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Chorrol.com _ Jack Cloudy _ The cursed blood.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 17 2006, 12:25 PM
Alright, this is my next fan fic. Know that I don't have the whole storyline thought out yet, so it might become a bit messy.
Also, it takes place approximately 2 years after the events of Oasis.
The cursed blood.
Chapter 1: The Celebration.
Seas around Vvardenfell.
Slowly, the ship drifted amongst the waves. The only sign of life were the torches burning on the bow and stern. Or was that all? No. At the bow one man stood, gazing at the sky. He was old, with long flowing hair as white as snow. He stood there like a statue, only moving on his heels to compensate for the boat’s movements.
A High Elf opened the door and looked over the deck. There was the man he’d been looking for. He took a quick glance at the sky and sighed. Then, he moved over to join the old man.
,,In a few nights, the moons will be full again.” He said. The Old man remained silent. Finally, after two long minutes, he spoke.
,,You know I don’t fear the servants of the moon.”
The High Elf touched an amulet hanging around his neck, lost in deep thought. The amulet was beautifully crafted and looked just like the moon.
,,I know, how could I forget? I was merely speaking to myself.”
,,Yes, so I noticed. We should reach the island before the moon is full. It has been a long time. Perhaps you should join the hunt once more.” The old man said.
,,I will think about it. We are drinking a bottle of whine below deck. If you like you may join us.” With those words, the High Elf left.
The old man however, remained behind. He didn’t go downstairs and instead waited till he saw the land appear on the horizon. The land had called him and he realized he had much to do with only little time. He smiled at the thought. It had been many years since he had last worried about not having enough time at his disposal.
,,So we’ll meet again, old friend.” He muttered and finally joined the people below deck.
Venim Manor.
The room looked as if a tornado had passed through it. Actually, that was exactly what had happened, with the only difference that the tornado was made out of two people rather than wind. One of the two was a Redguard who wielded her sword with precision, making sure that not a single movement was wasted. Her opponent, was different. Much younger, the Dunmer girl fought with the enthusiasm and unlimited stamina of youth.
The two went back and forth as their swords clashed over and over. In the end, the Dunmer girl got the upper hand and forced the Redguard against the wall. She smiled as she prepared to land the final blow. Her sword hit the wall instead of the Redguard who had dove around the blade and was now behind the Dunmer. Instead of feeling her sword hit the Redguard, the Dunmer felt the tip of a sword on her own neck.
,,Not bad, mylady. For a moment, I really thought I had much work to do. Most mainland people aren’t very experienced.” The Redguard said and smiled.
,,Admit it, you were worried that you were going to lose for a moment.” The Dunmer replied.
,,Now don’t go too far with your pride. Your technique still needs a lot of work and it will take a while before I can truly call you a warrior.”
The Redguard took the two swords and returned them to their weaponrack, after putting the rack back in the position it stood in before it was knocked over.
There was a polite knock on the door and after a few seconds, a Dunmer entered the room.
,,Tsk, are you busy again.” The man said and shook his head.
,,I know I can’t stop you from doing this, Jana. But please, don’t go challenging people to duels in the middle of the night. You two are keeping everyone awake with all that noise.”
The man continued with a smile that took the sharpness out of his words. He then turned to the Redguard.
,,So Neminda, how is she?”
,,Not too bad, but not too good either.” The Redguard responded. She didn’t knew what to think. Maybe it was stupid for her to have gone along with the idea of the young Dunmer, but that enthusiasm was simply contagious.
Athus Mirhtri had recently arrived from the mainland and taken residence in Venim manor. He was a high-ranking member of House Redoran but also a man who didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the house. The biggest problem that most people had with him was the fact that despite being in a House that demanded of its members that they knew how to fight, he’d never held a weapon in his entire life.
,,I see. Could you, teach her a few tricks perhaps? That should keep her satisfied and out of trouble. But not before the sun rises.” Athus turned around to leave.
,,By the way, your dress for the celebration just arrived. You might try it on to see if it fits. But first, go take a bad.” He said and walked out.
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 17 2006, 01:21 PM
Oh, so you're continuing that tale you started in Kell's short story thread? Good enough, I found the part on the boat interesting. The part with the Dunmer woman and the Redguard I didn't find that interesting. It was pretty confusing at some points to be honest.
Posted by: minque Apr 17 2006, 02:42 PM
Nice Mr Cloudy-man! This is very promising, I do like it and I read it even if I probably have no chance commenting after every post.....because you usually post too darn frequent, but that´s good...so please keep it coming! 
Posted by: Tellie Apr 17 2006, 10:06 PM
Whohoo...thanks for starting up so soon again cloudy...I was afraid we had to wait a long time before you would honor us with another story...
So, the start is a very intriguing one, and it seems to be more than one plot here, so I will wait in anticipation for the next on...keep it up.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 18 2006, 04:39 PM
Thank you all. Since it is rather confusing to weave two different storylines through each other, I think I'll alternate updates between the two storylines. Anyway, time for the old man and the Altmer on the boat, part 2!
Seyda Neen
The ship docked shortly after the sun emerged over the horizon. The two men disembarked and headed down the docks to the nearest building. A sign told them that it had once been the Census and Excise office, but someone had scribbled something else over it.
,,Council hall of Seyda Neen. It surprises me that they need one in this dump. It would be a small council even if you had the whole population in it.” The Altmer commented.
,,People will never fail to surprise you, my friend. Let’s go inside.” The old man responded.
Inside, they found themselves in a well-decorated office that also seemed to serve as the home of the small Bosmer who nearly seemed to disappear in the large chair he was sitting in. The little guy looked at the two. First with curiosity, then with disgust.
,,An Imperial! I should call the guards, if we still had them! Oh, you meanies from the Empire always love to hurt me. And the last time I met someone from the empire, he blew up a treestump right in my face! And now he is seen as a hero! Do you know that there is an annual celebration to remember the defeat of Dagoth Ur?! And I am supposed to hold a speech! On top of that, these robbers are constantly shaking down my town!” The Bosmer yelled with a squeaky voice.
The two men looked at each other. The Altmer frowning, the old man looking amused.
,,We would like to visit the island, sir.” The old man said in a polite tone.
The Bosmer stared at him and looked rather surprised by the usage of the title.
,,Fargoth, mayor of Seyda Neen. I’ll need your names, hometown, reason for visit and some other things. Bribes are welcome.” The little guy said defiantly.
The Altmer’s hand went to the small crossbow he wore on his hip.
,,Why, you little fetcher. Do you really think that a big chair and a bigger mouth is going to…”
,,Calm down.” The old man interrupted his friend and pushed the crossbow away from Fargoth. He waved at the Bosmer with his other hand and enveloped the little Elf with Magicka.
,,You don’t need to ask us anything. You just want to be nice and help people.” He said with a smile.
,,Yes, yes. I want to be nice and help people. No need to ask any questions. Welcome to Vvardenfell. I hope you will have a pleasant stay. If you need any supplies, go to Arille’s Tradehouse and say that Fargoth sent you.” The Bosmer answered and happily began to stamp their papers.
,,Command Humanoid, it never lets you down. Anyway, welcome to Resdayn. Now then, let’s think of how to proceed.” The old man muttered once they were outside the office.
The Altmer didn’t listen, he had his crossbow up again. This time he was aiming at a huge flea.
,,What in the name of Oblivion is that?” He whispered.
The old man looked at the creature.
,,Ah, my guest back in Argonia told me about these. I believe he called them Silt Striders. They are used as the local transportation. They’re faster than a horse, but a bit harder to park.” He said and continued to point out some interesting features about the creature.
Behind them, Fargoth ran out of his house and looked around. He then ran towards the tradehouse to help a woman carry the supplies she just bought back to her house. A moment later, he climbed up the house to fix its roof.
,,Maybe you should have used other words when you used that spell. At this rate, the Elf is either going to get married or he’ll die from a heartattack with all this running around. Whichever comes first.” The Altmer commented as he watched how Fargoth ran to a pool to wash some clothes.
,,Ah, yes. I suppose I could’ve been more careful. Let’s do something to make up for my mistake. I suggest we search out those bandits he was talking about and persuade them to stop their actions.” The old man said and walked out of town with a frowning Altmer behind him.
,,Really, if I didn’t knew better, I would say that he was too old for this.” The Elf muttered and shook his head.
PS: I am now really thinking of making a third story. Maybe called "The revenge of Fargoth." I am really beginning to pity the poor guy. He is always the victim of us fan fic writers.
Posted by: minque Apr 18 2006, 09:27 PM
Ahhh Cloudy-man! Great work....very interesting story I´d say!
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 19 2006, 05:45 PM
And the next part with the Dunmer girl. Umm, I am trying to connect the two story lines. Anyway, enjoy the update.
Venim Manor
Jana tapped on the floor with one of her feet while she impatiently stared at the door.
,,Well, where is he?!” She shouted when the maid finally returned.
,,Lord Mirhtri is in his office and made it clear to me that he does not wish to be disturbed by anyone. That includes you, mylady.”
This only made the girl even more angry.
,,What, my father does not want to see me after he did THIS?!” She bolted out of the door and fell flat on her face.
,,Damn dress.” She muttered, got up and stormed through the manor.
Her father was completely devoted to the letter he was reading and never noticed how his daughter nearly literally fell into the room. Jana tried to get his attention a few times, but the man seemed to have become deaf.
,,HELLO, ANYONE IN THERE?!” She finally screamed in frustration. At least it got her father’s attention. Maybe it was worth the sore throat.
,,What, oh it’s you. Look, I said that I didn’t want to be disturbed. I am busy.” He said at an annoyed tone and suddenly began laughing.
,,Sorry, but you just look ridiculous. Ah, I needed a good laugh. Where did you found that dress?” He managed to say between fits of laughter.
,,THAT is the dress you bought for the celebration! How could you?! Just because some guy killed this Dagoth Ur two years ago doesn’t mean I have to look like this! It’s horrible!”
Jana’s dress was colourful, to say the least. It had many different shades of yellow, blue, light green, pink and orange that created a stark contrast with her dark green skin. On top of that, there were little frills all over it. And finally, it was so long she kept tripping over it whenever she tried to walk.
,,I’m sorry. I only asked the clothier to give you something fashionable. Don’t worry, I’ll buy you something more traditional. Now please leave.” Athus said after he finally stopped laughing.
As his daughter left, so did his smile. His eyes went back to the letter and he read it one more time. With a sigh, he got up and walked over to the broadsword that hung on the wall. He lifted it off the wall and gripped it by the handle. Then, he pulled the sword free of its scabbard and admired the Ebony blade. It still looked just like the last time he’d used it, four hundred years ago.
,,I don’t know why they’ve come to the island but by Azura, if they even dare to step foot in my house, they shall meet my blade.” He said with a grim look. He then placed the sword behind his desk so that he could grab it at all times. Finally, he took an empty sheet of paper and began to write.
Posted by: Tellie Apr 19 2006, 06:09 PM
O_oh...this is interesting...an angry Dunmer girl who hate wearing the dress her father have bought her...and that end of yours....interesting...
a Tellie to you.
So, dont let us wait long before we get to know who this mysterious man is....but I have my suspicions...(no I wont tell...perhaps I will...for a cookie or five...
)
So please give us some more please Mr.Cloudy man...I am starting to love this story already...
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 19 2006, 07:06 PM
Glad you like it. But, which of the three men is the mysterious one?
Anyway, just a short update with the old man and the Altmer.
Seyda Neen
,,Are you sure this is such a good idea?” The Altmer whispered when they entered a nearby cave. Outside the cave, there were many clues that told them it was inhabited, such as a campfire with the remains of a meal.
,,Oh, what could happen?” The old man casually responded and walked around a corner. There, he came face to face with at least half a dozen bandits who all reached for their weapons.
,,That could happen.” The Altmer said and raised his crossbow.
,,What, who are you?” An Orc who seemed to be their leader asked. He waved around his heavy club as a threat.
,,I sell. Advice, to be specific. I have some very good advice for you. I’d appreciate it if you took the time to listen.” The old man said and smiled. He didn’t seemed to be worried at all by the bandits.
,,Advice?! And what might that be, old man?” The Orc said amidst roaring laughter.
,,Simple, abandon your activities in the nearby town. If not, the consequences could be detrimental for your health.” The old man responded.
,,And who says that? An old man and his Elf. I think I’ll feed you to the Nix-Hounds.”
The Orc stormed towards the old man and swung his club downward.
To his surprise, the club stopped just before it reached the man’s face. He looked down and saw that the man had gripped his arm with one of his hands. Sweat appeared on the Orc’s face and he gasped as the man began to squeeze with his hand. Soon, the sound of snapping bone could be heard.
The other bandits stormed forward. One of them was met by a bolt in his throat and another by a Wakizashi between the ribs. The rest crashed into the walls when the old man raised his free hand.
,,It would really be a smart idea to take my advice. It would be a big waste of time if we had to end your lives. Time that’s better spent elsewhere. Am I clear?” The old man said and squeezed a bit more.
,,Alright. We’ll leave.” The Orc managed to whisper.
The old man threw the Orc against the wall before walking back to the entrance.
,,Was it really necessary to kill those two?” He asked his friend.
,,Unlike you, I don’t make a whole show out of things. I prefer to take out my enemies permanently.” The Altmer responded and wiped the blood of his Wakizashi.
The old man chuckled.
,,I suppose that you get a certain feel for theatrics with age. Now, what would our fearless Altmer say to a ride on one of those siltstriders?” He said and laughed softly.
,,On one of those big fleas?! No way, I’d rather walk!”
Posted by: Taillus Apr 19 2006, 10:28 PM
Ahh Cloudy. Starting anew much like myself. I really like the beginnings of this one and I knew I recognised the first part with the man on the boat. Nicely done as always.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 20 2006, 04:23 PM
Alright, things are heating up.
Ald’Rhun, in front of Skar
Jana was not having fun. Three days, he had three days and still he hadn’t bought her a decent dress. Now she was stuck with that ugly thing that hurt her eyes just when she looked at it. Worst of all, he didn’t even dare to face her. He just remained in his office all day long, like he was doing now. Everyone was celebrating the defeat of Dagoth Ur and he was sitting in his office, doing Azura knew what.
At least she wasn’t the only one in bright and colourful clothing. No one was laughing at her. Still, she hated it. She vowed she would never follow fashion again, nor would she let her father buy her clothes.
,,Excuse me, could you be so kind as to devote some time to me?”
Jana turned around to see who had spoken. If this was about her dress, she would start throwing punches, celebration or not. An old Imperial and a much younger looking Altmer stood before her.
The Imperial looked like he was somewhere in his late sixties and had long white hair. A blood red amulet hung around his neck that shimmered as if it was wet. He wore a deep blue shirt that had a beautifull picture of the sun rising over a green tree woven into the chest area. He had pants and a cape in the same colour. His gloves and boots were a dark green and he had a black belt bearing two Katanas in their scabbard on each side.
The Altmer looked much younger, though it was always hard to tell with Elves. Jana guessed that he was around three hundred years old, a few times as old as the Imperial. He wore a simple brown shirt and pants, with a black belt. The belt held a small crossbow and a sack filled with bolts on one side and a Wakizashi on the other side. This was odd, why would anyone carry around weapons during the celebration?
The old man smiled and bowed.
,,I humbly apologize, for I forgot to introduce ourselves. This is my old friend, Jalin of Erpath. I am known as Aureus Lucis from Argonia. Pleased to make your aquantaince. We are searching for Athus Mirhtri, perhaps you are aware of his whereabouts?”
The man’s language made her dizzy with all the polite stuff.
,,Uh, he’s in his office. He won’t be able to see any guests.” She stammered.
Aureus bowed again.
,,Very unfortunate. I thank you for your assistance. Farewell.” He said and left through the crowd, with Jalin close behind.
,,So, what are we going to do now?” The Altmer whispered once they were clear of the crowd.
,,We’ll see.”
Athus Mirhtri rubbed his eyes. He hadn’t slept well in days, and it was beginning to take its toll. On top of that, the stress of knowing what was out there was killing him. Of course, if it found him, he would be just as death. He began to read but looked up when he heard a sound.
He glanced around before concluding that it was coming from the back wall. Something was attempting to break through.
He got up and grabbed the Ebony Broadsword. The wall exploded inward and two masked men holding swords came through the hole. Athus shouted a battlecry and attacked.
,,While we were fighting for our lives on the slopes of Red Mountain, the Nerevarine entered the citadel and battled Dagoth Ur himself.” Athyn Sarethi had been holding his speech for half an hour now, and it didn’t look like he was about to stop. Jana yawned. This was so boring. There were only people who were talking about what they did that day. She couldn’t remember what she did, she never even heard of the Nerevarine and Dagoth Ur before coming to the island. It just didn’t interested her.
She went back to Venim manor. Bothering her father about his promise to buy her a better dress sounded like a much more fun idea. Besides, she might catch him sleeping on his desk. That would be amusing. At least it would be better than listening to that speech. The Nerevarine sounded like every average hero, a boring guy in shining armour on a horse who never did anything wrong.
,,What the heck is that noise?” She muttered when she got closer to the office. It didn’t sound like her father was sleeping, more like he was holding a private party. She opened the door to the office, stepped inside and froze.
Athus was clearly not holding a private party. He was fighting for his life against two masked men. Despite the urgency of the situation, Jana couldn’t help but be slightly amused. Everyone had told her that her father never even touched a sword in his entire life. Yet here he was, swinging one like a true master. He sure managed to fool people.
Moving so fast he was almost invisible, Athus jumped forward and buried his sword in one of the two men. The Ebony blade of the broadsword exploded with a flash as bright as the sun, leaving nothing but a few smoking remains where once a man stood. He spun around and attempted to decapitate the other one.
The remaining man moved just as fast as the Dunmer, if not faster. He parried the Ebony blade that erupted again in a blinding flash. A quick spin, and the hand holding the Ebony sword was severed at the wrist. The man then raised his hands and used Telekinesis to smash Athus into the wall.
Posted by: Tellie Apr 20 2006, 09:06 PM
Yes...another update...*celebrates...*
A wonderfull update indeed...but now I'm worried of what will happen to Athus...but I have a small hope that Jana, will save him...keep it up...but of course I know you will...
Posted by: minque Apr 20 2006, 11:14 PM
Ouch! getting smashed into the wall doesn´t sound very nice! But the story is on the other hand very nice
Hehe I´ve come to like Jana...hehe she sounds like a cocky lil´lady......great writing !
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 21 2006, 06:17 PM
Sorry, but I've got a role laid out for the little girl and saving Athus is not one of them. Any way, here's an update with a nice Cliffracer. (Oops, I mean Cliffhanger. )
In the land of dreams.
She knew she was dreaming, but didn’t knew about what. She was standing in a frigid, snowcovered landscape with dark clouds in the sky and a mountain in the distance. The mountain was made of the purest silver and its sides flowed as if it was a slumbering creature of titanic proportions, rather than a mountain. As she was watching, the flowing became more intense till huge waves of silver washed over it.
Then, the whole mountain began to glow. It was an eerie sight, for there was not a single sound to give it a feel of reality. Suddenly, the mountain exploded till it filled the sky and blew away the clouds. The massive cloud of glowing silver began to shrink till it was nothing but a tiny pinprick that was too far away to be seen. Then, everything was the way it was before, only now the sun shone through a breach in the clouds on the spot where once the mountain stood.
,,Ah, you’ve finally awoken.” Jana opened her eyes and saw Athyn Sarethi looking down on her. He was still wearing his clothes from the celebration.
,,Quiet. Much has happened and much more shall happen. Please, follow me to a place where I can tell you what I have to say without any listeners.” He continued and motioned for her to get out of the bed and follow him.
Athyn walked straight to her father’s office and went through the door. The place had been left the way the Redorans found it, with the only change being a Guar skin that now covered the hole in the wall. The beautiful desk that once stood in the center of the room was reduced to a few scraps of wood. A piece of dark clothing covered with ash laid on the floor. The Ebony Broadsword that her father had used was still were it had fallen, lying next to a large pool of dried blood.
