With each new entry, this story continues to get more exciting. Here, I think you've earned this:

S.G.M.

S.G.M?

Some Great Manuscript?

Super Genious Man?

boy you guys are lucky, three updates in 12 hours.... 'The Teaser' seems to be awfully gracious...

Chapter 14

Gravius and I broke for the relative safety of the lower keep, dodging the attacks wreaking havoc on the castle and bridge. We had just made it across the weakened bridge before a missle hit it on one of the supports. The support collapsed, and with a grating of stone on stone, the bridge lurched, slipped sideways, then fell onto the frothing rocks below as nothing more than a pile of rubble.

We met the rwst of the garrison already at their posts, the other slaves I had freed arming themselves with whatever was at hand. If nothing else, these people were fast. Together, Gravius and I climbed to the last remaining tower to see what we were up against.

To the east and west lay a veritable fleet of warships, captured from the imperials no doubt. Massive balistae on their bows were responsible for the rain of destruction we were now under. To the north an army of soldiers waited for a breach in the wall for them to enter through.

A desprate situation to be sure. Once the balistae were finshed beating us silly, the army would march right in and finish the job. All we could do was choose the lesser of two evils; wait here for death by giant flaming arrow, or march out and meet death at the point of an arrogant Dunmer's sword. The only real consolidation was that we wouldn't face them both. Surely they weren't stupid enough to fire on their own men.

But maybe... I turned to Gravius and outlined my plan. He assured me that his men could do it.

We descended the tower to enact our escape, the dunmer wouldn't know what hit them.

Haha....Story.Good.More......an old treydog-ish proverb.....just given to very promising stories


Oki Teaser.....this is good.....continue if you know what I mean...


oh....and I join in with the S.G.M thingy

okay. Expect an update soon.

Another excellent update. I'm excited to see what this brilliant plan turns out to be.

you should be somewhat knowing of this guy's 'brilliant plans'. Short, quick, and to the point.

well, it'll be here tommorow. If it isn't, feel free to burn me at the stake.

Unless you are a witch, there will be no burning at the stake. The rack, the iron maiden, but no burning.

ah, because then you wouldn't hear the end of the story, would you?

As promised;

Chapter 15

Although some of the officers weren't too happy with our plan, they couldn't give us a better idea, so we put ours into action. Ten soldiers went to prepare the barricade on the ruined docks while the rst of us hid as well as we could amongst the debris in the courtyard. The soldiers returned, and we put our plan into action. Gravius lit the fuse as the best magic user we had began to cast.

It worked almost perfectly, the fake ballista bolt hitting the barrier at almost the same time as the explosives went off. What was once the makeshift barricade was now burnt splinters, ash, and a gaping hole in the castle's defence.

As expected, the ships stopped their barrage and a group of about twenty men hurried forward. Perfect. I retreated from my vantage point on the walls and got to my place.

The men surged into the courtyard, swords out and ready to fight. What they got was me. On the far side of the courtyard, numerous corpses of imperials and slaves alike between us, I was the only one left for them to fight.

all but one of them sheathed their swords. The one who didn't began to walk twords me. I raised my blade and called into the night, "This fort is held by the Imperials Legion; you are not welcome here, begone!"

The man laughed at me, "We are the hand's of the Nerevarine, where he bids us go, we go. Now," He raised his sword to fighting position, "prepare to die."

"You first." With a yell, I ran forward and engaged him. I was vaguely aware of the rest of his group being attacked by our ambush before the swordplay I was busy with halted my observations.

our swords met with a clash, he backed off and tried to get my flank. I turned on him and slashed at his head. He parried easily, turning his defensive maneuver into a chop. I sidestepped the blow and brought the flt of my blade down on his helmet. He staggered back, his headpeice ringing like a gong.

He recovered uickly and lunged tword me. I deflected his thrust at the last second, then spun around, wedging my sword into the small chink between his breastplate and greaves. He let out a cry of pain, then attacked in a fury. I gave ground fast, barely managing to block the many varied assaults he threw at me.

Then I did something that surprised the dunmer as much as it did me. My tail swung around from behind me, wrenched the sword out of the dunmer's hand, and held it. From somewhere, three swords, one imperial and the other two similar to the one my tail now held, flew between us. In a fraction of a second, my opponent, armed with two blades, and I, with three, re-engaged.

The only way I can describe the rest of the fight would be insanely fast; the two of us were not much more than blurs dancing about the courtyard. Eventually my superior firepower wearied him, and he fell, my tail's sword lodged into his throat.

Another update..finally, lol. Great job once again, stargate. I anxiously await the next passage.

A very interesting use for a tail. It's clear that your character knows more about fighting than this story has let on. Will we find out more of the character's history and discover how the character learned to use the tail in combat?

um.... yeah....

*furiously rewrites chapter 16*


But the next one is sorta boring compared to that last one. But he does get a name finally!

What do you mean 'you never noticed'?

here ya go.

Chapter 16

I pulled the sword from the mer's throat. His warm blood slid down the blade and onto my hand as the lifeless corpse kneeled, then slowly, ever so slowly, fell to the ground. I could hear all three of my swords fall to the ground, but I don't ever remember releasing them. I had killed a man. He might have had friends, family, parents, a wife. I snuffed him out of existence like I would a candle, although none had the means to relight this flame. His glazed, sightless eyes stared at me in shock and reproach. I had killed him.

And I had liked it.

The adrenaline coursing through me, the thrill of the battle, the feeling of invincibility as the cold steel slid into his throat like a knife into butter. There is nothing I can write that can describe that feeling. It was amazing, it was sensual, it was arousing.

And it was revolting. The joy of the kill quickly evolved to one of utter nausea and sickness. I turned to the side and emptied my stomach. Slightly relieved, I tore my gaze from the corpse and looked around me. I saw the Imperials around me and my opponent. They looked so tall, it took me a moment to realize that I was on my knees. Gravious and another, and Argonian, raised me up and half carried, half dragged me to stone on the edge of the courtyard and sat me down. In front of me I could see them stripping the bodies of the dunmer, just like we had planned.

As the cuirass of the dunmer nearest me came off, I saw a piece of jewelry come off his neck and fall near my feet. I picked up the locket and opened it. Inside was the picture of a young, beautiful woman. On the reverse side it read; to my dearest father... He was a father, he had a wife and kids, and we killed him.

The next thing I remember is waking up in a cave, Gravius at my side. I was unbound, so it must have worked. the rest of the army had no reason to doubt a troop of their own men escorting captured slaves north to the prison compound. Fifty of us were saved from certain death that night in Ebonhart, but at the cost of my own conscience. I had killed a man, and I would have to live with that for the rest of my life. An equal trade, you say? perhaps, but only time will tell.

Hey! I thought you said he was going to get a name?!?!? Well, there goes the story.
Seriously, a great update. I was glad to see that the plan worked out for them. I also enjoyed your description of the character's inner struggle with just having killed. Although, his experience with swords might indicate this wasn't the first time?

secret plot twist with the sword. as for the name, I mixed 16 and 17, which is sitting on my desk, up in my head. He gets one next time, I promise.

Well, I guess we can wait until the next chapter to learn the name. I will definitely look forward to someday learning about the "secret plot twist" with the sword.

*double post*

This post has been edited by stargate525: Oct 10 2005, 11:30 PM

Who told you about that?

Really though, who said anything about the sword?