culprit was this Velas fellow.
,,Excuse me, he’s trying to kill you. Aren’t you going to do anything about it?” I spoke to Ro-El who casually shook his head.
,,I’m not going to refuse free spells, even if they’re a bit pathetic. Besides, you’re the bodyguard here so you do something.”
I had nothing to say against that. I was his bodyguard after all. Velas had wasted away his Magicka by now and now came rushing at us, a bit clumsy because he kept tripping over that robe of his. I had to control my laughter. The lunatic wasn’t even carrying a dagger. Surely he should have reconsidered his plans by now, if he wasn’t mad. I strode up to meet him and when he passed, I reached out with a hand and yanked his arm, hard. With a stifled scream, he flew onto his back.
,,Could you please stop that? You’re annoying and boring us.” I told him and flashed my trademark grin.
,,How dare you interfere?! For that you’ll pay. I will turn you to ash!” The would-be mage raged. I shook my head and listened to the clatter of the fountain.
,,You know, you need to cool off. Have a nice flight.” I chuckled, hauled him up off the floor and, after calculating the distance, hurled him through the air. I laughed when he splashed into the fountain. Corprusstrenght was great.
,,So much for not drawing attention.” Ro-El muttered.
,,You should have slapped him in the face instead of throwing him all across the plaza.” He added. I shrugged and followed him to the palace.
,,Hey, it was fun to watch, wasn’t it?” I quipped. The Nord chuckled.
,,Yeah, it was.”
Neither of us spoke till after we’d entered the palace, a grotesque thing that seemed to be meant only for intimidation. I wasn’t so impressed though. Compared to village-sized mushrooms that grow to their full size in just a week, this contraption of stone and bronze was quite frankly, lame.
,,A consultation, eh?” I said to myself as we joined the mass of citizens that had formed into a line.
,,Maybe we should figure out a problem of our own, just to justify being here?” I suggested a few steps further.
,,Perhaps. We could talk about how crazy murderous mage-wannabes are allowed to run around freely in this city.” Ro-El replied and chuckled softly at the memory of the ‘crazy murderous mage-wannabe’.
,,Yeah, I hope he doesn’t have a twin brother or something, one who actually can make a claim at the title of battlemage. Dealing with some stupid grudge is so not what I’m interested right now. Meh, I doubt he has.” I laughed myself.
,,Well, for a rumour of that magnitude, there must be someone like him with a lot more power. So that brother thing might be closer to the truth than you believe. Anyway, we’ll whine about it for a bit if we’re actually asked to talk. Look at all the people. I doubt that even half of them will actually get a chance to speak. Kings are notoriously impatient and I shouldn’t say this, but even Duke Dren can be one impatient and cranky old fella.” Ro-El said dryly. I admitted to myself that I had to change my opinion of him yet again. Few absolutely loyal servants were so open and willing to say that their lord wasn’t the most perfect thing on Nirn.
Clanking footsteps drew closer and I turned my head to see a knight, Imperial, in crimsonred armour walking up to meet us. I frowned and secretly tensed my muscles, ready to lay into him the moment he got aggressive. I have had bad experiences with guards, especially Imperial guards, for fifteen uninterrupted years to be precise. One doesn’t lose his paranoia around them that easily. Ro-El turned to look with me, casually leaning on his cane.
,,You will give me that sword.” The Imperial stated cleanly, leaving no questions asked which sword he was talking about. Still, I theatrically looked behind me and shrugged when the only people I found with swords, or any other weapon, were more of those plate-mailed guards.
,,I’m not even thinking to consider it.” I stated just as clean and looked him in the eyes. The look the Imperial returned me was uncompromising.
,,Listen, you Redguard hick in the woods. This is not your lovely sandpit. This is Mournhold and in here, I’m the boss. Now my rule is that only the trusted guards of king Hlaalu Helseth are allowed to possess weapons in his presence. You will give up that sword and you will do it now.” He replied with a slight hiss in his voice.
,,Not a chance. And seriously, you think that was an insult? Oh come on, like I haven’t heard better.” I replied in turn. By now, his face was beginning to turn a light shade of red. It was rather cute, the colour matched his armour.
,,You think you’re famous or something?” He growled.
,,Not yet, give me a few hours and I’ll come back to you, ok?” I flashed a grin.
,,Luper.” With a slight sting of annoyance, I turned my attention to Ro-El who up till now, had been listening to our conversation without saying a thing.
,,I suppose you don’t understand, seeing the culture you’ve lived in. But here, it is a sign of goodwill to give up your weapons before you meet the king. I’m sure that your sword will be returned to you as soon as you leave. Isn’t that right, captain?” He directed the last words at the guard. I changed my opinion again. Ro-El was good at playing the spoiled and easily angered noble.
,,Alright, here you go. But if I find as much as a single scratch or fleck of dust.” I grumbled, throwing Chrysamere with scabbard and all into his hands. I suppressed a new grin as his arms were forced to lower a few centimetres before he managed to compensate. Chrysamere is heavy, and it takes nearly inhuman strength to carry it around all day or swing it all day. Lucky me that I have inhuman strength.
The captain turned away and marched off, even stiffer than when he came.
,,I don’t like this.” Ro-El whispered.
,,Yeah, me neither. He got this calculating look in his eyes as soon as you said my name. Looks like I am already famous, to him. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to be careful when someone gets all calculating. Keep your eyes open.” I whispered back.
,,Now who was the bodyguard here?” Ro-El asked.
The line dragged on. Two hours later, I was beginning to get seriously impatient.
,,Crap, did the whole of Tamriel got invited or something?” I mumbled and nudged Ro-El.
,,Yo, can you keep my spot for me? I’ve got to take a leak.” The Nord nodded and I walked away, wobbling from side to side for a bit. Man, I didn’t knew that walking without a big Claymore on your back or in your hands could be this hard.
Whenever I walked into the wrong places, which was apparently all the time, a guard would run in and order me to get back to the civil areas. By the time I’d found the bathroom, I was just about ready to toss the next guard to bark at me through the wall. The toilet was a dirty affair but I managed, after some quick Telekinetic cleaning.
,,Damn, they should put signs pointing at this place.” I muttered when I walked back out.
I heard a soft swishing sound. Half a moment later, my throat itched. I drew up my hand and encountered something hard, yet covered in something soft. I grabbed whatever it was and pulled it out. It was a blood-soaked feathered dart. Someone was trying to kill me again. I slumped to the floor, landing on my face.
A pair of black shoes entered the edge of my vision.
,,Think he’s dead?” A deep voice asked.
,,I don’t know. He killed the last two. It should be harder than this.” A second voice answered.
,,Yes, but the captain was so kind to take away his sword. That deal we made was a good one. Redguards are remarkably easy targets without their sword, take that from me.” A third voice added. Three assassins, at the minimum and if I recognized that particular type of shoe, they were Dark Brotherhood. And seeing that they’d already managed to hit me, sword or not, they were not as green as the last two. It looked as if playing hour was over.
,,Too bad for you that I’m no Redguard!” I shouted and leaped to my feet, hitting the assassin who had been standing over me with an uppercut. The masked man’s head jerked back and he flew back. I stroked across my throat with a finger and noted that my Magicka had done the trick. I had been lucky to get the idea to fall on my face so they couldn’t see me heal the wound. And making them think I was dead had been even better.
I took in the scene in a single moment. Somehow, the guards had vanished and three assassins had taken their places. I was unarmed and against professionals, I was not going to try hand-to-hand against them. I Skybolted over them while they were still surprised and landed behind a pillar where I pressed my back against it. Earlier I’d been annoyed at all the megalomaniacal architecture, but now I was grateful for this piece of cover.
,,Think, Lup, think. What would you do if your quarry is hiding behind a stone pillar?” I asked myself. A mental image of the pillar falling over under the influence of a Telekinetic shockwave popped up. I grinned and suppressed it. I knew I had a tendency for collateral damage, but what if this was a load-bearing pillar? Knocking down the local palace on my second day in the city would be a bit too much.
,,I’m not an assassin. Ok, another try.” This time, my mind brought up a scene closer to what the assassins were actually doing. I saw how the leader stood on the other side of the pillar, yet too far away to make me drop it on him. He was gesturing for his two accomplices to each move around the pillar from a different side and then attack me from two directions simultaneously.
I turned and looked at the stone pillar. If I wanted to get at them, I would have to disrupt their plans. To do that, I would have to take out the leader. But to do that, I would have to move around it. And no matter how I moved around it, I would always move right within the aim of an assassin. No, I couldn’t move myself. But I didn’t need to move. I knew I was running out of time. I pointed a finger at the pillar and focussed. A fireball grew, till it reached the size of my head. Then, it shrank suddenly till it was merely as large as a coin and shot out. Its concentrated force drilled a hole right through the stone, emerging on the other side of the pillar. I heard a scream and knew I’d hit my target. No pillar could stop a flamelance.
Right now, the two other assassins would be scrambling for cover. Here was my chance to pop out and start throwing stuff, like that ancient suit of armour that stood by the wall. I ran over to it, my head kept low, and heaved the heavy metal contraption off its stand.
,,What the?” I spun around towards the sound and hurled it away, right in the face of one assassin who had been in the process of aiming a dart.
,,Lifting ridiculously heavy objects. Catches them off-guard every time.” I commented and turned on the last one. He’d fled.
Now that the most immediate threat to my life had passed, I could actually think, and start asking questions. How did the Dark Brotherhood learn of my presence so quick? Was it the lady with the fake museum? The guy from Tel Uvirith, there weren’t many who matched that description. But one of them had mentioned a deal. They wouldn’t. But it was there, the calculating look at the mention of my name. The Imperial had known that name, yet not the face that matched it. He was involved with the Dark Brotherhood, somehow. When he walked away, he must’ve gone to inform them of my presence in Mournhold. But that fast? It was only possible if, the thought made my blood run cold, they had a base of operations here.
,,That filthy rotten captain guard of evil. I’ll give him a piece of my mind later.” I seethed. While thoughts of sweet vengeance were pleasant, there were more important issues to deal with right now. I had to clean up and hide two corpses. That would delay any alarms. Of course, with one escapee, I couldn’t expect this delay to be a long one.
I stuffed them down the toilet and added a large amount of fire. Hopefully, people would think that the toilets had been disinfected, not been the cremation-site of two dart-throwing throatslitters. I patched up the suit of armour as best as I could without any tools. The pillar was the only thing I couldn’t do anything about. But the hole was small, it was unlikely to be noticed.
I made my way back to Ro-El and stepped back in line. I’d decided not to tell him what had happened, not with all those ears that would be listening.
,,Did I miss anything?” I asked as casual as I could, despite the anger, the frustration and the sheer desire to punch someone clouding my mind.
,,You missed lady Barenziah, the queen. An interesting personality.” Ro-El replied. For the moment, the assassins were forgotten.
,,Wait a minute. Barenziah, the queen? I….” The agent lifted a hand to shut me up before I said something stupid, like calling the queen a prostitute right in a palace packed with people who practically worshipped her.
,,Yup. She came out in public. Surprises happen. Now come on, I’ve seen enough for today. We’ll come back when it’s less crowded.” With these words, he stepped out of line and walked back towards the entrance, me following a few steps behind.
Right near the gates, we met our captain again. My hands subconsciously balled into fists and I stuffed them into my pockets before I lashed out and sent him through the wall.
,,You have my sword.” I said plainly. The captain gave a curt nod and ventured into a room guarded by two of his subordinates.
,,Luper. You’re a bit stiff. Something wrong?” Ro-El whispered while we waited.
,,Go on and head back to Ilmeni’s place. Don’t stop, don’t look back. I’ve got private business to deal with, and it’s not about Chrysamere.” I whispered back and pushed him away. The Nord stood still for five seconds, then he turned around and left. Good, I didn’t want him to share my trouble.
The captain took a horrible five minutes to do whatever he was doing in that room. Then he returned, and threw a Chitin dagger into my hands that was so brittle it nearly snapped just by being looked at. I threw it down on the floor where it shattered into a thousand pieces.