,,I have failed my duties to House Redoran. I am sorry. I just never expected anyone to carry weapons during the celebration and no one has breached the skin of Skar in history. What magicka is so potent that it can carve through the skin of the great crab as if through paper? I have to tell you this. Your father walks the land no more.”
Jana didn’t answer. She could barely remember what had happened. Two men had been fighting her father. One of those was killed and the other smashed Athus into the wall. But after that, what had happened? She scratched her itching neck in frustration. She did remember one thing. An Imperial and an Altmer had been asking for her father, and they both carried weapons with them. She came to the realization that she had caused the death of her own father and nearly dropped to the floor in shock.
,,All we found was his hand which we buried. We also found you, unconscious and on the ground. I’ve ordered the best healers to help you. In my own office, Athus recently left an envelope, to be given when he was gone. I don’t know how he knew that this would happen and why he didn’t run, but it is too late for that.” Athyn continued and handed over a small envelope.
After a short hesitation, Jana tore open the envelope and took out a letter as well as a finely crafted key of pure Ebony.
To my daughter, Jana Mirhtri.
When you read this, I shall be gone. How or when, I do not yet know. If I have died through disease or an accident, read no further. If however, I have died by the hands of the Silver Eye, words cannot express the danger you are in.
As such, it is my duty as your father to do the best I can to protect you. Therefore, I have done my best to attract the attention of my enemies, so that they may ignore you. Still, I dare not hope that my death shall be enough. Take the key that accompanies this letter. It fits on a small Ebony chest I keep within my desk. Take its contents, for I have created them so that they may protect you.
Likewise, I grant you my sword and the only weapon I ever used, the Feathered Sun. I shall use it in an attempt at saving my own life from the Eye, but I doubt that I shall succeed. However, it is unlikely that they would take the sword as a price, for its enchantment would destroy any of their kind the moment they touched its blade. This sword has served me well when I was young, and it shall be like a beacon for you during the darkest night.
Finally, I request that you leave Vvardenfell and House Redoran. Go to Argonia and find the sanctuary of Kalom. The lord of Kalom shall do anything he can to protect you for I have been of use to him in the past. Travel light and leave no traces. It is now up to you to forge your own path through life.
Your father, Athus Mirhtri.
,,There is one more thing I have to tell you, no matter how painful it might be. The Attacker was a vampire. You have been bitten and there was nothing our healers could do to take away the curse of your blood. I therefore have to ask you to leave House Redoran before the curse reveals itself.” Jana could see that Athyn had been crying, but there was nothing she felt herself. Everything that she had taken had made her numb and unable to feel anything.
She grabbed the small Ebony chest from the wreckage that was once the desk. She would open it later. She also picked up her father’s sword. It was surprisingly light for an Ebony blade. There were a few things she had to do, and fleeing to the swamps of Argonia wasn’t one of those things.
,,Have you seen an old Imperial accompanied by an Altmer?” She asked.
Athyn was a bit surprised by the question and needed a few seconds to get over the surprise.
,,Yes, they came to me this morning. I told them that the House was rather busy with something urgent and they left to the south.”
,,Thank you.” Jana interrupted the Dunmer and cut the Guar skin in front of the hole in the wall. Holding the small chest in one hand and the sword in the other, she stepped through the hole and headed south. It was then that her emotions finally hit her and tears streamed down her face. She would get those two, and avenge her father.
She tried to turn around upon hearing a sudden noise, but tripped over her dress and fell on her face again. She never even got the time to curse herself for not having taken the time to dress up properly before there was the sensation of something heavy hitting her head.
She was in a rather uncomfortable position when she awoke. Being tied to a tree wasn’t so pleasant in itself, and having a Redguard waving her own sword around in front of her face made things even worse.
,,Hello, girl. Now what would a frail little creature like you do here in the middle of the night, in those clothes?” He said with a rough voice. Jana wrinkled her nose when she caught the scent of the man’s breath.
A voice shouted something from behind her. It sounded Orcish, which was a language she didn’t understand. The Redguard did, for he cursed something and stood up.
,,Who are you?!” He shouted a little later from where Jana couldn’t see him.
,,Now that is some very undignified behaviour. May I suggest that you release the lady and return her possessions? An apology would also be very appreciated.” A somehow familiar voice answered.
The bandits laughed.
,,,What are you going to do, fall over and die?” The Redguard said before shouting a battelcry. The sound of clashing steel was followed by a scream.
,,No, I was more thinking about teaching you some manners.” The strange voice said.
For a few more seconds, Jana could hear shouting and clashing swords, then it went silent.
,,We meet again. I must say, I am surprised to see you here, mylady.” The man who had just fought the bandits stepped into her view. It was Aureus, the one who killed her father.
Posted by: minque Apr 21 2006, 07:45 PM
Oh my! This IS getting veeery thrilling, I love it! Mr Cloudy, I hereby grant you the great Serene-award 
for creating a most awesome story!
Posted by: DarkHunter Apr 21 2006, 09:02 PM
very good man, it's getting interesting, (very) i may just have to do something nice for you sometime (dunno what or when) 
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 22 2006, 08:10 PM
Agh, I diffused the whole situation too fast. Damn, well no way to help it. Please give me a warning if I reveal things too fast. Anyway, update.
(Darkhunter, just be nice to Flint in the rp, that would be very appreciated by the poor little fellow.)
Road between Ald’rhun and Balmora.
Aureus held one of his katanas loosely in his hand. The other one was sheathed. He slowly brought it closer to Jana who closed her eyes and awaited the blow that would inevitably come. The quick sound of steel slicing through rope, and she found that she could move her limbs again. He had cut the ropes that tied her to the tree.
,,I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that these people have caused. May I be of assistance?”
That was the last thing she would have expected for him to say. It was all so weird, that she was convinced that it was a trick. Besides, where had the Altmer gone? He had been reduced to a pile of dust by her father. It would be normal for the man to want revenge. Then why did he help her?
,,I am afraid I didn’t caught your name last night.” Aureus continued and wandered over to the things the bandits had stolen.
Maybe he didn’t knew that she was the daughter of the man he killed. Maybe he didn’t recognize her from that night. This thought gave Jana some hope again. He clearly wasn’t from around here, so she would be safe if she gave him a different name.
,,Jana…Sarethi.”
,,Well then, Jana Sarethi, what brings you out here on the middle of the night under the full moon?” Aureus asked and picked up the Ebony Broadsword. All of Jana’s hope was instantly destroyed. He would recognize her father’s blade and then she would be death. The man brought a finger to the flat of the blade with a questioning look on his face.
,,Touch it, touch it!” It was a vampire that had bitten her, he had bitten her and Athus said that a single touch of the blade would destroy vampires. She had seen it with her own eyes. If only he would touch the blade, then all her worries would be gone. The man touched the blade and the usual flash erupted.
,,Aha, an enchantment that harnesses the power of the sun as well as a feather spell to reduce its weight. A very rare and potent weapon, I dare say. Any vampire hunter would kill for something like this and any vampire would fear it. You are lucky to have one of these, mylady.” The flash hadn’t even hurt him, so he wasn’t a vampire. Jana suddenly realized that she had been chasing the wrong man. He had nothing to do with it.
,,Umm, where is your Altmer friend?” She asked.
,,Jalin? He is out hunting.” Aureus answered while he inspected his handiwork on the bandits. Every single one of them had a single cut across their throat. The only exception was the Redguard, who also had a very thin cut across the bridge of his nose. Most likely that cut was meant as a warning, a warning the Redguard had ignored.
Jana got up and tried to get her blood flowing again. A short inspection revealed that the chest she had been dragging along was still unopened. The small key solved that problem and she finally got to look inside. She was rather disappointed by what she found. It didn’t look like much, just a pair of gloves, an empty pouch, some Silver throwing stars, an amulet and a shattered vial whose contents had been spilled. How was this going to help? Still, if she would just pocket everything, then she could leave the heavy chest behind.
She put on one of the gloves which instantly began emitting a bright light. With a small shout of surprise, she tore it of her hand. The light dimmed. After some hesitation, she put it on again. The light was just a normal enchantment and nothing to fear. In fact, it was very handy as it acted like a torch which was one of the things she could use in the middle of the night. She focussed on the glove, and the light dimmed. Nice.
The other glove didn’t emit any light, but focussing on it caused a pitch black bolt of magicka to fly out. Knowing her father’s love for opposites, she bet that while one glove created light, the other created darkness, also known as blinding.
The amulet was also interesting. Slipping it on caused everything that was enchanted to glow, even through solid objects, like the spilled liquid glowing through the now closed chest. She could also see a pack of Nix-Hounds who where covered in a purple haze of in the distance. She looked at Aureus and put a hand in front of her eyes to keep out the light.
The Imperial’s entire suit appeared was covered in the purple haze she saw around the Nix-Hounds and so did one of his katanas. But the other one, the one she hadn’t seen yet, was glowing with an enchantment so bright, it made the sun seem pitch black. What enchantment could be so powerful to cause a reaction like this?
She focussed on the amulet till she no longer saw the light of the katana. She finally picked up her sword and walked further along the road. She had been chasing the wrong one and now there was no way to find the culprit before she had turned into a bloodsucking vampire. She just had no idea what to do.
,,Excuse me, mylady. I just happened to be going in that direction, perhaps you would permit me to accompany you?” Aureus caught up with her. For an old man, he was surprisingly fast. Then, everything about him was surprising.
,,Sure.” Jana answered and screamed when suddenly a loud howl echoed through the night.
,,Don’t worry, it’s just a werewolf. It won’t be interested in you.” The old man said in an attempt to reassure her. They travelled to Balmora in silence, but one thought kept getting back to Jana’s mind.
,,Just who are you, and what are you here for?”
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 23 2006, 09:03 PM
Balmora
In Balmora, Aureus said goodbye and entered the local bookstore. This left Jana on her own who quickly decided that she would make her last days among civilization as pleasant as possible. In other words, new clothes.
The clothes were rather hard. There was so much to choose from. In the end, Jana managed to resist the urge to buy a nice dress and went for some practical adventurer’s clothing. Her old overwhelmingly colourful dress served as payment and even got her some spare money. Most of that money was used to buy a scabbard from the local armourer. Now at least she didn’t had to hold her sword all the time.
She then wandered through the city in search of the local pub. On the way, she happened to come across the mage guild which gave her an idea. People said that the hall in Tel Uvirith carried an extensive library on just about anything. Maybe they had a few clues to these Silver Eyes. She hopped inside and had the guild guide take her to Tel Uvirith.
,,What can Ajira do for Dunmer?” A khajit in a beautiful blue robe asked once she stepped of the platform. It was the first time Jana had been even close to a Telvanni mushroom, so she took a good look around the room before responding.
,,I’m looking for information. Silver Eyes, vampires?”
The library turned out to be less than impressive. While quite extensive on the Tribunal and Nerevarine prophecies, it was lacking in information on vampires and not a single thing about a Silver Eye. She did found out that there was a vampire lair called Galom Daeus nearby.
,,Well, I am about to become a vampire, so I might just as well go ask them.” She muttered to herself before heading out of the mushroom.
,,Hello, what do we have here? Are you here to become our cattle?” This welcome really creeped her out. And she really didn’t hope that she would become that ugly.
,,No, I want to talk to your boss.” The vampire seemed to be amused at that answer and brought her to a room with two other vampires.
The biggest vampire looked at his guest with a look of boredom.
,,What do you want?” He asked.
Jana stepped forward while already beginning to doubt if this was such a good idea.
,,I’m looking for a bunch of vampires called Silver Eyes. Do you know anything?”
The big vampire smiled.
,,What, do you really think I keep tabs on every vampire in the world? You are so foolish. Now since you have wasted some good time, I believe it would be more than fair for you to give us some small payment. How about your blood?”
Before Jana knew what had happened. The two vampires that were standing behind her had grabbed her. She could feel the tip of the teeth of one of those touching her neck.
,,What have I done?” She thought and closed her eyes.
Screaming, the vampire that was about to bit her smashed into the wall. He slumped down to the floor with every bone in his body crushed.
,,Vampires these days, so uncivilized.” Aureus said with his hands still raised.
The big vampire was fuming and stared the old man in the eyes. He blinked when he failed to see any sign of fear within the eyes of the Imperial.
,,Who are you?” The vampire snarled.
,,Aureus Lucis.” The Imperial calmly responded with a faint smile.
The look of utter fear in the face of the vampire was something Jana would never forget.
,,And you mylady, I hope you try to stay out of trouble from now on. Saving you is getting a bit inconvenient.” Aureus said to the girl.
,,Well, I never asked for your help. Now why did you follow me?” Jana snapped back and instantly felt sorry. She had no right to talk to him like that, not after he had just saved her from being sucked dry.
,,A good question, with a simple answer. The owner of the bookstore directed me to Tel Uvirith. There, I heard talk of a Dunmer girl who had wandered of in search of vampires. I figured I might be able to help for I do have some experience with vampires, as you can clearly see.” Aureus said and pointed at the cowering vampire.
,,Now may I inquire as to what you were hoping to achieve?” He continued, polite as always.
,,Oh, fine. I’m trying to ask that vampire what he knows of the men who killed my father, but he didn’t want to answer.” Before Jana could get any further, the big vampire interrupted them.
,,Wait, I do know! Please, let me speak! I am Raxle Berne, leader of the Berne clan. Two men came from Ald’Rhun recently. One of them was clearly a vampire. He wore a belt made from silver eyes. We provided shelter in exchange for blood that the vampire kept in a bottle. They left the next day. See, I told it. Now please let me live.”
Jana looked at the vampire with disgust. He had a big mouth when he had his people behind him, but he was a coward when the tables turned. She then looked at Aureus for guidance. It was strange cause she knew nothing beyond his name, but he did feel like the kind that could be trusted.
His appearance was shocking. Gone was the friendliness in his eyes and the smile that always was on his lips. He stared at the ground and clenched his fists in barely controlled rage. Raw magicka gathered around him, ready to strike out with devastating results. Jana instinctively held her breath. It was the first time she truly realized how far the power went that hid in the old man. Aureus sighed and seemed to relax, but trails of magicka continued to whirl around him.
,,Where did they go?” He asked, with not a single hint of his normal polite self. He would not take “no” for an answer.
Posted by: minque Apr 23 2006, 09:19 PM
Brilliant Mr Cloudy! Just sheer brilliant......Can´t wait to see what happens next!
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 24 2006, 09:04 PM
As was said by the wise woman of the forum, excelent work! This story has really gotten me intrigued. At first it was rather lacking but now that I've taken a better look at it, I can clearly say that it has mistery and adventure. Quite everything. And I like vampires and werewolves alot so this story is one of my new favourites now. Keep up the great work! It was a pleasure following the adventures of Luper, it'll be great following the adventures of Jana now. And, on a last note, can you inform us why that old fart is so damn uber?
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 25 2006, 06:50 AM
Sorry about not updating. I promise I'll work on the next one while at school. (Hey, you've got to use the time there for something. )
Sorry Griff, but I can't tell why the old fart is so Uber just yet. I would spoil what little there is of a plotline.
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 25 2006, 06:58 AM
I'll wait, don't worry. Reading your story will make the time pass with great speed. And I also like how you spend your time at school, just my kind of person. Time well spent I say, well except when you come home wit low marks and the parents go mad. I've also updated my story and I'm sure you'd like it, you being my oldest fan of sorts.
Posted by: Taillus Apr 25 2006, 03:16 PM
Aureus really and truly kicks so much A$$. I loved it when he sent that first vampire flying. Great work on this new story, you've drawn us all in once again!
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 25 2006, 07:08 PM
Nah, I still pay attention during classes. It is just that I sometimes have like 50 minutes between one class and the next. That is way too long to walk up two stairs. So I sit down and start writing. Besides, I never feel like having lunch, so i get an extra 45 minutes just from that.
This is the first update. I am still working on the next one that I already wrote down on bits of paper. (Lots of free time at school.)
I just realized something. If there was a list that ranked fan fiction characters on their Uberdness factor, Aureus would be pretty high on the list. It is not so apparent in this update, but it will be in the next.
Raxle Berne tried to swallow back his fear but failed miserably. Why was it his clan that the man decided to visit?
,,They went southwest, to Suran or Vivec. That is all I know, I swear. Now please let me live, I mean you no harm!”
Aureus looked at the vampire with cold eyes.
,,Don’t worry, for I shall not harm you. If however, you go too far with this wimpering behaviour, I might reconsider.” He said and the trails of magicka that whirled around him expanded in a thin mist that felt warm to the touch.
Raxle Berne looked at the dead vampire against the wall once the two had left. At least it wasn’t him who had been killed by the man. Odd, the corpse didn’t look like a vampire at all. He then looked at his own hands and realized what had happened. He had been cured.
,,NOOO!!!” He screamed.
Outside, they were greeted by the sight of a campfire with a few lumps of meat hanging above it. Next to the fire, an Altmer sat who was whistling a tune while cooking the meat.
,,Really, how am I supposed to keep up with you if you go running all over the island?” Jalin said and shook his head.
,,Something came up.” Aureus responded and turned around.
,,Now we will talk about you, girl. You will go straight back to Ald’rhun where you shall remain and forget about all this. This is my task and I can’t be bothered to look after another Mirhtri! You both have this horrible talent for getting into trouble.” Jana’s mouth fell wide open. She’d gotten so used to his polite manners that this blunt way of talking was simply shocking. And there was something else.
,,How did you know my name?”
,,I observe and draw my conclusions. You don’t look like your father, but you share the same spirit. And Athus wouldn’t just give his sword to anyone. Now get your feet on the road back to Ald’rhun, you have nothing to do with this and I would like to keep it that way. Jalin, pack that meat and put out the fire. We’re leaving.” Aureus said and began to walk to the south with the Altmer soon following.
Jana stood in front of the vampire’s lair for a while. As she thought of it, she got very angry with the whole situation.
,,Now wait a minute. It is my father who has been killed and not his. Besides, who in the name of Akatosh does he think he is?” She muttered and ran off in the direction the two men were headed.
,,Wait up!” The two men stopped and turned around when they heard the voice. Behind them, the Dunmer girl skidded to a halt and stood there gasping for breath.
,,I’m going with you, like it or not.” She said with a defiant tone.
Jalin frowned. He’d seen the first signs of vampirism. Why were it always the scary types that met up with the old man?
,,Just do it, Aureus. Your not going to get rid of her. Besides, she’s just your type.” He said with a chuckle. Aureus shrugged and began to walk again. He waved his hand to tell them to follow.
,,Jalin, go and look up on some clues. We’re looking for a Silver Eye and a Dunmer with one hand. Jana, you will need some better clothes, so follow me.” Aureus said once they’d barely put a foot within the city of Suran. He then pushed the girl into the nearest clothier.
,,Good morning, can I hel….Out! I don’t want vampires here! Out, or I’ll call the gua…” The clothier was cut off by a cloud of magicka that entered his mouth. When he next opened his mouth, no sound came out. Jana was looking unhappy. Was it already visible? She ran a finger across her teeth and noticed to her horror that they had grown.
Another cloud of magicka sailed towards the clothier.
,,You will help this girl with finding a hooded cloak of good quality. You won’t call the guards or try anything else. We’ll be gone here soon.” Aureus then pulled a large bag of gold out of nowhere and put it down on the counter. ,,Here’s a small compensation.”
The clothier was still silenced when he moved away from the counter and directed the girl to a rack filled with cloaks in all kinds of colours. Jana wandered across the racks like a small child at her birthday. Should she take the red one or the blue one?
,,Have you decided?” Aureus asked after at least an hour.
,,Umm, yes. I’ll take the ….black one.”
Jalin was sitting on a bench and was busy with cleaning his crossbow that was slightly bloodstained.
,,Finally done? I’ve figured out where our vampire went. Too bad I had to put a bolt into a drunkard from point-blank range. Anyway, our friend is headed towards Vivec.” The Altmer said without looking up.
Aureus looked in the direction of the city and noticed the first few rays of the sun looming over the mountains.
