More talking and no violence.




She looked at me in a very amusing way. Mostly because she was so confused, her eyes ended up staring at her own nose.
“Modesty is a mystery to you.” She mumbled after a moment. I shrugged.
“I don’t have much use for it. If you want to get anywhere in my world, you can’t go wrong with a bold attitude.” I answered and flashed a grin. I turned for the road and was somewhat surprised when I heard her footsteps follow me. Wasn’t she going to take her own path. I shook my head.
“Nah, she may be Redoran but I haven’t seen her wield a sword yet. She would get messed up by the first bandit she came across….doesn’t explain why she chooses to trust me though.”

I made up my mind. If she was going to follow it, so be it. My grin faded.
“Listen, girly. I don’t bloody care what you decide but if you’re going to tag along with me, you’re going to tag along my way. First thing first, ditch the rags.” I said. Those were the wrong words apparently. The Chimer lass went right into a screeching fit.
“You want me to get naked?! What kind of barbarian are you?!” She screamed. I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, great. You’re not wearing anything underneath. Just great. That complicates matters.” I muttered to myself.
“Complicates?! Now you listen, I know exactly what you’re after and you’re not going to get it!” Turala continued. I stopped and looked her in the eyes. She shut up instantly and her eyes flickered away. To my hands, to my sword. Then, she knew.

While it might have been a matter I would normally joke about, this time I was dead serious.
“Get it now? If I wanted to rape you, I would have done so already. Believe it or not, but I am not interested in you. Pointy-eared girls are just not my type. Besides, my reason for asking was quite practical.” I pulled at one of the few rags still draped around her head.
“You look like an outcast, not a good way to travel.” I added.
“Oh….forgive me for judging you too soon.” She whispered so soft I could barely hear her.
“But I can’t give up these clothes. This is the punishment for my transgression. I will have to bear it if I still have any dignity left whatsoever.” She claimed, louder.

We began to move forward again.
“You’re really not giving them up for something less eyecatching?” I asked. I could have badmouthed the Redoran and their honour again, but I already knew that would be not very effective.
“No.” Turala said.
“Really not, even if it was in your best interests?” I probed further. There had to be an argument I could use somewhere.
“Not for any reason you can come up with. My life at this moment, is irrelevant.” When she said that, I snickered.
“What?” Turala asked a bit irritated.
“Nothing, I just noticed how stubborn we both are. This is going to be a long trip.” I chuckled. But at the same time, I realized I’d found the argument I needed.

“So you won’t change into a proper outfit for yourself, but would you do it for someone else?” I inquired. She frowned. She was judging me to soon again.
“So, what do you prefer? Skimpy?” She stabbed.
“Not for me, you muddy-brained idiot. For your child. The way you appear right now is just begging for a sword between the ribs coming from the first Chimer we come across. You want that? Come on, use that skull of yours for one second. Or is it just decoration? That child had no choice in the whole matter. Does it deserve to have its life thrown away together with yours?” I countered. She was so stubborn, I was slipping back to insults no matter how hard I tried not to.

“Why, you! I am not a mud….oh.” She fell silent. I stared at the road ahead and joined her silence.
“For the sake of my child, I have to survive. To survive, I should not wear the garb of an outcast.” She took a deep breath.
“Fine, I will wear whatever you tell me to wear.” She decided after a long hesitation.
“Just make sure it’s nothing too embarrassing.” She added.

I grinned.
“Don’t you worry. I have no fashion sense whatsoever.” I chuckled.
“That doesn’t sound too reassuring.” Turala noted.
“Well, look at it this way. The clothes I’m wearing I picked out for myself.” I indicated the brown shirt, the matching pants, the torn cloak and the sturdy belt with the Ebony saber buckled to it.
“It doesn’t look fancy, but it gets the job done. Comfortable, durable, hard to see from a distance in most environments and…” I rolled up a sleeve.
“A full suit of chain and plate underneath.” I deliberately didn’t mention the fact that my chain and plate was an ancient artefact of unmatched quality. If she knew that, she would probably be intimidated rather than reassured.
“I can’t pick out clothes without considering their practical qualities. So your clothes will be fine for travelling. They won’t get you any good marks during a nobleman’s party, though.” I finished.

Looking over my shoulder, I could see that Mournhold had vanished behind a hill. The road split soon after. With Bodrum in mind, I took the path heading west.
“There is something I’ve been meaning to ask. But where are you going to get clothes?” Turala wondered. I looked around and shrugged.
“Simple, we’ll just keep walking till we run into either a patrol of your army, or into a raiding group of the Empire.” I answered. She blinked. Probably cause she couldn't figure out how that was an answer to her question.
“Aren’t you an Imperial yourself? You talk as if you don’t have anything to do with it.” The girl asked me with a frown.
“I’m not with the Empire. We have conducted business before, but we’re not exactly at good terms.” I glanced at her.
“Not every person’s allegiance is determined by his blood.” I added.
“So, then what side are you on? The Empire, or Resdayn?”