,,Joke time is over. Where is my sword?” I asked with a threatening voice and a nasty scowl. I noticed that he was now wearing a Claymore of his own on his back, but it wasn’t Chrysamere. For a moment, it seemed as if the Imperial had the guts to say ‘on the floor, that dagger is your sword’ to me. But he reconsidered, not that it would help him.
,,It appears that there has been a thief. Our apologies, but the palace does not offer any guarantee towards the safety of your possessions. Now if you excuse me, I am expecting three guests who seem to be rather late. Have a nice day.” He barked and demonstratively turned his back on me.
,,Dudes in black, masked, poisoned darts? They weren’t late. They were right on time.” I called out. He froze, confirming my suspicions.
,,Ok, you rotten Imp. You are playing a game here and you have no idea how dangerous this game is, for you! Now if you want to live, you’re going to do exactly as I tell you.” I continued. The guard in the crimson armour wheeled back around, his hand rising to the hilt of his sword.
,,Threatening an officer of King Helseth is a serious offence. Apologize now, or face the consequences.” He warned. But there had been a short hesitation in his moves. It looked like the reputation of the ‘unstoppable’ Dark Brotherhood was working in my favour. But not enough in my favour to actually keep him from attacking me if I pushed him too far.
,,Go ahead and draw. I need a replacement and yours is as good as any. Poetic justice, if anything.” I answered. Throughout the conversation, my hands had not left my pockets.
He did draw, and so did every other guard in the room. Yet none of them made a move.
,,Leave.” A new voice, one I did not recognize, whispered right in my ear. I remained motionless. Someone was near, yet I couldn’t see him. Invisibility, Chameleon? No, it was something else.
,,I’ll answer your questions, outside.” The voice spoke again. I didn’t hear any footsteps, didn’t feel the air move as it was pushed aside by an invisible form. But still, I knew that the owner of that voice had left the room.
,,Ten against one? Geez, not even my mother is such a coward. We’ll talk again when you find some courage, if you ever get to it. Oh, and one more thing. If I ever meet another Dark Brotherhood assassin, three guesses who I’ll pay a visit. And it won’t be for cookies and flin.” I snarled and walked out.
Outside the palace, a Dark Elf was leaning against the wall right near a dark alley. He beckoned me over and entered the alley. I followed and saw that he’d retreated right into the darkest shadows, where no one would see us unless he or she would enter the alley as well.
,,Akatosh, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He spoke. He had the same voice as the man who spoke to me in the palace.
,,Call me Luper.” I replied.
The man nodded.
,,Revan. I had no intention of getting mixed up in your business but I did feel the need to interfere.” He said. I frowned for a bit but waited till he would say some more.
,,I don’t know what game you are playing here, but you must realize that here in Mournhold, the line between pawn and master is very thin. There are those who hold interest in you. One of those is Tienus Delitian, the man you argued with. I sense great strength within you, the strength of the Dragon god. But Delitian has strength of his own. The strength of Gravedigger.”
,,Gravedigger?” I interrupted. Revan vanished, as if he’d become one with the shadows.
,,You will find more answers in the Mournhold of old.” His voice whispered in the air. After that, I sensed that he’d fled.
I sat down on a crate and thought about the things I’d heard and the things I’d done. I had been a wanted man already, but why I didn’t know. Now though, there was no reason for Delitian to keep the hunt exclusive to the Brotherhood. No, he would tell the guards. Leaflets with my face on it would be passed through the streets. Damn, that sucked.
And Gravedigger. So that sword was Gravedigger. I’d heard about it. It was the antibody of Chrysamere. The darkness that opposed the light, the cursed slayer as opposed to the holy protector. Stuff like that. Whereas Chrysamere served as a shield to guard its wielder against both the supernatural and the mundane, Gravedigger turned its wielder into a weapon solely meant for massed slaying, like the equally legendary Fury and Umbra. It was one of the so-called Godslayers, weapons that could slay immortal beings. Without Chrysamere, I doubt I would’ve won if it came to a fight, even though the Imperial wasn’t much to look at without Gravedigger.
Finally, there were the words of Revan. My answers could be found in the Mournhold of old. What did that mean? And just who was he anyway? A name didn’t mean much.
The sun was beginning to set and my stomach told me I hadn’t eaten in a while. I remembered the mark I’d set on the doormat in Ilmeni’s house so I recalled there. As long as no one saw me enter or leave that building, I believed it would be alright. But by morning, when the leaflets would show up, I would have a lot to explain to my bearded host.
Pleasant scents reached my nose the moment I felt the soft carpet under my feet. Ro-El was quite the cook, I’d already learned that the day before. But beyond being just a cook, he was also a keen observer.
,,So they didn’t want to give you your sword back and you couldn’t make them. Why?” He asked merely and put a large pot of soup on the diner table. We sat down and started our meal while I began my explanation.
,,Delitian claimed it was stolen. I don’t know if that’s true and I doubt it. For all that I know, it’s still lying in that storage room. But with ten swords against me, ten elite swords, I wasn’t going to take my chances. Anyway, the Dark Brotherhood is involved.” I spoke.
,,The Dark Brotherhood? Well they do want you dead, but why?” Ro-El wondered out loud. I shrugged. The soup was great by the way.
,,I don’t know. But after we entered the palace, I bet that Delitian ran straight for the local hide-out and told them I’m here. I got an encounter with three near the toilet. I managed to kill two but the third escaped. That’s all I know really.”
The Nord didn’t say anything till after he’d finished his meal.
,,Ok, now this is obvious. Delitian is not the main crook. Maybe he is an informer of the Dark Brotherhood, or he is a spokesman for the real crook, or a spokesman for the spokesman for the….you get the idea.” He muttered, finally breaking the silence.
,,Yeah, I get the idea. But why? I’m the Nerevarine. That didn’t seem to catch on to them though. You would think that anyone worth his salt would at least stop relying on poison. This mystery is making my head spin. I don’t like mystery. I like it when I know who the bad guy is, why he is the bad guy and what kind of bad guy he is. Everything to make him easier to blow up or cut in two.” I complained. This raised a short laugh.
,,Ok, Lup. You’re not much of an investigator, but I am.” Ro-El admitted. It looked like he was about to say anything else but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. We both looked at the door, at each other. I nodded.
I slipped my hand under my shirt for the Amulet of Shadows. Soon, I was nothing but an incredibly vague outline. Still, I hitched for the shadows behind the couch as Ro-El opened the door.
,,Alms for the poor?” A voice squeeked.
,,yes, but you’re not poor. You’re wearing a diamond ring, an Ebony amulet is tucked under your vest and I can see one centimetre of a silver dagger. Goodnight.” Ro-El’s voice answered. I rolled my eyes. Bosmer. The door was closed, softly.
,,Anyway, the Dark Brotherhood never operates without a cause. Either you killed one of their kind before, which is incredibly unlikely since Vvardenfell is both Morag Tong territory and quarantined. That, or someone hired them which is a lot more likely. Again, it couldn’t have been any of the people on Vvardenfell. They would have used the Morag Tong. So to find our suspect, we need to look around the nearest hideout, which we now know lies in Mournhold. To get information, we’d best establish contact with someone who is not in league with any of the major powers here and has enough power of his own to get what he wants. Now who could that be?” He continued as if nothing had happened. I frowned.
Not because of what he’d said, but because of another knock on the door.
,,Another beggar?” I wondered but my thoughts were soon proven wrong.
,,Open up, Mournhold guard!” A voice shouted. Even while I was still wondering on what to do, Ro-El had already devised a full plan.
,,Get your dishes and hide them in the kitchen. Put them in the cupboard. Then head for your room and pick up your stuff. Leave by intervention. I’ll open the door and try to buy you time.” He whispered.
I did as he told. The guards had just entered the living room by the time I cast my Almsivi intervention.
I found myself standing before Mournhold’s temple. Like with everything in this city, it was big, rivalling the palace of Vivec even. At the moment, the standard Ordinators standing guard at the front gate did not see me as a threat but who knew how long that would last. So I walked away towards the nearest alley and as soon as I was out of their sight, I relaxed. Well, relax was a strong word. More like stopped being ready to bash people upside the head. I couldn’t really relax with all this going on. I had no idea why the guards came to our residence. Were they just pulling a regular patrol all over the city, was their visit nothing to worry about? Or did Delitian add Ro-El’s description to mine, turned him into an accomplice? The latter was infinitely worse than the former and therefore, the most likely option. Dammit, getting him in trouble because of my own aggression. I couldn’t accept that, ever.
I left the alley the way I came only this time, running. The Ordinators took this as their cue.
,,You there, stop!” One shouted. I cursed my neglect and used the Amulet of Shadows again to escape. At least, that’s what I’d hoped. A fireball streaked in and hit me square on the back, despite me being practically invisible and having done some dodging, which should have made them lose my position. I stumbled and slowed down. Fortunately, I’d slipped on my cuirass before I whisked myself away. The fire was little more than a pleasantly warm feeling. Still, these guys were not standard Ordinators, they had already proven that by using that spell. Man, this was the kind of day Chrysamere would really come in handy.
They had caught up by now, I had to act to stay ahead of their religious zeal.
,,Don’t attempt to escape lest you incur Lady Almalexia’s wrath.” The one who had shouted before warned me. I rose an eyebrow, feeling the Chameleon spell ebbing away.
,,Almalexia? Say, wasn’t that Nerevar’s chick? Ya know, the rotten evil witch that killed him and then hooked up with the two-coloured freak?” I wondered. The Ordinators stiffened and I realized I’d said that out loud. Great, just another element of perfection for this absolutely perfect night.
,,You heretic….you foul N’Wah!” The Ordinator who had been silent up till now finally opened his mouth. I rose my hands up in the air, the universal sign of surrender.
,,Look, I didn’t mean it like that. It was just gossip I’d heard. And there are a lot of people called Almalexia, Vivec and Nerevar…….But only one collection has that background story!” I swung my hands back down and flung out a wave of Telekinesis that lifted them off their feet and into the air. Something reflected the moonlight as they somersaulted backwards. Something shiny, hanging from their belts.
I leaped after them and grabbed hold of one Ordinator’s belt. I pulled and spun around, delivering a kick to his chest that sent him even further up into the air. The belt snapped, his pants flew away on the wind and I collected the object that fell down. It was a scabbard.
,,It was nice meeting you, but I’m on a tight schedule. Oh, and I’ll borrow this for a while.” I said and ran off again with a big grin. During my run, I pulled the weapon out of the scabbard I caught. It was a curved blade, thicker and wider than a saber or a katana, very ornate, made out of Ebony and gold and best of all, it was sharper than a razor’s edge. It wasn’t enchanted, but it was still Ebony which managed to compensate for that particular flaw a bit.
I kept running while I fixed the scabbard to my own belt. It wasn’t as good as Chrysamere but now that I had a sword, I didn’t feel so damn naked anymore. I just hoped Ro-El was ok. With that little scuffle, I had wasted precious time. I might be too late to stop his arrest or worse, murder. I forced my legs to run faster.
No further guards hindered my progress. When I entered the plaza though, I noticed half a dozen standing right next to Ilmeni’s door. My new sword leaped out of its scabbard and flew into my hand, a bit awkward due to the unfamiliar balance. I would whack them over the head with it a couple of times, then toss them into the garbage trays. No problem.
I skidded to a halt even before they’d noticed me. No problem? Just who was I trying to fool? Those guards were waiting for me and they were good. Those two Ordinators had been good, better than the Vvardenfell variant I was used to. If these guards were any less, they would have been thrown out by the competition years ago. So no, the chances of me winning weren’t too good, especially with the strange weapon I was forced to use now.
And even if I did win, then what? Who was to say that there wasn’t a full dozen hiding inside? And what about Ro-El, would fighting really benefit him? If I knew anything about him, he would try to talk his way out, pleading innocence. If they decided to arrest him, he would go along and simply wait till they realized their error and set him free, after which he could use his diplomatic role to make their life miserable for the bad treatment. Now what would happen if I came barging in, sword swinging and all? I would confirm their suspicions and they would put his head on a spear before I’d finished mopping up this particular gang. No, fighting was not an option.