,,We’ll take a siltstrider after nightfall. In the meantime, I’ll find a place where we can get our guest out of the sun.” He said and pointed at Jana.
Jalin rolled his eyes. ,,Sorry, but I’ll pass on this one. No fleas for me. I’ll walk. See you there.” He said, got up and wandered out of the gate.
,,Now, I suggest you stay in your room. I’ll bring you some diner when it is time. Sorry about this, but I am going to put you on a bloodless diet. Your looks won’t improve, but it won’t hurt your conscience.” The old man told her when he shoved her into a room. The room had been paid for by a big bag of gold just like the one he gave to the clothier. Where did he get those from?
Jana looked around the room. It was small, dirty and there was nothing to do. She moved to the nearby mirror and recoiled in horror at the sight. Her vampirism had indeed progressed. Her skin had taken on a sickening light green and her eyes were now pink rather than red. Her teeth were longer and sharper and worst of all, she looked a few hundred years older than she actually was. She smashed the mirror with her sword in frustration. ,,I hate vampires!”
Aureus in the meantime was sitting in the tavern doing something he hadn’t done in a long time. He was getting drunk. ,,Why couldn’t the young fool tell me exactly what was going on in that letter instead of simply saying that there was big trouble. If he did, I wouldn’t have taken a nap in the inn right outside his house.” The man muttered and stared blankly ahead.
A wounded Dunmer with a huge scar covering part of his face sat at the other side of the table. ,,Sorry, but there is no free table left. Mind if I sit here?” He asked and put a short sword on the floor.
,,No, go ahead.”
,,Thank you. Stupid Cliffracers. If they didn’t exist, I would be so much happier. And less wounded.” The Dunmer continued, oblivious to the fact that Aureus wasn’t in the mood to talk.
,,Sure, I know a way to get them off the island. I’ll write it down on a piece of paper for you.” Aureus responded.
The Dunmer looked at the piece of paper he got and let out a cry of joy.
,,Brilliant! I, Jiub, am in your debt. Now I can make those accursed Cliffracers leave Vvardenfell.” Jiub shouted and ran out of the door. It was then that Aureus realized what he’d done. But he couldn’t be worried about it, not now.
,,I wonder what will happen to the ecosystem without any Cliffracers. Every creature has its place. Oh well, it’s time to bring the girl some diner.” He muttered and emptied his cup.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 25 2006, 08:02 PM
Jana was having the same dream again. She was back in the snow with the silver mountain in the distance that explodes. This time, she could also hear a voice. ,,Come. Come and see the power of your lord with your eyes.”
,,Jana. Your meal.” Aureus woke her up and put a steaming bowl of fried Cliffracer under her nose. ,,You better enjoy it, for it might be the last time you get to eat a Cliffracer.” The man continued. Now what was that supposed to mean?
After she ate her meal, Aureus led her over to the silt strider port. The caravaner was a bit reluctant at first, but another command humanoid spell managed to persuade him. By now, Jana was really beginning to think that the old man was scary. Who was willing to invest in spells that allowed him to command people? She didn’t had much time to ponder the question, as the rapidly filling bucket was infinitely more interesting.
Vivec looked like a huge pyramid and was even weirder than those Telvanni mushrooms.
,,This is…” Jana had no idea what to say.
,,Interesting architecture.” Aureus finished the words for her.
,,Took your sweet time as usual. Well, no vampires here as I expected.” Jalin said as he crossed the bridge towards them.
,,Well, where did they went?” Jana responded impatiently. They really didn’t had time for all this.
,,Well, that over there is the Foreign Canton. I suggest you cross it to the south, past all the other cantons….”
,,You mean there are more than one of these things?!” Jana screamed in surprise.
,,Let me finish, girl. Anyway, keep walking till you hit the palace and ask Vivec. They say he is a god so he’ll probably know. And put that hood over your face, girl. You don’t want the guards here to notice the little detail called vampirism.”
Aureus smiled again for the first time since the vampire’s lair.
,,A god, you say? Now this will be interesting.” He said which caused Jalin to roll his eyes.
,,Oh no, what have I done? I think I’ll wait outside. I don’t want to see this.” The Altmer said.
The walk to the other side of Vivec was a long one. There, they found out that the doors to the palace was locked. Aureus used another spell and he walked inside with Jana behind him. Jalin decided to wait outside. The room inside was largely empty, with a low platform in the center. Above the platform floated Vivec, the mighty god of the Tribunal.
Vivec looked at the two guests. Ever since the Nerevarine destroyed the heart of Lorkhan, he had been losing his powers. That stung him and he’d never been in a good mood ever since. ,,I curse you, Luper Alkad.” He muttered. These words had become the usual thing he said when something annoyed him, which meant all the time.
,,Who are you and how did you get in?” Vivec said out loud with a voice that was used to giving orders. Aureus smiled.
,,Just a small trick. Didn’t you ever learn to respect the elderly, Vivec?” He responded.
,,Elderly?! I have lived ten times as long as you have, Imperial! It is you who should respect me! And I am a god! Now leave unless you want to face my wrath!” Vivec spat at him.
Aureus shook his head. Normally, he would have been amused by this and resorted to a subtle play with words. But this wasn’t the time for it.
,,I hope you don’t worship the Tribunal.” He said to Jana and raised his hands.
,,What?” The girl asked.
,,Nevermind. Vivec, sit down.”
,,What did you say, mortal?” The god whispered with increasing anger.
,,I said, sit down.” With a loud thud, Vivec hit the floor.
,,Foolish man, do you want to die?! Release me if you want to live!” Vivec screamed with his most threatening voice, but words were the only weapons he could fight with for as long as the old man kept him pinned to the floor.
,,I am a god! How dare you to defy me?!”
Aureus shook his head. This was getting annoying.
,,Jana, put your sword on his neck. He is as mortal as anyone and values his life over everything else.”
Once Vivec felt the Ebony blade resting on his neck, he instantly calmed down. Cold reasoning took the place of wild rage.
“Watch it, old man. You will have to release me sometime and when that happens, you will pay in blood.”
,,I don’t have much time, so I’ll keep it short. I am looking for a man who wore a belt that looks like it was made out of silver eyes. I have a feeling he came through here. Tell me where he went, god.” Aureus began his interrogation.
Vivec pretended to be broken. He would use the truth for now.
,,He took a boat to the mainland, to Mournhold.”
Aureus couldn’t help but flash a short smile. This was too easy.
,,Then you will prepare a boat so that we can follow him.”
Vivec closed his eyes and laughed inwardly. The man couldn’t possibly hear how he telepathically ordered all of his Ordinators to gather in front of the palace. There would be a nasty surprise when he came outside.
,,I asked for a boat, not an army.”
Vivec blinked. How did he manage to listen?
,,It is done.” The god muttered.
,,Good that was all.” Aureus said and turned around. Vivec saw the girl walk to the man’s side and felt the invisible force that kept him against the floor disappear. This was his chance. Now they would know the true power of a god. Vivec stood up and prepared a spell. With a casual wave of his hand, Aureus threw the god out through the wall. A splash told them that Vivec had landed in the lake that surrounded the city.
,,I hate it when people try to attack me from behind.” The Imperial muttered.
Jalin was impatiently pacing back and forth. Every single Ordinator in the city had gathered in front of the palace. This didn’t look good which made him worried. Those Ordinators might get hurt.
,,I hope we didn’t keep you waiting.”
Jalin turned around and saw that Aureus and Jana were standing behind him. How did they get out of the palace without being seen?
,,Recall?” He asked.
,,No, a convenient opening in the wall. Anyway, I doubt those Ordinators will stay there for long. Someone will have to fish Vivec out of the lake. Now, we have a boat waiting for us. Are you coming?” Aureus answered.
Jalin muttered a light curse under his breath. He could’ve known.
,,Not even a god is safe from you. Let’s get out of here before you hurt anyone else.” He said and walked to the harbour as fast as he could. Aureus followed with his usual smile and Jana came last. She couldn’t help but wonder just where Aureus learned to use magicka like that. Was there anything he couldn’t stop with a flick of his hands? She might even come to pity this Silver Eye vampire when they met him.
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 26 2006, 05:26 PM
Wow! Now this guy is too damn invincible! He is almost like one of my Morrowind demigods. Seriously now, humiliating Vivec like he was a little child? I realise he is now mortal but he still has most of his powers so he isn't a weakling. Anyway, the update was great and there was alot of wit and humour in it, something which I notice in most of your stories. Keep up the great work and please, for realism's sake, at least tell us why that old fart is so 1337 or at least lower his powers. I wonder why he's even trying to stop the Silver Eye? Couldn't he just pop his head with telepathy after locating him with some uber spell?
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 26 2006, 07:07 PM
Yeah, I think I just went a bit overboard there. What can I say, I love old guys who kick everyone's behind like it's nothing. Anyway, I tried to put a bit of a limit on his abilities. Basically, the Silver Eye knows how to handle him.
Chapter 2: Two paths.
The boat was waiting for them and set out as soon as they’d boarded. At least Vivec kept his word, though it was doubtful he liked it. Jana was now really getting curious to her companions and managed to drag Aureus into her cabin.
,,Alright, I want answers and I want them now.” She told him. Perhaps not the best way to talk to him, considering his powers, but he never tried to hurt her till now.
Aureus looked at her and realized that it was time for him to start talking. He would give her what she wanted, but he would keep the details to himself.
,,Alright, I have some time. So, what do you want to know?” He said and sat down in a chair.
,,Now, who are you and why are you in this? And one more thing. If you can treat a god like a child, then why can’t you blow up this vampire we’re after from the other side of the continent?”
Aureus smiled. Just the things Athus said, except for the god part. This was rather amusing.
,,I am just an old man who wants to help an old friend who is in trouble. Athus is still alive, in case you didn’t know. As I’ve said before, I observe and draw my conclusions. Now if Athus is death, why take the body and leave the hand? Surely, they would take all of his body, or not at all. They need him alive for something, and I intend to find out. And now about your other question.”
Aureus paused for a moment. Telling people of his limits had never been something he was comfortable with. Yes, he was powerful, but there was an end to how far he could go.
,,I am connected in a way to the Silver Eye clan of vampires. As such, they know how to handle me. The man we are chasing is not the oldest vampire himself, but that doesn’t stop him from being able to hide from me. I can’t see him if he doesn’t want to, and he definitely doesn’t want to be seen. Now I could blow up the whole continent in the hope that I hit him, but that would take more than a lifetime and it wouldn’t be worth it. I do have my weaknesses, and my inability to see this clan of vampires without being seen myself is one of them.”
Aureus smiled. It was his time to ask questions.
,,Now tell me, why are you in this chase? I don’t believe your father would like you to seek out danger.”
Jana shrugged.
,,I was actually supposed to go to the Lord of Kalom in Argonia somewhere. But I don’t want to go and hide like a scared child.”
Aureus chuckled. Now this was a surprise. The Lord of Kalom? Now the man he knew who was the closest thing to a lord in the sanctuary of Kalom wasn’t exactly a noble.
,,I know the lord, for as far as you can call him one. Unfortunately, he is not in Argonia at the moment. He tends to travel a lot.” He said and laughed softly.
Aureus suddenly fell silent and looked at the wall without seeing anything.
,,Aureus, what’s wrong?”
The old man shook his head.
,,There was a very powerful call. The vampire has been searching his path to look for anyone who might be following him and he found me. He now knows that we are following. I was hoping to avoid this and that’s why I didn’t look for him. The method being used to find people over long ranges like this can’t be hid from, but using it will also tell your target of your location. Since we’re already found out, there is no further need to hide.” He said.
,,Looks like our prey is about to dock at Mournhold.” He added a moment later.
Mournhold
The shrouded man watched how the streets of Mournhold came closer. Finally, he would leave this forsaken land. He waited till the boat gently bumped into the dock and hopped off. A gesture of his hand later, and another man walked off the boat like a zombie. One of his hands was missing and the end of the remaining arm had been burned. The two set of through the night towards the nearest gate.
,,What’s wrong with your friend?” The shrouded man turned around and looked at the Redguard who stood behind him. He noticed the heavy armour covered in mud and the big Claymore on his back. A warrior.
,,Leave us alone.” The shrouded man answered.
,,Wait a minute. I know a command humanoid spell when I see one. I am not a braindead swordswinger like most Redguards. Now who are you?” The shrouded man’s eyes burned with anger. This mortal was getting annoying.
,,Leave us…or die.”
The Redguard had his Claymore out and on the man’s neck within a blink of the eye.
,,I’ll ask you one last time, pal. Who are you? And you better hurry up, cause I still want to get drunk before renting a room at an inn.”
The shrouded man didn’t respond. The man had surprised him, interesting.
,,We might meet again, Redguard. Think before you act, next time.” He finally said and hit the Redguard with a paralyzing spell. As the Redguard slumped to the ground, the shrouded man moved on with the commanded Dunmer behind him.
Once out of the city, he was met by the vampires he left behind on the mainland, each of which was wearing a silver belt that gleamed in the light of the moon.
They presented him with the blood he’d been lacking during his journey and he gladly drank it. He felt the rejuvenating power course through his veins. Now he could walk in the sun again and travel during the day without burning. This would surely speed up his journey.
He then focussed and followed his steps back to Vvardenfell with his mind. His attention was drawn by a familiar scent on a boat not too far from Mournhold. He stepped back in surprise and anger. He knew the man who was on that boat and there was only one reason why the man might be there. He knew he was being followed. If so, then he would provide an adequate distraction.
,,I am being followed by the traitor. Go to his home and destroy it. I shall present him with two paths to follow, each with a great price. It is time for him to die and he shall, after having lost everything he worked for. Now go.” He told the vampires with a vicious snarl.
Posted by: Kiln Apr 26 2006, 07:15 PM
Great update Jack, interesting way to end that last part. Leaves me wondering what will happen next...well don't leave me waiting...give me an update. 
Posted by: HyPN0 Apr 27 2006, 02:36 PM
This is a very nice fan fiction 
But seriusly,the Vivec part?
Oh please........
Other that everything is really intresting,and i'm looking forward to next update
Posted by: minque Apr 27 2006, 10:24 PM
Mournhold! City of Light City of Magic.....yeah right! I´d say City of horror! I´ll be so worried about the whole thing.......great update Mr Cloudy
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 29 2006, 09:25 AM
You really are a master writer! I hope you write some more battles in the Clash of the Titans since I've missed your masterful way of writing from the first battle. In which Arthago unfortunately lost. I really liked the fact that you were inspired by my questions and I'm also glad to see the origin of Aureus' powers. So it seems he is a vampire himself? Anyway, I won't keep you from writing.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 29 2006, 11:46 AM
Last time I checked it seemed as if all the battles were already taken. Maybe with the next clash.
Also, sorry for not updating sooner, I had a bit of writer's block. And then my other hobby (3d modelling) seemed to absorb me. From 15000 poly's down to 6000 and it even looks better, yay!
Anyway, time to introduce a not so new character.
Mournhold, next day.
The boat hit the dock with a barely noticeable bump. While the captain and his crew weren’t very friendly, they knew their job. Jana was eager to get off. She always felt a bit sick when on a boat. The sooner she felt solid ground under her feet again, the better. She pulled her hood deep over her head to protect herself from the sun before heading up to the deck. Being a vampire had some massive disadvantages, the fact that the sun could kill her being one of them. After this was all over, she would go looking for a cure.
She went off the ship and instantly tripped over a small rock, causing her to fall against a Redguard who was walking past.
,,Watch where you’re going, cutie!” The Redguard said as he pulled her back on her feet in a rather rough way. No sense for subtlety with this one.
,,Yuck. Where have you been, in a swamp?” Jana said in disgust when she noticed that her clothes were covered in mud, dirt and bits of plant, most of it came from the Redguard’s dirty armour.
,,Hey, how did you know? I just came from Argonia.”
,,Ah, good to see that you two are getting acquainted.” Aureus stepped off the boat without any embarrassing incidents.
The Redguard looked at Aureus, then at Jana and then at Aureus again.
,,Hey, you didn’t wrote you picked up a vampie girl in the inn.” He complained while waving what could’ve been a letter, before it was brought in the man’s care.
,,A vampie girl?! Now who in the name of Akatosh do you think you are?! Don’t you have any manners?! Does it look like I like it?!” The Redguard smiled and didn’t seems to be in the least offended by Dunmer’s tirade.
,,Repul Dakla. Manners are something that I’ve never really liked and you’d better calm down before the whole city knows. Some people here are quite fanatic. Now who might you be, sweet nose?”
,,Calm down, mylady. This man may be a bit rough around the edges, but he is quite capable.” Aureus said before Jana could grab her sword. He wasn’t worried that the Redguard got hurt, or that he would hurt Jana. But the girl was a vampire, and even an accidental touch of her own sword’s blade would destroy her completely.
,,Perhaps you should give her your ring for the moment, sir. Jana, whatever you do, keep the Feathered Sun sheathed. It could destroy you by accident.”
Repul took off the complex gauntlet of Dwemer steel that covered his right hand and then took a small ring of his finger.
,,There you go. One Daedric sword and improved muscles in a small package. Be careful with it, it cost me a fortune.” Repul said as he handed it over.
,,I gave the captain his pay.” Jalin said and smoothly hopped off the ship. He then noticed Repul.
,,So the reinforcements have arrived. I do hope you’re not drunk.” He commented.
,,Nah, they only sell crap nowadays. It wasn’t worth the trouble of drinking.” Repul answered.
,,I’ll give you the grand tour while we go to the gate. Follow me.” The Redguard continued and walked away.
,,The scaly khajitt tavern is on your right, the place with the best alcohol in town. To your left you can see a smith, but he isn’t that great, just Iron crap. Further ahead you can see the temple. Those freaks still won’t believe that Almalexia lost her head, literally.” Repul was more acting like the guide of a tourist rather than a mercenary who had been hired.
,,What’s over there?”
,,That, girl, is the castle of King Helseth. You want to stay away though…Hey, come back here!”
Repul easily caught up with her and managed to make her stop.
,,Stupid Dark Elf! The Royal guards aren’t a nice bunch! Now come along before they see me.” He said and began to drag Jana away from the castle.
,,There he is! He has returned! For glory!” A Royal guard shouted and stormed towards them with a few other guards behind him.
,,Not again, don’t they ever learn? Now just head through that street and keep following it till you reach the gates. I’ll meet you there once I’ve got rid of these pests.” Repul said and disappeared in thin air.
While Jana, Aureus and Jalin walked towards the gates, the Royal guards were being embarrassed by the invisible Repul who laughed while he used some Telekinesis on them.
,,Hey, does that armour of yours have a drain intelligence enchantment perhaps? You are the dumbest guards I’ve ever met. Well, I’ve got to be going. See ya!” He shouted when he became visible again and walked away, leaving a bunch of dizzy guards behind.
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 29 2006, 12:58 PM
Repul Dakla? It isn't quite an original name isn't it? Luper Alkad spelt backwards or is it just me? Anyway, this update was great and you introduced the Redguard in a grand way. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 29 2006, 01:59 PM
Well actually, I used quite a long time while thinking of a good name. In the end I decided for this one. It is good enough for its purpose. Anyway, an update with a lot of talking.
Argonia
The waters of the swamp were as peaceful as always. The plants bent slightly under a gentle breeze and the fish swum through the water looking for food. An Argonian put the remains of his meal in a bag and headed out of the small hut he lived in. He passed people of all races as he walked through the town and went past a beautifully decorated platform.
A couple of hours later, the Argonian fed the fish with the contents of his bag as he swum around through the swamp.
,,Hmm, Luminous Copricus. This shall be good for tonight’s meal.” The Argonian muttered and put a bit of the mushroom in his bag. A sudden vibration in the water made him look up and he noticed a group of shrouded men on a nearby bank. He swum over to them. Once closer, he noticed that each and every one of them was a vampire and they all wore a silver belt.
,,Greetings. I am Green-Root, monk. Have you come in search of the sanctuary?”
The vampires had been watching the approach of the Argonian. Now one of them stepped towards him.
