Well, the color discussion has been dun already, so…

It was all she could do to keep from grabbing the first shiny thing and running.
I love it!

Good grief, Methredhel was very distracted by the hot page! It makes perfect sense that he would assume any new maid was a tramp, given Fathis’ reputation. And Methie being already a little hot under the skirt tells me that she enjoys her exciting job!

That was close, Methredhel sighed. He had nearly drowned! While she doubted that anyone would weep at his passing, the last thing she wanted was a murder investigation leveled at her. The Imperial Legion became irate when you stole from rich people. But a cross waited for any plebeian who killed a patrician.
I love this paragraph! Very exciting, and a reminder of how high the stakes are when messing with nobility.

I just love that she tied a glowstone to a cursed artifact and then dropped it down the privy.

Now there are a couple of unconscious bodies on the floor and a horny page wandering around, and I’m getting nervous about Methie’s escape!

Acadian: If only I used scrolls in the game to such good effect! I always forget them when I am playing. But when I am writing - and have time to think - they strike me as a great way for non-magicians to accomplish specific tasks in their missions quests.

Curtseying is a lot harder than it looks! I remember when I tried to learn it. It is even worse when you are wearing heels!

The count's near death was another opportunity for me to reinforce the differences between social ranks in the TF. We have not seen it for a while. I also wanted yet one more danger for Methie to face. Plus of course the irony of actually having to save who might be the hated man in Bravil was just too delicious to pass up.


haute ecole rider: I wanted a good mix of obstacles and unforeseen issues for Methredhel to face in the count's quarters. From direct confrontations to more indirect problems. Flavius Carbo created a wonderful conflict for Methie - and her teenage hormones (she is only a year older than Teresa, 19). I had fun writing her battle against her ovaries.


ghastley: Hold on to that thought about Methie dropping the sword! As you noted, the glowstone is to act as both a warning to get out of the way when the sword is on the way down, and a helpful way to find it in the dark.


mALX: I was very glad that I was able to pull so much out of the existing Bethesda lore for the background on Soul's Rattle and the necros who are hunting for it. It all wound up tying together very well, which I hope makes the story a little more accessible - or at least familiar - to those who have played not only Oblivion, but also the earlier games.

I have to thank you for my characterization of Fathis as a hound. Thanks to you, I just cannot imagine him any other way.

Hold on to that suspicion of Mael, it may be justified...

Wow, Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin really hits it perfectly! They may have both moved on to other lovers, but both Ungarion and Aela still have that same deep bond between them.

I guess Methie should have brought that horker tusk with her after all...


McBadgere: Fear not, Methie has not fallen in love with anyone. At least not yet. So no dashing young men have to die because of her!


Grits: Picturing a street rat like Methie surrounded by all that wealth, it had to be like an alcoholic in a brewery. There must be an overpowering urge to just grab and take it all! OTOH, I always get nervous when I am around displays of wealth. I am always afraid I am going to break something. Except for technology. I am never afraid of breaking a million dollar server. Sometimes I actually want to kick them!

I would not go so far as to say that Flavius assumes the hot young maids are tramps, as to say that like all men, his penis has a mind of its own...

I decided to skip over Methies escape from the castle, as it felt anti-climatic after everything she went through in the count's chambers. Suffice to say, she slips out like the expert thief that she is.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Methredhel facing one challenge after another in the count's private chambers. She was forced to knock out another maid with a scroll and hide her in a closet. Then tricked a hot young page into leaving to change the count's breakfast. Then of course she not only had to poison the count's wine with a sleeping potion, but also had to rescue him from drowning in his tub. Finally, she was able to get hold of his sword and drop it down the privy to the sewer below.


Chapter 46.7 – Methredhel's Eleven

Teresa waited on one of the small, stone ledges that flanked the sewer tunnel. Her night eye goggles were strapped around her head. Otherwise she could not have seen her hand in front of her face in the lightless passages underneath the castle. Still, she was not entirely thankful for the illumination they provided. For that just made it all the easier to see the unwholesome liquid that floated alongside her. It was bad enough just smelling it, even with the vanilla and lavender-soaked facemask she had prepared ahead of time. She was even more thankful for the Jewel of the Rumare, for it had kept her dry while swimming through the effluvium. She could still taste it however, where the water, and other things, had touched her lips.

The Bosmer archer could not help but remember the last time she had waded through a sewer. It had been less than a year ago, shortly after the death of the Emperor. As it often did, her throat constricted at the thought of the old man. She had come so far since then. But he was always there waiting in mind, watching.

Teresa hoped that she had made him proud.

Leaning out over the water channel, Teresa glanced up into the shaft above. She thought she saw a light appear. The forester hoped that was Methredhel. Assuming she was under the right privy. Teresa took a step back, lest the count's falling sword cave her skull in. It was not the necromantic artifact that came raining down in front of her however, but rather a barrage of brown excrement. The stomach-churning bombardment splashed the water high up all around, washing Teresa with bilge.

The Bosmer closed her eyes and winced. Once again she as thankful for the protection of the Jewel of the Rumare. She vowed that next time Methredhel was going into the sewer, while she sneaked into the fortress over it!

A very loud splash came to Teresa's elfin ears, along with a flash of light from outside of her field of view. Teresa' head spun, and she saw a bright glow of light reaching up from under the water just a dozen paces behind her. The waves above it leaped and roiled from an impact more substantial than the normal discharges she had witnessed since arriving in the sewer, sending them spilling across the narrow stone walkways to either side of the drainage channel.

Praying to Nocturnal that this was indeed Soul's Rattle, the Bosmer pulled the negation gloves onto her hands and raced forward. Gritting her teeth, Teresa dove into the muck and swam down. Doing her best to ignore the flotsam and jetsam that floated past, she reached the bottom of the waterway and cast about for whatever had fallen from the privy above.

There it was, a long dark shape against the grey stone of the canal. The bright spot of light from the glowstone hurt Teresa's eyes as she neared it. Thanks to that she could not make out any details except for the basic outline of the sword. She reached down with one hand and clapped it around the scabbard. Lifting it up, she was surprised at how heavy it felt. Most swords weighed no more than a few pounds. But this felt somehow more substantial than them, as if she was lifting more than just steel.