I sighed and leaned against the wall, till too far away to be seen in the night. What happened to the days when violence solved everything? Mournhold just wasn’t the place a Telvanni should be. All this thinking of the consequences was driving me nuts. What should I do now? By chance, I looked around and saw the door leading to the house of the ‘great Velas’. As I looked at it, Ro-El’s words came back to me.
,,We’d best establish contact with someone who is not in league with any of the major powers here and has enough power of his own to get what he wants.”
Didn’t he believe that there was a more powerful mage than the wimp I threw around? Didn’t the gossiping villagers specifically state that house as the home of this mage? I straightened my shoulders and walked to the door. This had better be good. I glanced one last time at the guards and knocked. I knocked again. And again. Just when I considered bashing in the door, it was opened. And out peered the eyes of the wimp, now with a big bruise on the forehead.
,,Who dares to interrupt the great Velas in the deep of the night?” He chattered and then recognized my face. The door was slammed shut.
I shrugged and turned away.
,,That could’ve gone better. Ah well, it would be a waste of time to teach that shrimp some proper manners. I’ll just have to assault the palace and apply some persuasion to the king.” I mumbled. The door opened again.
,,Please come in.” The little worm stammered. I rose an eyebrow and then brushed past him. Behind me, the door was closed, more gently this time.
,,Please, come further.” A voice called out from a nearby room. I followed the voice and soon found myself standing in a large living room that looked like a comfortable place to live in.
There was a Dark Elf seated in a comfortable sofa, one who looked strikingly similar to the one who’d opened the door, only he was more comfortable and his eyes shone with wisdom.
,,Crap, so he does have a better brother.” I thought. Now was the moment where he would pull out the stops and punish me for humiliating his twin.
,,Ovis, bring us some flin.” The Elf ordered and then gazed at me.
,,So you are the man who gave my brother an unwanted bath this morning. I thank you.” He said, much to my surprise. Thank me?
,,You see, Ovis has a certain tendency to mix up his fantasies with reality. He always dreams about being great and all-powerful and sometimes loses sight of his very real limits. I’m amazed he didn’t get himself killed ten times already. So you see, I am grateful that you chose to spare his life.” He explained.
,,By the way, my name is Gavis Velas. I am just an old man who knows a few tricks, no powerhungry warlock, no battlemage who vanquished a Daedric Prince, no hero of the Battlespire. Just Gavis.” I had to admit, I liked this fella’s attitude. I took his invitation to sit down and then decided to introduce myself.
,,Luper Alkad. I’m just a guy with a big ego, a bigger mouth and an even bigger sword. Well, I used to be. The sword got stolen.”
Gavis laughed.
,,A pleasure to meet you, sir Alkad.” He chuckled. I flashed a smile.
,,Please, just call me Luper.” I replied. Ovis entered the room with two bottles of flin and two cups. He put them down on the table between us and then fled the room.
,,I see. Luper, forgive me for being rude but I have to ask. Why did you come to my home?” Gavis asked me in a more serious tone. I saw no need to lie to him. After all, lies wouldn’t help me in getting his help or anything.
I filled my cup with the flin and tried a sip. Not bad stuff, a good brand actually.
,,Well, I kinda heard the rumours of you being powerful, well-connected and neutral. Anyway, here’s the short version of the story. For some reason, the palace has contacted the Dark Brotherhood to have me eliminated. I survived three assassination attempts and have killed all assassins sent after me but one. I was escorting a friend who was on a diplomatic mission to Mournhold. During our visit of the palace, I was forced to give up Chrysamere and enter unarmed. There I had to fight off the last assassination attempt. When we left, the captain claimed Chrysamere had been stolen and threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave. That night, guards came to our place to arrest me. I escaped through intervention but they arrested my friend.”
Gavis nodded.
,,I see. I believe you when you say that the palace has contacted the Brotherhood to have you removed, even if I would normally inclined to take it as a joke. The Brotherhood is very powerful, and few people survive for long once targeted. Yet here you are, with the sword of a Hand at your side, a sword you no doubt claimed in combat. To defeat a Hand is an act worthy of praise, for they are the very best, those few Ordinators who excelled in training and left their siblings far behind. If you can defeat a Hand, you can defeat the Brotherhood. I also know Helseth is a paranoid man and willing to use any dirty trick to get what he wants. The fact that the Brotherhood was allowed to enter a location as secure as the palace, during the day even, speaks more than a full library.” He admitted. He then raised a finger.
,,But, I hesitate to believe that Chrysamere was stolen or taken by them. You have mentioned the sword by name, twice. I don’t believe that you are ignorant regarding the legends that surround this weapon. Yet perhaps you have forgotten? The sword only stays with its owner for as long as it deems its owner worthy. I believe it was simply your time.”
I didn’t like what he’d said but he was right. I had forgotten about that part of the story. And I had used Chrysamere for quite a while, ever since my war with the Sixth House truly got started. Perhaps it was my time. I should be happy that I’d wielded one of the most powerful swords in the world. But I wasn’t happy. The Ebony saber felt odd and my hands yearned for that familiar grip of the Claymore. I wanted to have Chrysamere again, and never lose it.
I drank the rest of my flin without noticing its flavour. There had to be something I could do. Something, anything. I was Nerevarine, slayer of Dagoth Ur, Arch-mage of the Vvardenfell Mage guild, Arch-magister of House Telvanni. I was the toughest fighter on the island and perhaps even whole Tamriel! Then why was I so helpless? My eyes darkened as I came upon the final option, the last straw.
,,The Mournhold of old, tell me about it.”
Gavis was flustered for a moment but recovered.
,,The Mournhold of old. It has been a long time since someone last spoke about it. The Mournhold we see today is built upon the ruins of an older Mournhold, a Mournhold that was destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon, when the Tribunal was young and cocky. To this day, remnants of that place remain, buried beneath the city. There are some people who claim that this ancient Mournhold can be reached through a secret tunnel that sprouts from the sewers somewhere.” He began and then paused. He made up his mind about something.
,,Listen, do not tell anything of this to my brother. I fear that in his naïve enthusiasm, he would run to his death. I know the entrance to old Mournhold, I have even set foot in it once. But, it was only a single foot. All those who went further, never returned. There are unknown dangers there, waiting to trap any unlucky adventurer.”
He conjured a scrap of paper and a quill out of thin air.
,,I will draw you a map and provide you with any supplies you might deem necessary. If you wish to go there, all you have to do is to follow my directions.”
There weren’t many supplies that could work for me. Potions to cure diseases were unneeded, I already had one of the best swords available. Not the best, but still likely to be better than the weapons of any enemy I might encounter. I wore the Lord’s cuirass, which outranked even pure Daedric. But apart from my Indoril boots, the cuirass was the only piece of armour I managed to snatch during my escape. It wouldn’t do me much good if I got whacked in a limb or something. Gavis came with the solution and revealed a dull brown cloak which he’d enchanted to be flexible yet stronger than steel.
,,Use it as you would use a shield. Channel your will into it and it shall stiffen, till it achieves a protection that rivals the thickest armour of steel there is. It also dispels low to medium classes of Magicka. Likewise, you can make its edge turn sharper than a razor’s blade. I am sure you will find it useful.” He instructed. He then pulled two rings out of his pocket and put them in my hand.
,,The result of boredom. The gold ring conjures a loaf of soft and tasty bread mixed with all the nutritions you’ll need, the other conjures pure water. Trust me, it beats carrying around bags of food.”
Before sunrise, I was prepared. Under the guise of the amulet of shadows I crawled through the nearest trapdoor and entered the sewers. Now I would find out what Revan meant when he said that my answers could be found in the Mournhold of old. Maybe it would help. Whoopeedoo, more ruins to explore. What was it with those places? I honestly prefer to walk around inhabited places. They’re more fun. Fewer undead nasties as well.
There was one thing I did find out within the first five seconds after entry. I’d forgotten the smell of sewers. Now I remembered why I never went sewercrawling after the few times in Vivec. Damn, that was one nasty smell.
Nevertheless, I was determined to move on. Gavis had been helpful enough to provide a map, and I wasn’t going to turn him down. I looked at the crude drawing and noted which path I had to take.
My good old luck with sewers returned. Right after I passed the first curve, a howling creature ran at me. I smirked as I recognized it. A goblin, wielding a crude club. How nice. Even before I’d been thrown in prison at the age of eight, I had already plenty of Goblin heads on my name. This would be so easy, it was just funny.
I casually drew my sword and raised it to block the first blow. An unexpected pain shot through my arm as the Goblin drove its club against my blade, shattering the wood. Ignoring the pain, I ran it through and cast the corpse in the slimy waters. Only then did I stop to think about the oddity. A Goblin with enough strength to drive me back and shatter its club in a single blow? It was as if it had been taken by the Blight. But the Blight had gone after I’d slain Dagoth Ur. Then how could a little pest like that grow into such a terror?
I closed my eyes and as I expanded my senses, I began to feel a certain influence all around me. The influence was horribly familiar. It was the same influence I’d felt from Vivec, from Dagoth Ur and most importantly, the heart of Lorkhan. The fact that a glance at the map pointed the source as being right in the middle of the temple confirmed my suspicions. There was a Tribunal god here and if the two Ordinators at the temple where any indication, I dared to bet a lot of flin on that god being Almalexia, Nerevar’s chick.
So what was the lady of unpleasantness doing? Why would she Blight a Goblin? Of course it could be something else, but the symptoms were so similar, it was hard to imagine what else could have been the source of the Goblin’s strength. I decided I would have a word with her, after my word with Helseth regarding proper manners.
I pressed on and fortunately managed to avoid further trouble. That is, till I ran into a quartet of Dark Elves in odd robes. They all spun at me and put hands in their pockets. Dagger, dart, scroll? I checked to see if my sword was loose in its scabbard before they could pull out whatever it was they were trying to grab. They looked like assassins, but their garb told me they weren’t Dark Brotherhood. For that reason only, I was willing to give them a chance.
,,I’m just moving through. No harm intended. Can I pass?” I shouted with a voice that echoed in the cramped confines of the sewers. The one furthest on the left pulled his hands out of his robes and made a throwing motion. I swung the Ebony blade out of its sheath, into the dart’s path and listened to a satisfying ting as it deflected into a wall.
,,I’ll take that as a no.”
More darts flew my way, too many to deflect them all. I swung the saber in a swift arc, catching two. Two more bounced harmlessly off my cuirass. A fifth whisked past my eye and scraped my cheekbone. I gritted my teeth and blinked to clear my eye of blood. This was just not fun. I drew Gavis’ cloak around me and invoked its power. Instantly it stiffened and I heard the soft thunks of the darts, whose points always managed to penetrate a hair’s width before being halted by the fabric. When I came out, I would have to find a needle and some spare thread for sewing.
,,Either you stop it now, or you’ll be sorry!” I shouted at them while I used a free finger to focus a healing spell on my face. The barrage continued without interruption.
,,Sorry it is.” I whispered angrily. I’d given them their chance. I’d held back all this time but they just wouldn’t listen. Now they’d gone too far. They would find out they’d chosen the wrong Redguard to mess with.
The water in the canal rose up with a roar and thundered at them, like a wave crashing on the cliffs of northern High Rock during a storm. The water swept them off their feet and I flung the cloak behind my back. In the blink of an eye, I’d crossed the distance that separated us. One had managed to keep his footing though he’d been forced to move into a crouch. I saw his hand rise with another of those infernal darts. He aimed to throw, I threw first. The whirling blade of Ebony cut through his arm and separated it at the elbow.
I flew past him without a second glance. I reached the second who lay sprawled on the floor and called my sword back with Telekinesis as I jumped over the Dark Elf. The scything blade separated his head from his neck as it followed. The third had hit a bridge suspended over the canal with his head. He was dead already so I gave him no further attention and went straight for the final one. He stood against the wall and was the only one who had chosen to challenge me to melee combat with a sword. Bad mistake. The hilt of my saber crashed into my waiting hand and I parried his blow. With a flick of the wrist, I flicked the longsword out of his hands. Another flick, and my blade vanished up to the crossguard into his chest, pinning him to the wall.