,,As a matter of fact, yes. Could you please tell us where to find it?”
The Argonian nodded.
,,Yes, certainly. Go to that black tree over there and then move in the direction of the sun. Follow the trees marked with the symbol of the sun rising over a green tree. It is a walk of a few hours. There aren’t many vampires at the shrine. You shall be welcome.”
The vampire smiled and bared his teeth.
,,Thank you, fool.” He said and drew his sword.
The Argonian went into a defensive stance, with his hands slightly bent. This was a fight he couldn’t win. He began the gestures of a spell when the sword of the vampire swung down and carved through his shoulder. Still, the Argonian managed to finish the spell and disappeared in a cloud of magicka before he could be killed.
He reappeared on the platform at the edge of the town where he collapsed on the ground.
,,Bad men are coming. Vampires.” He whispered to the people who came running towards him before embracing the darkness.
West of Mournhold.
The two men were riding on horses when the one at the front stopped and gazed towards the south.
,,So it shall begin. Let’s see which path you shall choose, traitor. Will you save your friend who you’ve sworn to save, or the people you have sworn to protect?” After looking around for a few seconds, the man put his horse back into motion and continued on his path, with the other man following like a zombie.
Slightly west of Mournhold.
The small group walked along the path in total silence. After the little scene with the guards, nothing had happened, which was probably for the best.
,,So, why are you travelling with a Daedra?” Jana asked when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer.
,,What?” Repul muttered.
,,I asked why you were travelling with a Daedra. Don’t think I am too stupid to figure out that this Aureus is a Daedra. I just don’t know if he is Sheogorath or Molag Bal.”
The Redguard laughed.
,,Aureus, a Daedra! Nice try, girl.” He answered.
,,Hey, I’ve got a name, you know!”
Repul stopped and looked at her.
,,Really, well I hope you don’t expect me to simply know your name. I am good, but not that good.”
Jana sighed. This guy sure was annoying.
,,My name is Jana Mirhtri. And it is a much better name than yours.”
,,Hey, I worked long to find a name I could remember! So don’t go telling me that it is a bad name. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is easy to remember.” The Redguard responded with an angry tone.
Now Jana was surprised.
,,You mean it is not your real name?”
,,No, and I’m not telling you my real name. It is much too well known. I am not using my real name till I’ve ended my vacation!” Repul walked to the front of the group and left the girl behind.
,,She’s a curious one.” Aureus said with a chuckle.
,,Yeah, I noticed. And don’t you dare to tell her my name. Demi-god or not, I will still punch you if you do.” Repul responded.
Aureus didn’t answer. His eyes shot to the south.
,,No, it can’t be happening.” He muttered with disbelief.
He then turned around.
,,There is a change of plan. You shall all head for Skyrim. I am going back home. I shall meet you again by morning.” He said before walking off the path.
,,What’s happening?” Jalin asked.
,,The Silver Eyes are attacking the sanctuary.” Aureus whispered.
,,Then we shall all go!”
,,No, Jalin! It is a trap! They have put me before a choice, and I have chosen! I shall go and deal with them at the Sanctuary, you shall continue your chase.”
Jalin stepped towards the old man with his crossbow in his hand.
,,I will have to ignore your request. The sanctuary is also my home. I shall not allow anyone to harm my people.” He said with a grim voice.
Aureus looked at his old friend and then at the other two people in their group.
,,I suppose you two also want to come?” He said.
,,Hey, I don’t want to miss the fun!” Repul answered and dragged Jana with him as he moved towards the old man.
,,And that also means we’ll have to take miss vamp with us. We can’t leave her alone like this.” He continued with a big grin.
Aureus smiled. It felt good to know that he would have some help.
,,Fine. Take my hands and I shall transport us to the sanctuary. We shall spring the trap and make them regret what they’ve done.”
Posted by: HyPN0 Apr 29 2006, 02:24 PM
OMG!
More,More,More!
This is just becoming very intresting....
Posted by: Agent Griff Apr 29 2006, 04:06 PM
Oh, I think I know what this Repul's real name is. Anyway, I'm anxious to see what will happen at the sanctuary. Keep up the excellent work.
Posted by: Taillus Apr 30 2006, 04:26 PM
This is an amazing story Jack! Far better then my Xander story 
Just one thing...promise me you wont enter Aureus into the next Clash of the Titans. Anyone who can manhandle Vivec like he did would mop the floor with anyone.
Posted by: jack cloudy Apr 30 2006, 09:12 PM
It is always pleasing to hear that people like it.
Oh come on, Taillus. Please let me enter him. Nah, just joking. I've played with the idea myself but decided not to. For one, it wouldn't be fair for the other competitors. And the other thing is his personality. Knowing him, Aureus would smile and go straight for Hircine. And knowing his powers, Hircine doesn't stand a chance.
And your Xander story isn't bad at all.
Argonia
The town was empty when Aureus teleported them to the platform. Most of the huts had been burned down to the ground. The place was filled with an eerie silence.
,,No!” Jalin shouted and ran towards one of the few huts that were still standing. He’d never looked so angry. Inside, he came to a halt in front of the bodies of two death Altmer and fell on his knees.
No one said a word. They all just looked at the carnage. Whatever had happened, the two Altmer hadn’t died peacefully. Repul walked over to a basket that stood in one corner and lifted its cover. He then reached inside and pulled out a sobbing Breton girl of about six years old. ,,Well, looks like your hide and seek games paid off. You alright, Amarie?” The man said in a surprisingly friendly tone, like everyone’s favourite uncle.
,,Lup? You came back? Bad people came. I got scared and hid.” The girl managed to say between the sobbing. Repul cast a quick glance at Jana who was openly staring at him. She knew it wasn’t the time to worry about that, but there just was something familiar with that name.
,,Don’t worry. Everything is alright. I’m here now and I’ll have a small chat with these people in a language they understand. A language that includes the business-end of Chrysamere.” The Redguard said with a grim voice and put the Breton down next to where Jalin sat.
,,Why don’t you take care of your sister for now. You’re not in the mood for fighting.” He told the Altmer before walking outside.
,,Now come on out and play, you bloody cowards!” He shouted a second later. Aureus shook his head and walked out of the hut.
,,They’re not going to come if you shout, my friend. They want me, not you. Now that means they’re likely at my tower.” The old man said before walking away to the edge of town. The tip of a large tower could be seen over the treetops.
The vampires were indeed at the tower. There were five of them and they were all camping in front of the locked gates. They were feasting on the corpses of the people they killed while the surviving townspeople had apparently fled to the tower. Several of the survivors were now standing on top of the wall. Jana couldn’t believe what she saw. Was that a zombie with a bow up there?
The zombie nocked an arrow and fired it at one of the vampires below. The vampire caught the arrow and then threw it back at the zombie. Several arrows that were embedded in the zombie’s flesh showed that this had already happened before. The arrow flew straight at the zombie who made no attempt at avoiding it. Just before the arrow hit its target, it sailed to the left and bounced of the wall. The vampire looked at the arrow and the zombie without knowing what had happened before looking behind him and seeing what caused the arrow to change its course.
,,You have invaded the sanctuary that I’ve built and now you shall face the consequences. I have chosen your fate!” Aureus said while he stepped towards them with one of his katanas in his hand. Jana and Repul followed him.
Jana’s hand went to the broadsword on her back but she remembered what Aureus had told her and used Repul’s ring instead. A mighty Daedric Longsword formed in her hand which she looked at in amazement. It was the first time she saw anything made of Daedric. She shook her head and focussed her eyes on the approaching vampires. This wasn’t the time to admire a weapon. It was three against five, not exactly nice odds.
One vampire decided to pick the Dunmer as his target and he raised his sword above his head. It appeared to be a simple and easily avoided chop, but the vampire changed the angle of his attack with lightning speed and got under her sword. Jana felt blood flowing down her arm.
The pain caused her to panic and she wildly swung at the vampire who stepped back before stabbing at her leg. The second wound shook her awake and she went into a defensive stance.
Jana managed to cast a quick glance at her surroundings before returning her attention back to her opponent. Both Repul and Aureus were both fighting two vampires at the same time. Multiple magical shields were coming from the Redguard’s gauntlets and pauldrons, which made his defence nearly impenetrable. She saw how one vampire managed to pass the man’s sword and two shields, but his weapon bounced of the third, causing the vampire to lose his balance. Before he got his balance back, he’d already been cut in three different pieces.
Aureus didn’t had any shielding spells, but he didn’t need them as he moved just as fast as the two vampires he was fighting. He parried the attacks of one vampire with his katana while avoiding the attacks of the other. He then used a large wave of ice to make the vampires step back.
Jana didn’t had time to see more as her own opponent went into the offensive. Only the improved reflexes she’d received from her own vampirism allowed her to avoid the first attack. She fell on her back and the vampire stepped forward for the finishing blow, when a bolt of magicka shot from her glove. She rolled out of sword’s path and stood up. Blinded, the vampire never noticed how she got behind him.
,,Burn in Oblivion.” She said when she drove the Daedric blade through the vampire’s spine.
When she looked up, it was all over. Repul was standing near two piles of Vampire parts. The two vampires Aureus had been fighting with where nowhere to be found.
,,Where did yours go?” She asked and looked around warily.
Aureus smiled and pointed at the ground.
,,I buried them. They shall suffocate in the soil they wanted to drench with blood.” He said.
Posted by: minque Apr 30 2006, 09:23 PM
As I commented on Mr Oven´s story...what can i say......it´s just awesome....a rerally good and fascinating story......can´t wait for the next part!
Posted by: jack cloudy May 1 2006, 07:12 PM
Alright a small update with a small surprise. (Or not, you can't exactly say that I've been subtle about it as Griff already pointed out. ) What can I say, He's back!
Inside the tower.
That night, all the villagers had diner in Aureus’s tower. Since most of the food in the village had been stepped on or worse by the vampires, it was up to Aureus to provide a meal which he did, with a lot of Magicka. He sure seemed to have a spell for everything. Despite the carnage, everyone seemed surprisingly happy. That was most likely cause no one wanted to be remembered right now. There would be time to grieve the next day.
Jana looked around carefully while trying to enjoy her meal. Being a vampire had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were simple, faster reflexes and more strength. The disadvantages where not very pleasant though, sensitivity to the sun, fire and she looked like an old hag. Worst of all, the longer she spent without feeding, the more she thirsted for blood. Just the idea of biting someone made her want to vomit. Resisting the urge to feed was terribly difficult.
She was helped by the fact that not all the people triggered her lust for blood. Repul smelled like he had some kind of a disease while Jalin and his Breton sister didn’t seem tasty at all. She noticed that both the Altmer and the Breton had similar amulets hanging around their neck that looked like a small moon.
,,So what happened underneath the volcano, Lup?” Amarie asked as she climbed out of her chair and walked over the table towards the Redguard. Repul looked at Jana for a moment and then sighed.
,,Oh what the heck, you were bound to find out anyway. My real name is Luper Alkad. The one and only.” He told the Dunmer.
Jana’s mouth fell open in surprise.
,,Luper Alkad? You mean the Luper Alkad? The Nerevarine?” She stammered.
Luper rolled his eyes.
,,No, I’m his evil twin. Well, of course I am the Luper Alkad. Never heard of anyone else with the name, though they might have gotten around to naming children after me. And don’t you dare to act like a fan. I already got half the Vvardenfell population praising my name and I really don’t need any more fans.” He said in an annoyed tone before turning to the little Breton and telling her the story about the end of Dagoth Ur.
Somewhere during the meal, Aureus stood up and walked out of the door. He went up to the top of his tower and looked at the burned huts below.
,,My life’s work, so fragile.” He muttered and shook his head.
He then went to his bedroom where he put on his travelling clothes and strapped his two katanas to his belt. He then went back to the top of his tower and jumped.
Within seconds, he was high above the clouds and headed north.
,,It is time to end this.”
Posted by: DarkHunter May 1 2006, 11:42 PM
Thats suicide... both what you did to Vivic and what you did in Mournhold you'd never get away with being a Vamp there (I know I've tried)
Posted by: Agent Griff May 2 2006, 08:22 AM
I knew Repul was bound to be Luper from the moment I saw that the name was spelled backwards. Anyway, keep on with this excelent story, I will try to update mine meanwhile but school is eating me ALIVE! And don't forget, you still haven't told us why Aureus is so uber. Did he max out his skills with the console or something because it sure looks like it.
Posted by: Taillus May 3 2006, 04:37 PM
I definately have my suspicions that Aureus used the "~" key lol. He is way too strong! I would love to see him get into it with Taillus. I bet they would both give each other a good challenge.
Posted by: Agent Griff May 3 2006, 05:26 PM
A good chalenge? With his 1337 skills Aureus would mop the floor with Taillus! No matter how much Molag Bal helps Taillus. Heck, if Aureus getts mad he might even go after Molag Bal himself!
Posted by: jack cloudy May 3 2006, 06:56 PM
Tsk, young people just haven't seen true wisdom.
It isn't the size of the muscles that counts, it is the knowledge.
As they say, brains beat brawn. And mister Aureus has had plenty of time to stock up on knowledge and uber spells of doom. So, Taillus is pretty much toast unless Molag Bal comes along with all his daedra. And even then it will be pretty close.
Anyway, an update.
Argonia, next day
,,The same dream as always, won’t I ever get a different dream? Silvery mountains are getting old.” Jana muttered next day while she stood in front of the mirror. Her attempts at using make-up to make her look younger had turned out to be a disaster.
,,Now you’re up early.”
Jana turned around to see Luper standing in the doorway with an irritating big grin on his face.
,,Never heard of knocking?” She snapped back.
Surprisingly, the man’s grin could actually become even bigger, which it now did.
,,Nah, after nearly getting killed for knocking several times, I learned to just barge in with a sword in one hand and a fireball in the other. Besides, I wanted to test out your response. Well, you’re pathetic.”
,,Hey! That’s not nice, you know!” Jana was really frustrated. For a hero, Luper sure knew how to annoy people.
,,Come outside when you’re finished with the paint.” Luper was gone before she could respond with a particularly nasty insult.
Skyrim
The snow muffled the sound of his landing, but he had no doubts that he was already spotted. In front of him, the flanks of a silver mountain ascended up into the clouds that had blocked the sun for as long as he could remember. It was the first time he had seen the mountain outside his dreams since many years. He cast a life detection spell and saw the familiar purple hue enveloping the flanks of flowing silver. He frowned and drew one of his katanas. The same flowing material and the same response to the detection spell graced the blade of his sword.
,,Living steel. That I haven’t realized this sooner.” He muttered in amazement, without bothering to remember the official name of the material, which was much longer and more descriptive. He shook his head. This was no time to wonder why a mountain made of a material that wasn’t supposed to even exist on Nirn could be found in Skyrim.
Two vampires appeared in the opening with large spears in their hands.
,,I have returned. You shall either let me pass, or you shall try to resist me and seal your fate. Either way, I shall speak with your master.” The old man told them.
The man looked up when a vampire entered his room, followed by several more.
,,Aureus. So, you’ve come back. How long has it been?” He said with an evil smile.
,,Roughly 2500 years. I am not here to talk about the old days. I come here for more important matters.” Aureus responded with a dead serious face.
The man waved at one of his servants who came forward with a glass filled with a red substance.
,,I suppose this is because my men wrecked your lovely sanctuary? Are you thirsty, some wine?”
,,Don’t play the fool with me, Gerinj. I may have grown old, but I have not become rusty. If you believe that you can feed me blood without me noticing, you are mistaken. Besides, I am already well fed. Your men have attacked my sanctuary and have slain its inhabitants. We had an agreement. You wouldn’t bother me and I would let your people live.”
Gerinj laughed.
,,I believe it is you who broke our little agreement. Didn’t you help a little Dunmer slay part of my clan 400 years back?”
,,I only created his sword. I had no knowledge at the time that Athus would hunt down you. Speaking of Athus, what have you done with him?”
Gerinj laughed again.
,,Just some poetic justice. He’s still under the command of my first lieutenant. I’ll wait till the blessing of my blood has fully manifested itself before releasing his mind. The vampire hunter who becomes that which he hunts. Amusing, isn’t it?”
Aureus wasn’t laughing.
,,Your sense of humour is as horrible as ever. So you have cursed him with the blood. I agreed that I wouldn’t attack your men, but I never spoke of you.” Aureus said as his face stretched across his skull and his eyes turned white.
Gerinj bared his teeth.
,,Oh, you had to purge your blood. So you believe you need all of the abilities I gave you as a vampire to win? I granted you immortality, I deserve some gratitude. You are foolish, Aureus. With every passing day, we’ve grown stronger. Yes, you are more powerful than any mortal man, but I am the oldest. Every day I have worked to transcend my limits. You are nothing but a miserable bug and I shall crush you as one. Making the most skilled mage on the continent the first member of my clan has been a mistake.” He said and laughed again.
,,Tell me something, Areus. I see that you bear two katanas. Then why did I hear that you only use one?” He continued, calmer now.
,,I prefer to save that one for special occasions. Like now.” Aureus responded as he drew his weapon.
,,You are the oldest, but I have travelled the most.” He said and raised his blade.
The smile had disappeared on Gerinj’s face. He didn’t like to be confronted with something he didn’t recognize. Aureus’ katana was the strangest weapon he’d ever seen. It didn’t even look real. It seemed as if light itself had decided to become solid to form a ghostly blade.
,,What is that thing?” He muttered to himself and shut up when he noticed that he’d shown a weakness.
,,This sword is me. So it is two against one. Are you still so sure about your self?” Aureus responded with a thin smile.
Posted by: minque May 3 2006, 08:03 PM
Oh la la Mr Cloudy! very interesting.....It´s a pleasure to read this one!
I present you with a and a 
Posted by: Agent Griff May 5 2006, 06:26 PM
Brilliant writing Jack! I just loved the discussion between Aureus and Gerinj, very epic. I also liked the cliffhanger ending. I expect a well written battle as the one you wrote between Arthago and Taillus. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: jack cloudy May 5 2006, 08:11 PM
*Bows humbly in front of the audience.*
Thank you, thank you.
Now an epic battle is going to be hard. I mean, what can I do to make it interesting when I have two guys with enough power to blow up Balmora in one big bang? I can't let them snipe at each other with little 1pt for 1 sec destruction spells, that would be silly. Anyway, update time.
Argonia
When she came out of the tower half an hour later, she was ready for anything. But she hadn’t expected what she saw right in front of her eyes. A werewolf was using its inhuman strength to knock over trees which would then be dragged away and chopped in usable pieces by the villagers for later use in rebuilding the village. A bit further, a couple of children, including Jalin’s sister were playing hide and seek with the zombie. Jana shook her head. This was one weird place.
,,Catch!” Jana turned around just in time to have a wooden stick smack into her face.
,,Ouch! What was that good for?!” She yelled in frustration and promptly hurled the piece of wood back.
Luper easily caught it and threw it back to her, a bit slower this time.
,,Well sorry, I didn’t know your reflexes are that pathetic. You’re a vampire, for Daedra’s sake. I hate to think how slow you were before you got infected.” He said with one of his grins.
,,Now I prefer to keep my job as simple as possible. So to make sure that I won’t have to watch you all the time, I decided to turn you into something more useful. Swing it.” He continued in a serious tone. Jana was in quite a bad mood. For some reason, the man constantly got on her nerves. Still, she swung the stick.
The Redguard shook his head.
,,No no, you’re doing it all wrong. You’re too slow. Even my grandma is faster, and she never even existed. You freeze at the end of each swing. Don’t try to stop the stick, you’ve got to use the weight and momentum of it to help power your next swing. Like this.”
For the next few hours, Jana embarrassed herself in front of the village as she got sword-lessons from the Nerevarine. She wasn’t all that bad, but next to the Redguard she was just horrible. Redguards truly were the best swordfighters in all of Tamriel.