The blade shifted under her hand, seemingly of its own accord. Teresa saw it sliding out of its sheath, and reached out with her free hand to take the grip. She felt - something - squirm under her fingers. Not the sword, but something else. Something soft, like flesh.

Looking down, she saw a woman laying on the green velvet carpet of the bedroom floor. It was Pompeia. Teresa did not understand how she knew the Imperial woman's name. She simply did. Just as she knew that they had been married for nearly two decades. Even after all that time, and all the arguments, Teresa could not imagine any woman in the world being more beautiful.

Yet that beauty was fragile, as all mortal beauty was. It was stained red with her life blood, which poured out onto the floor. Teresa reached out with one of her hands to stroke Pompeia's long black hair. She noted that it was not her arm and hand, but rather that of a man, thick with dark hair and muscle. Teresa's other hand took hold of the black sword that was buried in her chest. She knew that it was the only thing holding the wound even partially closed. If she pulled it out, Pompeia would drown in her own blood.

Teresa's hand shook, and she heard a cry rip through her throat.

"Healer!" a man's deep voice screamed raggedly. "Send for a healer!"

But looking down into Pompeia's eyes, Teresa could see that it was already far too late. The light in them faded, and went cold.

Then she felt her. Not in the still flesh stretched out on the floor. But within the grip of the terrible blade that had taken Pompeia's life. It felt warm now, as if it was filled with her love, with her anger, with her laughter, and with her tears. A whispering came to her ears, just loud enough to hear, but not enough for Teresa to make out the words. All that she could tell for certain, was that it was Pompeia…

Teresa gasped, and dropped the sword with both hands. As soon as she let go of the grip the vision was gone, and she was herself again. The Bosmer shook like a leaf, and stared at the sword below her. Now she knew why Count Terentius was a drunkard, and why he could not rid himself of the very cursed blade that had taken the life of his beloved. It was all he had left of her.

* * *

Aela watched the street outside. By now Riverwalk was busy with pedestrians going this way and that, as well as wagons and carts loaded down with goods from the docks, which lay just beyond the avenue. A glance back showed that Ungarion still waited at the back door, just in case anyone tried to enter that way. Chance stood near the stable door, to make sure no one escaped. She hoped that no one tried. They had already laid out over a dozen workers and locked them inside. From the banging she occasionally heard, some of them were once again awake.

Methredhel had better return soon, she mused, else this was going to go to Oblivion. The three of them could not keep the workers locked in forever, and guard all the doors. Not without killing someone.

Her heart leaped as she looked back into the street and saw Teresa standing there. The wood elf was clad in simple threadbare clothing, and wore a scowl deeper than the Niben. Yet when the Bosmer's eyes locked upon her own, she managed a faint smile. The archer raised one hand with her thumb up, and Aela did the same in return.

"Jalbert, Soul's Rattle is ours." Aela did not try to soften her voice as she usually did. Rather she let its full - distinctly male - resonance pour from her lungs. "They should return momentarily."

"Excellent," Chance replied loudly, doing his best to deepen his voice and sound different from normal as well. "All is going according to plan. Drels, you had better return to the castle before those fools realize that you have been gone."

"I'll wager that idiot that calls himself a count will even believe that it was the Renrijra Krin who stole his sword!" Ungarion laughed in voice as harsh and rough as Red Mountain. He vanished through the back door, slamming it hard enough behind him that the workers were certain to hear.

Aela saw the brewery wagon pull up in front of the building, with Methredhel and Mael sitting in its cab. Quickly opening the double doors that faced Riverwalk, she stepped aside while the Breton clucked the horses forward. A glance across the street revealed Commander Vitellus and Vice-Commander Tadrose. Both wore ordinary clothing, but carried their swords. They looked back at her and nodded.

As soon as the wagon was safely within the building, Aela slammed the doors shut. She did not lock them however. Along with Chance and Ungarion, she walked over to meet Mael and Methredhel as they climbed down to the floor.

"I just got the signal that we have it," Aela whispered to the newcomers. "We are ready for the next part."

"We saw her too, on the way over," Methredhel whispered back. Then she turned to Mael, and gestured toward the back door. The two of them opened it silently, and vanished into the alley beyond.

Aela waited, looking from the door to Chance, and back to the front door. A loud pounding rang out upon it. Aela ignored it, and the hammering only grew more insistent.

"Open up!" Vitellus' voice rang out from the street. "We know you're open. We just saw a wagon go in!"

"We're closed!" Aela yelled back, in the deepest, most masculine voice she could muster. A racket erupted from the stable, as the workers began pounding upon their side of the door. She heard them yell out, voices muffled from the wooden barrier, but still quite audible.

"Hey, who are you?" the Colovian's voice roared through the door. "You don't work here!"

With that one of the front doors came crashing open under a pair of boots. Pappy and Tadrose stood there, swords in hand.

"Fighters Guild!" Commander Vitellus shouted, "to action!"

Aela spiked a hand into the air and released her magicka. With a whooshing sound, a sylph formed in the space before her. Chance pulled out a scroll, and with a single word sent a bolt of lightning from it to the stone floor between him and the other two mercenaries. The two fighters shouted and struck the flats of their swords against one another, creating a loud clattering of steel.

"It's a skeleton!" Tadrose yelled out loudly. "I've got it!"

"Those necromancers are mine!" Commander Vitellus bellowed.

Aela fixed the symbol for her Flare spell in her mind, and pointed her hand to the floor. With a crackle of flame, it extinguished harmlessly upon the stones. The two horses kicked and neighed wildly though, and Chance was forced to back up lest he find a hoof in his skull. He walked to the back door, where Aela joined him.

In the meantime, the two mercenaries walked to the door of the stable, giving the excited horses a wide berth. Again, they clattered their swords together in a loud cacophony of metal.

"They're sending the skeletons after the civilians!" Tadrose shouted.