When I drew the sword out, he sagged to the floor like a sack of rocks. I turned to the one whose arm I’d removed. He was still alive and now looked up at me. With his remaining hand, he tried to stop the bleeding.
,,Please. Spare me.” He moaned. I scowled. He hadn’t tried to spare me when I asked. And those darts weren’t meant to throw at a board in the pub.
,,I won’t stab you.” I replied. The Elf’s mouth broke into a grin.
,,Thank you. You are a great and honourable man, who w…” The rest of his false compliments were cut off by the flamelance I put between his eyes. Even the famed resistance to fire the Dark Elves’ have can’t withstand the amount of heat that spell concentrates into a single spot.
,,Who would never break his word. I know. You should have read between the lines, pal. Stabbing did not rule out the use of fire.” I sighed and plucked the darts out of my cloak. Curved pieces of Ebony, with three razorsharp blades. A weapon meant to kill people. Dark Brotherhood, fanatic Ordinators, a treacherous king and his gang, these red-robed cutthroats. Just how many backstabbing murderers did this place have? Someone should keep a tally. I dropped the darts on the floor and continued on my way.
The sewers went deeper underground and I soon came upon a place where my only chance at progress would be swimming. I looked at the filthy water for a long time. Grime, general trash, mud, weeds and the occasional dead fish floated past. Who knew what else was in there. All in all, diving in was the last thing I wanted to do. But the map was resolute at this point. To reach Old Mournhold, I had to swim.
,,Well, it isn’t going to dry up anytime soon.” I grumbled and stepped up to the ledge. Just when I was about to dive in, an idea struck.
Half a minute later, I was walking over the bottom of the canal. The shield I projected around me made sure not even a single drop reached me. Above me, the ceiling was smooth, as if it had been stroked by centuries of flowing water, which was probably the case. Over time, the ceiling rose again till I could jump back to the walkway.
,,Well, that was interesting. Now all we need to do is pass a door and we’re all set.” I muttered while drawing my sword. Velas had warned me that there was something in Old Mournhold, something nasty but he didn’t say what. If my experience with nasty things was any indication, it would stop being nasty after a few swordstrokes.
I kicked in the door for good measure, causing a hail of damp woodfragments. When it comes down to it, I always enjoy to go in with a bang.
,,So, you’ve come, Luper.” I froze for a split second. Then I frowned as suspicion kicked in. The person standing before me was covered from head to toe in some sort of armour. But still, that voice could only belong to one man.
,,Revan? What are you doing here?” I asked. When the Dark Elf didn’t respond, I threw another question his way.
,,The danger Velas spoke of. That wouldn’t be you, would it?”
As fast as lightning, Revan pulled a pair of Wakizashis out of the shadows and charged.
,,In your case, I am! Defend yourself, dragon!” He shouted.
If I hadn’t drawn beforehand, that first attack might have disembowelled me. Now, I blocked a shot at my throat with Velas’ cloak and parried the stab at my stomach with the Ebony saber.
,,So this was all a trick? To get me to come here?” I asked as I jumped away from the whirling blades. Revan didn’t answer but continued to press the attack.
,,Then why?” I tried next, using the lamest and most useless of all questions. The reason doesn’t matter, being cut to pieces hurts all the same.
,,If you are truly what you are, you will reveal yourself!” Revan answered cryptically. I had no idea what that meant. All I knew was that I was losing the fight. It was two blades against one, which normally doesn’t mean much. Revan though, was nothing short of an expert so he had the advantage. I gave up ground without even trying to duel. I’d already realized that at swordplay, I couldn’t match him, not without a Claymore. But Magicka was another story altogether.
I reached out and hurled a wall of air at him. The Dark Elf glided back yet managed to retain his balance. This was the breathing space I required and I followed up my opening with a barrage of other spells. Revan was quick to dodge, slipped through the door I’d kicked in and then hid on the other side of the wall. He was a quick one, that’s for sure. I kept a fireball trained on the dooropening in case he leapt out.
,,You told me that the line between master and pawn is very thin here, Revan. Whose pawn are you?” I asked.
,,Moon and Star, Luper. Moon and Star.” Revan replied, still in hiding. More cryptic mumbo-jumbo. That wasn’t too helpful.
,,Wait a minute. This doesn’t make sense. I’m the Nerevarine and I’m sure I didn’t hire anyone to knock my own head off. Nerevar wore the ring but he’s been dead for like forever.” I muttered to myself in confusion. Then I realized the other option.
,,You mean Azura?” I asked. Even though I got no answer, I knew it was true.
,,Man, and just after I was done with the damn oppressive queen of all I hate.”
Revan still hadn’t come out of hiding which I found rather odd. Surely he wasn’t expecting to stay there forever? It was too easy to launch a mirror and then reflect an offensive spell on it, right into his hiding place. I cast a life detection spell. He was gone.
Gone? Any movement of him would have brought him back into my sight. Even a jitter of his hands to cast a spell would have accomplished that. Did he teleport away? He had a dealing with becoming invisible. He’d done so before, at the palace. If so….
Something wooshed through the air and I ducked, narrowly avoiding one of the Wakizashis. The other came down on me so I blocked it with my sword. Before I had the chance to counter, Revan had vanished again. But invisible is invisible, so I cut at his former location for good measure. I only hit air.
Again Revan attacked out of nowhere, this time from the left. I raised my cloak and managed to block both hits, though at the price of two large tears in the fabric. Velas’ cloak had been a lifesaver so far, but it wasn’t going to last long like this. I knew I couldn’t beat him. I had to escape, somehow or else I would die. This was crazy. I hadn’t met a foe I couldn’t beat in months. But I remembered the words of my father when I once found a fish in the stomach of another fish.
,,No matter how powerful you are, there is always a bigger fish, one more powerful. If so, run with all the strength your legs can muster. Don’t forget that, son.” I had to run, and the sooner I began running, the better.
I started with the standard method of escape, teleportation. My recall fizzled, so did the Divine intervention. Panic began to close in on me as I tried an Almsivi. No luck either. Somehow, I’d managed to fail three spells of teleportation in succession, and Revan had moved into position to harass me again.
,,By decree of Queen-Mother Almalexia, teleportation is not allowed neither above nor below Mournhold!” Revan spoke from wherever he was now.
I couldn’t teleport, so I had to run physically. I lunged for the water and tried to trigger a skybolt. Like with the teleportation earlier, it failed and my speed remained within my mortal limits.
,,Almalexia keeps an eye on all those within her walls. No self-alteration of any kind but healing is permitted by her.” I couldn’t help but wonder how Revan then managed to use a spell of invisibility. I dove into the canal and swam to the submerged section as fast as I was able. Maybe, just maybe I could outrun my nemesis without the use of spells. Just to try, I used a light spell of invisibility myself. Fizzled again. Just how did Revan manage to dodge the damn rules put in place by that trice-cursed fake goddess?
When the ceiling rose again, I climbed out and began to run. So far, Revan had not yet interfered with my escape. Perhaps I did manage to outrun him. Something hit me on the head and I crashed into a wall. I spun around to face Revan, only again I was pushed up against the wall. I tried to move but I couldn’t. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with a touch of telekinesis.
,,In the end, no matter your skill, you are still a child.” Revan said. He rose both Wakizashis into my sight.
,,Go home, to Oblivion. If you don’t go there willingly, I shall send you. Go, Aedra!” I saw the two blades slice through the air, moving in two arcs that would intersect at my throat.
,,Go home!” The blades touched and the whole world seemed to explode into countless fragments. Then, even those fragments shattered.
On to the next chapter
A few days later, I still couldn’t believe it. And since I couldn’t believe it, I was grumbling all the time.
,,Oh, just knock it off. You act like a child who’s broken his toy.” Ro-El said one day as we wandered through a city known as Mournhold.
,,I don’t want to stick around here. It’s still Morrowind. I was going to go far away, dammit.” I retorted. The kid shrugged.
,,Running won’t help you much in this case and I need a bodyguard anyway. I’ve told you that a dozen times before. Besides, if you really wanted to run, you would have done so, deal or no deal.” Was all he said.
,,And I’ve told you a dozen times before that you don’t need one, mister I-dodge-lightning-with-my-eyes-closed. There’s nothing that can possibly touch you. Besides, you’ve got a whole army in the hold of your airship. Forget about manners, instead of parking off the coast you should have just flown the whole thing in. And meh, I guess I stick around because I’m bored and really don’t have anything better to do.”
Ro-El didn’t look at me while we continued our conversation.
,,While my mission is here to assess the political situation and use the House Dwemer plan to establish an independent Vvardenfell for after the inevitable fall of Vivec, I am not going to just barge in and tell people what to do. That would be stupid. It is wiser to investigate first, to get a feeling for what is going on here right now. We are working with outdated information.” He spoke and pointed at a notice.
,,For example, it seems like there is a new king in town. One Helseth. I’ve read a story about him while in training. It seems that he’s quite the plotter.”
I looked at the notice myself which, beyond the signature of this Helseth, was completely uninteresting. Something about raised taxes. Taxes are always being raised. I’d never paid a single coin in taxes in my life. Either I was not a citizen, or I was the big boss around and as such was the one who should be receiving taxes rather than paying. That said, I never bothered to ask for taxes at Tel Uvirith.
,,So you are going to beat him at plotting?” I asked my ‘client’. Ro-El laughed and shook his head.
,,No, while I’m trained as a spy, I’m not much of a plotter. I’m good at sneaking and punching people, that’s all. Now let’s find a place to crash.”
Ro-El promptly turned and began to cross the street.
,,Hold on a sec. There’s a good tavern right over there, why won’t we rent a room there?” I called as I turned around myself and matched pace.
,,No, too expensive and it doesn’t quite offer the privacy I’m looking for. Remember the old rule among the Blades? I’m sure you have the same rule we do. If you’re looking for information, find a barkeep. He’ll tell you everything there is to know about the subject for a small price. That is true, but I’m worried about the rule that follows. You’re not the only customer.” The little guy explained. I had to agree with him. There had been a few times that I’d learned private information from a barkeep. It was only natural to assume that others might get private information on us if we dealt through those channels.”
,,So, where are we staying? I don’t like sewers.” I said once we’d reached the other end of the street. Ro-El pulled a key out of his pocket and tried it on the door of a small manor.
,,Simple, we’ll use Ilmeni’s old home. Did you know that she spent some time in Mournhold to study? Even though she came back to Vvardenfell, she never sold the place. She insisted on me staying here during my business. The rent is good for another two months, and I’ll make a deposit tomorrow to renew the rent.” The key fit and the lock opened with the soft click of a well-maintained mechanism.
,,It must be nice to know royalty.” I muttered as I caught my first sight of the comfortable yet not excessively decadent interior.
,,It does have its perks.” Ro-El admitted.
,,Well, Luper. Make yourself at home but try to keep things clean. Ilmeni might come back here someday and she would not be pleased if we leave this place in a mess.”
We stored our luggage and while Ro-El chose to lounge on the sofa and read a good book, I chose to take a walk around town. Standing outside the door to Dren manor, I looked at the tavern I’d noticed earlier and wondered if I should go get a drink. Then I suddenly realized something. Wouldn’t it be even more suspicious if we stayed at the place of a noble? I skipped back into the building and placed a mark on the doormat.
,,Ro-El, won’t people get suspicious of us being here?” I asked, waving my hand all over the room. The agent didn’t even look up from his book while he answered.
,,No, it’s ok. I’ve got papers and everything for this. Your presence is explained as my official bodyguard and I’m staying here under the name Roland Wolf-tail, a Skyrim noble who met Ilmeni somewhere in Cyrodiil someplace. Besides, she told me she has a reputation for lending her place to friends and stuff. It will be alright. If anyone bothers you, direct them to me.”
I shrugged and went back outside. I still wasn’t convinced it would work out. I walked past the tavern without going inside for a drink and simply followed the road wherever it would lead.
,,Oh, Almsivi. I don’t believe it!” A woman gasped as I passed her door. I rose an eyebrow and faced her.
,,First Redguard you’ve seen in your life?” I asked her sarcastically. Apparently she didn’t catch the undertone.