,,The idea that Redguards are simply born to be swordfighters is just a fantasy. Redguard kids just get sticks to play with and a bunch of parents who are usually quite proud on whatever sword-skills they might have. It is cultural, not natural. Besides, I only look like a Redguard. I’m really just Azura’s latest toy. I’m a Daedra. So who said that only Redguards are good with a sword? Now go try that spin again.” Was everything Luper was willing to say about the subject.
Skyrim
Aureus lunged forward with a quick thrust and then backed away to look at the vampire’s response. He hadn’t seen the man for about 2500 years and he had never fought him before. Rushing in without thinking would be suicide.
The vampire dodged the thrust and took a Daedric Claymore of a rack that stood against the wall. The weapon glowed with a deadly enchantment.
,,Your sword may be nice as a torch, but mine is made from the most powerful material found on Nirn!” He shouted and swung the mighty blade down with enough force to shatter a rock the size of a man.
Aureus blocked the blade and then performed a quick spin that caused his own ghostly blade to flow through the Daedric Claymore as if it was a mere illusion. The sight and sound of the Daedric blade falling onto the ground however proved that Aureus’ sword was very real. The vampire looked at the hilt and the small bit of the blade that he still held in his hands. His expression was that of utter shock.
,,The smith who has created my sword is not from Nirn, nor is the sword itself.” Aureus calmly said.
Nearly simultaneously, both men raised there hands and conjured two waves of Magicka that crashed into each other in a devastating explosion. They both raised a magical shield to deal with the Magicka that washed over them.
The man who stood near the entrance looked at it all, with jealousy. So this was the power that Lucis had. He was furious to know that he would never be as powerful as the man whose place he had taken 2000 years ago. The outer edge of the massive explosion caused his skin to burn. He decided that it would be best to let the Imperial get killed without watching the fight. It would be much safer if he went to check on their captive.
The Dunmer was where he’d left him, with Daedric shackles around his limbs that tied him to the floor instead of the wall as would be the usual method. That was one of the things the man found annoying about this place. Every single time they tried to cut a hole in the strange silvery walls, the material would fill up the hole before they could do anything useful with it. Only the natural rock underneath the ground made normal construction possible.
An evil smile took hold of the man’s face when he finally released the spell. Athus came to his sense and noticed soon enough that he was securely pinned to the floor. Resistance was futile.
,,Why didn’t you just kill me, abomination?” He whispered and stared at his captive.
,,Trust me, that would have been easy and my preferred course of action. But my master decided otherwise. No, he has something much more painful and infinitely more satisfying in mind. Enjoy your last free moments, for they are all you shall have before facing eternity as our slave.”
Posted by: Agent Griff May 6 2006, 07:02 AM
Strange village that is. Anyway, some things were a little confusing, for example, who is Lucis? The guy that took Athus captive? I thought Aureus was fighting Gerinj but anyway. And btw, is that "My grandma is faster than you!" bit borrowed from the Redguard in the Arena or is it just me? I liked that guy. Well, keep up the great work!
Posted by: Taillus May 6 2006, 04:52 PM
I do agree that it is wisdom that is true power. Taillus is really nothing... He got whooped by Xander who is definately not into the brawn department as much as most... anyway nice update for sure. You definately deserve some awards for the cursed blood story because it is world class. You should be proud!
Posted by: Agent Griff May 6 2006, 06:26 PM
Weren't there some awards given to writers? I thought there was some kind of competition because I read a post in the former Oasis chapter I thread that congratulated Jack for his award. Anyway, I agree with Taillus. You truly deserve an award!
Posted by: Sirin May 7 2006, 02:34 PM
Holy Cow!!! I started reading this yesterday, and only just finished. INCREDIBLE!!!!!! That is one captivated story. I find myself wishing that I was like Aureus so I could level my school! Yup, this is a fantastic one. If I had an award, I'd give you three of em.
Posted by: jack cloudy May 7 2006, 03:14 PM
First of all, thank you for liking this. Now I'll try to answer a few questions.
1: Who is Lucis?
Lucis is the last name of Aureus. His full name is Aureus Lucis. I'll stick to Aureus to keep things simple.
2: the "My grandma bit"
I don't remember any Redguard from an Arena. At least not in Morrowind (only TES game I ever played.), though I only popped into the arena to beat up Venim and the Archmage. Basically, the my grandma is better than that souns like one of the standard things to say when you try to tell someone how bad he is.
3: the rewards.
For as far as I know, those rewards are just another way to say that you like it or as a comment on something. For example, Mplantinga gave me a reward early in Oasis for updating often. I updated like crazy back then, but I've slown down quite a bit.
And Sirin, I know what you mean. Aureus is just anything I would want to be. He's got style, wisdom, more power than you can imagine and he is practically immortal. Oh yeah, he doesn't hit on every woman he sees, like James Bond. (Stylish fellow, but he should stay away from the women. That's just sick.)
Now, update!
Athus bent his head so he could look at the back of the leaving vampire. If only looks could kill. He shook of the thought. It wouldn’t bring him any further if he somehow managed to kill the monster. There would be more of them. He inspected the chackles that held him as good as he could in his current position. They were made of Daedric material, so brute strength would not help him, even with the power the vampirism had brought. If only he could make them disappear.
,,Nice dreaming, Athus. Wake up, you old fool.” He told himself and laid down his head to rest. At least Jana was now safe with the lord of Kalom in Argonia. He heard a low rumble as if there was an explosion somewhere.
In the meantime, Aureus was doing the best he could to keep the endless supply of summoned swords away from his throat while simultaneously dodging spells. His sword was capable of cutting through the Daedric blades with ease, but that wouldn’t help much if said blade would then fly into his face. He was forced to block the swords before cutting them into pieces. At the same time, dodging spells from point-blank range wasn’t easy, even for him, so he had to keep up a shield constantly. This was getting him nowhere.
He leaped up towards the high ceiling where he floated as he waited for Gerinj to make his move.
The vampire launched a barrage of spells after him. Aureus summoned another shield and frantically dodged as much as he could. He couldn’t afford the battle to go on for much longer. Gerinj was right, he was the older and more powerful vampire. Aureus would stand no chance once he ran out of Magicka. As he was fighting, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the words of his old master, back when he was still a young mage, before he became a vampire.
,,Any mage who believes that Magicka exists and works on its own is mistaken. Magicka solves many things, but it is the mage who turns the idea into reality. Without the mage, Magicka is empty of meaning and holds no power. Likewise, without Magicka the mage would not exist. They are united and inseparable. To use Magicka, you must create the idea of Magicka yourself. Have many ideas, Aureus, and you may find a solution to a problem that knows no solution.” Aureus had never truly understood what it meant, but he didn’t want to think of it now. Staying alive was enough of a problem.
Aureus raised his sword to stop the incoming strike of the vampire who’d jumped after him when he got an idea. He aimed with his free hand and launched a spell bolt, missing.
,,Your aim is getting worse, Aureus.” Gerinj told him.
,,You’ve miscalculated my target.” Aureus responded with a smile before vanishing in thin air.
He reappeared at behind the vampire and pushed Gerinj up against the ceiling before driving his blade through the man’s back till it came out again through the chest. The Silvery material of the mountain glowed and trembled where Aureus’s sword sank into it.
,,A ranged Mark spell. A simple idea, which can be used in multiple ways.” He said as he kept the vampire pinned against the ceiling.
Argonia.
,,Alright, better. There’s still some work to do, but I think that we’ve done enough for today. While you go and have a heartattack, I think I’ll go fishing. Nothing makes you relax better after a hard day of work than fishing. Well, looting a ruin comes close.”
Jana gratefully sat down on the ground after hearing those words. She was utterly exhausted. How in the name of Akatosh was it possible for the Redguard not to be tired after they’d been busy all day with swords?
,,Say, you two haven’t seen Aureus today, have you?” Jalin said as he walked up to them and brushed of a bunch of twigs that had gotten stuck in his hair.
,,Nope, did you check the library?” Luper asked while he checked his fishing pole.
Jalin sighed. ,,That was the first place I looked. He isn’t in the tower, nor in the village. Oh, great. I know where he is.” He said and sat down.
,,Aureus must have gone after the vampires. It would be just something for him to throw his life away. And all I know is that the vampires are somewhere in Skyrim.” He muttered to himself.
,,Really, no need to worry about it. By the time any of us gets to Skyrim, he’s either dead or on the way back. Why don’t we get something to eat and decide what to do later?” Luper said with a grin before walking back into the tower. No fishing for tonight.
Posted by: Sirin May 7 2006, 03:22 PM
Clever little trick, there, with the ranged Mark spell. The grandma comment, by the way, is from the arena in Oblivion, I believe. Your...uh..."guildmaster" guy is a Redguard who often comments about how his grandma could kick your butt (and many other such things).
Pinned to the ceiling, though? That's a painful one.... Same thing happened to the Snow Prince, I think, in Bloodmoon, right? Anyways, keep it up. edit: Oh, Oh, Lucis is a really cool last name. Thought I'd throw that in there...
Posted by: Agent Griff May 7 2006, 03:50 PM
The Redguard in the Arena is the local Blademaster. He is a real wiseguy and always cracks comments at the character. His voice acting is top-notch and it really immerses you into the game. One of his comments is:
"Even my grandma could beat you...and she's dead!"
He is, in many ways, much like Luper, very fun to be with. You should get Oblivion, it has some bad points but the good ones mostly make up for it. Anyway, to comment on the story, it's been a great experience so far and that advice also sounded really wise. Any self-respecting mentor would say that. I also liked the trick with the Mark spell. I'm also loving Luper's personality. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: jack cloudy May 8 2006, 08:24 PM
I'll be sure to buy Oblivion someday. But then, there are many games I want to buy someday. (Oblivion, GOTY Morrowind, the Movies, one of Derek Smart's Battlecruiser games, Bridge Commander and anything else that might have found its way to the wishlist.)
Now time for the update. It's a small one and I know that it might sound a bit too convenient, but it would be a quick end otherwise.
Skyrim
A foot caught him in the chest with nearly enough force to crack his ribs and caused him to plummet down towards the floor. Aureus managed to stop his fall before breaking his neck on the hard rock and looked up with a surprised expression.
Now, I must admit that you did surprise me, Aureus. However, it appears that I’m having my lucky day. Who would think that a sword that cuts through Daedric as if through paper would be unable to do as much as scratch me?” Gerinj said and burst out laughing as he slowly descended towards the floor.
Aureus looked at the descending vampire, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Not even a vampire of his clan could survive such a wound, but it appeared that beyond making a big cut in the man’s shirt, the sword had failed to do any damage at all. The only time this had happened before was when he accidentally hit himself with his sword, an incident he still felt somewhat embarrassed over. It was in the sword’s nature not to harm its master, for they shared the same life.
Aureus threw the ghostly blade away in frustration. He knew what had happened. Gerinj and him where both vampires of the same clan and shared the same blood. The sword saw no difference between the vampire and himself and would not harm Gerinj for that reason. In other words, his most powerful weapon had just proved to be useless. Aureus drew his other, somewhat less exotic katana and prepared for the fight that had just become a lot harder.
Argonia
Jana looked in the mirror and muttered a couple of curses that would make her father get a heartattack if he heard them.
,,Stupid mountains, stupid explosions and stupid snow. Why can’t I have a normal dream for once?” The rest of what she was trying to say was drowned in more curses and a handful of water she splashed in her face. She then got dressed and walked out of her room. A short walk through the village might take her mind away from the missing Aureus. Strange, she knew almost nothing about him, but he was still the closest thing to a grandfather she’d ever had.
She cocked her head to the side and moved her pointy ears around. Did she just hear something? She couldn’t see anything unusual in the dark corridor but still decided to activate the detection spells in her amulet to ease her mind. She was convinced she was becoming paranoid.
The enhanced sight of the amulet revealed a humanoid shape slowly wandering away from her. The massive glow gave her an idea who she was looking at.
,,Now where do you think you’re going in the middle of the night?” She said with a grin.
,,What? Hey, I’ve got the amulet of Shadows. You’re not supposed to see me. Now what are you doing here in the middle of the night yourself?” An annoyed voice responded.
,,I just couldn’t sleep. And do you realize that you’re a walking beacon to anyone with an enchantment detection spell, Nerevarine?”
Luper threw of his Chameleon and sighed.
,,Right girl, you’ve got me. Now I know that enchanting everything, including my socks, was a bad idea. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to take a nice peaceful stroll through the village.” He said before turning around and continuing his walk through the corridor.
,,In full armour and with that big sword on your back? Not very peaceful.” Jana commented while still having a big grin on her face.
,,I think you’re going after Aureus, right? Didn’t you say we should wait before running off? I thought you didn’t care.”
Luper rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. This was hopeless.
,,Fine, so I’m not the big jerk I pretend to be. Now if I skybolt as far as my potions and Magicka reserves take me, I should reach the border of Argonia within two hours and Skyrim within a day or four. You stay here. I prefer to work alone. Besides, you would just get in the way.”
He walked off and ignored everything the Dunmer said. In the meantime, he kept having this feeling that he’d forgotten something.
Posted by: Agent Griff May 8 2006, 08:40 PM
Interesting, Luper goes to help Aureus. I hope it's not to late though, it would be a shame to loose such a man as Aureus. The problem with the ghostly blade was also a very original problem, well done! I also like the fact that Luper is practicaly a walking Enchantment machine. Anyway, can you do me a favour Jack? Reply in my thread please since I don't like to double post. Anything is enough. Even a "Get back to work!" would do, just post and let me continue the story.
Posted by: Sirin May 10 2006, 01:22 PM
Brilliant! Keep going! Onward!
Posted by: Taillus May 10 2006, 05:00 PM
I think the cursed blood story has become my favorite to read on this entire forum. So artfully worded and it is so fun to read. Absolutely love it!
Posted by: minque May 10 2006, 06:47 PM
Ah yes..sweet Jana has really got right to me! Fascinating story, a definite "must-read!"
Posted by: jack cloudy May 12 2006, 12:51 PM
My computer has crashed so I won’t be on for a while. Sorry, but I’ll keep writing stuff on pieces of paper while waiting for the repairs. In the meantime, I am writing this at school which is illegal, so I’ve got to go before people with the big eyes see me.
Posted by: minque May 13 2006, 04:09 PM
oh....I´m sorry to hear that! But keep up your (illegal, 
) work in the meantime!
Posted by: DarkHunter May 13 2006, 04:51 PM
Yeah, I do that too Jack The librairians hate me...
Anyway, keep writing!
Posted by: Sirin May 15 2006, 01:04 PM
I just watched Chronicles of Narnia. I'm pretty heard I heard the name Aureus, Mr. Cloudy! It was quite fun! However, I'm sure the two Aureus'es are not intended to be based off each other, right?
Posted by: jack cloudy May 21 2006, 09:59 AM
Well, I know it is pretty annoying and really frustrating. (Arrgh, can't get rid of my ideas! My head is gonna blow!)
Anyway, the two Aureus's are completely unique. (Though I did once thought of seeing that movie, but I chose not to. Popcorn makes me sick. )
Here's a short update with many thanks to the computer I borrowed.
Jana walked after him. She was not the type to just sit around while the men did the dangerous jobs for her.
,,I’m not staying behind.”
Luper turned around.
,,If you can’t keep up with me, there isn’t much point in dragging you along.” He plainly said before shooting of into the sky with a trail of purple Magicka behind him.
Jana looked at the rapidly shrinking dot as the man flew of into the distance and decided that a walk through the village was definitely what she needed right now, and not just because Aureus was worrying her.
,,What a show-off.”
The village was big mess of both rubbish, destruction and the half-finished construction work. It looked as if the people would have to spend the night at Aureus’ tower for a few more nights before their huts were rebuilt. They’d probably want to stay within the tower for a while anyway, it was a much safer place if more of those vampires showed up.
Her walk slowly brought her to the edge of town were the swamp began, and to where the cemetery was located. One dark robed figure was standing near the newly digged graves, leaning on a dark staff that seemed to emit an evil red light.
,,Ah, you must be the new one. I never forget a smell, and I haven’t smelled yours yet.” The figure said when he heard her footsteps and turned around. Jana brought her hand back to reach for her sword, only to find that it was still in her room. She remembered Luper’s ring and summoned his Daedric sword instead. Having a sword inside a ring instead of a scabbard took some getting used to. The thing shook its head at the sight of the blade.
,,I would really like it if you put that thing away. Too many people have died lately, and I wouldn’t want to become the next, though technically I can’t exactly die.” It said before sitting down next to the graves.
,,You’re probably thinking that I am here to raise some undead. I can assure you that I don’t do that. In fact, I came here to pray for their souls. I am Fervus Noctis, the healer in this town. I know I don’t look quite healthy myself, but I am good at what I do.” It continued. Not looking healthy was a bit of an understatement, for he had the skeletal features of a Lich.
,,Oh yeah, then what about that zombie?” Jana said warily. All her experiences with unnatural beings had been quite unpleasant so far.
,,Him? He’s an old friend of mine. We both attempted to become Liches only in his case, he became a zombie instead. He is like a small child, and quite a nice guy if you don’t mind his cold flesh. He is the best friend of the young children here and a good friend of the older ones. I make sure his body doesn’t decompose, just as I preserve my own. That’s my specialty, looking after the health of the strange beings that live here. We’ve got one zombie here, two werewolves, one Flame Atronach that looks after the fires in the kitchen, one vampire and of course, one Lich.” The lich answered with a bony chuckle.
,,Hey, I don’t live here. So you can scratch that vampire of your list.”
,,I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about our kind host.”
Jana’s mouth fell open in surprise. Now it suddenly all made sense to her. The source of Aureus’ power, his knowledge about vampires, his reputation with vampires. Aureus himself was a vampire and judging by the things she’d seen, a very old and powerful one.
,,You might want to close your mouth before your jaw falls off. Reattaching it to someone who isn’t death is a bit hard.” The Lich said and laughed with the scary sound of bone scratching on bone.
Jana finally dispelled her sword and sat down beside the Lich. If Aureus trusted the thing, then so would she.
,,So Aureus is a vampire? What else is there I don’t know about him?” She asked in the hope of finally getting some answers.
,,It’s a long story. But you don’t look like you have anything better to do, so I shall begin.”
,,Aureus Lucis is an old Imperial mage who was born before his kind was known as imperials, before the empire and the Septims. As of this moment, his birth lies 2571 years in the past. He was born under the sign of the Wanderer.”
,,There is no sign of the Wanderer.” Jana interrupted the story. She realized the answer before the Lich could speak.
,,Not anymore. What was known as the sign of the Wanderer began to change about 2000 years back and is now known as the Serpent. Aureus may very well be the last Wanderer who is still alive and the last one to be graced by the sign’s power, the ability to pass into other planes of existence, similar to how you open the door to a building. Aureus lived his life as was usual in those days and focussed all of his little spare time on the study of Magicka. Eventually he was taken under the wing of an old wizard and taught how to develop his talent to its limits. Eventually, his master died and Aureus took his place. A few years later, Aureus was infected with vampirism at the age of 69. That is how he became the first subordinate of Gerinj, the leader of the Silver Eye clan of vampires.”
The Lich paused for a while and dug up some dirt with its bony hands.
,,Now unlike popular belief, vampires are not all evil as you probably know yourself. For every vampire that becomes an evil creature of the night, there are a dozen who deal with their curse in such a way that they don’t bother people. Most of them eventually kill themselves, some live far away from man or mer where they feed on the animals, and some instead live among the people where they receive their blood from willing friends, so they can drink it from a cup and avoid infecting people. Aureus is one of them. He left the clan and wandered Nirn and beyond. A few ages back, he came to Argonia where he bought the land to built this sanctuary, using the title of Kalom that he’d received during his journeys. Kalom means ‘the wanderer who came from afar’. This place serves as a home for those who have been forced to flee their homes due to their nature, such as I did.”
The Lich stood up with a slight creaking sound.
,,Now I am the healer here. Your type of vampirism is as with all types, unique to its clan. The Silver Eye clan is one of the oldest and I know of only one cure. That cure does have one minor side-effect. It will kill you instantly, and I won’t be able to raise you as an undead afterwards. So I am afraid I can’t help you. But if blood is what you want, I have a supply which I mostly use when someone has lost too much blood to survive without a replacement. I am sure that it can also be used by a vampire.”
