All caught up! Very nice. Bringing my Matron into the fold, how fitting. Mephala is intrigue itself after all, and I am quite intrigued now!

Thanks again! To have your encouragement really helps, since your writing provided me with the impetus to start on this story again!

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Aug 30 2008, 04:29 AM

”I am an atlas of smoke.”
- From The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec: Sermon Seventeen

Chapter VII

Vehk burst through the ornately engraved wooden door of the King’s palace, clutching in his arms the book of Tsaesci Secrets of War. He dashed across the courtyard to the slope-roofed pavilion where I and our horses were waiting as at least half a dozen serpent guards chased after him.

“Go! GO!” the thief-prince cried as the fiery red hail of Akaviri arrows filled the air behind him. For a moment, the projectiles seemed to hover in the air beneath the midday sun. Their red volcanic glass tips glowed orange from the light of Magnus as the volley took the countenance of a great black-striped dragon. The creature opened its maw and devoured the pavilion in an instant before turning to bear its teeth…

A loud thump against the hull stirred me awake. I slowly sat up and looked around to see what the matter was, but things seemed pretty quiet below deck. A few of the men were talking quietly and playing a game of cards. Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t too significant – probably just a large piece of driftwood from one of the many shipwrecks along the rocky Telvanni coast.

We were getting close to the rumored “hotspot” Ri’Darsha had mentioned in his report – a small island that the locals liked to call Shroud Rock. Sailors made a point of avoiding the place – it was frequently covered in a heavy fog that ships had a tendency to never come out of. Even when the skies were clear, the waters around the island were treacherous and unpredictable. It was rumored to be haunted, cursed, or protected from intruders by magic. But Ri’Darsha had overheard several different freighter captains talking about a suspicious-looking boat docked nearby - probably a Camonna Tong remnant. So I was now leading a detachment from Fort Wolverine to investigate.

I fell back in my cot and stared at the ceiling. I did not particularly want to go back to sleep. I had been dreaming about Akavir more and more in the past few weeks. Akavir...it was a word that now seemed to occupy my every thought. The dread curse of Akavir hung over me like a dark cloud. The dreams held sway over my future...and even my past. I remembered reading something in one of the Thirty-Six lessons about Vivec and Nerevar traveling to Akavir to learn the ways of the East. But I wasn’t sure how much of his account (if any) could be believed.

In fact, I was beginning to regard virtually everyone and everything with suspicion. I had nearly doubled the number of guards protecting Rethan Manor. I was going through the personal correspondence of my secretaries and advisors. I was more fearful and paranoid than ever – the fear that something might happen to my wife and my daughter weighed heavily upon me, as did my own destiny.

I began to reflect back on what Vivec had told me: “The meddlers of Oblivion have something in mind for you.” But what exactly was it? My dreams and visions were even more vivid and frequent than ever before. Yet I still was no closer to finding any answers.

As I pondered over this, the hatch opened. A stocky, ruggedly-built Imperial with gray-flecked hair stepped down from above deck.

“Knight Grignr?” he called down from above. “We just dropped anchor, sir. We’re here.”

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 8 2008, 07:19 PM

Ill make this quick: you're freaking poet man!! Please, keep it coming!

Garth...that was a haiku.

I stepped off the boat and surveyed my surroundings as I waded toward shore through the shin-deep water. It was a craggy, miserable little rock – ill-suited for habitation, or for any purpose for that matter. We had disembarked near the least steep and most approachable part of the island. Where the rest of the island was surrounded by sheer cliff faces, this area was more of a steep, graduated incline, with a modestly-sized flat section near the water’s edge. Further north, the shoreline indented inwards to form a sort of miniature bay spanned by a crude, arch-like rock bridge.

“Their hideout is probably near that indentation over there.” I motioned for the Legionnaires to follow me.

But no sooner had we started toward the bridge when a wrinkled, white-haired Dunmer in fine robes made his way over the top of the hilltop and into our line of sight. The archers noticed this quickly and readied their weapons, arrows primed to fire.

“Hold!” I ordered. Then, I called out to the Dunmer. “Halt! Identify yourself!”

The mer laughed and began muttering something under his breath. Then there was a brief crash of thunder. Suddenly, a massive shockwave of magicka exploded from out of the ground itself, knocking me off my feet and onto my back. By the time I got back up, the island was quickly being enveloped in a thick fog. Within seconds, I could not see past my own outstretched hands.

“It’s a trap!” I gasped. “We have to get out of here!”