,,That pommel, that hilt. Could it be, could it? Yes, it must be! Chrysamere!”
I rolled my eyes. Great, an artefact fanatic. We had a lot in common but it was a bit scary to see people literally drool at the sight of my sword. It was worse than having people worship the ground you walk on while chanting ‘Praise the Nerevarine’. The Dark Elf somehow managed to compose herself and rushed to wipe away the drool with a handkerchief before anyone noticed.
,,I haven’t seen this sword since the Simulacrum. Perhaps…Ahem, my name is Torasa Aram and I am the caretaker of the Mournhold Museum of Artefacts. We of the Museum extend the offer of a healthy cash price for any owner of an artefact. We will display the artefact in our hall. Part of the proceeds gathered from visitors will go to the original owner and the original owner’s name will be listed as well on the plaque. Our price for this item would be 30000 septims, enough to buy a large mansion and live in full comfort for the next ten years.” She stammered. I rose my other eyebrow and walked past her into the Museum where I found the hall to be practically empty. Judging by the state of the place, Torasa Aram didn’t have even a thousand septims, let stand thirty times as much. If I sold Chrysamere, which I wasn’t going to do for even a million, she would likely wave me off with a ‘I’ll pay tomorrow’ and flee the city that night to sell the sword somewhere on the black market where she could easily fetch three times as much as the price she’d just offered.
,,Two words. Tel Uvirith.” I said and walked back out.
,,Tel Uvirith? That sounds like the name of a Telvanni residence. Does this mean that you are willing to sell and wish to buy that residence?” She called out to me. I turned around and jabbed a finger at her chest.
,,Listen, I’ve been trying to be subtle and polite which is something I’m not good at. So let me explain this, my style. I am Telvanni, I live at Tel Uvirith, I gave the order for its construction, I captured the souls needed to grow the damn mushroom and I filled it with countless artefacts that would make your head spin, all gained through hard work and wandering into places you’d do best to avoid. You don’t have the money to pay me your price, and my own price can’t be matched for all the money in the world. If you want this fraud to become real, start practicing and find your own samples. Have a nice day.” I snapped and walked away at a brisk pace.
I hoped that would be the last annoyance during my walk but it was not meant to be. Mournhold was going to get on my nerves real fast. I hadn’t even walked out of the street when I came past a small crowd. They were gossiping about something, something about a powerful mage with ambitions.
,,I heard he’s going to challenge the king soon. But first he wants to make a statement by killing all those who are not with him.”
,,Really? I heard he’s a powerful mage. I think I’ll leave the city for a while, long enough to find out who’s going to control it next month.”
,,He lives openly in that house over there. He must be powerful if he can afford to live right under the king’s nose.”
I stopped when I came upon ‘that house’. So a powerful mage was living there, threatening to kill everyone who opposed him and stuff? My hand rose to the hilt of my sword behind my shoulder. Then it dropped again. I stuffed my hands firmly in my pockets and walked on. I’d decided not to interfere. Let someone else be the hero for once and soak up the fame. Besides, it was just gossip. It was probably all lies. I wasn't in the mood to take out a cranky old scholar who couldn't hurt a fly even if he tried.
There were no further annoyances and I returned to Ilmeni’s manor at sunset. Ro-El and I ate a simple meal and then went to bed. There wasn’t much for us to do today.
The next day, we rose up early and headed out of the door.
,,So, what are the plans for today?” I asked Ro-El. He stopped to buy two breads from a street vendor.
,,First of all, we’re going to eat these things. After that, we’re going to sneak into the palace during the daily ‘consultation’ hour where citizens can meet the king and tell him of their problems, after which he decides what to do, or to do nothing at all.” He explained and handed me one loaf. It was hard and rather bland, but it filled the stomach.
It happened when we walked over the Plaza Brindisi Dorom, a large open area with a magnificent fountain. Halfway across the plaza, there was the distinct swoosh and sparkle of a teleportation taking place. I looked long enough to see a Dunmer dressed in an outrageous robe and then brought my eyes back to the alley up ahead. The Dunmer however immediately launched into a speech that we could hear even from here.
,,I, the great battlemage Velas, the hero of the Battlespire, he who vanquished Mehrunes Dagon himself when he invaded this ancient sanctuary. I have come here today, to bring a message to this so-called king. To make sure he shall listen, I shall display my power, by turning his foreigner friends into dust!” He rambled.
,,Great, another racist Dark Elf. And I guess the rumours weren’t wrong for once. Ah well, not my problem.” I muttered. Ro-El froze.
,,What, something wrong?” I asked and looked at him just in time to see a fireball hit him squarely between the shoulders.
The Nord frowned for a moment, then grinned when the next spell rushed in and hit the same spot. I looked up and saw that the culprit was this Velas fellow.
,,Excuse me, he’s trying to kill you. Aren’t you going to do anything about it?” I spoke to Ro-El who casually shook his head.
,,I’m not going to refuse free spells, even if they’re a bit pathetic. Besides, you’re the bodyguard here so you do something.”
I had nothing to say against that. I was his bodyguard after all. Velas had wasted away his Magicka by now and now came rushing at us, a bit clumsy because he kept tripping over that robe of his. I had to control my laughter. The lunatic wasn’t even carrying a dagger. Surely he should have reconsidered his plans by now, if he wasn’t mad. I strode up to meet him and when he passed, I reached out with a hand and yanked his arm, hard. With a stifled scream, he flew onto his back.
,,Could you please stop that? You’re annoying and boring us.” I told him and flashed my trademark grin.
,,How dare you interfere?! For that you’ll pay. I will turn you to ash!” The would-be mage raged. I shook my head and listened to the clatter of the fountain.
,,You know, you need to cool off. Have a nice flight.” I chuckled, hauled him up off the floor and, after calculating the distance, hurled him through the air. I laughed when he splashed into the fountain. Corprusstrenght was great.
,,So much for not drawing attention.” Ro-El muttered.
,,You should have slapped him in the face instead of throwing him all across the plaza.” He added. I shrugged and followed him to the palace.
,,Hey, it was fun to watch, wasn’t it?” I quipped. The Nord chuckled.
,,Yeah, it was.”
Neither of us spoke till after we’d entered the palace, a grotesque thing that seemed to be meant only for intimidation. I wasn’t so impressed though. Compared to village-sized mushrooms that grow to their full size in just a week, this contraption of stone and bronze was quite frankly, lame.
,,A consultation, eh?” I said to myself as we joined the mass of citizens that had formed into a line.
,,Maybe we should figure out a problem of our own, just to justify being here?” I suggested a few steps further.
,,Perhaps. We could talk about how crazy murderous mage-wannabes are allowed to run around freely in this city.” Ro-El replied and chuckled softly at the memory of the ‘crazy murderous mage-wannabe’.
,,Yeah, I hope he doesn’t have a twin brother or something, one who actually can make a claim at the title of battlemage. Dealing with some stupid grudge is so not what I’m interested right now. Meh, I doubt he has.” I laughed myself.
,,Well, for a rumour of that magnitude, there must be someone like him with a lot more power. So that brother thing might be closer to the truth than you believe. Anyway, we’ll whine about it for a bit if we’re actually asked to talk. Look at all the people. I doubt that even half of them will actually get a chance to speak. Kings are notoriously impatient and I shouldn’t say this, but even Duke Dren can be one impatient and cranky old fella.” Ro-El said dryly. I admitted to myself that I had to change my opinion of him yet again. Few absolutely loyal servants were so open and willing to say that their lord wasn’t the most perfect thing on Nirn.
Clanking footsteps drew closer and I turned my head to see a knight, Imperial, in crimsonred armour walking up to meet us. I frowned and secretly tensed my muscles, ready to lay into him the moment he got aggressive. I have had bad experiences with guards, especially Imperial guards, for fifteen uninterrupted years to be precise. One doesn’t lose his paranoia around them that easily. Ro-El turned to look with me, casually leaning on his cane.
,,You will give me that sword.” The Imperial stated cleanly, leaving no questions asked which sword he was talking about. Still, I theatrically looked behind me and shrugged when the only people I found with swords, or any other weapon, were more of those plate-mailed guards.
,,I’m not even thinking to consider it.” I stated just as clean and looked him in the eyes. The look the Imperial returned me was uncompromising.
,,Listen, you Redguard hick in the woods. This is not your lovely sandpit. This is Mournhold and in here, I’m the boss. Now my rule is that only the trusted guards of king Hlaalu Helseth are allowed to possess weapons in his presence. You will give up that sword and you will do it now.” He replied with a slight hiss in his voice.
,,Not a chance. And seriously, you think that was an insult? Oh come on, like I haven’t heard better.” I replied in turn. By now, his face was beginning to turn a light shade of red. It was rather cute, the colour matched his armour.
,,You think you’re famous or something?” He growled.
,,Not yet, give me a few hours and I’ll come back to you, ok?” I flashed a grin.
,,Luper.” With a slight sting of annoyance, I turned my attention to Ro-El who up till now, had been listening to our conversation without saying a thing.
,,I suppose you don’t understand, seeing the culture you’ve lived in. But here, it is a sign of goodwill to give up your weapons before you meet the king. I’m sure that your sword will be returned to you as soon as you leave. Isn’t that right, captain?” He directed the last words at the guard. I changed my opinion again. Ro-El was good at playing the spoiled and easily angered noble.
,,Alright, here you go. But if I find as much as a single scratch or fleck of dust.” I grumbled, throwing Chrysamere with scabbard and all into his hands. I suppressed a new grin as his arms were forced to lower a few centimetres before he managed to compensate. Chrysamere is heavy, and it takes nearly inhuman strength to carry it around all day or swing it all day. Lucky me that I have inhuman strength.
The captain turned away and marched off, even stiffer than when he came.
,,I don’t like this.” Ro-El whispered.
,,Yeah, me neither. He got this calculating look in his eyes as soon as you said my name. Looks like I am already famous, to him. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to be careful when someone gets all calculating. Keep your eyes open.” I whispered back.
,,Now who was the bodyguard here?” Ro-El asked.
The line dragged on. Two hours later, I was beginning to get seriously impatient.
,,Crap, did the whole of Tamriel got invited or something?” I mumbled and nudged Ro-El.
,,Yo, can you keep my spot for me? I’ve got to take a leak.” The Nord nodded and I walked away, wobbling from side to side for a bit. Man, I didn’t knew that walking without a big Claymore on your back or in your hands could be this hard.
Whenever I walked into the wrong places, which was apparently all the time, a guard would run in and order me to get back to the civil areas. By the time I’d found the bathroom, I was just about ready to toss the next guard to bark at me through the wall. The toilet was a dirty affair but I managed, after some quick Telekinetic cleaning.
,,Damn, they should put signs pointing at this place.” I muttered when I walked back out.
I heard a soft swishing sound. Half a moment later, my throat itched. I drew up my hand and encountered something hard, yet covered in something soft. I grabbed whatever it was and pulled it out. It was a blood-soaked feathered dart. Someone was trying to kill me again. I slumped to the floor, landing on my face.
A pair of black shoes entered the edge of my vision.
,,Think he’s dead?” A deep voice asked.
,,I don’t know. He killed the last two. It should be harder than this.” A second voice answered.
,,Yes, but the captain was so kind to take away his sword. That deal we made was a good one. Redguards are remarkably easy targets without their sword, take that from me.” A third voice added. Three assassins, at the minimum and if I recognized that particular type of shoe, they were Dark Brotherhood. And seeing that they’d already managed to hit me, sword or not, they were not as green as the last two. It looked as if playing hour was over.
,,Too bad for you that I’m no Redguard!” I shouted and leaped to my feet, hitting the assassin who had been standing over me with an uppercut. The masked man’s head jerked back and he flew back. I stroked across my throat with a finger and noted that my Magicka had done the trick. I had been lucky to get the idea to fall on my face so they couldn’t see me heal the wound. And making them think I was dead had been even better.
I took in the scene in a single moment. Somehow, the guards had vanished and three assassins had taken their places. I was unarmed and against professionals, I was not going to try hand-to-hand against them. I Skybolted over them while they were still surprised and landed behind a pillar where I pressed my back against it. Earlier I’d been annoyed at all the megalomaniacal architecture, but now I was grateful for this piece of cover.