"We've got to save them!" Vitellus yelled in reply. "Blast it! We'll get the necromancers next time."

Aela grinned, and dispelled her sylph. Reaching into one of her pockets, she drew forth a potion and gulped it down. Her hand vanished from view, as did the rest of her body. Drawing off her mask and robe, she walked out the back door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chance vanish as well. Without a word, she trotted down the alley, and headed for the Fighters Guild.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Oct 26 2013, 04:35 AM

My own throat constricted remembering how his death affected and effected her. She has come a tremendously long way since then, we all have a share in being proud of her.


Oh hell, the blade is possessed with souls! Urk! Now what?

HOLY CRAP! Everything is going haywire! GAAAAAH! For the gods sake don't give that sword to Mael! Urk!

GAAAAAAH! Cliffhanger! It can't end there! MORE! MORE I SAY! Urk. Awesome, AWESOME Story! Your writing always is outstanding, but you have excelled even your own standards with this storyline - Awesome Write!


*

What a crappy job poor Teresa had. Both literally and spiritually. That cursed sword certainly lives up to its name. Some chillingly disturbing images Teresa endured as she wrestled with it! Since Aela subsequently saw Teresa and even got a signal from her, I’m assuming little Red did manage to fully get custody of the slithery weapon.

Then we see the next part of the plan put into effect – all for the benefit of the locked away brewery stable folks. And a fine ‘cover story’ it appears to be. I imagine when the brewery captives are freed, the stories of what they heard will do a nice job of blaming necrodudes for the theft, implicating Drels, sharing the name of ringleader Jalbert and making Pappy’s crew seem like the heroes they are! And, being a brewery, naturally Pappy is first to kick in the door! Bards will soon sing about the Legendary Savior of Samaia Adamus routing the necromancers. All in all, not a bad day’s work it seems.

I’ll be nervous though until I know that sword is far away from Teresa and, hopefully, properly destroyed.

Nit: ‘They looked back {at, to, toward?} her and nodded.’

I don't know. I'm thinking "Give Mael to that sword" is more likely.

There's a distinct chance that Terentius is coming out of this looking better than he did going in. If he survives the loss of the artifact. The connection to Pompeia may be all that kept him going.

Free beer for life to the saviors from the Fighters Guild! <= pour it in here

What a fun and delightful adventure of misdirection! Yes, the loud and flashy always draws more attention than the quiet and sly. Something put to good use time and time again as military history has shown.

I am looking forward to the fallout from this episode. That is always the most fun part - seeing how people take something and blow it up into bigger somethings! The Bravil Fighters' Guild certainly left behind enough fodder for the gossip mill!

Wonder how Terentius will feel when he wakes up and realizes Soul's Rattle, and his last link with Pompeia, is gone. This has certainly been a fresh perspective on who is possibly one of the least-liked NPCs in the vanilla game. I love filling in the backstory on all these NPCs, and I enjoy hearing other people's own backstories.

*Bites knuckle and worries*...So many jokes we could do...But they could be taken entirely the wrong way...Should I?...No...Yes?...*Sighs*...Nah...

No, you're right...They'd just stink... ...

Aaaaamywho...

Brilliant stuff...

Loved the whole - if somewhat icky - bit in the sewer...The Jewel of Rumare's powers of crap-cling-prevention would be damned useful in work!... ...The bit about having some...Go down...Gahh...*Goes to get drink*...Ich woman...Fair dues... ...

The sword was exceptionally done...That was so sad...Bleeding necro artifacts... ...

The secondary thing with the rest of the Fighter's Guild was excellent... ...Though, possibly they'll not be called upon to grace the stage at the theatre any time soon, hopefully they did enough to convince... ...

If not, maybe they could all get their own Jewel of Rumare so that any fallout fails to stick...

Brilliant writing, as ever...Loving this whole caper...

Nice one!...

*Applauds heartily*...

mALX: Since this whole necronovella revolves around Soul's Rattle, I wanted it to really stand out as more than just a shiny magic item. I am glad it comes across as being really creepy.

Of course I could not resist the tip of the hat to the Emperor. He will always be Teresa's guiding star.


Acadian: You have skewered the intent of the Battle of the Brewery quite well. If all works out, the bad guys will get all the blame, while Teresa and company remain safe from retribution - not only from the law, but the King of Worms as well (who will think his own people went rogue and kept the sword for themselves).


ghastley: Mael will be getting exactly what he deserves. This episode in fact.

You had me rolling with the free beer line! Pappy should be so lucky!


haute ecole rider: It was fun to focus on Terentius this way. As you and ghastly have both noted, he is one of the least liked characters in Oblivion. Being able to show why he is such a prick was nice. It also allowed me to show the effect that possessing one of the King of Worm's artifacts has on a person. Where he will go now is anyone's guess. Without the sword, he will have to finally give up Pompeia. That might make him more of a prick, or temper his behavior. Only time will tell.


McBadgere: Teresa was so thankful for the Jewel of the Rumare that time! It was a crappy assignment as it is!


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: Teresa recovered Soul's Rattle from where Methredhel dropped it in the sewer. Upon taking the sword by the handle, she relieved the death of Count Terentius' wife Pompeia, who had been killed by the sword. Even more chilling, she realized that Pompeia's soul was contained within the sword, that was why the count always kept it at his side. Exiting the sewer, she gave the all clear signal to Aela and the others inside the brewery. Mael and Methredhel arrived shortly afterward with the brewery wagon, and slipped out quietly. Pappy and Tadrose came bursting in soon after, and staged a mock battle between them and the 'necromancers' for the benefit of the incarcerated brewery employees. The battle ended with the fake necromancers escaping, but the Fighter Guild protecting the workers from harm.


Chapter 46.8 – Methredhel's Eleven

Teresa walked to Bravil's North Gate with Mael in tow. She was again clad in her miran-talurn armor, and carried Ravenfeeder strung in the gorytos at her hip. Her Thieves Bag hung from her other hip, with Soul's Rattle safely nestled within. Mael too, had returned to the original enchanted linens he had been wearing when Teresa had first met the Breton.