One of the soldiers behind me spoke up. “How? We can’t even see where we’re supposed to – AAAAAAAUUUUUUGH!” He let out a piercing scream and fell silent.

For a few agonizing seconds, all was silent. And then, nine hells broke loose. Terrified shrieks of agony and death filled the air, accompanied by the distinctive sound of sword slicing through flesh, and punctuated by the loud CLAK! of heavy boots against the ground as the Legionnaires desperately tried to flee. This was no battle – this was a slaughter.

I tried to focus my innate Tower-sense upon my surroundings in an effort to search for traps or enchantments, but it was to no avail. The wizard had silenced me.

I had to think fast. The lives of myself and the men under my command were at stake. I could not see the end of my own sword, but I knew that I was dead if I just stayed where I was. I needed to dispel the wizard’s curse.

Just then, I could feel a faint, rippling breeze coming from behind my neck. Realizing what it was, I ducked and dove out of the way. A split second later, I felt the cold WHOOSH! of a blade passing over me as I hurtled through the mist. Unfortunately, my momentum carried me over the edge of the narrow path on which I was standing. I tumbled down the steep slope onto the rocks below.

I landed with a mighty crash. Winded but alive, I slowly got to my knees, reached into my pack and groped around for the potions. I rummaged through the bag, squinting hard to read the labels on the vials. Finally, I was able to find what I was looking for – a Dispel potion. I quickly drank it and stood up as I grabbed a potion of levitation from the bottom of the bag.

I could feel the magic of the Tower flow through me and everything on the island as I focused my inner eye upon my enemies. There were about twelve of them near the shoreline, each of them armed with poisoned shortswords, plus enchanted amulets that presumably allowed them to detect us. The wizard was higher up, near the top of the hill at the center of the island. I had to kill him and lift the fog.

I floated silently up to one of my assailants. I knew he could see me as well, and had my sword at the ready. I could sense the location of his short blade as he moved to attack. But I knew quite well how to fight in the dark – Imsin herself had trained me how to do it, back in the days when she was master-at-arms, and I her pupil.

"Make contact...maintain balance...keep moving...let the enemy's blade move with yours...make use of your senses!"

I no longer needed to remind myself of these things. They were now second nature to me.

My sword met his, and then swiftly swung around to strike at his torso. The invisible assailant blocked my strike just in time. However, he had left his flank wide open. I kicked the hazy expanse where I knew his stomach to be. My left foot connected with his stomach, and he fell back, dazed and short of breath. I plunged Trueflame into his chest and charged up the hill.

Every step up the rocky incline was a leap of faith; I had only my intuition to guide my footsteps. Soon, I was beset on both sides by no fewer than three enemies. With only my inner eye and sense of direction I thwarted their attacks, slashing, blocking, ducking, and dodging my way around and through them. One by one they fell until none stood in my way.

The wizard’s powerful staff betrayed him to me. But he was not blind, either – I felt him getting farther away from me as he fled down the other side of the little mountain.

“Come back here!” I snarled, unslinging my Daedric longbow. I focused my senses again, getting a bead on his spiritual aura and letting fly a bonemold arrow into the murky void. A whimpering cry of anguish let me know that my shot had connected.

I calmly strolled down to where the wizard lay, unable to walk. He had been shot in the leg.

“Please…” he pleaded. “P-please don’t kill me…please, I don’t –“

I didn’t allow him to finish his sentence, separating his head from his shoulders. Good men had died because of what he had done. Men whom it was my responsibility to lead. Some of them I knew quite well. These were my friends; my comrades-in-arms. It was nothing less than what he deserved. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been the executioner.

Gradually, the fog began to clear. As I stood there, carefully cleaning the blood off of my sword, I heard a voice cry out behind me. “Watch out, sir!”

I pivoted to face the threat, only to recoil in fear and surprise. Two tall figures were racing toward me, each dressed in black from head to toe, with a single glass eye gleaming on the left side of their faces. It couldn’t be…

They were no more than five feet away. I couldn’t stop them; there was no time. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the inevitable sting of their glass daggers…but the impact never came. One by one, I opened my eyes. The assassins lay face down on the ground, arrows sticking through the backs of their heads.

“The Dark Brotherhood…” I murmured incredulously. “They must have set this trap for me…” Then it began to dawn on me. “Imsin…”

“Is something wrong, sir?” a voice called out. I looked to the top of the hill. A Redguard in Imperial uniform stood there, his long braided hair flowing in the breeze.

“No…nothing. It seems I owe you my life, soldier. What’s your name?”