No wait, that was wrong.
“Although, I suppose I can’t really say that for myself. My allegiance has been determined by blood.” I said but didn’t voice the thought behind it.
“Immortal blood.”
“So what side are you on? Just then, you said you weren’t with the Empire, but now you say you are.” She pressed on, unsatisfied with my answer.
“What side am I on? As a separated existence of Akatosh, am I not an important part of the Empire? A representation of their greatest god, the deity that grants the Emperor the right to rule, among things. But Azura has always used me to help Morrowind. No, not even that. She just uses me for her own goals.” I shook my head angrily.
“Did I bring up something bad?” Turala wanted to know. She sounded slightly frightened. An instant later, I knew why. I was clutching the hilt of my sword.
“I don’t know what side I’m on. But it is neither this Empire, nor Resdayn.”

It's good to see an update to this story.

I don't mind the "talking and no violence". Makes a nice change of pace. Can't have all fireballs all the time. I think it's good to alternate; it keeps it interesting.

Months ago, when you first put Turala in this story, I thought she was going to be a romantic interest for our hero. You've since explained that this is not the case but I wonder ... will he ever have a romantic interest, a soul mate, what have you, in some future story? Or instead, being what he is (half god?), is it impossible for him to to get close to anyone?

I'm glad that Turala is tagging along. For one thing, this will provide lots of good banter/argument/dialog and for another thing, it opens up more plot possibilities. Also, it is perhaps a way to show even more of the main character's personality. At the very end of this installment, her questions to the character force him to think/rethink some things. Fascinating! Further questions from her might cause more to be revealed to the readers.

Since you're bending Lore so much, maybe you can set up a happier ending for her? I know I asked this before -- sorry.

This post has been edited by blockhead: Feb 26 2008, 02:51 PM

Yea, I don't mind a good, interesting discussion in a story either. I'm sure you've noticed it in my work as well so I fully endorse it's use.

It seems that blockhead basically touched on everything, so I conclude with what I generally say: Great work!

Talking, you said? Well that's awesome, I, if any can appreciate talking, because that's what I do...all the time!

Great stuff Jackie!

Hmm, if Luper will ever find his 'true love'? (Or the closest approximation)

I dunno. I do know that I'll put him into some different kinds of relationships just so I can expand his personality. But anyway, whether or not Turala will get a better ending still hangs in the balance. I will need Mehrunes to destroy Mournhold, so someone will have to summon him. That could be Turala, or it could not. I'll have to see how it works out. But rest assured, Luper will do everything he can to ensure a happy end. (Cause he's got a heroic streak in him, even though he wouldn't admit it.)

Now the time for talking has come to an end. It is time for action!



The girl was silent for the most part of the trip, something I was glad for. While I had been expecting to encounter a patrol within moments, I failed to see anything other than the local wildlife. It made sense when I remembered I hadn’t encountered anyone last time I took a walk through the countryside. Sure, there were those Redguards, but no Chimer soldiers. I wondered if every soldier not stationed in a city was with Vivec. That would explain the lack of patrols. It would also explain how those Redguards had managed to penetrate into Morrowind so deeply without using a disguise or stealth.

We never made it to the army before sunset. I gathered some wood and used it to make a small campfire.
“I’m hungry.” Turala complained. I had to admit to myself that I was somewhat hungry myself but unlike her, I was used to irregular and sparse meals. With my lifestyle, it was impossible to have three proper meals a day. A rat was sitting on some nearby rocks. Its beady black eyes gazed at us as it sat there. I gazed back and measured it up. It looked different from the rats I know. The fur was smoother and its behaviour was far more relaxed. Probably because it was living in a pretty hospitable place.

I shot a flamelance through its skull, killing it instantly.
“What was that?!” Turala gasped. I gave her a wry grin and winked.
“Thought all I could do was swing a sword, didn’t you?” I chuckled and hung the rat over the fire. Normally I would skin it first but if I were going to give her a quick lesson at survival, I might as well go all barbaric on her. She looked away, both from me and the rat. I could see her wrinkle her nose.
“I thought you were making empty claims with your insistence upon being Telvanni. But now I see that you have the blood of a mage in you. So did House Telvanni really accept you?” She whispered.

I prodded the burning branches a bit to improve the air circulation.
“Well…it’s more complicated than that. Some of them did. So I’m more like an…unofficial member at the moment.” I answered after a moment. Just telling her the truth outright wouldn’t help my case. And why would she believe me? She wouldn’t, not unless I gave her undeniable proof, something which I couldn’t do without rearranging the countryside.
“At the moment?” But she had brains, in there and realized I wasn’t telling her everything. I sighed and shook my head. Whatever.
“Well yeah. To tell you the truth. I’m really a near omni-potent immortal being who came from the third era after slaying Dagoth Ur in the bowels of Red Mountain. I’m here in search of the Dragonfires which will banish all foreign gods from Nirn and to do that I plan on meeting my cousin Vivec and company so I can ask them some questions. There. Satisfied now?” I folded my arms and waited.
“You’re crazy.”