Lifting one hand in the air, Teresa concentrated upon the symbol for her Bloom spell, and spilled her magicka through it. As it had a dozen times before, her skin, hair, and even teeth instantly felt cleansed and refreshed. Yet the aftertaste of the sewer still haunted her lips…

"You know, you can cause harm by casting that spell too much…" Mael observed dryly.

"Shut up," Teresa growled. "You didn't spend the morning where I did."

"A fact for which I am tremendously grateful," the man snickered.

As they neared the massive stone gatehouse that guarded the bridge out of the city, they found a long line of people, wagons, and animals queued up ahead of them. Teresa could see that the City Guard was searching everyone before allowing them to exit the city. She headed for the end of the line, and stared in astonishment when Mael simply walked past her - and all the other waiting people - and strode directly toward the open gate.

"Hold up there citizen," a guardsman blocked his path with a raised hand. "You'll have to get in line with everyone else before you can leave the city."

"Are you mad?" Mael's voice shook like a willow in a stiff breeze. "This city isn't safe! There's necromancers roaming the streets, killing everyone!"

"Calm down goodman," the guardsman said in that firm, authoritarian tone that seemed to be issued to every legionary and city guardsman with their armor and sword. "No one is any danger. Now just get back in the queue."

"I'm not going to end up on some corpse-humper's charm bracelet!" Mael's voice was growing shriller with every sentence, and his eyes began to bulge from their sockets.

Teresa ran up and took him by one arm. "It's fine," she said in a soothing tone. "Look, I'm right here. I'll protect you."

"Teresa of the Faint Smile!"

The forester turned at the sound of a familiar voice, and found Gaius Prentus walking over from the line of pedestrians. "What are you doing here?"

"Bodyguard contract," Teresa said, nodding to Mael. "I've been keeping an eye on this jewel dealer since he came to the city. He heard about the trouble earlier this morning, and is eager to depart."

"No one can leave the city without being searched for the count's sword." The Imperial looked Mael up and down, and was clearly unimpressed. "Everything alright here goodman?"

"No, no it's not!" the Breton cried in a high voice. "We're all going to die! Die!"

By now the people in line were doing more than just stare at the erratic Breton. They were casting their eyes nervously about, and muttering animatedly. Teresa could only hear a few words here and there, but could tell that it was all related to the robbery at the castle, and the battle her fellow guild members had taken part in at the brewery. Then a Nord shoved two Imperials in front of him, and fists began to fly.

The first guardsman ran to the melee, as did the other mail-clad soldiers nearby. Gaius Prentus remained, anxiously looking back and forth between Teresa and the donnybrook.

"Well it's obvious neither one of you has the count's damned sword up your sleeves," he finally said. "Go on, get this fetcher out of here. Before he starts a riot!"

"Gratis," Teresa nodded. Taking Mael by one arm, she led the Breton through the gatehouse.

"What was that all about?" she hissed into the spy's ear.

"It got us out of the city, didn't it?" he winked in reply.

Teresa just shook her head, and followed the Blade into Bay Roan Stables. He paid for a rickety old buckboard wagon and a pair of sturdy Shire horses with a gold ring set with glittering sapphires. In no time at all he and Teresa were rolling north along the Green Road.

"You're awfully free with your money," Teresa observed.

"I can fill out an expense report when I get back," he murmured. "Besides, those sapphires were glass. This farmer's wagon might be rubbish, but the two horses will net me more than five of those rings."

"I thought you were a spy, not a thief." Teresa shook her head.

"Is there a difference?" the Breton grinned.

Teresa rolled her eyes as they trundled north behind the two bulky horses. In no time at all they had rolled out of sight of the city. The trees of the Great Forest rose up like a wall to their left, now denuded of their leaves. To their right empty fields stretched out to Niben Bay, broken by occasional orchards whose trees had long since been harvested of their fruit.

It was beside one of those deserted orchards that Mael pulled the wagon to a halt. Teresa noted that he did not set the brake, and looked questioningly at the Breton.

"Give me the sword Teresa." The Breton turned to look at her with cold eyes. "This is the end of the line for you."

"Tell me something first." The wood elf felt her heart double its pace, and fixed the symbol for her Burning Hand in her mind.

This was finally it. The endgame.

"What happened to the real Mael? Did you kill him? Or do you have him prisoner somewhere?"

"How did you know?" The Breton's eyes narrowed. Teresa saw his hands filling with light. She knew she had but moments left. Just keep him talking, she thought, and buy some more time.

"I knew the instant I shook your hand," Teresa said honestly.

She remembered the first time she had met a Blade. "What brings you to Weynon?" Brother Piner asked, extending his hand in greeting. His grasp was firmer than she would have imagined for a monk, and she felt his thumb press into the gap between the knuckles of her first and second fingers.

"You have already met the real Mael. He was one of the worm anchorites you destroyed in Anutwyll."

Teresa turned at the sound of the deep voice. Standing at the edge of the forest was Jalbert, clad in black necromancer robes. He had thrown his hood back to make his features plain. Teresa imagined that he wanted her to know who it was that killed her, and she noted that one of his hands was filled with sparks. Stepping from the forest around him were at least half a dozen more skull-robed figures, all looking at Teresa.

"You should have known better than to come here alone." One of the others threw back his hood, and Teresa saw that it was none other than the count's so-called advisor: Drels Theran.

"So are you a necromancer too then?" Teresa looked back to the Breton next to her.

"I'm just in it for the money," he shook his head. "I don't care about their corpse-god, you, or anything else. Now hand over that sword!"

Mael - or whatever his name really was - reached out to grab for Teresa with a fiery hand. But the Breton was too slow. A soft thwap! rang out from the road behind them, and a shield enchantment flashed from his clothing. It was not strong enough to resist the ebony tipped arrow that drilled into his back however, and the force of the shot threw him off the front of the buckboard to the cobblestones below. Teresa noted that he was still squirming however, so apparently his enchantments had saved his life.