“Trooper Sadean, sir. I am…or, was…head of the detachment of archers you brought here.”

“I see…are there any other survivors, Trooper?”

“No, sir,” he replied grimly. “Just me.”

“Damn…we’ll need to report this to Fort Wolverine. You’ll have to do it yourself, unfortunately. I have to go. There’s…something I need to see. Oh, and by the way, congratulations.”

“Congratulations? For what?”

“Your promotion, of course. Best of luck to you, Agent Sadean.”

I slipped on my Grandmaster’s Signet Ring and teleported to Rethan Manor, terrified at what I might find there…

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 24 2008, 07:13 AM

That was interesting. A powerful wizard, and then the dark brotherhood. I await news of Rethan manor with great trepidation.

Mephala, heirs and the dark brothehood? This can mean only one thing-trouble!

Seriously, this is getting very good indeed, and I look forward the next part.

Furious, I bolted upright and balled my fist in anger. ”And just why, pray tell, should I go along with the Emperor’s plans for me? What do I owe the man to whom I have already given two years of my life? Was my stay in prison not enough punishment to satisfy his sadistic desires!? What possible justification could I have for doing ANYTHING other than walking out that door and never coming back?”

Caius seemed to look right through me, directly into my soul as he made his calm and measured reply. “You have nowhere else to go,” he said plainly. “You are a stranger, alone in a strange land. You have no home, no family, no means of employment, no personal ties to Cyrodil. You cannot hope to survive here without the Emperor’s help. To serve the Empire – and above all to serve her people – is the greatest deed, and the greatest honor, that any man or mer could ever take on. It is a duty you cannot run from. You must go forth and face it like a man…no matter how difficult or painful it may be. As hard as it may be for you to understand, this is the reality of your situation.”

For a long moment, I sat there, deep in thought. Then, finally, I made my decision.

“Very well. I hereby pledge my life to the Emperor’s service, and to the people of Morrowind. This I swear by the deepest depths of my soul.”

Chapter VIII

I materialized once again inside the outer walls of my fortress, praying to any gods who would listen that it had fulfilled its purpose. Frantically, I ran across the well-trodden courtyard toward my home. But as I did, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks – a sight that I would never forget. Two of my guards lay face down outside the manor, their corpses riddled with arrows, darts, and other unidentifiable wounds. Though I had seen many dead bodies in my time, the sight made my face blanch with horror. The Dark Brotherhood had been here.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, I crept closer and closer to the entrance, as if tiptoeing near the edge of a cliff. Could my worst fears have been realized? I could not bear to find out…and yet I had to. Trembling, brought my hand up to the handle and pushed open the door.

Inside was more of the same. I could see a few surviving guards dragging around the dead bodies of other guards, along with the corpses of a few assassins. Fjorgeir, the captain of the guards, was the first to notice me enter the manor. He looked very distraught.

“Lord Grignr!” he exclaimed, with a wild but exhausted look in his eyes. “Th-there’s been a terrible attack on Rethan Manor! The Dark Brotherhood…just…there were just so many of them! So many dead…”

“How? What happened? Are Imsin and Svetja alright?”

His face contorted into a sorrowful grimace. “I’m not quite sure how it happened. One moment, it was a clear and sunny day over the plateau, and then…then a thick, damp fog just washed over us like a tidal wave. Men started dying left and right. And I…I ran away from them…back to the manor. I don’t know how I made it to the door alive, but…I had to warn the others. I had to save your family, milord…and…m-myself…” The proud Nord hung his head in shame. “Forgive me, sir. I’ve…never fled from battle like that before.”

“I understand,” I said. “Tell me what happened after that.”

“Well…I must have been able to escape their sight somehow, because I was able to get there about thirty seconds before they did. And then…then they came. There were just so many…there must have been at least two dozen by my count, maybe more. We fought and…slowed them down as best we could. Lady Imsin was able to take up her sword and shield to try and fight them off. She fought bravely, but…I’m so sorry…she…she was killed. Her body…it’s still upstairs.”

I swallowed deeply, struggling to hold back tears. “And what of Svetja? Where is my daughter?”

“I’m afraid we…don’t know, sir. Lady Imsin ordered Edrene to get her out of here and take her to the Chapel at Fort Moonmoth. But Intervention didn’t work here, so she had to run…jumped right off the balcony and just took off. We haven’t heard back from her yet.”

I stood there, unable to move. Then, finally, I spoke. “Show me to her body.”