That made me laugh.
”Hard to believe, isn’t it? Well too bad, cause this crazy lunatic is going to give you rat for diner!” The Dunmer lass visibly recoiled in horror.
“What?! Don’t you have anything better?!” She practically screamed.
“But rat is the best there is. It is nutritious, easy to get and can be prepared with the most basic of tools. Sure, its taste might a be a bit bland compared to what you’re used to but ask yourself this: Do you want to keep your habit of eating the civilized food of the upper classes and starve when it is not available? Or do you want to live by eating what’s good for you, even if it smells, tastes and looks horrid?” I countered.

She kept refusing so I just ate my own share in the end and covered the leftovers with a mound of still warm ash. She would come around, I was sure of it. Her will was strong, but not as strong as the demands of her stomach would be in the end. She might keep up for as long as two more days but after that, she would stuff herself with lava if she had to. Though I doubted she would be able to march for two more days on an empty stomach.

I lay on my back, staring at the stars without really seeing them. On the other side of the campfire, Turala had curled herself up in a small hill of rags. I could hear her slow and gentle breathing that told me she was asleep.
“You’re as stubborn as a Guar. I’ll never get to Bodrum in time if I keep you around. But if I don’t keep you around, you’ll get killed by the first Nix-hound you encounter. Or even a Mudcrab. I would not be surprised if you sat down on one and got eaten. I mean, that nearly happened to me once.” I muttered and sighed. The decision I had to make was an easy one, but the implementation of it kept nagging me.

I had to leave her behind. But the way she was now, she could not survive without a caretaker. The fate of Nirn was more important than that of a single girl, I knew that. I knew, but couldn’t bring myself to abandon her. What was there that I could do? I thought long and hard about it and in the end, only two options came to mind. Summon a caretaker, or give her my sword and hope for the best. I decided on both. If one failed, maybe the other would pull her through. At least it would give her some protection and hopefully, I could find her again after my dealings with the Tribunal and bring her to a safer place.

I sat up and collected some more branches which I then arranged in such a way that they formed a crude yet readable message. Just to make sure she would really see it, I placed it right next to the campfire.
“If I’m not back in two days, assume I got killed.” Not the most optimistic message to give, perhaps. I then focussed on the summon I would call. Summoning had never quite been my thing and I seriously doubted my ability to control something big, like a Daedroth or a Dremora. But a Scamp should be doable.

“Master?” The Impish creature grunted as it took shape.
“Look after the girl. Follow her and protect her. When she wakes up, tell her that Luper Alkad sent you to guard her. That is all. Oh, and give her this.” I told it and handed over my sword. That was it. I’d prepared as best as I could. Now all I could do was hope for the best. I leapt away into the night sky, headed for Bodrum. Jumping from hilltop to hilltop, I made more progress in a single minute than I had made after an hour of wandering with Turala. It didn’t take more than three hours to reach Bodrum. The first sign I got that I was approaching my destination were the countless fires burning.
“So the army has already arrived. Quick buggers. I bet they were already here before I told that Mournhold dude about this place.”

Now I suspect things will get interesting. I look forward to seeing how Luper deals with these blokes.

Jack,

I'm new to the board and have just finished reading Oasis 1 & 2, Agent, & Redemption. All of them sucked me in & were very enjoyable to read. Thank you for posting such great writing, and I eagerly await your next installments!!

Wlecome to the boards, Ravenmind!

Ok, after the long hiatus, I think I've gotten a bit rusty. But anyway, update (albeit rather short).

Oasis 2: Free from Destiny.

Chapter 8: negotiator

I crouched down behind a thorny bush, still well outside arrow-range. Now that I was here, the only question that remained was how I was going to handle this. I couldn’t just walk right in. Not unless I enjoyed the idea of having a couple of glittering fools try to turn me into a pincushion. No, I had to do this stealthy.
“Yeah, right. Sneak past what looks like threethousand soldiers, all of whom are expecting a mayor battle any second. They’ll be so stressed out and alert, not even an ant could crawl passed.” I laughed at my own comment, despite the fact there wasn’t much to laugh about.

I tried to review the options I did have. Those were not good. A disguise? To do that, I would first have to knock out a soldier and steal his outfit. To do that, I would have to get right among them, which was impossible without the outfit I would be trying to steal. And as if that wasn’t bad enough. Mimicing gold coloured skin is harder than an ash coloured one. So no, a disguise was out.

Run through the whole mob, knocking over everyone in my path? That might work, if there had only been a dozen or so Chimer. Not thousands. And something told me the Tribunal would be less than friendly if I barged in with a whole pile of tossed around Chimer in my wake.

Revitalize the spy thing? Well there was an idea I could use. My hand was already going to my pockets before I realized I had no good story to tell them. The one I’d used in Mournhold wouldn’t work here. Why would anyone here care about a lumberjack with questionable loyalties? No, I had no story and no evidence to go with it.
“Probably because I’m not really a spy. Now the genuine article, he would have come up with a plan within a heartbeat and already be moving to follow that plan. Me, I’m just plain stupid when it comes down to things like there.” I sighed.