,,Think, Lup, think. What would you do if your quarry is hiding behind a stone pillar?” I asked myself. A mental image of the pillar falling over under the influence of a Telekinetic shockwave popped up. I grinned and suppressed it. I knew I had a tendency for collateral damage, but what if this was a load-bearing pillar? Knocking down the local palace on my second day in the city would be a bit too much.
,,I’m not an assassin. Ok, another try.” This time, my mind brought up a scene closer to what the assassins were actually doing. I saw how the leader stood on the other side of the pillar, yet too far away to make me drop it on him. He was gesturing for his two accomplices to each move around the pillar from a different side and then attack me from two directions simultaneously.
I turned and looked at the stone pillar. If I wanted to get at them, I would have to disrupt their plans. To do that, I would have to take out the leader. But to do that, I would have to move around it. And no matter how I moved around it, I would always move right within the aim of an assassin. No, I couldn’t move myself. But I didn’t need to move. I knew I was running out of time. I pointed a finger at the pillar and focussed. A fireball grew, till it reached the size of my head. Then, it shrank suddenly till it was merely as large as a coin and shot out. Its concentrated force drilled a hole right through the stone, emerging on the other side of the pillar. I heard a scream and knew I’d hit my target. No pillar could stop a flamelance.
Right now, the two other assassins would be scrambling for cover. Here was my chance to pop out and start throwing stuff, like that ancient suit of armour that stood by the wall. I ran over to it, my head kept low, and heaved the heavy metal contraption off its stand.
,,What the?” I spun around towards the sound and hurled it away, right in the face of one assassin who had been in the process of aiming a dart.
,,Lifting ridiculously heavy objects. Catches them off-guard every time.” I commented and turned on the last one. He’d fled.
Now that the most immediate threat to my life had passed, I could actually think, and start asking questions. How did the Dark Brotherhood learn of my presence so quick? Was it the lady with the fake museum? The guy from Tel Uvirith, there weren’t many who matched that description. But one of them had mentioned a deal. They wouldn’t. But it was there, the calculating look at the mention of my name. The Imperial had known that name, yet not the face that matched it. He was involved with the Dark Brotherhood, somehow. When he walked away, he must’ve gone to inform them of my presence in Mournhold. But that fast? It was only possible if, the thought made my blood run cold, they had a base of operations here.
,,That filthy rotten captain guard of evil. I’ll give him a piece of my mind later.” I seethed. While thoughts of sweet vengeance were pleasant, there were more important issues to deal with right now. I had to clean up and hide two corpses. That would delay any alarms. Of course, with one escapee, I couldn’t expect this delay to be a long one.
I stuffed them down the toilet and added a large amount of fire. Hopefully, people would think that the toilets had been disinfected, not been the cremation-site of two dart-throwing throatslitters. I patched up the suit of armour as best as I could without any tools. The pillar was the only thing I couldn’t do anything about. But the hole was small, it was unlikely to be noticed.
I made my way back to Ro-El and stepped back in line. I’d decided not to tell him what had happened, not with all those ears that would be listening.
,,Did I miss anything?” I asked as casual as I could, despite the anger, the frustration and the sheer desire to punch someone clouding my mind.
,,You missed lady Barenziah, the queen. An interesting personality.” Ro-El replied. For the moment, the assassins were forgotten.
,,Wait a minute. Barenziah, the queen? I….” The agent lifted a hand to shut me up before I said something stupid, like calling the queen a prostitute right in a palace packed with people who practically worshipped her.
,,Yup. She came out in public. Surprises happen. Now come on, I’ve seen enough for today. We’ll come back when it’s less crowded.” With these words, he stepped out of line and walked back towards the entrance, me following a few steps behind.
Right near the gates, we met our captain again. My hands subconsciously balled into fists and I stuffed them into my pockets before I lashed out and sent him through the wall.
,,You have my sword.” I said plainly. The captain gave a curt nod and ventured into a room guarded by two of his subordinates.
,,Luper. You’re a bit stiff. Something wrong?” Ro-El whispered while we waited.
,,Go on and head back to Ilmeni’s place. Don’t stop, don’t look back. I’ve got private business to deal with, and it’s not about Chrysamere.” I whispered back and pushed him away. The Nord stood still for five seconds, then he turned around and left. Good, I didn’t want him to share my trouble.
The captain took a horrible five minutes to do whatever he was doing in that room. Then he returned, and threw a Chitin dagger into my hands that was so brittle it nearly snapped just by being looked at. I threw it down on the floor where it shattered into a thousand pieces.
,,Joke time is over. Where is my sword?” I asked with a threatening voice and a nasty scowl. I noticed that he was now wearing a Claymore of his own on his back, but it wasn’t Chrysamere. For a moment, it seemed as if the Imperial had the guts to say ‘on the floor, that dagger is your sword’ to me. But he reconsidered, not that it would help him.
,,It appears that there has been a thief. Our apologies, but the palace does not offer any guarantee towards the safety of your possessions. Now if you excuse me, I am expecting three guests who seem to be rather late. Have a nice day.” He barked and demonstratively turned his back on me.
,,Dudes in black, masked, poisoned darts? They weren’t late. They were right on time.” I called out. He froze, confirming my suspicions.
,,Ok, you rotten Imp. You are playing a game here and you have no idea how dangerous this game is, for you! Now if you want to live, you’re going to do exactly as I tell you.” I continued. The guard in the crimson armour wheeled back around, his hand rising to the hilt of his sword.
,,Threatening an officer of King Helseth is a serious offence. Apologize now, or face the consequences.” He warned. But there had been a short hesitation in his moves. It looked like the reputation of the ‘unstoppable’ Dark Brotherhood was working in my favour. But not enough in my favour to actually keep him from attacking me if I pushed him too far.
,,Go ahead and draw. I need a replacement and yours is as good as any. Poetic justice, if anything.” I answered. Throughout the conversation, my hands had not left my pockets.
He did draw, and so did every other guard in the room. Yet none of them made a move.
,,Leave.” A new voice, one I did not recognize, whispered right in my ear. I remained motionless. Someone was near, yet I couldn’t see him. Invisibility, Chameleon? No, it was something else.
,,I’ll answer your questions, outside.” The voice spoke again. I didn’t hear any footsteps, didn’t feel the air move as it was pushed aside by an invisible form. But still, I knew that the owner of that voice had left the room.
,,Ten against one? Geez, not even my mother is such a coward. We’ll talk again when you find some courage, if you ever get to it. Oh, and one more thing. If I ever meet another Dark Brotherhood assassin, three guesses who I’ll pay a visit. And it won’t be for cookies and flin.” I snarled and walked out.
Outside the palace, a Dark Elf was leaning against the wall right near a dark alley. He beckoned me over and entered the alley. I followed and saw that he’d retreated right into the darkest shadows, where no one would see us unless he or she would enter the alley as well.
,,Akatosh, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He spoke. He had the same voice as the man who spoke to me in the palace.
,,Call me Luper.” I replied.
The man nodded.
,,Revan. I had no intention of getting mixed up in your business but I did feel the need to interfere.” He said. I frowned for a bit but waited till he would say some more.
,,I don’t know what game you are playing here, but you must realize that here in Mournhold, the line between pawn and master is very thin. There are those who hold interest in you. One of those is Tienus Delitian, the man you argued with. I sense great strength within you, the strength of the Dragon god. But Delitian has strength of his own. The strength of Gravedigger.”
,,Gravedigger?” I interrupted. Revan vanished, as if he’d become one with the shadows.
,,You will find more answers in the Mournhold of old.” His voice whispered in the air. After that, I sensed that he’d fled.
I sat down on a crate and thought about the things I’d heard and the things I’d done. I had been a wanted man already, but why I didn’t know. Now though, there was no reason for Delitian to keep the hunt exclusive to the Brotherhood. No, he would tell the guards. Leaflets with my face on it would be passed through the streets. Damn, that sucked.
And Gravedigger. So that sword was Gravedigger. I’d heard about it. It was the antibody of Chrysamere. The darkness that opposed the light, the cursed slayer as opposed to the holy protector. Stuff like that. Whereas Chrysamere served as a shield to guard its wielder against both the supernatural and the mundane, Gravedigger turned its wielder into a weapon solely meant for massed slaying, like the equally legendary Fury and Umbra. It was one of the so-called Godslayers, weapons that could slay immortal beings. Without Chrysamere, I doubt I would’ve won if it came to a fight, even though the Imperial wasn’t much to look at without Gravedigger.
Finally, there were the words of Revan. My answers could be found in the Mournhold of old. What did that mean? And just who was he anyway? A name didn’t mean much.
The sun was beginning to set and my stomach told me I hadn’t eaten in a while. I remembered the mark I’d set on the doormat in Ilmeni’s house so I recalled there. As long as no one saw me enter or leave that building, I believed it would be alright. But by morning, when the leaflets would show up, I would have a lot to explain to my bearded host.
Pleasant scents reached my nose the moment I felt the soft carpet under my feet. Ro-El was quite the cook, I’d already learned that the day before. But beyond being just a cook, he was also a keen observer.
,,So they didn’t want to give you your sword back and you couldn’t make them. Why?” He asked merely and put a large pot of soup on the diner table. We sat down and started our meal while I began my explanation.
,,Delitian claimed it was stolen. I don’t know if that’s true and I doubt it. For all that I know, it’s still lying in that storage room. But with ten swords against me, ten elite swords, I wasn’t going to take my chances. Anyway, the Dark Brotherhood is involved.” I spoke.
,,The Dark Brotherhood? Well they do want you dead, but why?” Ro-El wondered out loud. I shrugged. The soup was great by the way.
,,I don’t know. But after we entered the palace, I bet that Delitian ran straight for the local hide-out and told them I’m here. I got an encounter with three near the toilet. I managed to kill two but the third escaped. That’s all I know really.”
The Nord didn’t say anything till after he’d finished his meal.
,,Ok, now this is obvious. Delitian is not the main crook. Maybe he is an informer of the Dark Brotherhood, or he is a spokesman for the real crook, or a spokesman for the spokesman for the….you get the idea.” He muttered, finally breaking the silence.
,,Yeah, I get the idea. But why? I’m the Nerevarine. That didn’t seem to catch on to them though. You would think that anyone worth his salt would at least stop relying on poison. This mystery is making my head spin. I don’t like mystery. I like it when I know who the bad guy is, why he is the bad guy and what kind of bad guy he is. Everything to make him easier to blow up or cut in two.” I complained. This raised a short laugh.
,,Ok, Lup. You’re not much of an investigator, but I am.” Ro-El admitted. It looked like he was about to say anything else but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. We both looked at the door, at each other. I nodded.
I slipped my hand under my shirt for the Amulet of Shadows. Soon, I was nothing but an incredibly vague outline. Still, I hitched for the shadows behind the couch as Ro-El opened the door.
,,Alms for the poor?” A voice squeeked.
,,yes, but you’re not poor. You’re wearing a diamond ring, an Ebony amulet is tucked under your vest and I can see one centimetre of a silver dagger. Goodnight.” Ro-El’s voice answered. I rolled my eyes. Bosmer. The door was closed, softly.
,,Anyway, the Dark Brotherhood never operates without a cause. Either you killed one of their kind before, which is incredibly unlikely since Vvardenfell is both Morag Tong territory and quarantined. That, or someone hired them which is a lot more likely. Again, it couldn’t have been any of the people on Vvardenfell. They would have used the Morag Tong. So to find our suspect, we need to look around the nearest hideout, which we now know lies in Mournhold. To get information, we’d best establish contact with someone who is not in league with any of the major powers here and has enough power of his own to get what he wants. Now who could that be?” He continued as if nothing had happened. I frowned.
Not because of what he’d said, but because of another knock on the door.
,,Another beggar?” I wondered but my thoughts were soon proven wrong.
,,Open up, Mournhold guard!” A voice shouted. Even while I was still wondering on what to do, Ro-El had already devised a full plan.