Fjorgeir led me up the stairs and into the master bedroom. There, right in the center of the room, lay Imsin, still carrying Hopesfire in her right hand. Around her were the bodies of a half a dozen assassins.

“I am so sorry, milord…” Fjorgeir said despondently. “I have failed you…we’ve all failed you…”

“You are not at fault,” I said in the most stoic tone I could muster. “You’ve done all I've ever asked of you. Now I ask that you leave me in peace for a moment.”

“Yes, milord.” He turned and walked quickly out of the room.

I fell to my knees and wept bitterly.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 15 2008, 07:12 AM

Ah yes! A good piece of work really. I read the last parts with great pleasure. So continue please

The funeral was held three days later, atop a grassy hill not far from the Odai Plateau. It seemed as though all of Morrowind had come to mourn and bear witness to her cremation. Duke Dren was there, as were Archmagister Aryon, all the Hlaalu and Redoran councilmen, and every Legion fort commander. There were even some people I did not recognize, presumably having come all the way from the mainland to pay their respects. Lord Vivec himself had come to preside over the proceedings (a fact which surprised even me, seeing how he seldom left his palace). Yet all the company in the world made little difference to me. The love of my life was dead, and I had heard no news with regards to my daughter. No amount of comfort or tears could bring either of them back to me.

In the center of the mass of humanity lay Imsin’s body, surrounded by flowers atop a simple wooden platform. She was clad in full uniform with Hopesfire in hand, lying across her chest. But her face was pale, devoid of the fiery spirit and energy that had seemed to course through her while she lived. She was not as I remembered her at all.

Appropriately, the day was cold, gray, and gloomy. A gentle rain was falling as Vivec approached, carrying a glowing ceremonial torch. He climbed atop the platform and delivered his brief elegy. “Count only the happy hours. A simple lesson, one that I have given before. But one that must not be forgotten when we consider and reflect upon the brief life of Imsin the Dreamer, warrior servant of the Dragon Crown, wife of the Hortator, and mother to his child. Pity that her hours were so few. But what few she had were memorable, and filled with heroics, virtuousness, and most of all love. She now returns to the Dreamsleeve, where kings and queens and peasants sleep and drift; where the cold wombfires purge the soul of memory and forge it anew. So do mortals die, and so are they reborn. It has been so since the foundation of the Mundus, and will be so until its end. You shall never see this woman again. One day, though, the same fate will befall you. Therefore, let us mourn this loss now, and express sorrow openly, that later we may weep no more. The ending of these words is ALMSIVI.”

And with that, Vivec dropped the torch upon the platform. The hungry, flickering flames spread like hot butter over bread, engulfing Imsin’s funeral pyre. The flame burned for hours, as the people there paid their respects, offered words of condolences, and paid homage to their Lord Vivec. In the meantime, I just sat there, staring at the flames, barely acknowledging the presence of the various friends and well-wishers who were there. One by one, they all left, until the fire died out (and only ashes and the still-intact Hopesfire remained), leaving me and Vivec standing alone.

He looked at me. I turned my head away and stared at the ground. For a minute, neither of us spoke a word. Finally, I opened my mouth. “It all seems so cruel, so…unfair. For all my time here, I’ve striven to protect this land from evil. I’ve been constantly struggling against it. And ever since the visions started, I’ve been trying - trying with all my might – to stop it from destroying my life. I have given my best, fighting with every bit of strength that I have to master my destiny and protect the people I care about. But the one thing that meant the most to me…I was powerless to protect.

"My heart, my soul…they are dead and missing. They have been stolen from me…and I cannot even name the thief. Do you know what it is like to feel so powerless, Lord Vivec? To know that you have lost everything…and can do nothing about it?”

“I know the feeling well, Hortator,” he replied. “For five hundred years my power has been slowly draining, and I have watched the country I once ruled over slowly deteriorate and fall to a foe that I, previously omnipotent, could not stop. Then I lost my sister to madness. Believe me, I have witnessed much sorrow over the course of my divine span of existence.”

“Hmm…maybe,” I said, stroking my chin. “But that’s still not enough to answer the other question I have for you. Regardless of how much you may relate to my predicament, you had no reason to come here. It could just as easily have been Archcanon Saryoni or even an Imperial Cult priest delivering that elegy. To be quite frank, I suspect you didn’t come to provide comfort or to mourn my dead wife. So, if you don’t mind me asking, old friend…why are you really here?”

“A fair question. You are as clever and observant as you were in your first incarnation, Lord Nerevar. The truth is, I have come to give you counsel.”

“Counsel? Counsel regarding what?”