All this time, I’d been staring at the campfires. Something seemed off, but I just couldn’t put my finger on what had caught my eye. It was making me nervous, and irritated.
“Ok, I need something to think of before I go nuts here. Who knows, a real plan might just represent itself while I’m distracted.” I told myself and settled into a more comfortable position.

What to think about? Who did I know who was a real spy? Ro-El came to mind, but he seemed more like an odd mix between noble, diplomat, troublesolver to me with perhaps a little spying as a sidejob. That, and he’d managed to land himself in jail not to long ago. Sure, that was my fault, but a real spy would have managed to get out of that without drawing suspicion to himself.

Who else did I knew? The only other person that fit the definition of spy would be Caius. A smile creeped onto my face when I thought of the old man. Yes, Caius was a real spy among spies. Drunkard, drug-addict, living in a rotten shack with a professionally paranoid assassin on one side, a paranoid slave-that-has-swallowed-moonsugar smuggler on the other, and a whole load of Camonna Tong in town that would likely try to beat him up for the hell of it.

Then there was the fact that Balmora was Hlaalu territory, and they had the most extensive spy-ring of the three Houses. All that, no funds, and he still managed to get his hands on information as if it just grew on trees. Damn, the man didn’t call himself spymaster for nothing. I bet he could just walk, waddle, whatever, right in there without a disguise and everyone would be so bored looking at him they would fall asleep!

I bolted upright. Now I knew what had been bothering me. There was a huge mass of campfires, all signs of equally huge amounts of guards. But no one was actually moving. Everybody was sitting or lying, perfectly still. I couldn’t help but grin. The entire army was asleep! I wouldn’t have to sneak or disguise or do anything but simply walk down the hill and seek out the commander’s tent.
“Wow, that’s just plain silly. Thanks Caius, you helped me out again, even though you won’t be born for centuries.”

Awesome! Lupers back! But my question is, will Luper be able to make it to the Commanders tent without waking any guards, I know he has a tendency to fall into troubles lap. Can't wait for the next update.

Jack's back! Hurrah!

I know I sound like a whiner, but there's a few spelling errors in here: I'm always the same when I haven't been writing for a while. Nonetheless, I like it very much; it's a very wry little twist to only realise later that the guards were asleep. With any luck, that'll let Luper raise merry hell once again.

I took one step in full confidence before coming to a halt once more.
“Wait a second. Entire army sleeping, while another army is expected to arrive soon. That’s not just silly, that’s first grade suspicious right here.” I thought. For a second, I wanted to turn around and walk away, to forget about meeting the Tribunal. But in that same second I came to realize that I would only end up hating myself for running away.
“Besides, it can’t be all that bad. Sure, the whole thing screams trap, but it can’t be a trap for me. No one is expecting me after all.”

I walked down the hill to the outskirts of the camp. I took a good look at the first sentry I passed. The man was dressed in simple leathers and lying all crumpled in a position that had to be uncomfortable. Frankly, he looked rather dead. If it hadn’t been for the fact he was snoring like crazy, I would surely have bent down to check for a heartbeat.
“Asleep while on duty. Poor bugger, when his shift is over, he’s going to get one heck of a chewing-out from his commanding office.” With what the future had in store for the Chimer, I kind of pitied him for a moment. But only for a moment.
“Meh, it’s his own fault for sleeping now. Maybe I’ll rat him out to his boss just for fun.”

I made my way around the campfires and the clumps of sleeping soldiers that surrounded each one. Being right in the middle of it all, the sound of snoring was overwhelming and it seemed like a miracle that anyone could sleep with all that noise. Either it was a miracle, or something unnatural was going on.
“Unnatural sleep, spread across a whole army? That sounds like the handiwork of someone with godlike powers alright. I wonder if I can pull of the same trick in a few decades. Though, I don’t know why they would put their own side asleep and not the enemy.” I thought and then shrugged. The Tribunal was a bunch of egocentric bastards anyway and wouldn’t need much of a motive to act like jerks.

Open campfires gradually gave way to tents, both lit and unlit. I took a peek in one of the unlit ones, only to find sacks and crates. The lit ones, I kept my distance from them. That was till I heard voices coming from one.
“…can’t win the battle tomorrow, I’m afraid.” I stopped and listened. The voice had come from my left, from one of the lit tents. The silhouettes of two Chimer in full armour were cast on the fabric. I noticed one of them playing with a helmet decorated with plumage. Going by that, I deduced that those two were pretty high ranked. At least good enough to lead a hundred men.
“Have faith in our lords, friend.”

“I do have faith, but faith alone is not enough to win a battle when your army is sound asleep. Vivec surely must have had a reason for his actions, though I cannot fathom what that reason could possibly be.” The helmet was put down on a table and its owner scratched his head.
“Then don’t try to understand, but trust your faith. Trust me when I say that I am as nervous as you are. I hear no singing, no bragging of drunkards, no praying of young recruits. I hear nothing, but the snoring of countless warriors. I hear that and because I am not used to it, it frightens me. Yet as long as the Tribunal guides us, I can put aside that fear and face tomorrow with confidence and courage.”