Jalbert's hand flashed with sparks as he raised it toward Teresa. She leapt off the far side of the wagon as the crackle of lightning filled the air. She heard it impact upon the cab of the buckboard behind her, and felt splinters of wood patter harmlessly across her armored back. The two horses neighed in terror, and leapt forward in a panicked trot. The spy did not even have time to scream as the iron-rimmed wheels crushed him underneath.

Teresa pulled her hood up over her head and sped for the orderly rows of apple trees that bordered her side of the road. The sound of horses came to her elfin ears. Not the fleeing draft horses hitched to the wagon, but rather another pair of steeds, fast approaching from the south.

A glance in that direction revealed Methredhel standing at one side of the road, just out of life detection range. She wore leather armor, and held her Imperial Longbow in one hand. A blue disc of energy formed in the air beside her, and a serpent of fire coalesced in its wake. Ungarion appeared from out of thin air behind it, face cleaned of makeup and restored to its normal golden hue. Beside him appeared Kud-Ei, who winged a spiral of emerald energy down the road toward the necromancers. Galloping up the road behind them were Valerius and Ancondil. The Nibenean knight was clad in his silver meteoric glass armor, and held a glass-tipped lance in one hand. Ancondil was girded in his gleaming bronze Dwemer panoply, and hefted his elven war hammer in one fist.

Teresa heard the whooshing noises of multiple summonings behind her, as the necromancers prepared for battle. Lightning burst through the air nearby. But once again Teresa was too quick, and had dodged behind a tree before its glowing fingers could reach her. She drew Ravenfeeder from her gorytos, and after it a swallowtail-tipped elven arrow. She took the time to dip its head into the wide jar of magicka silencing poison at her hip. Then she set it to her bowstave and stepped out from behind her sheltering tree.

She saw half a dozen creatures now standing between her and the necromancers. One was a zombie from which sickly green wisps of effluvium wafted up. Two others were skeletons carrying elven greatswords. A third was a wraith, like those she had seen upon The Emma May, only this one clutched a short elvish blade in its ghostly fingers. The fourth was a zombie clad in a suit of battered armor plates and rotting cloth, of a style she had never seen before. The gleaming ebony longsword it held looked quite serviceable though. The tall curling horns of its helmet looked Nordic, and Teresa wondered if it might be some kind of undead found in Skyrim?

Finally, Teresa recognized a corpse wearing a dark red robe and a tall crested helm upon its desiccated skull. It clutched a staff in one hand, and floated in mid air above the cobblestones of the street. A lich! Had Jalbert summoned that? The Redguard had only been able to summon ordinary zombies at Vilverin. But that had been a long time ago. Her own skills had grown considerably since then. Perhaps his had as well?

Fixing her old nemesis in her sights, she loosed. As he had at Vilverin, Jalbert dodged aside, and her arrow plunked home into a tree behind him. He traded a lightning bolt, which Teresa also sidestepped. The lich turned to face her now as well, and leveled its staff in her direction.

Then it stopped, and seemed to shake. Jalbert began to tremble as well, and she saw the muscles on his face and neck stand out in stark relief against his reddish skin. It seemed like he was struggling with some great weight. Then suddenly the look broke from his features, and the lich turned and loosed a blast of fire into the assembled necromancers.

"I can do more than just dispel her," Teresa remembered Aela saying outside of Bravil Castle. "I can take control of her."

Teresa wanted to cheer for Aela, but was too busy drawing another arrow and poisoning it. She kept her eyes upon Jalbert the entire time, and raised her bow to fire upon him once more. The elven arrow sped across the distance between them, but once again he dodged. This time it was behind another of the necromancers. Teresa's arrow bore into the hapless man's chest, throwing him to the ground.

Now the Nordic zombie turned in Teresa's direction. It held its arms back and thrust its head forward, as if to spit. Instead it shouted "FUS RO DAH!" and a bluish wave of energy leapt out from its lips. The lich was first in its line of fire, and went flying into the trunk of one of the trees near Teresa. An instant later the Bosmer herself was picked up by what felt like a monstrous wind, and found herself thrown back as well. She slammed into something hard, and found stars dancing around her eyes.

Screenshot

Falling to her knees, she saw Ravenfeeder laying on the ground several feet away. Trying to shake off the shock of the impact, she crawled forward on her hands and knees. The world swayed for long moments, and she was afraid she might fall face first into the dirt. Then her vision cleared, and her fingers clamped down upon the golden sila wood of her bowstave.

A black-clad foot came down hard upon Ravenfeeder however, driving it and her hand down into the ground. Looking up, Teresa found Jalbert towering above her. He laughed as he stared down at her, dark eyes glowing with psychotic delight. He raised both of his hands, and lightning danced and crackled between his fingers.

"I've waited a long time for this!" he crowed.

"So have I."

Jalbert's head dissolved under the impact of a Dwemer mace. The necromancer's body slumped to the ground in a heap. Behind it stood Chance, holding Ncharcasti in one hand and shield in the other. The young Redguard's face was a mask of stone, neither hateful nor exultant, as he stared down at the corpse of the man who had killed his father. For a brief moment Teresa wondered what must be going through his mind, now that he had finally taken his vengeance?

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Oct 26 2013, 04:41 AM

Now that is interesting, I didn’t think about that! I wonder how?

The action moving so quick I had to keep rereading to make sure I didn’t miss anything here, and then this:



And I screamed, “AELA! WOOOOOOOOT!” Scaring the living crap out of husband, son, dogs, and a cat.

This whole section HAD to be quoted for its awesome impact on the screaming reader:


HOLY COW! I have been shrieking like a banshee through this whole episode, riveted to the page, read and reread, then reread again! Awesome AWESOME Write !!!!!! You have blown me away with this storyline, I love LOVE it !!!!!!!!!

As delightful as the previous few episodes have been, it feels so wonderful to be all happily once again inside Teresa’s head.

Buffy is so jealous of that Bloom spell! She curses me for making her hygiene requirements more mundane. I tell her to feel lucky she can summon a towel! Wasn’t it dear Nerussa, the retired courtesan, who originally taught the spell to Teresa?