“Regarding the path which has been laid at your feet. It has been set before you, and you cannot deny it.”

“NO! I have had ENOUGH of prophecy and fate! I’ve lost enough to them already! They just ruined my life! I’m tired of following rules set for me by some cosmic meddler!”

“Hmm…understandable. However, you’ll soon learn otherwise. What if I were to tell you that I can help you find the one who murdered your wife? And that the help would lead you toward your star-bound fate?”

“Keep talking.”

“Very well. The path you must follow will lead you to investigate a traitor in your midst – someone who has gained your trust as an agent of deceit.”

My brow furrowed in puzzlement. “But who could possibly…?” Suddenly, it dawned on me – the informant who sent me to Shroud Rock in the first place! “But it can’t be…Ri’Darsha?”

Vivec shrugged (a rare fit of expressiveness for him). “If there is no one else more suitable. I have meditated over this for several days and determined that there must be a spy. If it is vengeance you seek, find the Khajit and make him tell you everything he knows.”

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. “Believe me…I will.”

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Mar 6 2009, 08:24 AM

Ahh bbq! Wonderful...and I don't mean the fact that Imsin was killed (I use her in my story, but there she's very much alive!), no I mean the way you describe her death and now the funeral.

>Very good work, as Blackie said before "you're a frikkin' poet"

Intriguing. Yet again.

”Nerevar said, ‘I am afraid to become slipshod in my thinking.’
Vivec said, ‘Reach heaven by violence then.’”
- From The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec, Sermon Sixteen

Chapter IX

The central market in Sadrith Mora was busy as usual, even as sundown drew near. I watched from a distance as the workers, merchants, and slaves went about their duties. But my gaze was focused on one Khajit in particular – Ri’Darsha. He was doing the usual heavy work that slaves and beastfolk were typically expected to do – lifting and unloading crates and bringing in goods from the docks.

Then, a horn sounded, and all work came to a stop. The slaves finished their tasks, and the shopkeepers packed up their goods. The sun had nearly dipped below the horizon, and the open market was closing.

I watched carefully to see where Ri’Darsha went next. I nearly lost him amid the choked mass of people scattering about. He was headed north, toward Fara’s Hole in the Wall. I pulled the hood of my peasant’s robes over my head and followed him, taking great care to ensure that he did not see me tailing him. I ascended the spiral staircase and slid open the circular door, entering the tavern nearly a minute after he did.

I took a quick look around the room. It was filled with patrons, mostly Dunmer, who were drinking, talking, and making merry (well, they seemed less stoic than usual, at least). Ri’Darsha was sitting at a large table in the corner with a bottle of sujamma in front of him. He appeared to be waiting for someone.

I took a seat at the bar, as close to Ri’Darsha as I could get without getting suspiciously close. I stayed farther away than I might have otherwise, as I had great respect for the Khajit’s powers of observation.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked.

“Eh...make it a brandy,” I responded in a low, gruff tone, disguising my voice to avoid recognition.

The bartender handed me my drink. I drank slowly and quietly, waiting patiently and trying to keep a low profile. I attempted to blend in by striking up conversation with some of the more drunken patrons. None of them seemed to have much to say, however, so the conversations tended to be very short ones.

Finally, after nearly an hour of drinking and mingling, I saw four individuals approaching Ri’Darsha’s table out of the corner of my eye – two Dunmer, an Argonian, and an Imperial. They sat down and began talking to each other in hushed voices. I listened intently, but I heard little. I could make out the words “shipment,” “money,” and “boat.”

When their conversation had finished, the four of them left the table. Ri’Darsha sat there for a moment before getting up and leaving the bar. A few seconds later, I got up to follow them.

I looked out at the city streets from the top of the staircase, which the Ring of Azura enabled me to see without torchlight. There I could see four dark figures headed toward the city gate, as a Khajit followed closely behind them. Slowly and stealthily, I took off after them.

The Imperial pushed open the great stone disk that served as the gateway to the Telvanni city, and the rest followed. They were headed toward the docks – there could be no doubt of that. What they were doing there was unclear, but I had a feeling that I would have to move quickly. I crept through the gate just as it was about to swing shut.

The docks were illuminated by dozens of hanging lanterns, so I kept still in the shadows near the gate and watched them approach a large boat on the right side of the pier, near the Elf-Skerring. The people Ri’Darsha had been following climbed up the ramp and onto the boat. Ri’Darsha seemed to half-sneak, half-walk onto it. Then, I saw two of the four strangers get off the boat and stand still on the pier, as if guarding the boat. Suddenly, it dawned on me…Ri’Darsha was trying to escape under cover of night! I couldn’t let that boat leave the docks!