I whistled softly.
“It must be nice, to be able to trust your gods like that.” I whispered to myself.
“Nice indeed.” Someone suddenly replied from behind me. I spun around, ready to draw my sword. But once again, old reflexes worked against me. First my hand reached into empty space where Chrysamere used to be, then into the empty space where the saber used to be. Once I’d realized I was unarmed, I let out a sigh and looked at my assailant.

Assailant wasn’t the correct word. The Chimer did nothing but look at me from a safe distance. Like me, he was unarmed and even better, half-naked. His face looked like that of every Chimer I’d seen. Sharply defined, golden and with pointy ears. Yet, there was something familiar about it. Then I recognized him.
“Vivec.”

The god nodded. Now that I’d recognized him, I could see that he wouldn’t change in the third era. Except for becoming half-Dunmer and getting a severe attitude problem, that is.
“Indeed I am. It surprises me that you know me by face. Few foreigners have seen it and even fewer would be able to tell it apart from all the other faces of my people. Now that you know my name, you have me at a disadvantage, for I do not know yours. Would you be so kind as to reveal it to me?” He whispered and bowed.
“It’s Luper…Luper Alkad.“ I whispered back while shooting a quick glance at the tent behind me. The two officers were still absorbed by their own conversation, however. That was good. Who knew what they would do if they noticed that a Redguard was having a conversation with Vivec himself just a stone’s throw away. Speaking of which.
“Umm, look. I know this might sound weird to you, what with this big battle you are preparing for, but I didn’t come here to fight…or assassinate anyone.” I told him.

Vivec chuckled, then turned around and beckoned with his hand for me to follow.
“Don’t worry, sir Alkad. I had already deduced your intents were not hostile. You carry no weapons, although you do wear heavy armour. That rules you out as either an assassin, or a spy. And a soldier? No soldier would think of sneaking through the entire camp, no matter how well the snoring might mask the sound of his footsteps. No, you are neither of those and therefore, I am curious.” He said. My confidence soared at hearing those words. It meant that he was going to let me talk before judging me.
“I hope I can satisfy your curiosity. I for one, happen to have plenty of questions myself. The least of which would be why all your men, even the guards, are asleep.” I replied.

Vivec led me deeper into the camp. I should have been wary of him, but he practically radiated an aura of peacefulness. That put me at ease and made me decide I could trust him, even though I would have fled right away if this had been third era Vivec.
“I tried to come up with a few stories, but I’ve decided to just give you the full truth. It’s a bit complicated, but I was born in the third era, under the rule of Uriel Septim VII. I came to Morrowind…that is what we call Resdayn then, as a prisoner.” I begun.
“So you are a criminal from the future? Interesting. Please continue.” Vivec’s response was so utterly calm, it nearly blew my mind. I didn’t expect him to just believe me that easily.

“Well, I’m not really a criminal. That’s just the story the Empire decided to use as a cover when they shipped me off to Vvardenfell. Err…that’s the big island with the volcano. The point that is most important though, to you I mean, would be that I am the Nerevarine.” I continued. This time, I managed to get a bigger response.
“Nerevarine? That word, do you know what it means? It’s not a word actually, but it could have been one in an old dialect that has died many generations ago. Freely translated, it would mean: Nerevar returned. But, I know for one thing that no Redguard name nor title even approaches that word and to think that your language would change to actually come up with it on pure chance. That is unbelievable.”

I shrugged.
“You’re telling me. I was rather surprised myself when I found out. But no, that translation is exactly what Nerevarine means, with a twist. I am not a returned Nerevar, but rather his replacement. You see, in the third era, Nerevar is dead.” Vivec turned around and looked me in the eye, an expression of shocked disbelief on his face. I matched his gaze.
“He died at Red Mountain, during the first era…At the hands of the Tribunal”

It will be... interesting, to see Vivec's reaction to that. Wonder what the rest of the Tribunal will have to say too. How amazed I was when I logged on to see this. You have made me a very happy person Jack!

I watched his response carefully. What I’d just said was just one of the many versions of the story, but it was the version I had believed for months. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Nerevar was apparently still alive even now, I would still believe it. Regardless, some cracks appeared in Vivec’s mask of peacefulness. The nearly unnoticeable gritting of the teeth, the narrowing of the eyes by less than a millimetre, the twitch of a finger. He had been angered, but not enough to become aggressive. Which was a good thing. I’d come here to talk and find answers, not to take him down.

“Now I wish you were joking, for this is not amusing.” He said dryly after a moment.
“So, this is what the historians claim in your era. The Tribunal…as the slayers of Nerevar Indoril. That is preposterous, to put it mildly. I swear to you that we have not, and will never, kill one of the leading figures of our society. Nerevar is a hero. If he were to suffer as much as a broken fingernail, the entire population would go into mourning.” He added. I spread my arms.
“I know. What I know as ALMSIVI, happens to be ALMNEVI. While the historians claim that Nerevar died at Red Mountain, everyone I’ve met so far claims that Nerevar is alive and fighting at the frontlines of this damned war. Does this mean that the historians were wrong?”