,,Get your dishes and hide them in the kitchen. Put them in the cupboard. Then head for your room and pick up your stuff. Leave by intervention. I’ll open the door and try to buy you time.” He whispered.
I did as he told. The guards had just entered the living room by the time I cast my Almsivi intervention.
I found myself standing before Mournhold’s temple. Like with everything in this city, it was big, rivalling the palace of Vivec even. At the moment, the standard Ordinators standing guard at the front gate did not see me as a threat but who knew how long that would last. So I walked away towards the nearest alley and as soon as I was out of their sight, I relaxed. Well, relax was a strong word. More like stopped being ready to bash people upside the head. I couldn’t really relax with all this going on. I had no idea why the guards came to our residence. Were they just pulling a regular patrol all over the city, was their visit nothing to worry about? Or did Delitian add Ro-El’s description to mine, turned him into an accomplice? The latter was infinitely worse than the former and therefore, the most likely option. Dammit, getting him in trouble because of my own aggression. I couldn’t accept that, ever.
I left the alley the way I came only this time, running. The Ordinators took this as their cue.
,,You there, stop!” One shouted. I cursed my neglect and used the Amulet of Shadows again to escape. At least, that’s what I’d hoped. A fireball streaked in and hit me square on the back, despite me being practically invisible and having done some dodging, which should have made them lose my position. I stumbled and slowed down. Fortunately, I’d slipped on my cuirass before I whisked myself away. The fire was little more than a pleasantly warm feeling. Still, these guys were not standard Ordinators, they had already proven that by using that spell. Man, this was the kind of day Chrysamere would really come in handy.
They had caught up by now, I had to act to stay ahead of their religious zeal.
,,Don’t attempt to escape lest you incur Lady Almalexia’s wrath.” The one who had shouted before warned me. I rose an eyebrow, feeling the Chameleon spell ebbing away.
,,Almalexia? Say, wasn’t that Nerevar’s chick? Ya know, the rotten evil witch that killed him and then hooked up with the two-coloured freak?” I wondered. The Ordinators stiffened and I realized I’d said that out loud. Great, just another element of perfection for this absolutely perfect night.
,,You heretic….you foul N’Wah!” The Ordinator who had been silent up till now finally opened his mouth. I rose my hands up in the air, the universal sign of surrender.
,,Look, I didn’t mean it like that. It was just gossip I’d heard. And there are a lot of people called Almalexia, Vivec and Nerevar…….But only one collection has that background story!” I swung my hands back down and flung out a wave of Telekinesis that lifted them off their feet and into the air. Something reflected the moonlight as they somersaulted backwards. Something shiny, hanging from their belts.
I leaped after them and grabbed hold of one Ordinator’s belt. I pulled and spun around, delivering a kick to his chest that sent him even further up into the air. The belt snapped, his pants flew away on the wind and I collected the object that fell down. It was a scabbard.
,,It was nice meeting you, but I’m on a tight schedule. Oh, and I’ll borrow this for a while.” I said and ran off again with a big grin. During my run, I pulled the weapon out of the scabbard I caught. It was a curved blade, thicker and wider than a saber or a katana, very ornate, made out of Ebony and gold and best of all, it was sharper than a razor’s edge. It wasn’t enchanted, but it was still Ebony which managed to compensate for that particular flaw a bit.
I kept running while I fixed the scabbard to my own belt. It wasn’t as good as Chrysamere but now that I had a sword, I didn’t feel so damn naked anymore. I just hoped Ro-El was ok. With that little scuffle, I had wasted precious time. I might be too late to stop his arrest or worse, murder. I forced my legs to run faster.
No further guards hindered my progress. When I entered the plaza though, I noticed half a dozen standing right next to Ilmeni’s door. My new sword leaped out of its scabbard and flew into my hand, a bit awkward due to the unfamiliar balance. I would whack them over the head with it a couple of times, then toss them into the garbage trays. No problem.
I skidded to a halt even before they’d noticed me. No problem? Just who was I trying to fool? Those guards were waiting for me and they were good. Those two Ordinators had been good, better than the Vvardenfell variant I was used to. If these guards were any less, they would have been thrown out by the competition years ago. So no, the chances of me winning weren’t too good, especially with the strange weapon I was forced to use now.
And even if I did win, then what? Who was to say that there wasn’t a full dozen hiding inside? And what about Ro-El, would fighting really benefit him? If I knew anything about him, he would try to talk his way out, pleading innocence. If they decided to arrest him, he would go along and simply wait till they realized their error and set him free, after which he could use his diplomatic role to make their life miserable for the bad treatment. Now what would happen if I came barging in, sword swinging and all? I would confirm their suspicions and they would put his head on a spear before I’d finished mopping up this particular gang. No, fighting was not an option.
I sighed and leaned against the wall, till too far away to be seen in the night. What happened to the days when violence solved everything? Mournhold just wasn’t the place a Telvanni should be. All this thinking of the consequences was driving me nuts. What should I do now? By chance, I looked around and saw the door leading to the house of the ‘great Velas’. As I looked at it, Ro-El’s words came back to me.
,,We’d best establish contact with someone who is not in league with any of the major powers here and has enough power of his own to get what he wants.”
Didn’t he believe that there was a more powerful mage than the wimp I threw around? Didn’t the gossiping villagers specifically state that house as the home of this mage? I straightened my shoulders and walked to the door. This had better be good. I glanced one last time at the guards and knocked. I knocked again. And again. Just when I considered bashing in the door, it was opened. And out peered the eyes of the wimp, now with a big bruise on the forehead.
,,Who dares to interrupt the great Velas in the deep of the night?” He chattered and then recognized my face. The door was slammed shut.
I shrugged and turned away.
,,That could’ve gone better. Ah well, it would be a waste of time to teach that shrimp some proper manners. I’ll just have to assault the palace and apply some persuasion to the king.” I mumbled. The door opened again.
,,Please come in.” The little worm stammered. I rose an eyebrow and then brushed past him. Behind me, the door was closed, more gently this time.
,,Please, come further.” A voice called out from a nearby room. I followed the voice and soon found myself standing in a large living room that looked like a comfortable place to live in.
There was a Dark Elf seated in a comfortable sofa, one who looked strikingly similar to the one who’d opened the door, only he was more comfortable and his eyes shone with wisdom.
,,Crap, so he does have a better brother.” I thought. Now was the moment where he would pull out the stops and punish me for humiliating his twin.
,,Ovis, bring us some flin.” The Elf ordered and then gazed at me.
,,So you are the man who gave my brother an unwanted bath this morning. I thank you.” He said, much to my surprise. Thank me?
,,You see, Ovis has a certain tendency to mix up his fantasies with reality. He always dreams about being great and all-powerful and sometimes loses sight of his very real limits. I’m amazed he didn’t get himself killed ten times already. So you see, I am grateful that you chose to spare his life.” He explained.
,,By the way, my name is Gavis Velas. I am just an old man who knows a few tricks, no powerhungry warlock, no battlemage who vanquished a Daedric Prince, no hero of the Battlespire. Just Gavis.” I had to admit, I liked this fella’s attitude. I took his invitation to sit down and then decided to introduce myself.
,,Luper Alkad. I’m just a guy with a big ego, a bigger mouth and an even bigger sword. Well, I used to be. The sword got stolen.”
Gavis laughed.
,,A pleasure to meet you, sir Alkad.” He chuckled. I flashed a smile.
,,Please, just call me Luper.” I replied. Ovis entered the room with two bottles of flin and two cups. He put them down on the table between us and then fled the room.
,,I see. Luper, forgive me for being rude but I have to ask. Why did you come to my home?” Gavis asked me in a more serious tone. I saw no need to lie to him. After all, lies wouldn’t help me in getting his help or anything.
I filled my cup with the flin and tried a sip. Not bad stuff, a good brand actually.
,,Well, I kinda heard the rumours of you being powerful, well-connected and neutral. Anyway, here’s the short version of the story. For some reason, the palace has contacted the Dark Brotherhood to have me eliminated. I survived three assassination attempts and have killed all assassins sent after me but one. I was escorting a friend who was on a diplomatic mission to Mournhold. During our visit of the palace, I was forced to give up Chrysamere and enter unarmed. There I had to fight off the last assassination attempt. When we left, the captain claimed Chrysamere had been stolen and threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave. That night, guards came to our place to arrest me. I escaped through intervention but they arrested my friend.”
Gavis nodded.
,,I see. I believe you when you say that the palace has contacted the Brotherhood to have you removed, even if I would normally inclined to take it as a joke. The Brotherhood is very powerful, and few people survive for long once targeted. Yet here you are, with the sword of a Hand at your side, a sword you no doubt claimed in combat. To defeat a Hand is an act worthy of praise, for they are the very best, those few Ordinators who excelled in training and left their siblings far behind. If you can defeat a Hand, you can defeat the Brotherhood. I also know Helseth is a paranoid man and willing to use any dirty trick to get what he wants. The fact that the Brotherhood was allowed to enter a location as secure as the palace, during the day even, speaks more than a full library.” He admitted. He then raised a finger.
,,But, I hesitate to believe that Chrysamere was stolen or taken by them. You have mentioned the sword by name, twice. I don’t believe that you are ignorant regarding the legends that surround this weapon. Yet perhaps you have forgotten? The sword only stays with its owner for as long as it deems its owner worthy. I believe it was simply your time.”
I didn’t like what he’d said but he was right. I had forgotten about that part of the story. And I had used Chrysamere for quite a while, ever since my war with the Sixth House truly got started. Perhaps it was my time. I should be happy that I’d wielded one of the most powerful swords in the world. But I wasn’t happy. The Ebony saber felt odd and my hands yearned for that familiar grip of the Claymore. I wanted to have Chrysamere again, and never lose it.
I drank the rest of my flin without noticing its flavour. There had to be something I could do. Something, anything. I was Nerevarine, slayer of Dagoth Ur, Arch-mage of the Vvardenfell Mage guild, Arch-magister of House Telvanni. I was the toughest fighter on the island and perhaps even whole Tamriel! Then why was I so helpless? My eyes darkened as I came upon the final option, the last straw.
,,The Mournhold of old, tell me about it.”
Gavis was flustered for a moment but recovered.
,,The Mournhold of old. It has been a long time since someone last spoke about it. The Mournhold we see today is built upon the ruins of an older Mournhold, a Mournhold that was destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon, when the Tribunal was young and cocky. To this day, remnants of that place remain, buried beneath the city. There are some people who claim that this ancient Mournhold can be reached through a secret tunnel that sprouts from the sewers somewhere.” He began and then paused. He made up his mind about something.
,,Listen, do not tell anything of this to my brother. I fear that in his naïve enthusiasm, he would run to his death. I know the entrance to old Mournhold, I have even set foot in it once. But, it was only a single foot. All those who went further, never returned. There are unknown dangers there, waiting to trap any unlucky adventurer.”
He conjured a scrap of paper and a quill out of thin air.
,,I will draw you a map and provide you with any supplies you might deem necessary. If you wish to go there, all you have to do is to follow my directions.”
There weren’t many supplies that could work for me. Potions to cure diseases were unneeded, I already had one of the best swords available. Not the best, but still likely to be better than the weapons of any enemy I might encounter. I wore the Lord’s cuirass, which outranked even pure Daedric. But apart from my Indoril boots, the cuirass was the only piece of armour I managed to snatch during my escape. It wouldn’t do me much good if I got whacked in a limb or something. Gavis came with the solution and revealed a dull brown cloak which he’d enchanted to be flexible yet stronger than steel.
,,Use it as you would use a shield. Channel your will into it and it shall stiffen, till it achieves a protection that rivals the thickest armour of steel there is. It also dispels low to medium classes of Magicka. Likewise, you can make its edge turn sharper than a razor’s blade. I am sure you will find it useful.” He instructed. He then pulled two rings out of his pocket and put them in my hand.
,,The result of boredom. The gold ring conjures a loaf of soft and tasty bread mixed with all the nutritions you’ll need, the other conjures pure water. Trust me, it beats carrying around bags of food.”
