The adventures of Arthago chapter III, A Province united Options

[Agent Griff]

So let's kick this chapter off shall we? A small bit of info at what's to come further in the series: At the end of this chapter, Arthago will move to a whole new province and I think many of you already know which province it is. Anyway, let's enjoy Hammerfell while it lasts shall we?

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After the defeat of Lord Vhosek's rebellion, things went back to normal in all of Hammerfell. Some local kings and rulers however, seeing that Lord Vhosek managed to battle the King and even defeat him, albeit for a short time, started a fight against King Lhotun's rule as well. Since I was one of the highest ranking knights in Sentinel, with the exception of Marshal Daron and a few other senior knights of the order, I was often sent to these small kingdoms to stop the rebellions. The first kingdom to revolt, a few years after Vhosek's uprising, was the small kingdom of Santaki which was close to the Dragontail mountains. I was sent there, together with a few other knights below my rank, to stop the rebellion.

We arrived there after a few days ride. The capital of the small kingdom was the town with the same name, Santaki. The kingdom, albeit small, had its own knightly order, the order of the Hawk. That meant that the Kingdom had some importance in the politics of Hammerfell but it also meant that other smaller kingdoms may gather around Santaki and fight against Sentinel. I never really understood why Redguards or men in general fight eachother if there's no other foe to fight against. Maybe to heighten their skills? No, the answer was quite simple really. For Power. Once a man got ahold of better, he never could really let go of it. The more power you have the more power you crave. King Lhotun obviously had too much power for the regional kingdoms to bear, so they rebelled against him. Quite simple if you look at it from a political point of view.

The capital was a rather big town. It was quite smaller than Sentinel though but bigger than any other town I had seen before. The seal of the order that was etched on my cuirass was concealed by a cloak and so were the seals of the knights under my command. I didn't want someone to see that knights from Sentinel had arrived to settle affairs with Santaki. The palace was not a big or tall building, it was merely three storeys high. I could see an open balcony leading to the throne room at the last floor. There were also knights of the Hawk standing guard near the palace. Even though they came from an issolated kingdom such as Santaki those knights looked fierce.

Once we reached the gate of the palace, a knight stopped us to ask us of our business with their king. I didn't exactly think of an excuse on the way so I had to improvise.
"We come from Sentinel to bring word on King Lhotun's movements." I said in an official tone.

"Sentinel eh? Why do you have to bring the news to the King personally? I thought that sir Greklith was in charge of intelligence." the knight said with a suspicious voice. He was also constantly looking at my knights who were behind me.

"Our duties are to transmit this information to his Majesty personally." I said, trying to keep the lie going. He seemed to believe me.

"Very well then. If the King specificaly required that you meet him I won't interfere. Carry on!" the guard said as he opened the gate. How polite of him! I'm sure that he will be pounding his head after I slay his treacherous king.

A few minutes later we were standing in front of the king of Santaki. He was a man close to old age with a small beard and long, flowing, hair. He looked at me and my men with his brown eyes and asked what my business was in Santaki. He seemed confused and I felt sorry to slay him because he looked like an innocent man.

"What is your business in Santaki, travellers?" the king asked.

"We come from Sentinel with news and counsel." I said, with a soft tone that calmed him down a little.

"Counsel? What counsel? I think I can handle my own kingdom, despite my advancing age." the king said with a hostile voice. Alright so he didn't like advice. It wasn't as if he had much choice when it came to the advice I was about to give him.

"King Lhotun of Sentinel advises you to lay down your outrageous claims and slanders against him. He also advises you that uprisings are very dangerous for men of advanced age such as your fine self." I said in a cold voice.

"Men as myself? King Lhotun now mocks me! I will not lay down my just claims! Hammerfell must be free!" the old king shouted.

"The king of Ephesus had the same opinion regarding the King's counsel. He dissapeared shortly after he made his opinions public and his cousin now peacefuly rules the kingdom. I would not want the same happening to yourself." I said, trying to scare the old king.

"I know why you're here. Lhotun sent his assassins after me. He is a coward not to face me in just battle!" the old king shouted.

"Neither I nor his Majesty see a brave, young King fighting against an old man as a just battle. I think you will agree with our opinions." I said with a sarcastic tone. This man was really pushing my indulgence to the very limit.

"Your king is a filthy coward! And so are his men!" the old man shouted.

Before the old king could say another word he fell down on the floor. His throat was pierced by a small dart. Blood started flowing shortly until it reached our feet. Our job was done! Slaying old men with darts really wasn't my style but at least it payed well, well enough to manage the estate that Lord Vhosek left me. Before the guards could react we were already outside the palace and into the crowded streets of the city.