Vivec had regained complete control over himself. He gestured towards the nearest campfire and sat down, after telekinetically moving the clump of soldiers to another campfire. The Chimer didn’t notice a thing and continued their sleep without stirring.
“It is not my place to judge your fellow men, but it seems that they were wrong indeed. Surely there are other versions of Nerevar’s life? Versions of history that do not claim he died at Red Mountain, at our hands?” He argued. I sat down on the other side of the fire and shook my head.

“While there are other versions indeed, they only differ in the details. The one I’ve already given you is the one that is believed by the Zainab, Ahemmussa, Urshilaku and Erabenimsun. It is also the one that circulates the Empire. However, the Great Houses place the blame either on Dumac, or Dagoth Ur. The Tribunal temple holds Dagoth Ur as the actual murderer, while saying that Nerevar was already severely injured from wounds he received during a duel with Dumac. As such, he could not defend himself against his friend’s treachery.” I explained.
“But there is one detail they all stick to like a fly in a spider’s web. Nerevar died in the first era, either during the last moments of the battle for Red Mountain, or shortly afterwards. There is not a single version that claims that Nerevar lived, or joined the Tribunal.”

Vivec rested his chin on his hands as he listened to me.
“Not one version. Even the Tribunal itself claims that Nerevar died then. I see why you are confused. They couldn’t all just get it wrong. That would be ridiculous. The way I see it, there are three answers, all of which could be right. One: Your journey through time brought you into an alternate timestream, one where Nerevar lived, instead of dying. Two: Nerevar will die at the moment you mentioned, but not until someone travels back to that timeperiod and manipulates events to make it happen. Three: Nerevar did not die and your historians are incorrect. In the case of the last scenario, it is most likely that someone went through a lot of trouble to rewrite history in order to cover up the truth.” He said softly while staring into the flames.

“And I mean a lot of trouble. It is not just the point of death that needs to be altered. All of his subsequent deeds must be erased as well. And even then, just changing all the texts is not enough. One needs to make sure that oral transfer of history is also changed to the new version. Not even a single person may tell his or her child the truth. Of course, it becomes easier when one can enforce the new history over the span of several generations.”

I whistled, which made him look up.
“In which case, the most likely rewriters of history would be the Tribunal. They have the time, and the influence required for such a thing.” I noted.
“Indeed. But without a very good reason, we would not attempt it.” Vivec concurred.
“And in scenario two, you are the most likely manipulator, sir Alkad.” He then continued and cast a sly grin. I blinked. I hadn’t expected that.
“Good point. I’ve already gone back once, so I can do it again. But it’s not that easy, I’m afraid. I never came here voluntarily. Nor did I come here under my own power. That was Akatosh’s doing, and Azura’s.”

Now it was Vivec’s turn to whistle.
“Akatosh and Azura. You have odd friends. Or puppeteers.” He seemed to make up his mind about something.
“I’ll introduce you to the man who has been the focus of our discussion. But first, I promised you an explanation about the sleeping Chimer, didn’t I?” He hadn’t promised, but I had mentioned my curiosity.
“I would appreciate it if you told me why. From what those two officers said, I’ve concluded that you are the one who put everyone to sleep. But I don’t understand why? Wouldn’t you at least need a few guards to prevent spies, assassins and the like from sneaking into camp and sabotaging your efforts?” I asked.

Vivec waved a hand through the fire. The flames billowed and sparked, then lifted from the wood and form into a floating sphere.
“I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion. Spies and assassins are indeed a very real threat. However, we won’t need the guards to be awake. Let them rest with alongside their peers, so that everyone is well-rested tomorrow. They’ll need all the strength they can muster by dawn. Meanwhile, I’ve taken it upon myself to patrol the camp and deal with any undesirable elements.” He explained and winked.
“Don’t you think it was a bit odd to see me so far removed from the central tent at this hour? Anyway, while we’re on the subject of undesirables, it appears that two parties of raiders have entered our camp. They’re probably planning on destroying as many supplies as they can and slit a few throats on their way out.”

I noticed that the sphere of fire had turned into a sort of mirror. The masked faces of a band of men or women could be seen in it. I couldn’t be sure, but going by their build, I guessed that they were Nords or Imperials, not the more slender Chimer.
“Two, huh? Probably coming in from both ends of the camp. Want me to take care of one group while you take care of the other?” I proposed. Vivec smiled.
“Do you think I trust you enough to do it?” He countered.
“I do.”