Clever how Mael got the pair out the gate with nary a peek into Teresa’s bag of thieves. The warnings were there, but still chilling when Mael pulled the wagon over and his intent became clear. Can it get worse?

Oh my, yes! A whole army of necrodudes, led by Jalbert!

Whew! Yay, the cavalry’s here! Woot! And even Kud-Ei, swirling emerald illusions! Go team Bravil!

Uh, oh. . . the necrodudes counter by opening a whole can of undead army conjuration!

What a well-done white knuckle-inducing fight!

How delicious to see the horse thief Mael get killed by his hoofed 'loot'.

Good on Chance! Your gentle reminder of his history with Jalbert was perfectly placed with just the right gentle touch to remind us of the significance of this particular head pulverizing.


Nit:’Beside him appeared Kud-Ei, who winged a spiral of emerald energy down the road to toward the necromancers.’ (I’d delete the bolded ‘to’ as likely leftover from an earlier edit.)

It took me a couple of reads before I saw what it was that made this episode stand out. Teresa missed her target twice! (OK, so one of her misses took out a random necrodude, but not Jalbert) She's fallible, but she still wins, because she's got the best team behind her.

Aela turns the Lich, then Chance whacks Jalbert. Kind of makes the horses' unintended revenge on Mael insignificant, but I liked that too.

And the sword itself is still in Teresa's bag, to threaten more nastiness next time.

In the last one…

Ugh, Teresa really got the crappy job. No amount of magic makes it OK to swim in poo. I thought it was a great touch that she was under the wrong privy. I mean, it would be almost impossible to get exactly the right one from that angle. Just another way you make the story so (in this case yuckily) real.

Then she felt her. Not in the still flesh stretched out on the floor. But within the grip of the terrible blade that had taken Pompeia's life. It felt warm now, as if it was filled with her love, with her anger, with her laughter, and with her tears. A whispering came to her ears, just loud enough to hear, but not enough for Teresa to make out the words. All that she could tell for certain, was that it was Pompeia…
This part was one of the most beautifully haunting things I’ve read. Awesome.


This episode…

"You know, you can cause harm by casting that spell too much…" Mael observed dryly.
I like that magic use has consequences, some of them not so good.

"You have already met the real Mael. He was one of the worm anchorites you destroyed in Anutwyll."
Oh wow, now I know it’s the real endgame! That whole fight that followed was full of cheer-inducing moments! What a great adventure!

And an ending for Chance as he avengers his father. Awesome.

46.3
there was Chance, who seemed to have glued himself to Methredhel
HA! Chance might be taking some chances, staying that close to a thief! He might find his pockets empty!

I see where Teresa got the sewage taste from. Lovely.

Excellent idea with the gauntlets. I wonder what would happen if someone were to touch it?

46.4
"Oh, he is a savage!"
This line made me laugh so hard! That ridiculous stereotypical homosexual voice popped right in my head as I was reading. That was fun listening to their conversation.

The different magicks to knock out the workers! I enjoyed that part. Now hopefully the workers don’t come in all at once.

mALX: I imagine overcasting the Bloom spell would be just like excessive hand-washing. Eventually it starts to do bad things to your skin. Too much of any good thing usually turns out to be bad.

You had me laughing at the idea of the startled family!


Acadian: It was indeed Nerussa who taught Teresa her faithful Bloom. Where would she be without it?

I could not resist Mael being ultimately done in by the very horses he conned the stable out of.

I tried to keep the reminder of Chance's own history with Jalbert brief - so it would not interrupt the flow of the story. But I did want to make sure some mention of it was made, since it was a long time ago that Chance learned who killed his father and swore vengeance.


ghastley: I do want to keep Teresa from seeming too overpowered. She will not be changing her name to Mary Sue any time soon! But also Jalbert was just too important a villain for his demise to be so simple as a single arrow. He has been the driving force behind the trolls that attacked Teresa on the road and killed Marius, the goblins taking over Lady Scaurus' mine, and of course this whole move against the count in Bravil. I wanted Jalbert's demise to be appropriately satisfying to match his dastardlyness.


Grits: Ugh is definitely right. Swimming in poo is still swimming in poo. I am glad it came across as unpleasant as it did.

I am also glad that Soul's Rattle - and Pompeia's soul within - came across as hauntingly tragic, since that was the goal. I wanted it to be more than just scary, but sad as well, for what it did to people's lives.

I guess Chance is the First Avenger, one of Bravil's Mightiest Heroes, that sort of thing...


King Coin: I think Chance is willing to take that chance, if he is going to have a chance with Methie!

The savage line was meant to be funny. I have tried to portray Ungarion as light-hearted and flamboyant. All based upon his in-game greeting of "Take a chance on the Warlock's Luck!" He is definitely a "let a smile be your umbrella" kind of guy. Which makes him very fun to write.

The different based magics were part of how I wanted to illustrate that while Aela and Ungarion are both University trained mages, their usages of magic are very different. I wanted to make sure each felt unique.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa and Mael leaving the city, with Soul's Rattle hidden in Teresa's Thieves Bag. However, once out of sight, Mael stopped and demanded that Teresa hand over the sword. A group of necromancers emerged from the forest to back him up, including Jalbert and Drels Theran. But a quick arrow from an invisible Methredhel saved Teresa, and she was able to flee to cover while the rest of her team also sprang into view and attacked the necros. During the ensuing battle Teresa was knocked nearly senseless by a Thu'um wielding Draugr, only to find Jalbert standing over her when she came around. However, before the necro could finish Teresa off, Chance appeared behind him and smashed his head into putty. Thus did Chance avenge his father, who had been killed by Jalbert at Vilverin.


Chapter 46.9 – Methredhel's Eleven

But the din of battle snapped Teresa out of her reverie, and Chance as well. The Redguard warrior let his mace dangle from its leather wrist strap, and reached down to help Teresa to her feet. Pulling an arrow from her gorytos, Teresa took the time to poison it. Then she trotted back to the road with Chance at her side.