Posted by: jack cloudy May 24 2006, 11:28 AM
The Lich led her to one of the few buildings that was still standing, the fact that this one was built with stone in the Imperial style instead of a wooden hut was one of the reasons for that.
,,Shoo, go parade somewhere else.” The Lich muttered and waved at what looked like a walking suit of Dwemer armour.
,,You guys sure have everything, don’t you?” Jana commented with a smile. This place was weird to the extreme, but not unpleasant so far.
,,That’s what happens when your neighbour is an old vampire with too much spare time on his hands, and too much Magicka at the end of his fingers. If Aureus doesn’t have something to do, he gets frustrated. You’ll be amazed when you see what he has done in his life. Go take a look at the library someday, half the books have been written by him and it isn’t exactly a small library.”
The Lich moved over to one of the corners of the room and tapped on the wall. The floor slid away and a small platform rose up.
,,Also something he made. Now I really don’t see what’s wrong with a set of stairs, but Aureus thought that a teleportation platform was funnier.” The Lich said as he stepped on the platform and disappeared in a cloud of Magicka. After a short hesitation, Jana followed.
The cold air caught her completely by surprise.
,,What by Akatosh?”
The room was covered in ice with a big blue crystal in each corner. The cold was almost unbearable, ext to the humid warmth of the swamps outside.
,,Surprised? You do know that potions remain useable much longer if they are properly frozen? This is where I keep my potions, amongst other stuff.” The Lich said with a bony grin before moving over to one of the many crates that filled the room.
,,Now let’s see. One little vial of blood before breakfast should keep you young, healthy and away from people’s throats. I’ll give you a couple of handfuls, I heard you were going on a trip.” The Lich put a couple of small silver vials in a bag and handed them over.
,,To get out, take the platform at the far end of the room. Don’t forget to close the door when you leave my house, thank you. I’ll stay behind for a while. I’ve got this patient who nearly lost his arm and I need to grab a couple of potions for his diner.”
Chapter 3: On the road.
Jana looked at the bag she’d put on her bed. The thought of drinking blood from a bottle made her sick. On the other hand, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to feed if she ever got surrounded by people, like in a city. If the blood could keep her from jumping to people’s throats, fine. Not to mention that it supposedly restored her younger looks. Looking like you’re a thousand years old might give you some respect, but she really preferred to wait those thousand years before looking old.
With a sigh, she picked up the bag and swung it over her shoulder. Being a vampire didn’t make life very funny. The news that the only cure would kill her didn’t brighten up her mood either.
She made her way to the stables and found them, after taking the wrong turn a couple of times. The tower wasn’t very big on the outside, but the inside was just huge. She wouldn’t be surprised if a ridiculous amount of Magicka was used here.
,,Ah, there you are. Say, have you seen Luper? He wasn’t in his room when I checked. I hope he isn’t drunk again. That guy sure knows how to drink.” Jalin said when she entered.
Unicorns, Aureus kept a couple of creatures in his stable that were so rare, most people doubted they even existed. Jana shook her head at the sight. Why was she not surprised?
,,That guy already left. So, where are the dragons?” She joked.
,,They wanted to see the world, so they flew off a while back. Before I was born, actually.”
Jana put attached her bags to the saddle and hopped onto her Unicorn. She always loved to ride a horse before she moved to Vvardenfell, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Though they looked exotic, they were really nothing but really fast horses with a big horn on their head. Aureus had perfectly tamed them. This would be fun. There was only one problem, how would they get out?
,,So, where’s the door?” She asked. She really hoped that they weren’t supposed to ride the Unicorns through the whole building.
,,Teleportation platform. It’s right over there.” Jalin answered as he mounted his own Unicorn.
,,What, is he afraid of stairs or something?”
Another teleportation later, and the three Unicorns with their riders were standing right in front of the gates.
,,Amarie, be a good girl and listen to the zombie, ok? I’m gone for a while.” Jalin shouted before spurring his Unicorn along out of the village.
The Unicorns where over twice as fast as any horse she’d ever been on and Jana totally enjoyed the ride. There was something about riding through the swamps of Argonia with the wind in her hair that swept all her worries away. They’d reached the border of Cyrodiil when the sun reached its peak. Those Unicorns sure were fast.
Posted by: Agent Griff May 25 2006, 06:15 PM
Wonderful updates! With what you've written here, I'm compelled to write once again since I was in writer's block up until now. I loved the lich and I love this wacky village in general, great job! There should really be a writers award ceremony where awards are given on categories like "Best Original Story" or "Best Story in an Elder Scrolls Game" or "Best positive character' or "Best negative character" or "Best female character" or "Best male character". The Moderators and the Admins should really hear me on this. It would be so cool if this actually happened.
Posted by: DarkHunter May 25 2006, 08:21 PM
... ... ... YAAAAAHHHHHHOOOOOO!!!!
... Alright that was a little over the edge but I've been waiting sooo long (what about 5 WHOLE DAYS?!?!)
Posted by: jack cloudy May 31 2006, 08:42 AM
Update alert, don’t you love school?
Anyway, a bigger one this time and the return of an old favourite of mine.
The dark trees and murky waters of Argonia made place for a less dense forest that was filled with green plants and small streams of clear water. Jalin stopped his Unicorn and took in their surroundings.
,,There’s a village to the east. I think we should stay away from the roads and move through the forest. It will slow us down, but I don’t want to be seen by anyone while I’m riding on one of these. It would be too hard to explain where we found these Unicorns. Too bad Aureus never felt anything for breeding normal horses.” He noted as he looked around.
,,Have you been to Cyrodiil before?” He asked once they’d begun moving again.
,,Only the east part, a stone’s throw away from the border with Morrowind. Some official business between my father and someone else, so I never got the chance for some sightseeing. It sure is beautiful. Much nicer than Vvardenfell. There are plants everywhere. Where I live, the land is like a desert. Say, where are we going anyway?” Jana responded and sniffed the fresh air.
,,We’ll spend the night in the forest. Tomorrow, we should reach the capital where I want to check out the library. Aureus never actually told me where his clan lives. I’ve got a note with a couple of fancy signatures that should give me access to the emperor’s personal library. It’s a bit old but knowing Aureus, I bet I could give orders to Uriel Septim himself with it. If I can’t find the information I need there, I don’t know where to look.”
With the help of both Jalin’s skill at finding small paths through the thick forest and the spells of Jana’s amulet, they managed to travel without being seen by any of the people who lived in the province. The local wildlife appeared to be frightened and ran as soon as they got into view. The night in the forest proved to be quiet and peaceful. Next day, they continued their trek into the heart of Cyrodiil. A few hours after the sun had reached its peak, they got to the edge of the forest surrounding the capital where they left the Unicorns behind. The brilliant walls of the capital rose up before them.
,,Well, this is it I guess. I’d never thought I would actually trust a Lich someday.” Jana muttered as she took out one of the silver vials. The taste of blood was both disgusting and delicious. Her whole body was filled with new energy. She carefully took off her hood and looked into a nearby pool. Her reflection looked just the way she did before being infected and the sun no longer burned her skin. It was definitely an improvement.
,,Nice. I’m ready now, so let’s get going.”
The guards in front of the massive gates barely noticed them as they walked into the city. Once inside, Jalin headed directly for the palace and left Jana behind to look around. For a while, she just aimlessly wandered the streets. Cyrodiil showed that it deserved its reputation as the center and capital of the Empire. It was not only a huge city, but also one of the most crowded. People of all races and all professions wandered the streets while vendors where praising their wares on the market. She could see the guards walking around to keep the peace and always just behind their backs, the thieves, robbers and other people with a not so legal profession. Above all that, the massive tower of the palace rose up into the air as a symbol of the might that had made the Septims the rulers of Tamriel.
She also took the chance to look around all the different shops. Unlike most times, this time she only bought things that where useful for anyone who wanted to take on a lot of vampires. She bought a couple of torches, some small prongs for necessary sword-maintenance and a good meal at a tavern. It was nice to be in a city again without staring at people’s neck. After the meal, she went back to shopping. In the Apothecary, she was met by the sound of an arguing Breton and Redguard.
,,What, 300 Septims just for some lousy potions?! Ajira makes them twice as good for half the price! Too bad she is still on Vvardenfell.”
The Redguard wore a brown cloth that covered most of his armour but the Dwemer gauntlets, Indoril boots and the big Claymore on his back gave away his identity.
,,Luper? What are you doing here?”
Luper turned to see who had spoken and looked at her for a while. It was the first time he saw her in a well-fed condition.
,,Oh, hi sweety. Say, did you do something with your hair?”
Jana couldn’t help but laugh for a bit. It was obvious that the Nerevarine hadn’t planned to be in Cyrodiil. She loved to see him when he wasn’t in full control of his situation.
,,So, how did you end up here? And why the change of clothes?” She asked in a mocking tone.
,,Alright, I get your point. Now stop laughing at me before I shout out your little toothy secret. If you want to know, I left my Magicka restoration potions on my bed so I ran out of steam for my levitating. And the cloth? I simply don’t want people to see me with my armour all visible. I would hate it if someone recognizes the Lord’s Mail. They would know instantly that I am the Nerevarine. Call it the burden of fame if you like.”
His mood lightened up again and he grinned.
,,Now I’m not the only one who makes mistakes here. Did you really think that you could hurt those vampires with the poison you just bought? The answer is no. Anyway, want to tag along?”
Jana frowned. She really didn’t like to have people pointing out her mistakes. And Jalin always said that Luper was a drinker. If he wanted to go anywhere near a place with alcohol, she’d pass. The Nerevarine was annoying enough when he was sober, who knew how bad it was when he was drunk.
,,Where do you want to go?” She asked warily.
,,I just heard that an old friend of mine is in town so I want to pay him a little visit. You’ll love his clothes. They’re very elaborate and fancy!”
Luper’s friend appeared at first glance to live in the palace, but the Redguard entered a small alley before they reached the gates and opened a small door in the massive wall of the palace. Inside, a long winding stair descended into the depths.
,,What by Akatosh is this dump?” Jana complained while seriously considering if she should kick the rats that were everywhere. She decided not to. Who knew what those rats had been crawling in.
,,This my dear, is the prison. Ah, it brings up memories. Bad ones, I mean.” Luper answered and lighted up their descent with a fireball in his hand.
At the end of the stairs was another door which led to a small office that was fortunately completely devoid of rats. Behind the desk, a somewhat fat guard was sitting.
,,Visitors, what can I do for you?” He said with a very bored tone as he eyed them over. His eyes remained on Luper and he frowned.
,,Do I know you?” He grumbled.
,,Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me. It’s me, Luper Alkad! I’m back! Did you miss me?!” Luper’s grin couldn’t have been bigger.
The guard shot out of his chair with wide open eyes and grabbed his sword from the floor.
,,You?! They sent you to a prison colony on some freaking island covered in snow! You can’t be here!” He cried.
,,This girl, is an old friend of mine. We go way back. Don’t worry, his bark is much worse than his bite.” Luper told Jana without even paying any attention to the guard who held his sword high over his head.
,,This is the friend you wanted to visit?” Jana answered in disgust. She couldn’t believe she had actually been dragged along to some revenge action of sorts.
,,Nah, the friend I wanted to visit is supposedly around here somewhere.”
The guard finally seemed to have gotten over his shock and was now actually smiling.
,,I always hated you and your big mouth. I am so going to enjoy this.” He said and brought his sword down to the Redguard’s unprotected head.
Luper raised his left hand and effortlessly caught the blade of the sword with his Dwemer gauntlet.
,,Still no manners I see. So how do you like Wraithshield? I made it as a left hand version of Wraithguard, which I have on my right hand. And you’re going to love this. They dropped me off on Vvardenfell instead of Solstheim where I made a small career change. I beat up gods now, how do you like that?” He said with one of his trademark grins before punching the guard in the face with his other hand while simultaneously kicking him between the legs with one of his boots. Both hits looked rather painful.
He walked over to the guard ,who was now lying on the ground in pain, and took his keys. He then picked up a large book from the desk and looked into it.
,,Now where could good old skoomie be? Hey, that’s my old cell!” He kicked the guard again and walked towards the row of cells.
Jana picked up the book as she followed him and took a look for herself. There it was, right after the number 013: Luper Alkad. As she went through the pages, she noticed that the spot behind 013 was taken up by the same name for about fifteen years. After that, the spot was empty for a while before being taken by a new name: Caius Cosades.
,,Ten, eleven, twelve…thirteen. This should be the one. Hey shirtless, how are things going?” Luper shouted through the bars.
In a dark corner of the cell, something moved.
,,I know only one man who used to call me that. For your information, they gave me a shirt to wear.” A voice said and its owner stepped within range of the light cast by Luper’s fireball. He was an old Imperial with a largely bald head and a beard that had been growing for a long time. Despite the dirt and dust that covered him, he carried himself with dignity.
,,Nice to see ya, Caius. Mind if you step away for a moment? I’m going to bust the lock.” Luper said and lowered his hand. The fireball shrinked till it was the size of a coin before shooting towards the lock which was melted by the intense heat.
,,I always dreamed of breaking out of this place, never of breaking in.” He laughed. He then realized that it wasn’t necessary for him to melt the lock.
,,Meh, I never liked keys anyway. They always get lost.” He said and threw the now useless keys on the ground.
Posted by: DarkHunter May 31 2006, 11:08 AM
No keys for Luper... Cauis, Eh? hmmm this should be interesting....
Posted by: mplantinga Jun 1 2006, 09:47 PM
Just found this one, and read it straight through. I'm definitely hooked. I've enjoyed the variety of characters that you have used, especially the many undead and otherworldly creatures. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the great vampire fight, especially now that the special weapon has become useless.
S.G.M.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 3 2006, 02:50 PM
Sorry, but no more vamp vs vamp. I just didn't know how to continue that one. But the outcome is quite predictable.
Anyway, update time.
Caius looked at the scene with an amused smile on his face. Some things never changed, such as the attitude Luper always displayed. It was this attitude that had both annoyed him to no end and assured him that the man was the only person who might ever stand a chance against an immortal enemy who had lived longer than most people could imagine. It wasn’t that he was the toughest person in Tamriel, cause he wasn’t, but it was the simple fact that he always managed to come up with something when in trouble, no matter how stupid it might be. Besides, there had always been the chance that he managed to make Dagoth Ur kill himself by being annoying.
,,So, what happened to Dagoth Ur when I was gone?” He asked when the door swung open.
,,Oh, you know how things go. I broke the poor guy’s heart. It burned him up.”
,,I’ll take that as you won. Congratulations, Oasis.” Caius chuckled, Luper’s smug grin brought back memories to the first time he met the Redguard. Whenever he looked back at the scene where Luper tried to get him out of his house by pretending to be the Imperial drug patrol, he still had to laugh.
,,I don’t think I’m all that lucky. The moment I tell my name, people go crazy and start acting like a fan. That’s the problem with being famous. And girl, Oasis is what friends call me back in Vvardenfell in case you were wondering.” The Nerevarine responded with the grin gone for a moment.
,,Right, I suppose you are here to bail me out? Sorry, but I’m staying here. I don’t want to get my family in trouble. As for you two, the entrance must be swarming with guards now so you’ll need an alternative exit.” Caius said and walked to the wall where he tapped a few of the stones in the wall. With the sound of grinding stone, the wall slowly sank into the floor, revealing a tunnel.
,,Hold on for just a second here. This was my old cell! I’ve been rotting away here for fifteen years! Couldn’t anyone tell me that I was sitting right next to a secret tunnel? I could’ve been a free man years ago!” Anything else the Redguard might want to say was lost in a constant stream of curses.
,,I suppose you still want to stay here?” He continued, slowly calming down again. Caius nodded and was promptly hit by a spell.
,,Would you mind putting me down?” Caius grumbled two minutes later. He never liked it when people were carrying him around. Fortunately Luper put him down, after blowing up the tunnel in the direction from where they came.
,,Just in case you were thinking of going back to your cell. You are stubborn after all. Now would you mind to explain where this tunnel leads to?” The Redguard said with the usual grin.
,,The throne room.”
Skyrim.
After more than a day, the constant rumbling and other sounds finally stopped. Whatever those vampires were doing, it sounded like they were having one big party. The sound of something clattering onto the ground near him caught his attention. He strained his neck to see what it was. A small distance away from him, a bowl with what looked like raw meat was lying on the stone floor. It didn’t look very appetizing, but he was suddenly reminded of just how hungry he was.
,,Eat up, Athus.” The vampire who was standing in the dooropening demanded.
,,And what if I don’t?” The Dunmer defiantly answered.
,,Then you’ll starve. As simple as that.” The Vampire responded as if he was talking about the weather.
,,Besides, you won’t be able to get out of here. Your friend came by recently. I must say that he fought well but in the end, no one can defeat our leader.”
Athus listened to the footsteps of the leaving vampire.
,,My friend? Then who was here?” He muttered to himself and fixed his attention on the bowl again. All his limbs were tied to the floor with those accursed Daedric shackles. The only way to get the food within reach was to use Telekinesis. When they came for him, he would either be too weak to cast any spells due to not eating, or he’d have used up all his Magicka so he could eat. Either way, his situation was hopeless. And he just couldn’t figure out who this friend could have been.
Secret tunnel.
Everyone was silent for a moment.
,,The throne room? That place must be crawling with guards!” Jana eventually complained. She should never have tagged along with the Nerevarine.
,,So what? I guess that means you’ll have your diner a bit early.” Luper stuck out his tongue when he said that.
,,I’m not like that! I am a civilized, educated girl who does not chew on people’s necks!”
Caius stepped in before things could escalate into a heated argument that would have them standing here till the end of the world.
‘Which might not be that far off.’ He reminded himself.
,,Now I’m sure this is all very interesting, but can we please get moving? As for the guards, the Emperor is old and not very healthy. He rarely goes to the throne room these days. There will be a minimum of guards present. We don’t have a choice anyway, thanks to the pyrotechnics of our friend. As you can see, I made sure they put me in the right cell. This is only one of the possible escape routes for the emperor. There are more secret tunnels in the palace than normal corridors.”
Throne room.
Jalin was seriously getting frustrated. He’d been busy for hours and he hadn’t seen a single scrap of paper yet, safe for the one he was holding in his hands. At least he’d managed to get past all the clerks and was now standing before the emperor himself. He listened only with half an ear to what the old man was saying while trying to stay calm.
,,You do realize that your document has an approximate age of 350 years? The Emperor who signed it has been death for a long time. I don’t think he intended to grant access to the library after his death. So the document isn’t valid anymore.”
Jalin was about to answer when a big chunk of the wall exploded. Like everyone else, he backed away from the dust that flew up. When he saw who had caused it, he could kill someone out of frustration and anger. There went his last hope of ever seeing the library.
,,Oops. Umm, secret tunnel investigation guild! We make maps of any secret tunnel. Low prices, deep digging. Sorry about the inconvenience, we’ll take the door on the way out, ok?”
The guards didn’t share the Redguard’s humour and approached with blades drawn.
,,Oh, great. Just like the old days. Me and guards, always trouble. Stand back, I’ll handle this.” Luper muttered and stepped forward with a hand on the hilt of his Claymore. He waited till the guards were all close to him before drawing and throwing the heavy sword in one smooth motion. The sword sailed to the other end of the room where it cut the ropes that held up one of the big curtains that were hanging on the walls. Luper fought off the guards with his Daedric daggers before Telekinetically wrapping the curtain around them. A few paralyzation spells, and they were all knocked out.
,,And they always lose. Someone should train these guards someday.” Luper laughed, kicked the guards and then turning towards the throne.
,,So you’re the emperor? How are you doing, gramps? You know, you look older than I thought.” He said in a mocking tone and with one of his big grins.
Caius shook his head. ‘He still has no respect for anyone.’