The Tribunal god stood up abruptly.
“Indeed, I trust you. If you go in a straight line towards where I’m pointing, you’ll find them. When you’re done, wait there. I’ll come for you. Hopefully, they’ll be the last intruders tonight so we get the time to meet Nerevar.” He spoke. I nodded and began to jog in the direction he had indicated. Since the Chimer’s sleep was magical in nature, I wouldn’t disturb them with some noise.
“Oh and one more thing, sir Alkad?” I skidded to a halt and half-turned.
“Please try not to kill them. This may be a war, but I prefer to shed as little blood as possible.” Vivec told me. I flashed a grin.
“You can count on me.” I answered before running off again. A thought slipped through my mind.
“I think I actually like this Vivec.”

This story is progressing excellently. I can't wait for the next update.

Indeed

I've always enjoyed this, you have a very readable style, just draws me into the story. Looking good!

More please

Thanks, this was just what I needed to open word again.



The camp was big, but not that big. At a full run, it wouldn’t take me more than two or three minutes to reach the other end, even though I had to go around all the tents and campfires. That didn’t leave me much time to come up with a plan on how to deal with the unwanted guests. Though most likely my plan would involve hitting them on the head when they weren’t looking.

Not knowing their plans was another problem. If they were ordered to strike only at high-ranking officers or the gods themselves, that would be great. If they wanted to destroy vital supplies, likewise. Those were all hidden within the heart of the camp, giving me plenty of time to intercept the intruders. But if they were meant to kill every single sleeping soldier they found instead, I would have to hurry. Vivec asked me to shed as little blood as possible, both theirs and that of his people. And I refused to let him down.

“This whole thing stinks, I’m telling you.” I heard them before I saw them and dove to the ground near the closest campfire, where I pretended to be just another sleeping Chimer. I could barely make out their silhouettes, about a dozen metres to my right. With a bit of luck, they weren’t paying that much attention and wouldn’t notice the one guy with the darker skin sitting among all the shiny golden ones. I was grateful for the lack of a standard uniform in Vivec’s army. At least I wouldn’t stand out due to clothing.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve told us that already. So they all fell asleep. Perfect opportunity I say. How about we put a knife in the eye of every pointy-eared honoured user between here and the supply tent. I’d say we could kill over twohundred of them if we don’t cause too much of a ruckus and get away with it. Just think of the bonus we’ll get when we come back and tell the commander of the slaughter.” The accent was different, but that confident tone and air of ‘I’m the most important guy in the world cause my folk claims to have conquered the whole known world’ definitely reeked of Imperial.
“I know, we could just walk in and do whatever we please. But don’t you think this is a bit too easy? I’m telling you Arctunius, I know a trap when I see one. This is just too convenient not to be one. I feel like we’re being watched. I bet they’re all awake and just waiting to jump us. I say we turn around and get out of here now.” I rolled my eyes. The name had confirmed the previous speaker as Imperial and this one sounded Breton to me. Still, if he was so convinced it was a trap, then why was he talking in the first place? At least Ro-El and his treehugging master would have the good grace to talk with gestures.

“Most likely, the Imperials don’t like the hand-communications of the Bretons and vice-versa. Now if this Imperial is anything like all the others I’ve met, he won’t be backing down.” I thought.
“If you’re scared, Astien, go back by yourself. I’m going in and get myself that delicious bonus.” Bingo. I watched one shadow march off deeper into the camp, with his partner following somewhat hesitantly and a lot more careful. Good grief, this Arctunius didn’t even bother to sneak anymore and unlike me, he didn’t have proof that this sleep was caused by an immortal with near unlimited powers.
“Well, time for me to rough them up and throw them out, I guess.” I whispered to myself once I could no longer see them. I got up and looked in the direction they’d gone.

One shadow was kneeling next to a Chimer, the other seemed to be looking all over in a nervous manner.
“Oh, crap. The Imp said he was going to kill some Chimer, didn’t he?! I’ve got to stop him!” I thought.
“Wait!” I shouted. Both men turned to me instantly. The whole situation had turned with a single word.
“Now this is not how I was going to do it. Damn, I wanted to surprise them from behind and knock them out with a single blow. Well, there was no time for that. I had to save that Chimer somehow.” My mind raced.

“So it was a trap! Arctunius, we’ve been found!” Astien yelled. In his panic, he had completely forgotten about all the sleeping soldiers. It was fortunate then for him that no amount of noise could wake them from their slumber. They would have gut him in a heartbeat, and not even I would have been able to stop them.
“Then we’ll just have to fight our way out!” Arctunius answered and switched his knife to his empty hand before drawing a short sword with the other.
“Oh great, now they’re going to fight me?!”

I raised my hands to show I was unarmed. If I could just get close enough to them without the bloodthirsty Imperial swinging at me, I might just pull this one off. Or, I suddenly realized, I could try to bluff my way out.
“Please, put that sword away. I’m with the Empire. You must be Arctunius.” I said. The mention of his name was enough to keep the man calm long enough for me to get closer. Once I was close enough, he recognized my face and lowered his sword.
“Redguard, I guess that means you are on our side. How do you know my name?” Arctunius asked, still somewhat suspicious of me.
“Well, because your partner mentioned it when I was eavesdropping. But I suppose you wouldn’t like it if I said that.” I thought and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Right now was not a good time for sarcasm.
“My superiors mentioned it. Said you were the kind of man who always tries to do more than what his orders mention. The kind of man who would grab an opportunity such as this to write history. That’s why they sent me.”