They found Ancondil and Valerius on foot at their end of the road, and their horses nervously waiting farther away to north. There was no sign of the lich which Aela had taken control of, and Teresa wondered what could have destroyed a creature so powerful?

Chance and Teresa ran out to meet the other fighters, and the three warriors formed up into a line to engage the two skeletons and the Nordic zombie. Ancondil parried a blow of the zombie's longsword upon the haft of his hammer - Persuader - and pushed it down toward the ground. The Orisimer giant followed with a quick jab from Persuader's butt. Yet the Nordic monster was unfazed by the blow. Chance and Valerius parried and countered their opponent's blows as well, but seemed evenly matched with the skeletons. In the meantime the forester circled around the fight, to get a clear shot at the necromancers beyond.

The skull-robes were grouped in the center of the road now. One of the necromancers wrestled with another, his ebony dagger seeking his erstwhile comrade's warm flesh. But a third reached down to grab the knifeman with a flash of purple energy, and just like that he stopped fighting his friend, and climbed to his feet.

Far beyond them stood Kud-Ei, Methredhel, Aela, and Ungarion. The Argonian guild magister flung a green spiral into the necromancer who had stopped the infighting among them. The skull-robe went stiff as a board, and pitched over onto the paving stones. But a moment later the dagger-armed necromancer flung a bolt of purple energy into his paralyzed companion, and she once more found the ability to move.

Kud-Ei was using her command and paralyze spells, Teresa thought. While they did not permanently harm any of the necromancers, it did take them out of the fight. That time was used to good effect by Methredhel, who fired arrow after arrow into the dread zombie that lurched toward her and the mages.

Aela stood with one hand out, creating a wide disc of energy that shimmered in the air before her like a body shield. Ungarion crouched beside the Breton Witch, and a moment later a ball of fire splashed upon Aela's ward, erupting into an inferno that surrounded the pair. Yet when the flames cleared, the two were revealed to be unharmed. Ungarion stepped out and blasted his own fire into the nearby zombie. Teresa did not see the salamander that the high elf had summoned at the beginning of the battle, and imagined that like the lich, it had been a casualty.

Teresa buried an arrow into the back of a necromancer, and felt a grim measure of satisfaction when he pitched forward and lay still in the road. She was reaching for another arrow when she noticed the Nordic zombie stop in mid sword swing, and begin to shake. A moment later it turned, and cleaved one of the skeletons that stood beside it in two. Valerius' meteoric arming sword swept out a moment later, and smote the other into dust.

The three fighters charged into the necromancers, the Nordic zombie now leading the way. However, a tidal wave of ice from Drels Theran brought the mortal warriors to their knees before they could reach the spellcasters. But the zombie ignored the freezing assault and effortlessly lopped the head off the nearest necromancer. "Aav Dilon!" it shouted in a gravelly voice. This time no magic issued from its throat however.

Teresa had readied another arrow by then, and took aim upon Drels. A moment later the Dunmer fell, clutching at the black and white feathers that sprouted from his throat. Then an inferno of fire engulfed the necromancers, and the dread zombie vanished into thin air just inches from Kud-Ei.

When the smoke cleared, the necromancers lay dead. Only the Nordic zombie remained, staring at Aela. "Aam Zol Mul," it rumbled. The Witch frowned, and with a gesture from her hand it too disappeared.

Ancondil, Chance, and Valerius struggled to their feet. Their armor was rimed with frost, and they shook like leaves in the wind. The mages rushed over, and each taking a wounded man, poured white healing energy into them. Soon they were hale and whole once more, and Teresa drew a bottle of Tamika's from her Thieves Bag. She took a long swallow and passed it to Methredhel, whom she was relieved to see needed no healing. The thief gulped the wine as well, and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

"Oh that is good," her sister wood elf grinned with the same post-battle exultation that sang through Teresa's veins. "Damn, that is good!"

"Anything is good when you're alive," Chance murmured as he took the bottle next and gulped down a swig. "Too bad Pappy isn't here," the Redguard grinned, "he'd have brought flin!"

"I imagine that our guild commander - and vice-commander - are still making statements to the city guard about their 'battle' with the necromancers at the brewery this morning." Ancondil was next to take a sip of the delicate wine, before passing it on to Valerius. "But I must admit, I prefer Tamika's."

"We don't have much time to celebrate," Valerius observed as he took a drink. "We have to clear this mess before someone comes along."

The wine momentarily forgotten, the group gathered up the necromancer's bodies and dragged them into the Great Forest. With a raised fist, Aela summoned an Aedra that was shaped like a man, but was comprised of dirt and stones. The chthonic spirit passed his hand through the soil, gouging out a hole far larger than his appendage. The necromancer's bodies were dumped within, and a moment later the Aedra deposited the ground back over them. When he was finished there was not even the slightest sign that it had been disturbed.

"An Archaean," Ancondil nodded to Aela. "You have an impressive talent for conjuration goodwoman."

"It's the gangster special," Ungarion winked. "The best way to get rid of a body. Quite handy in the secret passage business as well!"

"Now Count Terentius - and the King of Worms - will both think that Jalbert and Drels Theran took the sword," Methredhel thought aloud. "And they'll never have a clue that it was us instead. I have to say, that was a brilliant idea Teresa."

"I just want to know what that thing with the horns was?" Teresa dodged the praise, and the blushes that usually accompanied it, and rubbed the back of her sore head. Now that the excitation of battle was wearing off, it was beginning to throb from where she imagined she had slammed into a tree. "It practically shouted me across the orchard!"

"Shouted indeed," Ungarion said. "That was a draugr, and a potent one at that, given its mastery of the Voice. One of those necromancers must have come from Skyrim."

"This one has been informed that Drels Theran trained not at the Arcane University," Kud-Ei said, "but rather in the College of Winterhold. That one must have summoned it."

"Aye," Aela nodded somberly, "it was Theran's. I felt his connection when I took control of it. It was one of the draugr overlords. A master of the thu'um, who served the dragons before history was writ."