I walked casually down to where the ship was docked. There was only one narrow entrance onto the boat, so stealth was useless here. The Argonian and Argonian saw me and stood, posturing and crossing their arms in an attempt to look as intimidating as possible.

“What are YOU lookin’ at, Nord?” the Imperial snarled.

I decided it would be best to be as honest as possible. “I’m with the Imperial Legion. I’m the commander of this district, and I’d like to climb aboard your boat and look around a bit.”

“Do you have a warrant?” the Argonian asked, a skeptical expression spread across his face.

“Do I need one?”

“You do around these parts, pal,” sneered the Imperial. “This is our ship, and you’ll be playing by OUR rules.”

“You needn’t worry about my intentions, sirs. I’m not planning on arresting anyone. I’d just like to look around, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t give a damn WHO you are or WHAT you plan on doing. We’re NOT letting you on this ship. Now run along, Nord…or you’ll be FLOATING your way back home.”

Acting swiftly, I pulled out my sword. In a single motion, I sliced straight through the Argonian’s neck and brought the tip to the Imperial’s throat, holding it there. The Argonian lay writhing on his back in pain, grabbing his throat as it bled.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, in a tone that was equal parts mocking and threatening. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch that. I believe you said, ‘Go right ahead, sir – we’ll stay out of your way.’”

“G-go right ahead, sir!” the Imperial stammered. “We’ll stay out of your way!”

“Good…now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

He shook his head furiously.

And so, with a grim smile, I walked up the ramp and opened the hatch to get below deck.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 27 2008, 04:20 PM

I peered below deck to get a good look at what was going on there. Ri’Darsha had his back turned to me, and appeared to be examining the contents of a crate of moon sugar. He didn’t seem to notice the hatch opening, so I crawled inside, crept down the steps and announced myself.

“Am I interrupting something, Ri’Darsha?”

“Gah!” The Khajit jumped in surprise, nearly bumping his head on the ceiling. He turned and bared his claws, his body coiled to strike. Then, he noticed who I was. “Lord Grignr…? What are you doing here?”

“I think you know perfectly well why I’m here, Ri’Darsha.”

“Milord?” Ri’Darsha stared at me with a puzzled expression.

“DON’T you play dumb with me!” I smacked him across the face with my clenched fist, sending him flying across the room. I walked slowly toward him as he backed into the corner. “You betrayed my wife and daughter to the Dark Brotherhood!” WHAM! I kicked him in the stomach.
“You tried to have me KILLED! What I want to know is…who paid you to do it?” I grabbed him by the collar and looked him in the eye as he clawed vainly at me. There are many occasions when being tall and burly can be advantageous. This was one of those times.

“Ri’Darsha does not know what you are talking about! Ri’Darsha did not conspire against you!”

“LIAR!” I screamed, smacking him against the wall and lifting him up by the neck. His squirming and scratching grew more frantic and desperate. “You told me to go to Shroud Rock, where I was AMBUSHED by the Dark Brotherhood. You MUST have been in on the assassination! Now tell me who hired you, and I MIGHT let you live!”

“Sh-Sh-Shroud Rock?” Ri’Darsha croaked. “Ri’Darsha – ack! – has not – gahh! – heard of any – koff! – such place! Much less…told…Master Grignr…to…g-go there…”

“Impossible!” I snapped. “It was in your report…delivered with the Imperial Seal no less! You know as well as me that it can’t be duplicated! Quit this pointless charade and give me the name of your employer!”

Just as I was about to deliver another blow, however, I heard the hatch opening overhead. “Hello?” a voice called down. “Is someone down there?”

I turned to see a Dunmer walking down the steps. He glared at me. “Who the hell are you?” His anger turned to puzzlement as he saw Ri’Darsha. “J’Shavir? What are you doing down here? Snooping through our merchandise?” His look quickly shifted back to a hateful grimace. “You’re a spy, aren’t you? I knew it was too early to trust you…” He called back out above deck. “Balam! We’ve got a couple of spies down here!”

I turned to look at Ri’Darsha. He seemed genuinely worried. Could he have been telling the truth?

A second dark elf came down to get a look at us. He looked at Ri’Darsha and shook his head. “You disappoint me, J’Shavirr. I thought we would make great business partners. It seems I was wrong. You have caused the deaths of two of my closest associates. And now, you and your friend are going to have to die.” As he finished his last sentence, he and his associate drew their swords and began to walk toward us.