Before sunrise, I was prepared. Under the guise of the amulet of shadows I crawled through the nearest trapdoor and entered the sewers. Now I would find out what Revan meant when he said that my answers could be found in the Mournhold of old. Maybe it would help. Whoopeedoo, more ruins to explore. What was it with those places? I honestly prefer to walk around inhabited places. They’re more fun. Fewer undead nasties as well.
There was one thing I did find out within the first five seconds after entry. I’d forgotten the smell of sewers. Now I remembered why I never went sewercrawling after the few times in Vivec. Damn, that was one nasty smell.
Nevertheless, I was determined to move on. Gavis had been helpful enough to provide a map, and I wasn’t going to turn him down. I looked at the crude drawing and noted which path I had to take.
My good old luck with sewers returned. Right after I passed the first curve, a howling creature ran at me. I smirked as I recognized it. A goblin, wielding a crude club. How nice. Even before I’d been thrown in prison at the age of eight, I had already plenty of Goblin heads on my name. This would be so easy, it was just funny.
I casually drew my sword and raised it to block the first blow. An unexpected pain shot through my arm as the Goblin drove its club against my blade, shattering the wood. Ignoring the pain, I ran it through and cast the corpse in the slimy waters. Only then did I stop to think about the oddity. A Goblin with enough strength to drive me back and shatter its club in a single blow? It was as if it had been taken by the Blight. But the Blight had gone after I’d slain Dagoth Ur. Then how could a little pest like that grow into such a terror?
I closed my eyes and as I expanded my senses, I began to feel a certain influence all around me. The influence was horribly familiar. It was the same influence I’d felt from Vivec, from Dagoth Ur and most importantly, the heart of Lorkhan. The fact that a glance at the map pointed the source as being right in the middle of the temple confirmed my suspicions. There was a Tribunal god here and if the two Ordinators at the temple where any indication, I dared to bet a lot of flin on that god being Almalexia, Nerevar’s chick.
So what was the lady of unpleasantness doing? Why would she Blight a Goblin? Of course it could be something else, but the symptoms were so similar, it was hard to imagine what else could have been the source of the Goblin’s strength. I decided I would have a word with her, after my word with Helseth regarding proper manners.
I pressed on and fortunately managed to avoid further trouble. That is, till I ran into a quartet of Dark Elves in odd robes. They all spun at me and put hands in their pockets. Dagger, dart, scroll? I checked to see if my sword was loose in its scabbard before they could pull out whatever it was they were trying to grab. They looked like assassins, but their garb told me they weren’t Dark Brotherhood. For that reason only, I was willing to give them a chance.
,,I’m just moving through. No harm intended. Can I pass?” I shouted with a voice that echoed in the cramped confines of the sewers. The one furthest on the left pulled his hands out of his robes and made a throwing motion. I swung the Ebony blade out of its sheath, into the dart’s path and listened to a satisfying ting as it deflected into a wall.
,,I’ll take that as a no.”
More darts flew my way, too many to deflect them all. I swung the saber in a swift arc, catching two. Two more bounced harmlessly off my cuirass. A fifth whisked past my eye and scraped my cheekbone. I gritted my teeth and blinked to clear my eye of blood. This was just not fun. I drew Gavis’ cloak around me and invoked its power. Instantly it stiffened and I heard the soft thunks of the darts, whose points always managed to penetrate a hair’s width before being halted by the fabric. When I came out, I would have to find a needle and some spare thread for sewing.
,,Either you stop it now, or you’ll be sorry!” I shouted at them while I used a free finger to focus a healing spell on my face. The barrage continued without interruption.
,,Sorry it is.” I whispered angrily. I’d given them their chance. I’d held back all this time but they just wouldn’t listen. Now they’d gone too far. They would find out they’d chosen the wrong Redguard to mess with.
The water in the canal rose up with a roar and thundered at them, like a wave crashing on the cliffs of northern High Rock during a storm. The water swept them off their feet and I flung the cloak behind my back. In the blink of an eye, I’d crossed the distance that separated us. One had managed to keep his footing though he’d been forced to move into a crouch. I saw his hand rise with another of those infernal darts. He aimed to throw, I threw first. The whirling blade of Ebony cut through his arm and separated it at the elbow.
I flew past him without a second glance. I reached the second who lay sprawled on the floor and called my sword back with Telekinesis as I jumped over the Dark Elf. The scything blade separated his head from his neck as it followed. The third had hit a bridge suspended over the canal with his head. He was dead already so I gave him no further attention and went straight for the final one. He stood against the wall and was the only one who had chosen to challenge me to melee combat with a sword. Bad mistake. The hilt of my saber crashed into my waiting hand and I parried his blow. With a flick of the wrist, I flicked the longsword out of his hands. Another flick, and my blade vanished up to the crossguard into his chest, pinning him to the wall.
When I drew the sword out, he sagged to the floor like a sack of rocks. I turned to the one whose arm I’d removed. He was still alive and now looked up at me. With his remaining hand, he tried to stop the bleeding.
,,Please. Spare me.” He moaned. I scowled. He hadn’t tried to spare me when I asked. And those darts weren’t meant to throw at a board in the pub.
,,I won’t stab you.” I replied. The Elf’s mouth broke into a grin.
,,Thank you. You are a great and honourable man, who w…” The rest of his false compliments were cut off by the flamelance I put between his eyes. Even the famed resistance to fire the Dark Elves’ have can’t withstand the amount of heat that spell concentrates into a single spot.
,,Who would never break his word. I know. You should have read between the lines, pal. Stabbing did not rule out the use of fire.” I sighed and plucked the darts out of my cloak. Curved pieces of Ebony, with three razorsharp blades. A weapon meant to kill people. Dark Brotherhood, fanatic Ordinators, a treacherous king and his gang, these red-robed cutthroats. Just how many backstabbing murderers did this place have? Someone should keep a tally. I dropped the darts on the floor and continued on my way.
The sewers went deeper underground and I soon came upon a place where my only chance at progress would be swimming. I looked at the filthy water for a long time. Grime, general trash, mud, weeds and the occasional dead fish floated past. Who knew what else was in there. All in all, diving in was the last thing I wanted to do. But the map was resolute at this point. To reach Old Mournhold, I had to swim.
,,Well, it isn’t going to dry up anytime soon.” I grumbled and stepped up to the ledge. Just when I was about to dive in, an idea struck.
Half a minute later, I was walking over the bottom of the canal. The shield I projected around me made sure not even a single drop reached me. Above me, the ceiling was smooth, as if it had been stroked by centuries of flowing water, which was probably the case. Over time, the ceiling rose again till I could jump back to the walkway.
,,Well, that was interesting. Now all we need to do is pass a door and we’re all set.” I muttered while drawing my sword. Velas had warned me that there was something in Old Mournhold, something nasty but he didn’t say what. If my experience with nasty things was any indication, it would stop being nasty after a few swordstrokes.
I kicked in the door for good measure, causing a hail of damp woodfragments. When it comes down to it, I always enjoy to go in with a bang.
,,So, you’ve come, Luper.” I froze for a split second. Then I frowned as suspicion kicked in. The person standing before me was covered from head to toe in some sort of armour. But still, that voice could only belong to one man.
,,Revan? What are you doing here?” I asked. When the Dark Elf didn’t respond, I threw another question his way.
,,The danger Velas spoke of. That wouldn’t be you, would it?”
As fast as lightning, Revan pulled a pair of Wakizashis out of the shadows and charged.
,,In your case, I am! Defend yourself, dragon!” He shouted.
If I hadn’t drawn beforehand, that first attack might have disembowelled me. Now, I blocked a shot at my throat with Velas’ cloak and parried the stab at my stomach with the Ebony saber.
,,So this was all a trick? To get me to come here?” I asked as I jumped away from the whirling blades. Revan didn’t answer but continued to press the attack.
,,Then why?” I tried next, using the lamest and most useless of all questions. The reason doesn’t matter, being cut to pieces hurts all the same.
,,If you are truly what you are, you will reveal yourself!” Revan answered cryptically. I had no idea what that meant. All I knew was that I was losing the fight. It was two blades against one, which normally doesn’t mean much. Revan though, was nothing short of an expert so he had the advantage. I gave up ground without even trying to duel. I’d already realized that at swordplay, I couldn’t match him, not without a Claymore. But Magicka was another story altogether.
I reached out and hurled a wall of air at him. The Dark Elf glided back yet managed to retain his balance. This was the breathing space I required and I followed up my opening with a barrage of other spells. Revan was quick to dodge, slipped through the door I’d kicked in and then hid on the other side of the wall. He was a quick one, that’s for sure. I kept a fireball trained on the dooropening in case he leapt out.
,,You told me that the line between master and pawn is very thin here, Revan. Whose pawn are you?” I asked.
,,Moon and Star, Luper. Moon and Star.” Revan replied, still in hiding. More cryptic mumbo-jumbo. That wasn’t too helpful.
,,Wait a minute. This doesn’t make sense. I’m the Nerevarine and I’m sure I didn’t hire anyone to knock my own head off. Nerevar wore the ring but he’s been dead for like forever.” I muttered to myself in confusion. Then I realized the other option.
,,You mean Azura?” I asked. Even though I got no answer, I knew it was true.
,,Man, and just after I was done with the damn oppressive queen of all I hate.”
Revan still hadn’t come out of hiding which I found rather odd. Surely he wasn’t expecting to stay there forever? It was too easy to launch a mirror and then reflect an offensive spell on it, right into his hiding place. I cast a life detection spell. He was gone.
Gone? Any movement of him would have brought him back into my sight. Even a jitter of his hands to cast a spell would have accomplished that. Did he teleport away? He had a dealing with becoming invisible. He’d done so before, at the palace. If so….
Something wooshed through the air and I ducked, narrowly avoiding one of the Wakizashis. The other came down on me so I blocked it with my sword. Before I had the chance to counter, Revan had vanished again. But invisible is invisible, so I cut at his former location for good measure. I only hit air.
Again Revan attacked out of nowhere, this time from the left. I raised my cloak and managed to block both hits, though at the price of two large tears in the fabric. Velas’ cloak had been a lifesaver so far, but it wasn’t going to last long like this. I knew I couldn’t beat him. I had to escape, somehow or else I would die. This was crazy. I hadn’t met a foe I couldn’t beat in months. But I remembered the words of my father when I once found a fish in the stomach of another fish.
,,No matter how powerful you are, there is always a bigger fish, one more powerful. If so, run with all the strength your legs can muster. Don’t forget that, son.” I had to run, and the sooner I began running, the better.
I started with the standard method of escape, teleportation. My recall fizzled, so did the Divine intervention. Panic began to close in on me as I tried an Almsivi. No luck either. Somehow, I’d managed to fail three spells of teleportation in succession, and Revan had moved into position to harass me again.
,,By decree of Queen-Mother Almalexia, teleportation is not allowed neither above nor below Mournhold!” Revan spoke from wherever he was now.
I couldn’t teleport, so I had to run physically. I lunged for the water and tried to trigger a skybolt. Like with the teleportation earlier, it failed and my speed remained within my mortal limits.
,,Almalexia keeps an eye on all those within her walls. No self-alteration of any kind but healing is permitted by her.” I couldn’t help but wonder how Revan then managed to use a spell of invisibility. I dove into the canal and swam to the submerged section as fast as I was able. Maybe, just maybe I could outrun my nemesis without the use of spells. Just to try, I used a light spell of invisibility myself. Fizzled again. Just how did Revan manage to dodge the damn rules put in place by that trice-cursed fake goddess?
When the ceiling rose again, I climbed out and began to run. So far, Revan had not yet interfered with my escape. Perhaps I did manage to outrun him. Something hit me on the head and I crashed into a wall. I spun around to face Revan, only again I was pushed up against the wall. I tried to move but I couldn’t. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with a touch of telekinesis.
,,In the end, no matter your skill, you are still a child.” Revan said. He rose both Wakizashis into my sight.
,,Go home, to Oblivion. If you don’t go there willingly, I shall send you. Go, Aedra!” I saw the two blades slice through the air, moving in two arcs that would intersect at my throat.
,,Go home!” The blades touched and the whole world seemed to explode into countless fragments. Then, even those fragments shattered.
On to the next chapter