Posted by: Agent Griff Jun 4 2006, 01:28 PM
Um, is Caius really held in a cell ingame? You got me curious. Anyway, I loved the update and I also loved the fact that you re-introduced Caius into the tale. It'll be interesting to see what the Emperor has to say in this situation.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 4 2006, 07:00 PM
I have no idea where he is in Oblivion. Besides, this story takes place after Morrowind but before Oblivion. Who knows what Caius did in the meantime.
Anyway, a short update.
The emperor was clearly not used to being spoken to like that. Most people would almost crawl over the ground in humbleness. It took him a few moments to get over the surprise and shock.
,,And who might you be that you dare to enter in such a fashion?” He said in a tone that managed to be insulting while still sounding polite.
,,Hey, I’ve saved the whole world for you! I’ve faced zombies, Daedra, half-demented gods and the weather. Show some gratitude, will ya! Heck, you probably never even saw an ash storm in your life!” As expected, Luper fell for it and was now getting really angry.
,,Unlike you, I however learned some manners.”
The only one in the room who was smiling, was Caius. He never thought he would ever get to see the Emperor arguing with someone like a spoiled child. He had to hand it down to Luper, the Redguard always managed to annoy people.
,,With your permission, my emperor. We would like to take our leave.” A short nod was all Caius got and he managed to drag Luper out, who was still busy throwing insults at the Emperor’s head.
,,Now what was that good for?!” he yelled when they were finally outside.
,,First you drag me out of my cell, then you blow up half the palace and finally you start a contest with the emperor about who knows the best insults! Granted, you would win that contest easily but still, what did you think you were doing?!”
Luper finally seemed to calm down a bit upon hearing Caius’ tirade.
,,I was just thinking you wanted to get out of there. I hated my time in prison. Look, I’ll make it up to you by telling you how to get your family and yourself to Vvardenfell. I’m sure that Ajira will give you a place to stay.”
A couple of drinks later everyone had calmed down to the point where conversations were possible without exploding into shouting, insults and cursing all the time.
,,Right, now I don’t think that you all just joined up for fun. So what are you planning this time, Luper? Are you trying to revive your smuggling days?” Caius joked over a glass of Nordic ale. He’d learned that the stuff was a good antidote against Skooma, though it did have its own side-effects.
,,Thanks for the idea, but no. Rather, we’re trying to save the father of the lovely girl sitting right next to you. Be careful, her bite is much worse than her bark. And while we were all busy getting ready, an old guy decided to run ahead and we haven’t heard of him yet so he’s been added to our list.” Luper said and threw back his current mug of ale. He then immediately ordered another one. A rapidly growing collection of empty mugs stood before him.
Jalin rolled his eyes. He’d tried to warn them not to go near the tavern. But when did anyone listen to him? At least the owner of the tavern was getting rich. Luckily Luper had an impressive resistance to alcohol.
,,Seeing as how you’re this drunkards old friend, I guess I better tell you what we’re after before he says it himself. We’re going to hunt a bunch of vampires in Skyrim. Where in Skyrim, I have no idea.” He said, ignoring the sharp look he received from the ‘drunkard’.
Caius frowned and scratched his face. He’d got rid of the beard, but it was now constantly itching.
,,Skyrim? I remember once hearing rumours there of vampires. It was in Snowhawk. There was talk about vampires who lived in a mountain of pure Silver who came into the city from time to time to feed. Of course, they were only rumours and it must’ve been thirty years ago. Besides, who has ever heard of a Silver mountain?” He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
,,If it doesn’t exist, it is very persistent in my dreams.”
Caius looked at the girl who was sitting next to him. He didn’t know why she was travelling with those two men. The Altmer looked like a hunter and Luper….Well, if he could play with the Emperor’s elite guards and win, then he was very tough. But the girl? Sure she walked around with a big Broadsword on her back, but Caius noticed in the way she moved and act that she wasn’t very experienced with it. So why would she be travelling with them if she couldn’t look after herself in a fight?
,,I’ve studied Ashlander beliefs for a while. They believe that if you repeatedly have the same dream, then it is important. I suppose that the mountain then has a certain meaning and maybe even exists. If you find the mountain, then you’ll find the meaning of the dream.” He finally said before putting his ale away. He couldn’t afford being drunk now, he needed to think.
Posted by: mplantinga Jun 5 2006, 08:36 PM
Intriguing developments. I would have thought they would have more trouble breaking into the throne room; in a world where magic is commonplace, I would have expected a battlemage or two among the guards. The way the emperor was treated was spectacular; sometimes I think people in power need to be put in their place.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the vampire hunt continue.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 8 2006, 08:43 PM
Hmm, I totally forgot about the Battlemage tradition. Does he have one after what happened with Yagar Tharn?
And about Luper yelling at him. Well, I won't say that the emperor is a saint, but he's been through a lot and the Redguard could at least have been somewhat respectful. But this is Luper, and he hates the word respectful.
Update time.
Next day, they met in the woods close to the city. All of them felt refreshed from last night’s sleep, though Luper was constantly complaining about a hangover.
,,Right, so you will proceed to Snowhawk in Skyrim and ask for further directions. Seriously, I’d love to come along if I wasn’t so old. Besides, I have to get my family out of the province before the Blades catch on to my escape. I doubt it would take long, considering the redecoration of the palace by a certain Redguard with a hangover who I won’t call by name.” Caius spoke from the back of his horse and laughed at the accusing glare he received from the ‘Redguard with a hangover’. He then turned his horse around and ran off.
,,With that out of the way, we can get going. At least our visit to Cyrodiil hasn’t been a complete waste of time.” Jalin muttered before bringing two fingers to his mouth and whistling. Within a few moments, the three Unicorns arrived. They all mounted with the exception of Luper, who backed away.
,,Hold on, I am not going to ride one of these mules! I sail boats and I fly, but I don’t ever ride a horse. Especially if that horse has got a freaking big horn!”
The two Elves looked at each other and burst out in laughter.
,,I can’t believe it! You’re afraid of a horse?” Jana giggled and nearly fell off her Unicorn. But it was true what she said. Luper could face an attacking army of Daedra without blinking, but he never dared to get close to a horse, or an Unicorn.
,,Alright, so I’m scared. Do you have a problem with that? For your information, my mother never said anything about not hitting girls, so that won’t protect you.” Luper responded and kicked at a nearby tree, causing a big dent in its trunk.
,,Still, it would be the best if you put your fears aside and rode the Unicorn. Just hold on tight and let it choose its own path.” Jalin said once he’d regained his breath.
After a few more minutes about arguing and complaining, Luper finally gave up and climbed, rather clumsily, on his Unicorn. He didn’t say a single word during the entire ride and looked rather pale, but he miraculously never fell off either. The second day he still grumbled a bit, but he got on the Unicorn when told to. The third day, he was gone again, together with his Unicorn.
The lush forests of Cyrodiil made place for the snowy waste of Skyrim. And with the snow came a severe drop in temperature. A drop in temperature that wasn’t too pleasant, since they were used to warmer regions. There was a reason for why most of the people here were Nords. They were the only ones who could handle the cold easily. Snowhawk itself looked like a reasonable city with a big castle in the middle. They might have some heaters here.
Once again, the Unicorns were left outside the city and they entered on foot.
,,Now where do we start looking?” Jana muttered to herself.
,,We’ll just go to the nearest tavern and ask around.” Jalin responded in a tired tone. Before either of them could say anything, a Nord guard on a horse rode up to them.
,,Lady Mirhtri and Master Jalin? Come along.” He commanded with a voice that would allow any objections.
,,Oh, what did we do wrong this time?” Jana said, heavily frustrated.
Jalin shrugged and walked after the guard.
Skyrim
Athus was dropped to the ground in a rather rude way. If he hadn’t been paralyzed, he would have broken his fall with his hands but since he was, he fell flat on his face instead.
,,Get that paralyzation off him. He’s no threat to me and I want to talk.” An evil sounding voice said.
Athus felt a tingling sensation run through his muscles and noticed he could move again. He looked up and saw the owner of the voice.
,,Well, so you are Athus. Well met. I am Gerinj, though you will call me master.” The vampire said and laughed evilly. Athus slowly walked forward till his face was nearly touching that of the vampire.
,,I won’t bow before you, filthy bloodsucking Corprus-ridden zombie.” He whispered. He rarely cursed, but this seemed to be the perfect situation for it. Luckily he’d learned a few words from his daughter.
Gerinj frowned in thought and his eyes blazed with anger once he realized that the man had been cursing. He moved faster than the eye could see and suddenly held a ghostly blade in front of the man’s face.
,,Don’t you dare to speak to me like that, weakling! You are pathetic, like all mortals! You stand here, hoping for your friends to save you while they won’t! Do you want to know why? Because your most powerful friend came here and I killed him. And this is his sword!” He screamed.
Athus was dumbfounded. Friend? He stared at the blade and his eyes widened in shock. He’d seen such a weapon only once before, at the time of its creation. With recognition, his fear ebbed away. If he was to die, then so be it.
,,You’re lying.” He calmly responded.
Posted by: Kiln Jun 8 2006, 09:08 PM
Great story as usual mate, good descriptions and dialogue between characters as well. I just caught up and you left off at an interesting point, please continue soon, I'll be waiting4updates Jack.
Posted by: DarkHunter Jun 9 2006, 11:21 AM
hmmm... Good writing... puzzle.. hmmmm....
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 11 2006, 07:56 PM
Wow, the only scene that I have firmly and completely set in my mind is the end. And it is quite spectacular in my opinion. Anyway, an update of sorts.
,,Lying, why would I be lying?” Gerinj chuckled. This man was amusing. Athus thought over his possibilities. The thruth wouldn’t help the vampire and frankly, Athus loved the idea of frustrating it with the thruth.
,,Quite simple. I will explain. That sword you’re holding is constructed from a living metal you won’t be able to find anywhere in Nirn.” He began, conveniently not telling the vampire that they were standing inside a whole mountain of it.
,,After you manage to somehow make the metal take on the shape of a sword, you can further change it by making it come in contact with a soul. Once the sword has touched the soul, it will merge with it and create a weapon of unparalleled power. Unfortunately, the soul will be trapped inside. To remedy this, you will need to find someone who can create a duplicate of a soul to act as a bridge between the sword and its master. Too bad for you, but you won’t find such a person on Nirn. Since the sword shares the soul of its master, it can’t exist without him. The sword still exists, so that means Aureus is still alive. You didn’t kill him.”
Gerinj was silent. He had intended to torture Aureus till he got bored and killed him. But the sword intrigued him and he didn’t like the idea of losing it. He finally snarled a few orders to some other vampires in the Daedric tongue.
,,You think you’re smart, right? I think I shall bind you to my will by morning. Enjoy your last hours as a free soul. After all, someone has to pay for the damage you and your friend caused.”
Snowhawk.
The Nord let them straight to the castle and through the brightly lit hallways. He finally threw open two big doors.
,,Our guests have arrived!” He shouted.
,,Ah, what took you so long? Have a drink.” Luper made his way through the crowd. He was obviously drunk, again.
Jalin shook his head. It was just something for the Nerevarine to get drunk with a few Nords.
,,What did you do this time? And where did you leave the Unicorn?”
,,Oh, I waved my ring around a bit, told them that I was the Nerevarine and that I was here to hunt vampires. That loosened their tongues and they told me everything I needed to know. Guess what, that silly mountain is actually real. And the Unicorn is in the stables. It helped with establishing my identity as some legendary hero. Now why are you all so upset? I managed to arrange beds for all of us.” Luper told them before joining the party again.
The rest of the Nord party wasn’t very eventful and the night afterwards, all three set out for the silver mountain. Jalin’s attempts at hiring a few Nords turned out to be unsuccessful and in the end it was just the three of them. After two hours of riding, their destination showed up on the horizon. The only one who had been prepared for the sight was Jana, since she’d been dreaming about it since she was infected with vampirism.
,,Alright, I hate to admit it but I’m impressed. Just look at that thing. It looks like some big slimy, silver creature.” Luper muttered.
,,And guess what, it is alive. Crap. Now I’m getting scared. I shouldn’t have used that life detection spell.” He added a few seconds later.
,,Right, we’ll set up camp here and think of a plan before going in. We know practically nothing about this place or the vampires inside.” Jalin noted and climbed off his Unicorn.
,,Plan? By the time you actually finish coming up with a plan, they’ve all died from old age. Why can’t we just go in and improvise?” Luper answered with a small grin. He took out Chrysamere and waved it around a bit.
,,Excuse me! That place is filled with vampires! Aureus went in there and he didn’t come out! I’ve seen how he treated a god as if he was punishing a child! And those vampires managed to beat him! So can you please come up with a plan a bit more complex than running in and swinging your sword at everything that moves?!”
Everyone backed away from the furious Dunmer who didn’t seem to notice that she was creating small sparks in her hands during her tirade.
,,Fine, I’ll wait till you two come up with a plan. That better?” Luper asked once she’d calmed down a bit.
Posted by: treydog Jun 12 2006, 01:44 AM
This is a quite wonderful story- ambitious and wide-ranging. Great fight scenes and definite personalities. A fun and fascinating read.
Posted by: minque Jun 12 2006, 11:49 PM
Yes, what treydog said just about sums it up! I hope you´ll continue!
Posted by: mplantinga Jun 14 2006, 05:54 PM
I was intrigued by the part about the sword containing the soul of Aureus. I'm looking forward to learning more about that.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 16 2006, 08:52 PM
Glad you all like it. I don't know how to add more about Aureus' sword that hasn't already been said. Oh well, said sword still has a role to play in the end.
Now, a very short update. Man, I'm really slowing down. 
Chapter 4: end of the dream
,,Right, now the mountain reacts to the life detection spell and will masque any sign of a vampire. Be careful and stay calm. By the full moon, we don’t want them to notice us.” Jalin whispered as they crept through the snow. Luper had surprised everyone by being quiet while a plan was being made. Maybe there was still hope for him.
Slowly, the mountain grew bigger till they finally found themselves a stone’s throw away.
,,And now, be quiet.” Jalin whispered, motioned for the others to stay where they were and crawled further. When he reached the entrance, he rose up to his full height and closed his eyes. With only his hearing and sense of smell to guide him, he noticed two vampires waiting around the corner. They obviously hadn’t noticed their guests. That was good enough for him.
Jalin slowly raised his crossbow and loaded the weapon. He pressed the lever and the bolt shot forth, bouncing off the wall and drilling right through the heads of both vampires. Jalin peeked around the corner before waving to his companions and entering the mountain.
They slowly walked in further through the constantly shifting corridor. It really looked like they were inside the bloodstream of some huge silvery creature.
,,Now this is freaking me out.” Luper muttered. He was constantly looking at the walls, the ceiling and the floor as if it could suddenly grow a tentacle to grab him.
,,Don’t be such a coward. It’s not that bad. In my dreams, the whole mountain always explodes. This is nothing.” Jana whispered back in an attempt to bring some confidence back to the Nerevarine. In reality, seeing this so-called hero getting frightened was rather scary.
,,See, that is what I mean. Knowing my luck, today just happens to be the day that this mountain thingy explodes.” Luper grumbled, becoming even more depressed.
Jalin stood still and raised his hand. He then raised his crossbow and fired another bolt that bounced of the walls.
,,All clear.” He whispered. When they rounded the corner, another body of a death vampire lied on the floor.
,,How do you do that?” Jana muttered and promised herself never to make Jalin angry. He could be a brilliant assassin if he ever felt something for that profession.
,,I’m a werewolf. Same thing with my parents and Amarie, my adopted sister. With Lycanthropy comes keener senses, and the ability to turn into a werewolf during the full moon. Aureus gave my family a set of amulets that allows us to transform at will and retain full control while in our werewolf form. Thanks to my hearing, my sense of smell and years practicing with the crossbow, I can take these vampires down easily enough as long as they don’t notice us.” Jalin explained with a small hint of pride in his voice.
Posted by: minque Jun 17 2006, 06:18 PM
Ok..short, but nevertheless a very good one! I like the way this story moves, continue please!
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 18 2006, 08:21 PM
Funny, the closer I get to the end, the harder it is to do some good writing. Yup, time to tie up a loose end.
A few corners later, they saw something very peculiar in the winding corridor. A sturdy wooden door was placed in the side of the wall. The doorframe was clearly not connected to the walls and held down by a few heavy rocks. Still, the door effectively blocked the way for anyone who wanted to see what was beyond.
,,A finally, something to kick in.” Luper muttered and kicked in the door. A bolt shot over his head and dug into a vampire.
,,Great, Jalin. Why did you have to ruin my fun?” Luper complained before walking through what was left of the door.
Inside the room, there was a stone table. On top of that table, lied Aureus Lucis. His features had changed since the last time they saw him. From an old man, his appearance had turned into that of a pure vampire. His clothes had been torn away, revealing the silvery armour that flowed around his body as a second skin. Right were his heart would be, the Living Steel had flowed away and formed a circle around it, as if something frightened it. The visible skin on his chest looked like it had been decaying for a while.
,,What in the name of Akatosh happened?” Jana whispered to herself. This was definitely not what she’d expected. The fact that Aureus wasn’t even tied to the stone table made it clear that he couldn’t do anything, which only made the whole situation even more frightening.
,,Observe and draw your conclusions. One thing is sure, I really don’t like this.” Luper answered and took off one of his Dwemer gauntlets.
The Nerevarine moved closer to Aureus and pointed a finger at the man’s chest. A thin stream of fire reached out and cut into the sick flesh, causing a horrible burning smell to fill the room. He then reached into the hole he’d created with his bare hand. The expression on Luper’s face showed that he didn’t like what he was doing. After a few seconds of moving his hand around inside Aureus’ chest, he pulled back. In his now blood-soaked hand he was holding a dark stone of some kind.
,,Alright, my theory is that this thing drains his life and that all of Aureus’ power was being put into maintaining that life. Now that I’ve removed it, he should be able to heal and grow a new heart.” Luper explained while he looked at the stone in his hand.
,,You again. You are becoming quite annoying.” A voice spoke from behind them. Everyone spun around to watch the vampire who had managed to sneak up on them while they were all focussed on Aureus.
,,Don’t you know? I am known all over Tamriel for being annoying. Now I am still angry for that paralyzation spell you used on me in Mournhold. So, any body parts you’d like to lose first?” Luper told him and put on his Dwemer gauntlet again while the stone he’d taken out of Aureus’ chest slipped into a pocket.
,,I’ll handle this guy. Why don’t you go ahead and save the second person on our list?” Luper told the others and took out Chrysamere.
,,Come on, girl.” Jalin said while he quickly dragged Jana out of the room. He’d have preferred to stay and help, but they would have to hurry now that they were found out.
If his sense of direction was correct, they were getting close to the center of the mountain. And it was well known that the master always preferred to be right in the middle of things.
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 18 2006, 10:29 PM
Well now, hopefully Aureus makes it. Being the crafty demi-god that he is, I'm sure he will. Keep it up!
Posted by: Tellie Jun 19 2006, 11:46 PM
I am so sorry for not having kept up with your story Cloudy....and as you still follow mine, I promise that I'llget back to read the entire thing, and regularly reply on it
To saty on topic, I love the way teh story have developed, and I cant wait to read mroe...:lickinglips:
Posted by: DarkHunter Jun 20 2006, 11:18 AM
Whoa... so much happened since last time
I check you're story... Keep it up!
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 20 2006, 06:12 PM
Oh boy, the final battle!
Enjoy the update.
Living mountain, inner lair
Athus was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and his legs tucked underneath him. He could feel the itching of his missing hand. The vampirism had revealed itself, and he knew he could simply grow a new hand. He’d chosen not to, his plan didn’t include anything that required two hands. They’d also given him blood to drink. The taste still plagued his tongue.
,,Get up, Athus. I shall now make your soul mine. Don’t think that you’re special, I do this with all of my vampires with the exception of my right hand, who can keep his soul.” Gerinj spoke in a casual tone.