Arctunius didn’t know whether to feel offended or praised by my words. Meanwhile, Astien had been thinking for a bit.
“But why would they send someone else to stop our mission? Aren’t we fulfilling the Emperor’s will?” He asked.
“Ah, but that’s exactly why I’ve been sent. You see, they sent in another pair several hours before yours, who were to enter the camp from the northeast. Now apparently they discovered the cause of all this sleeping. Poison gas coming from some sort of plant growing in this damned swamp. Put one of them, Cyrus, to sleep and he still hasn’t awakened. Needless to say, that’s when the commander decided to recall all operatives.” I said, trying to sound as if I believed the total nonsense I was telling them.
“Cyrus?! Are you saying that Cyrus was sent out as well?!” Arctunius gasped. I shrugged.
“Don’t ask me. It could be your friend, or a complete stranger. It’s not exactly an unusual name among Redguards.”
“Poison…gas?” The Breton mumbled.

I nodded.
“Yes, that’s what the Battlemages concluded and apparently what got this whole army. The slightest change of wind-direction, and we’ll all be sleeping beauties. Frankly, I prefer to stay awake at camp but orders are orders, so here I am. I’ve got to tell you two to head back. The Emperor needs you to do your mission, but he needs you alive more.” My claims were getting more crazy by the second. But that is part of the art of bluffing. If the story is crazy enough, people will assume only two things. One, you’re crazy. Two, it’s so crazy you couldn’t have made it up no matter how hard you tried. Hopefully, dropping a name and some titles would do the trick of making them choose option two.

Lol so true Jack, so true.

I observed their responses with a flat expression. Astien almost looked relieved at the ‘order’ to head back, while Arctunius needed a bit more convincing. Still, I knew I could handle him. So far so good.
“Ah, speak of the devil. The wind is picking up.” I said while nervously looking around.
“I don’t feel anything. And besides, we can finish our mission real quick if we put our mind to it.” The Imperial scoffed. I shook my head.
“Before joining the army, I used to be a sailor. Spend a few years sailing the most treacherous straits and you’ll be like me. You either get a feel for the wind. Or you die as your ship is hurled onto the cliffs by a sudden storm. I’d say we’ll get an eastern to south-eastern wind in five minutes. Think you can make it in and out by then?”

For a moment, Arctunius still refused. But I could already see in his eyes that he’d made up his mind. While he hated to admit it, he was going to run. All because of the advise of a ‘Redguard sailor’.
“I see. Let’s not waste any more time here! Astien, why are you still standing here? We should be moving already!” The man barked and set off at a dash.
“Err…right!” Astien stammered as he ran after him. For a while, I joined them in their escape, just to keep up the pretence. It would have been very suspicious if the ‘nervous messenger’ decided to stay behind.

“Look, friends. I’m going to circle around and stay out of the wind as much as possible. I want to check up on my colleague who’s been sent to retrieve another group.” I gasped, feigning fatigue.
“Maybe we should come with you?” Much to my surprise, it was Astien who extended the offer. But then again, he was probably just the friendly type.
“No thanks. I’ll minimize the risk as much as possible, but I’d hate to drag you into it if I’m wrong. The only enemy is the breeze anyway. I won’t have trouble of the bladed sort. Well then, be seeing you. Have a drink on me at the camp.”

With those words, I fell back and changed my direction till they were out of sight. Once I was sure they’d gone, I sat down to wait for Vivec.
“Heh, that was actually kind of fun. No day is complete without fooling someone. Anyway, sir goldy should be satisfied. I got them out, no one got killed and I didn’t even have to smack them. Man, I’m good.” I noted with smug satisfaction. Noticing that a nearby bundle of soldiers had been binge-drinking before Vivec put them to sleep, I helped myself to an unopened bottle.
“Cheers, oh esteemed warriors. I hope you won’t get nightmares from the thought that a Redguard is drinking your booze.” I lifted the bottle in a mock greeting and took a hearty swig of the brew. Turned out it was Sujamma. Damn strong stuff. And damn good.



OOC: I hope you guys don't mind this utterly short update, but I'm still in the process of deciding Nerevar's personality. (which will in turn heavily influence his meeting with Luper.) Since none of my sources actually said anything regarding him pre-Red Mountain (not to mention afterwards, cause he was ya'know...DEAD ) I get to basically do him from scratch. And I definitely don't want to mess up on one of the most important people in Morrowind. Even though you never met him in the game, what with him being dead and all. He's still pretty damn important.

Err...I guess I lied when I said that none of my sources mentioned his personality. They did mention that he always took the advice of Azura and the Tribunal, but that's not a lot. And since here he's Tribunal himself...

Well written Jack. Poison gas, nice touch. Can't wait for the next update.