"Is that what he told you before he vanished?" Methredhel asked.

"Nay," Kud-Ei answered when Aela remained silent. "That one said 'serve the stronger' in the ancient dragon tongue. It was offering itself into Aela's service."

"But aren't they just symbols?" Teresa asked. "Ideas given flesh by magicka?"

"Not with undead," Ungarion answered. "Those who are summoned are spirits trapped in the Soul Cairn. To summon one, a necromancer must first call it up unbound, and then bend it to his will. Only then will they serve. It is the same with daedra."

The faint sound of clomping hooves rose from the south. Teresa turned her head along with the others, but did not see the approaching rider, yet. "We had best vanish before anyone comes along," Valerius warned.

With that the group split up. Aela, Teresa, and Methredhel headed east toward the orchard, and Niben Bay beyond. Ancondil and Valerius trotted off to their horses and rode north to gather up the wagon. Finally Ungarion and Kud-Ei faded into the Great Forest to the west. Chance however, stopped Methredhel with one hand. While Teresa and Aela looked on with amazement, he pulled the thief close and planted a deep kiss upon her lips. Methredhel did not look perturbed. In fact, she gave as good as she got, before finally prying herself from the Redguard.

"Until we meet again," Chance breathed huskily. Then he did turn and stride into the forest.

"Let's go give your old friend Raminus a present," Methredhel said. Teresa raised an eyebrow at the other woman's attempt to deflect the obvious questions. She was surprised however, when Aela broke the silence.

"So you know him too?"

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jun 2 2013, 05:04 PM

Looks like Teresa's found her aim again. Drels wasn't as dodgy as Jalbert.

I particularly liked Kud-Ei's commanding and paralyzing the necrodudes. It's a wonderfully annoying tactic, and most enemies don't see it coming. The Draugr whacking the skeleton being a good example. It wasn't expecting that!

Liked the "summon sexton" spell at the end!

Nit: I'm not sure you wanted "delicate wine" in both places.

I loved the magic battle! Wonderful display of the artistry of illusion and conjuration. It is so much fun to silence a necrodude after they conjure something, then turn their own summon on them.

A ‘dirt golem’! I remember us talking about your elemental Aedras, including this one, but I believe this is the first time we’ve seen him in action.

And Chance gets the gurl (sort of)! Something tells me these two will see each other again.

All in all, a good day for Teresa and her diverse crew. Tamikas all 'round!

Sorry that I've been remiss in replying to last week's post. Let me correct that oversight.

I totally enjoyed the entire scene as it played out. I had been waiting to see what "Mael's" backstory was, and it was well worthwhile! I felt like I was reading a Robert Ludlum novel should he ever write a TES espionage storyline!

For the most part I'm going to echo everyone else on that post, (except the part about the startled family). However, I can not move forward without pointing out my absolute favorite lines of the entire episode:


Poetice justice, indeed! And Chance gets to gain his revenge! That's the part where I really felt like screaming, cheering, jumping up and down and high-fiving someone. Except my cat doesn't high-five.

Now for today's post, I enjoyed it as well. I agreed with ghastley that you may want to change one of the occurrences of "delicate wine." Maybe "delightful libation?"

Let me get another nit out of the way: You have a sentence fragment here. Maybe drop the "Though?"

Loved Kud-Ei stepping up and playing her part in the fight. I'm currently playing the game with CM Companions and my character is paralyzing everybody so her partner(s) can bash the crap out of them. It's very, very useful in a team situation. Before, without companions, I always had difficulty coordinating my spells with my weapons. Having the partners along really helps me explore the effective use of the various spells, and I'm enjoying a whole new level of the same old game.

Fire? That's how I killed the Lich King of Miscarcand the first few times. However, I have to admit that there is something sooooo satisfying about the shock spell that it has become my default destruction magicka. And I think it is more effective against the undead than even fire.

This is very different in feel from the previous battles you (and I!) have written, and I think it is because we now have spellcasters very involved on both sides. It's fun and educational and interesting and fascinating to read!

And no, I'm not surprised Chance grabbed Methie in a clinch and she enjoyed it too! It fits both their natures very well. And after the excitement of the battle, I'm not surprised either that both welcomed a positive release of all that adrenaline!

Only the Nordic zombie remained, staring at Aela. "Aam Zol mul," it rumbled. The Witch frowned, and with a gesture from her hand it too disappeared.
I love this part. From what you have already shown of Aela’s abilities and beliefs, I could guess that she was refusing the draugr’s service. Very, very cool moment.

The summoned Archaean was my favorite part of this episode, though. Gangster special indeed.

Hmm, I won’t be surprised if Chance finds an excuse for another boat ride to the IC.

46.5
Wow, life detection amulets everywhere. He must be paranoid.

And the thief is in! Smooth! She’ll just have to slip off the shoes if she wants to move quietly.

Fathis the skirt hound! I kind of liked that guard, I expected him to be drooling over her. Maybe he just prefers the Nords?

Now there was a true gentleman
No kidding!

46.6
Methredhel might just be coming back a few years later to sack the count’s quarters!

Well, that escalated quickly. The page almost jumped her right there!

The sword changed the count. Perhaps he’ll be a different man when they get it from him.

Wow, she’s got it! Now getting out is going to be the real trick.

What?...I deliberately waited for the end of the fight...Yes I did... ...

Aaamywho...

As ever, I'm in awe of yer fight scenes...Brilliant!...

OOoh, Mael!...See, I knew he was no good... ...

Loved the battle, the epic summoned creatures were amazing...Espescially the Overlord!!...That was cool...

Ooooh, have I mentioned my love of over-powered heroes?...Well, this has put Aela right at the top of my list...She's absolutely amazing... ...That whole control stealing thing puts shivers up my spine!... ...

Loved that her and Ungarion were side by side in the fight too...

Ooooh, and Chance and his mighty mace!!...That was niiiiice... ...And then his grabbing of Methredel... ...

Aw hell...So much to love...The impromptu grave-digger!!...Kud-Ei's paralyze...A brilliant pair of episodes...

So amazing...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...