Athus opened his eyes. Now that the moment had arrived, his soul was calm. Already he could feel the power building up inside him. While Athus remained calm and without expression on the outside, he smiled inside. He had lived as a free man, and he would end his life as a free man. Athus walked over to the vampire and kneeled before him. He could feel the first sting of pain coming from the flesh he was consuming to fuel his spell.
Gerinj’s face darkened. ,,Fool, did you really think that you could destroy me by turning your entire being into an explosion of raw Magicka? By force or without it, you will be mine. In the meantime, thanks for the charge.” The vampire smiled evilly as he cast a spell on the Dunmer before him. Athus gasped when the pain increased in tensity and he felt how his Magicka was being drained by the vampire, thereby preventing his spell from reaching lethal proportions.
Gerinj reached out into the mind of the Dunmer who was now completely drained of his Magicka. The vampire felt for the essence of the man’s soul and prepared to destroy it. He was interrupted when a sharp pain erupted in his neck. The vampire sank to the ground unconscious and with a bolt sticking out of his neck. Athus was knocked off his feet when something flung itself around his neck.
,,Jana? What are you doing here?”
,,I followed you. Do you know how much you had me worried? That’s not nice of you.”
Athus laughed at the response of his daughter. He pulled himself out of her embrace and got up.
,,Mind if I borrow my sword again for a moment?” He said and didn’t wait for an answer before taking the Ebony broadsword of her back. He then walked over to the fallen vampire.
,,This was too easy. Get up, monster.” He commanded in a grim tone.
,,Oh, now I’d really hoped that you all fell for it. Well, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected to fool a vampire hunter of your status. As for the Werewolf, did he really think he could kill me with a bolt through the neck?” The vampire laughed and rose up into the air. He easily caught the next bolt.
,,And now, you shall all die.”
Aureus’ chamber
Luper eyed the vampire cautiously. If he was right, this vampire was about 2000 years old, nearly twice as old as the oldest enemy he ever fought.
,,Wow, why do I always have to fight the old guys? I hope that I’m in such good shape when I become that old.”He calmly waited for his enemy to move. In battle, Luper was almost the opposite of how he was normally. Instead of a loudmouthed jerk, he was focussed and never uttered a word once the battle had started. Finally, the vampire charged and Luper brought up his sword to deflect the first blow.
The two blades clashed and Luper found himself having to step back from the blow.
,, Those stupid Nordic vampires and their muscles. Lucky me.” He thought while he swung around his sword.
He did notice that he had more skill than the vampire, which compensated somewhat for his foe’s speed. The two blades clashed a few more times before the vampire suddenly spun around and kicked at the Redguard. Luper jumped to the side and managed to prevent the boot from smashing in his face, but caught it with his shoulder instead. He flew out of the door and landed in the corridor.
,,Do you give up, Redguard?” The Vampire asked from the doorway.
,,Sorry, but they never told me the meaning of the word.” Luper responded with a small grin.
He raised Chrysamere’s blade and used the sword’s enchantment to deflect the incoming spell back at his opponent. The fireball managed to slightly scorch the vampire’s clothes before being dispelled.
,,Interesting. So you wield the Paladin’s blade? I know people who would kill for that weapon.” The vampire whispered.
,,You know what, I did kill for it.” Luper snapped back. This vampire was beginning to annoy him. It was when he was annoyed, that the Nerevarine was most dangerous.
The Vampire bared his teeth.
,,I see. This shall prove to be….interesting.”
Posted by: minque Jun 20 2006, 06:51 PM
Uj uj.......brilliant Mr Cloudy! Fast moving, intriguing .yay I´d say...Moore please?
Posted by: DarkHunter Jun 20 2006, 08:32 PM
how will it end?!? Must see ending.....
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 20 2006, 10:03 PM
I forsee an epic battle... of course, wouldn't it be ironic is they suffer a heart attack or something. Or they have an enchanted shin ala Mr.Burns (Lord Montymort for that episode) from the Simpsons?
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 21 2006, 09:48 PM
No update yet, sorry. This is a battle I want to think out properly instead of just improvising along the way like I usually do.
I just wanted to drop a note that I recently visited the main site again and noticed something called "My Chorrol" that involved a lovely 51200Kb or something of filespace to use. (51200 kb= 51.2 mb! ) I plan on making good use of that space by uploading all my stories there. I'm cleaning up my old Oasis story, removing spelling errors and stuff. Once done, I think I'll put it there for testing.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 24 2006, 10:09 PM
Finally the update has arrived. As for the posting of Oasis thing, forget it. There wasn't a text section included. Oh well, too bad. And Mallet, someone in this update does suffer a heartattack. (sort of.)
Luper flashed one of his grins.
,,Oh, but I just happen to be a good dentist. Allow me to remove you of the problem your teeth are causing you.” He said and went back into the offensive with Chrysamere. Despite his best efforts, the Nerevarine couldn’t match his opponent’s speed and was quickly forced into defending again.
,,A dentist? Do you think you’re funny? Unfortunately, but your sense of humor makes me burn!” The vampire shouted and released a stream of hot fire. Luper used his sword to deflect the flames which crashed into the walls, making them glow from the heat. But the vampire continued releasing the stream of fire and Chrysamere was soon heated to the point that Luper had to drop it and rely on the shields in his pauldrons and gauntlets instead. Slowly, the flames ate their way through the shields and came closer to burning the Nerevarine alive.
,,Brilliant, I hate it when the bad guys have the advantage. I can’t move out of the way or I’m history. I wished I was a Dunmer, at least then I could handle the flames a bit better.” That thought gave Luper an idea and he rummaged with one hand around in his pockets till he took out a scroll. He cast a worried look at the scroll that began to smoke and slowly burn.
,,Venio Corpus Flamma!” He shouted as the scroll burst into flame. Instantly, a rip to Oblivion was formed in front of the man and a Flame Atronach stepped out, harmlessly adding the vampire’s flames to its own substance as it guarded Luper from the deadly stream of fire.
Luper grinned while he used his amulet of Shadows and merged with his surroundings. The Atronach was sent back to its own plane a few seconds later by a large blast of ice, but Luper had already turned invisible.
,,Where are you?! Show yourself, coward!” The vampire snarled and looked over his shoulder. All invisible enemies preferred to attack from the rear. A sharp pain erupted in his chest and he stared down to see an ominous black stone wedged between his ribs by a barely visible hand.
,,Surprise. Don’t you love it to have your own device of torture used against you?” Luper spoke as the life-draining powers of the stone began to effect the vampire.
,,This should teach you not to replace the hearts of old men with weird rocks. And remember I said I was a dentist?” He continued and janked out the vampire’s teeth before knocking him to the ground. He picked up Chrysamere and separated the vampire’s head from his body.
,,Now I would love to see you suffer, but I don’t have time for that and someone might get the stupid idea to help you. So unfortunately, I’ll settle for decapitation.”
Luper cast a quick glance to the entrance of the room containing Aureus. He was sure that the old man would be fine now that the black stone had found a new chest to sit in. Luper turned around and headed for the central chamber.
Central chamber.
Back in the central chamber, the battle against Gerinj didn’t go well. Though the vampire was outnumbered three to one, he proved to be very hard to beat. Hard was a bit of an understatement, impossible would be closer to the truth. Jalin had long since fired off every single bolt he had and was now using his Wakizashi together with the claws he received from his werewolf form. The frustrating thing was that even with all three of them attacking at once, the vampire managed to evade every blow without even trying.
,,Well, what do we have here?” The Vampire muttered when he suddenly swooped down from the ceiling and lifted Jana off the ground.
,,I knew there was something familiar about your smell. You are a vampire, of my clan.” Gerinj’s tone became darker during those words.
,,So my right-hand has decided to start a clan of his own. He must be trying to replace me. I’ll deal with that after I..” The rest of his words were interrupted by a loud and angry hiss when Jana sank her teeth in his arm.
,,That was not nice, girl.” He growled and threw her to the floor.
,,You are all becoming quite annoying.” He spoke as he conjured a large ball of lightning in his hand.
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 25 2006, 12:48 AM
Wooo!!! Semi-heart attack action!!! I loved it!
It's looking like things are becoming dire for our heroes though, hopefully they can pull this off, without casualties.
Posted by: DarkHunter Jun 25 2006, 01:09 AM
Ooooo... The evil dude (I'm not good on typing names out) isn't allowed hurting the girl! Hurry Luper!
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 27 2006, 09:30 PM
Update! The battle continues! Who knows, I might add a second update later this night.
He was about to release the spell when his eyes were drawn to a rolling head that came to rest right in front of his feet.
,,I regret to inform you, but your friend lost his head.” A mocking voice spoke from the shadows. Gerinj laughed.
,,I had to take care of the traitor anyway, so no problem. Now I suppose you think you can defeat me together with your friends? I can’t die, so why do you even try?” He responded with his face turned into the direction from where he’d heard the voice.
,,You know what? That’s almost exactly what Dagoth Ur told me. I haven’t seen him around ever since I messed him up. So what makes you think you’re anything different?” The mocking voice said again, from a different direction.
There was the whooshing sound of something moving through the air. The vampire moved to the side to avoid it but still saw how part of his robe was cut open with a small stream of blood trailing the almost invisible blade that had caused it.
,,Impressive. So you claim to be this man they call the Nerevarine? I’ll give you an offer. Join me, take that traitor’s place and you’ll live for eternity.” The vampire spoke while his wound healed.
,,Sorry, but you can’t bribe me with vampirism. I don’t age even without your pointy teeth.”
The vampire finally released his spell now that he’d managed to locate the Nerevarine. He saw how the bolt wrapped itself around the invisible blade and remained there for a few seconds, visibly bending the sword. Then, the bolt was hurled back at its caster. Gerinj smiled when he absorbed his own spell. He began laughing when the others suddenly decided to attack him while he was distracted. He raised a shield around himself and then created a shockwave to send everyone up against the walls with enough force to break a few bones.
,,The difference between me and Dagoth Ur is that I am not even trying to defeat you. This is all just a game for me. And I don’t have a vulnerable object that is the source of my powers.” He laughed when he strolled over to the still invisible Luper.
,,And finally, I have recently obtained a sword that is much better than the Paladin’s blade.” He whispered and swung Aureus’ ghostly blade.
The sword seemed to meet resistance for a second before continuing along its path. A clattering sound, and the blade of Chrysamer became visible on the floor.
,,Aw man, this can’t be happening. You broke my sword, now I am really angry!” Luper shouted and sent a barrage of spells towards the vampire that were all stopped by the shield without causing damage. He then lunged at the vampire and began punching with his Dwemer gauntlets. Gerinj avoided the first few punches before grabbing the Nerevarine by his throat with his free hand and lifting him up from the floor.
,,As I said, I am merely playing with you.” He whispered and began to apply pressure to Luper’s neck. The creepy sound of bones beginning to break echoed through the room.
Suddenly, he shouted in pain and dropped both Luper and Aureus’ sword. Gerinj looked at the gaping hole in his chest that already began to close. He began to laugh.
,,That was an interesting trick. Put your hand on your opponent’s chest and then summon a Daedric sword, brilliant! If you took the chance to aim for my throat, you might actually have managed to kill me. Too bad for you that you didn’t. Now I think I’ll finish you quickly before you come up with a trick that might kill me.” He said and bent to pick up the sword he’d dropped.
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 27 2006, 10:04 PM
Time for me to sound really cheesy....
DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!
The suspense will kill me I swear. I can't wait for your next update which will hopefully come later today.
I should really work on updating mine... but these good fanfics are quite distracting
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 27 2006, 10:14 PM
And another one. A cheap ending, but I've been hinting at it throughout the story. Enjoy. Oh yeah, this isn't the last update by the way. I still need to do an epilogue.
The tip of his fingers touched the handle when the sword began to move and suddenly flew across the floor. The vampire followed the sword with his eyes till his gaze settled on an old man who was leaning against the wall. Aureus looked like a corpse, with the gaping hole in his chest still there and with his armour still trying to avoid the decaying flesh. Gerinj shook his head.
,,Aureus, so nice of you to join us. Like your friends, you don’t know when to give up. Didn’t you try this before? Your sword can’t hurt me!” He shouted. The calm expression of the Imperial was making him nervous. Despite the pain he was suffering, Aureus managed to smile.
,,Through the ages, the Silver Eye clan was cursed with a single, never ending dream. The dream of the mountain. My sword cannot hurt you, but there is a force that even you fear, a force you haven’t seen for so long that you no longer remember it. I am about to bring the dream to its conclusion. You have miscalculated my target.” He whispered and plunged the ghostly blade into the wall with all the strength he had left.
The mountain began to tremble and glow when the sword touched it. The Living steel of the mountain sensed the bare soul in Aureus’ sword and was drawn towards it. But together with the force that made the mountain collapse in an attempt to merge with the sword, there was a second force that tried to make the mountain expand. When these two forces collided, the mountain began to shake, and large waves of Living Steel washed across its surface. Then, the mountain exploded in a glowing shower that swept everyone off their feet like a massive storm. The shower extended upwards in all directions, smashing a hole in the clouds before beginning to shrink till only a small silvery puddle remained on the ground where Aureus had been standing.
With the clouds gone, the sun’s light could reach the ground. As soon as the light of the sun touched the old vampire, his skin began to burn. Gerinj hadn’t drunk blood in a long time in an attempt to increase his powers as a vampire. But with his powers came a price, he had lost his ability to survive the sun. His skin began to burn and boil faster than even he could heal. He burst into flame and with a last scream from his lungs, he turned into a small pile of ash that was swept away by the wind.
Chapter 5: A new day under the sun.
When he awoke, he had an awful headache, a couple of broken bones and his neck felt like it had snapped.
,,Brilliant, I thought I was on vacation. Then why do I feel like a Dremora has stepped on me?” He mumbled to himself. He then remembered where he was and tried to open his eyes. His vision was blurred but he still managed to recognize the figure that loomed over him.
,,Oh, hi girl. Say, what time do we have breakfast?” He muttered and tried to make a smile.
,,Geez, don’t try to be the hero till the end. Now hold still.” Jana responded and forced the Nerevarine to drink a potion.
,,There you go. If the Lich knows his job, you should be back up in no time.”
As she’d said, Luper felt good enough to sit up a few minutes later. He noticed that he was the last one to have regained consciousness after Aureus blew up the mountain.
,,I wish Aureus was there when we beat up Dagoth Ur and his gang. Having him blow up Red Mountain would make things so much easier. Where is the old guy anyway?” he said and actually managed to produce one of his trademark grins. That grin quickly faded when he saw how everyone looked at him.
,,Death? I can’t believe it. This is just not real.” He whispered. A glimmer in the snow caught his attention and he wandered over to it. He bent down and picked up what turned out to be the blade of Chrysamere.
,,Hello, old buddy. Sorry about this, but I’ll fix you up someday. As for the old man, goodbye…friend.” Luper muttered as he got up again and returned the blade of his Claymore to its scabbard.
,,Let’s just go to an inn and get drunk in Aureus’ honour.” Surprisingly, there were no objections this time to the Nerevarine’s plan.
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 27 2006, 10:23 PM
Woo! Nice ending of the conflict, poetic for Aureus to sacrifice himself and all that.
Hopefully your epilogue is understandable, sometimes drunk people are hard to understand
Posted by: DarkHunter Jun 28 2006, 04:33 AM
Yay! *does a odd dance* it's your.... oh forget it.
Posted by: jack cloudy Jun 28 2006, 06:31 PM
Last one. I am already thinking of my next story. Maybe it will be a crossover with X-com. I'd love to see what happens when one Flying Suited, Heavy Plasma carrying soldier gets stuck in Tamriel.
Snowhawk.
The Nord entered the inn a bit hesitant. The place was small, dirty and filled with the lowest type of people you could find in the city. Still, it was the last inn he hadn’t checked and what did his lord say? ,,Yer gonna get that package to the right people or we’ll send ye as a gift to the vampires.”
The Nord shook his head. They’d all seen the brilliant light in the distance and some had even been brave enough to go look for the cause of it. The silvery mountain the vampires had lived in was gone, not even a single small puddle remained. So the threat of his lord was empty, though there were plenty of alternative punishments. With a sigh, he entered the inn while he kept one hand on the handle of his axe and another on the package.
He brushed aside a few drunkards and made his way to a small table in a corner of the room. He’d already seen his target. Two Dunmer, an Altmer and a Redguard. The chance of finding two groups like that was very small. He dropped the package at their table and made sure he got out . Once outside, he made his way to a cleaner inn where he could have a drink of his own.
Athus picked the package up with his remaining hand. He seemed to be the only one who was sober enough to even notice the whole thing. He tore it open and two blood-red amulets rolled onto the table together with a letter. Athus quickly pocketed the two expensive looking amulets before anyone could steal them. He then picked up the letter and began to read.
To my friends, no names required.
I’ve written this letter during the night after the Silver Eye clan attacked the sanctuary. I dropped it off at the post office in Cyrodiil. If everything is fine, the package should arrive at Snowhawk in a few days.
In case I am unable to intercept it, this package should come into your hands. I would like to inform you that I have decided to leave this plane after my business with the Silver Eye has been resolved. I plan to visit a few old friends who must have become very old indeed during my absence. As such, don’t wait for me to come back. I am not good at farewells and I’d prefer to leave when no one is watching. I am sure that there will be no problems while the sanctuary is rebuilt.
Finally, there should be two amulets inside this package. I made them recently since there will be a need for them. I have used one myself for a long time and there have been no complaints so far. The enchantment on the amulets is quite complex but the results are simple to understand. In short, the amulet will feed a vampire constantly which means that said vampire will no longer have to rely on blood to remain in a fed condition.
Don’t worry about me or Tamriel. During the time I was on the Elder Council and wrote part of the Elder Scrolls, I’ve seen my future. Tamriel shall face an invasion from Oblivion within a few years but the day shall be saved by a hero. As for me, my end shall not come underneath the mountain. I have seen myself hiding underneath a shell of Living Steel to avoid the sun, but I haven’t seen my death.
To end this letter, I say goodbye till the next time we meet.
Aureus Lucis, Wanderer.
Athus slowly reread the letter again before putting it away. So Aureus was alive. He took out the amulets and hung one around the neck of his sleeping daughter while the other one ended up around his own neck. He felt the rejuvenating powers of the amulet throughout his body.
,,One Flin, please.” He ordered and smiled.
Outside the city, an Imperial stood on a nearby hill. He looked at the lights of the city below him and smiled.
,,Tamriel is a good place but for now, I must depart. Goodbye, my friends.” He muttered. He looked down at the sword in his hand. The ghostly blade of the weapon lit up for a moment with the image of a mountain before coming to rest again. He slowly returned the weapon to its sheath and turned around. He stretched out one hand and Magicka began to flow from his fingers in a complex pattern.
The Magicka swirled around through the air and began to take the shape of a ring. The air inside the ring became darker till it was pure black. Then, the process reversed and the air became pure white. Finally, the insides of the ring seemed to vanish and the sight of a strange land took its place. The air flowing from the ring was warm and pure. The man took one last look at the city of Snowhawk before stepping through the ring and entering the new plane. Behind him, the ring collapsed on itself and disappeared in a small shower of sparks.
The End.
Posted by: The Metal Mallet Jun 28 2006, 08:00 PM
Well that makes me eat my own words a little bit. It's neat that Aureus still survives afterall.
A strong finish to a strong Fan Fic. I can't wait to see your next project!
Posted by: mplantinga Jun 28 2006, 08:20 PM
An exciting end indeed. I've enjoyed reading this story; I'm glad to finally see how it ends but I'm sad to see that it is over. I hope that you will grace us with another story in the future.
Posted by: Agent Griff Jul 6 2006, 03:53 PM
So the story has ended. I loved your story, I might even say that it was better than Oasis but I'm not sure. It was a little short though for my preferences, Oasis was longer. So ends the latest adventure of "Repul Dakla" I still remember when I told you that the name was pretty lame.
I liked how Aureus calmly predicted: "Tamriel shall face an invasion from Oblivion within a few years but the day shall be saved by a hero." it was as if he said: "the lawn shall get all messed up but some guy will come with a lawn-mower and take care of it."
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