I quickly drew Trueflame and began to parry and dodge their attacks as best I could. It was a delicate dance of steel and flesh, and I was the better dancer of the three. I was at a disadvantage, however – I was not wearing my armor, and they had the high ground. Slowly, I was being pushed back toward the wall of the storage hold.

“Ri’Darsha!” I cried, sidestepping one of the Dunmer’s swift thrusts. “Help me!”

“How, sera? Ri’Darsha has no weapon!”

“I don’t know! Find something! Anything!”

I saw Ri’Darsha lunge for one of the crates as I continued to do battle with my twin assailants. They were using a very simple but effective alternating strategy against me – when the one on the left went high, the other went low, and vice versa. Frequently, I was finding that the only way to avoid both was to step backward. And I was running out of room fast.

Finally, I was nearly against the wall. I was starting to get desperate. I was standing on my tiptoes, dance shuffling from side to side, spinning around, and flicking my wrists to move my sword fast enough to connect. This form of swordsmanship left no room for error whatsoever. Sooner or later I was going to get sloppy and a blow would get through. And when I had to jump to avoid a well-placed swipe at the knees, I thought that moment had come. I was off-balance, and my torso was vulnerable to attack. The Dunmer on my left raised his sword in preparation for the killing blow…

…only to suddenly go stiff and drop like a felled oak. A trickle of blood flowed down both sides of his face – he had been shot clean through both temples. Further left, I could see Ri’Darsha standing there, wielding a smuggled dwarven crossbow. The other mer instinctively turned his head to get a look at his fallen comrade. I immediately seized the opportunity to strike and sliced his body cleanly in half.

I turned to Ri’Darsha and put my hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Ri’Darsha. I apologize for ever doubting you, my friend.”

“Apology accepted, Lord Grignr,” Ri’Darsha replied. “Still, Ri’Darsha wonders what Lord Grignr will do to whichever man, mer, or beast he accuses of betrayal in the future. Ri’Darsha hopes that he is more polite to that person.” His voice conveyed quite a bit of resentment.

“Indeed…I’m really sorry about that, as well. I was trying to beat a confession out of you. I…thought you were trying to escape. Though, in retrospect, if you wanted to do that, you would have done it earlier. I...didn’t know you were doing an investigation. Again...I'm sorry.” I paused. “Who WERE those people, anyway?”

“Smugglers, of course. Ri’Darsha suspected they were quite high-ranking Camonna Tong remnants, and was trying to prove it. Word had spread that Lady Imsin had been murdered, and Ri’Darsha was very sad to hear it. Ri’Darsha’s first thought was of the Camonna Tong. So Ri’Darsha has been looking for smugglers close to Orvas Dren’s inner circle.”

“That makes sense. Unfortunately, we can pretty much rule out the Camonna Tong at this point. And Orvas Dren as well. Dren doesn’t have the resources or the guts to pull it off. His empire is crumbling, and he’s smart enough to know that I would kill him if he tried anything.”

“Ah, so he has nothing to lose, then?”

“True. But Dren is far too much of a narcissist and a coward to trade his own life and comforts for petty revenge. And then there’s the matter of the Imperial Seal. He may be the duke’s brother, but that’s not notable enough of a position to give him authority to use the Seal in his own correspondence. The Seal is a mark of high Imperial authority, and I can’t think of any major government officials who would want me dead, except for maybe…” My voice trailed off as it finally hit me. My eyes went wide as I suddenly realized the truth.

He had tried to kill me once before. I thought I had rectified any ill will he had towards me. I had bent over backwards to placate the monarchy…to ensure that I was never bothered again. And now, for reasons unknown, King Helseth had taken my family from me.

There was no question in my mind as to what the right course of action was. I had to go to Mournhold to find out why my family had been murdered...and to kill the man responsible. Even if he WAS the king.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 21 2008, 08:46 AM

Another post machine??!!

Well, not tonight. I've got a Philosophy paper to finish. I'd think "twist machine" is more like it.

Seriously, though, I've noticed a pattern where I pull off all these end-of-update reveals. It's purely intentional, but I find it somewhat amusing. Just take a look at the story so far:

"Mephala..."
(end chapter)
"The Dark Brotherhood..."
(end chapter)
"Helseth..."
(end chapter)
"METAL GEAR..."



I keed, I keed. I do enjoy being so cruel to you readers out there, though. Hopefully, it piques your interest...makes you squirm a bit.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 22 2008, 12:36 AM

That game has way too many cut scenes, I swear.

It's sad to see Imsin die, but hopefully vengeance will be had!

The next morning, I left the Gateway Inn behind and prepared to leave. But before I did, I decided to bid farewell to Ri’Darsha. I approached him in the bustling, haphazard streets of Sadrith Mora. He was wheeling a cart of fruit down the street. I caught up with him and began to walk abreast with him.

“Good day, friend,” I said to him.

“Good day, stranger,” he replied in a nonchalant tone as he checked over his shoulder for eavesdroppers. He leaned in close and lowered his voice. “What is it that you wish to talk to Ri’Darsha about?”

“I just wanted to say goodbye…and also to thank you for all you’ve done for me. I just thought that, since this may be the last time we ever see each other, I would show my appreciation in case I don’t make it back.”

“You mustn’t speak that way, milord. You are quite capable of surviving greater peril than this. Ri’Darsha has great confidence that you shall return. And if you were to kill the king, there would surely be many who would be willing to accept you as their leader instead.”

“Maybe…do you really think I could do it?”

“You are Nerevarine, hero of Morrowind. For you, all things are possible.”

“I wish that were true, my friend,” I said. “But sadly, it is not. I cannot undo the past. I cannot get back that which I have lost.” We both remained silent for a moment. “I want to ask you a question, Ri’Darsha…a very personal one.”

“Ri’Darsha is listening.”

“Why did you agree to work for me in the first place?”

“You set Ri’Darsha free. He owes you no less than his service.”

“No…you don’t owe me anything. You never did. I would have freed you whether you were useful to me or not. You could have gone anywhere, done anything, after I freed you. You could have become a miner, a thief, or a paid laborer. You could even have returned to your ancestral homeland of Elswyr. And yet you chose to work for me, when all I did was ask. I did not force you to accept.”

“None of those jobs interest Ri’Darsha. Nor do they pay as well.”

“True…but a life of crime might. I am not the only one with money and power who would be interested in your services. You could have just as easily have taken my money and disappeared without a trace. My grief is such that I might not have noticed or cared. And yet, when my entire world – all that I’ve fought for, all that I’ve cared about – seems to be crumbling around me…the pieces slipping through my fingertips…you remain ever faithful to me. Though I have nothing left to defend…nothing left to fight for. Why are you so loyal? What reason do you have to serve as well as you do?”

Ri’Darsha’s eyes glanced sadly downward toward the ground. “Ri’Darsha has nowhere else to go, milord. Ri’Darsha is alone. When the slavers came to Elswyr, they took his family from him and scattered across the Morrowind province. He does not expect he will see them ever again. Ri’Darsha had almost lost hope…until you came and freed him from his prison. And there, as you stood in front of him, Ri’Darsha saw his future.” He briefly set down the cart and scratched his head. “It is strange…Ri’Darsha feels as though he was destined to follow the Nerevarine. It was a feeling that Ri’Darsha was meant for greatness of some kind…he has felt it all his life. And for some reason – though Ri’Darsha does not know why or how – he knew it led through you. It probably sounds so foolish…”

“No…” I said, stroking my chin in deep thought. “Not at all. In fact…I know exactly what you mean.” I looked Ri’Darsha in the eye. “You are being pushed, pulled…compelled by an invisible and irresistible force. There is a deep and powerful urge within you that compels you to continue…as though you are being pulled forward by your own viscera. It feeds your curiosity, making you anxious to know more. You don’t know what it is, but you will do anything to find out – to know what you were meant for.”

Ri’Darsha nodded in amazement. “Yes, yes…that is what it feels like…”

“Well…it’s good to know I’m not alone. We are kindred spirits, you and I. We have this impulse that drives us to make choices we might not otherwise make. Now, we can choose not to act on it. Some people spend their entire lives ignoring the call. They run from danger and hide from mystery. But it is not in our nature to refuse such a challenge. Instead, we want to face it. We demand to know. It’s why you agreed to work for me. It’s why I’m about to confront a king in his own palace. I know now that you will be loyal to me until the end…and that there is more at stake for me than revenge. I’m glad I talked to you, Ri’Darsha.”

“As am I, milord.”

“Farewell, my friend.”

“Goodbye, Master Grignr.”

I slipped on my signet ring and vanished without a trace.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 29 2008, 06:27 AM

Very interesting update. It seems that Ri'Darsha and Grignr have come to a greater understanding of each other. I hope this isn't the last we see of Ri'Darsha; I was just starting to really like him.