Once we reached the gatehouse, one of the knights under my command entered as the others, myself included, exited the city. Shortly after, the guard inside the gathehouse fell out of a small window. The knight inside had done his job well. He was more lightly armoured than the rest of us and he was adept in sneaking around and stabbing people when they weren't looking. He then fired a flaming arrow into the sky. The army waiting for us outside soon stormed the town with the gates open. The town guards and even the knights of the Hawk surrendered once they saw what was pouring through their open gates. The King would be pleased to hear of my actions, conquering a town without any loses and slaying a king without anyone noticing. Being an assassin though, didn't quite fit me. I lusted for the thrill of battle again. I had not fought anyone since Vhosek's rebellion. I had to return to Sentinel to report my deeds and receive my rewards anyway. I wonder what Marshal Daron has to say? I had not spoken with him since the days of the rebellion and I was anxious to speak with him again.


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That's it for the start of the chapter! I've followed advice and have used spaces between dialogue lines, tell me if you like it how it is now or if you liked it more the way it was before.

[Agent Griff]

A swift update to surprise you.

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The warm sand of the beach along with the cool water brought by the tide touching the tips of my toes made me feel like I was in some tropical paradise. I had almost forgotten completely about my troubles yet that was a mistake I was soon to mend. After lying down on the beach and standing there for a few minutes fear suddenly surged into my body as I heard a shout. Then another one. By the voices I could notice that they were Nords. As I rose to my feet and drew my sword I ran towards the rock-wall nearby. The voices were coming from high up the rocks, were a forest bloomed. I suspected that the road to Rihad was also close-by since they couldn't have found me that fast if this place was as far away as it looked. As I hugged the cliff-face, I listened carefully.

"See anything Valgeir?" one of the voices shouted from one end of the rocks. "Valgeir?"

"Thorsten, come! I have found some tracks!" Valgeir shouted back to his companion.

Hm, Thorsten and Valgeir. These names seemed strangely familiar yet I couldn't remember where exactly I had heard them before. Now that I thought about it however I could somewhat remember Beomir mentioning them once.When exactly was it? Oh yes, now I remembered. Valgeir and Thorsten were the two Nord trackers who helped Beomir uncover the body of the wife of the former Guard Captain of Taneth. By the way Beomir described them, they seemed quite skilled and experienced in their field of work yet he did not call them bounty-hunters. From what I understood, Beomir never had any relations of friendship with bounty-hunters, only with people of his own ilk-mercenaries to be exact.

The fact that these two were tracking me however wasn't good. If I would have to deal with search-parties from Taneth, a bounty-hunter and these two Nords then I was in for a hard time. Looking around and pricking my ears, I could notice that everything had gotten quiet. Perhaps the two trackers had come to the conclusion that I wasn't anywhere near or they could have spotted the marks I left in the sand after lying down. Either way, I wasn't prepared to stick around and find out. When I had first dashed to the rock-wall I had seen a small opening in the sheer-rock a little to the right from the place where I was standing. Since anything was better than being in the open, I approached the opening.

As I clambered precariously along the wall, trying to be inconspicuous, I discovered that the opening in the rock was actually the entrance to a cave. I almost lost my balance when I neared the cave entrance yet I soon regained it and entered. The cave was dank and a slight smell of rotten meat floated in the air. That was odd when I considered that this cave was supposed to be empty. Still, in my current position I had little choice. Since I wasn't in the open anymore, I lied down close to a wall. From the entrance, the cave wound forward forming a straight tunnel. As I stood with my back against the wet wall I could feel a dreary feeling taking hold of me. All the running had finally gotten to me and my eyes were starting to close by themselves. Losing hold of my sword, I fell into the deceiving embrace of sleep. For the moment, it seemed like the best thing in the world. As I fell deeper asleep, even the moist rock of the wall seemed as comfortable as a fine bed.

I woke up probably hours later yet I felt a bothering pain in the side of my head. I looked around and couldn't really recognize the cave anymore. The place where I had fell asleep was somewhat different. It was the beginning of a long, almost straight, tunnel. This place, where I was now, was like a big round chamber. An eerily empty one yet there were signs all around me of occupants. On the edges of the chamber there were small stools and logs which slightly resembled chairs, along with odd rock formations that were flat as tables. I could also see firewood in one of the alcoves on the edges of the chamber. Most worryingly, in the middle of the chamber there was a big open fire with a long wooden stakes above it held by two other wooden stakes. The whole thing looked like it was a roast yet there was nothing stuck to the stake. Near the fire there were also generous quantities of rope. It was old rope of a poor quality yet enough of it could probably immobilize a wild-boar.

I had had just enough of my new lodgings so I prepared to depart. If only my head wouldn't boom with pain. I soon discovered however that I was forced to to prolong my stay, without my own consent. My hands had been tied behind my back to a stalagmite shooting up from the rock-floor. Try as I may, I could not pull myself free nor tear apart the thick rope. I hated moments like this when carelessness took the better of me! I was now forced to wait and see what fate was in store for me. By the looks of it, that fire had been prepared with a big meal in mind. Something like a deer or a wolf...or a human.

The only thing left to do was to meet my tormentors. The dastards had parted me of my trusty scimitar as well. I looked around yet everywhere I looked I could see the same things: a dinner table being prepared. The only sharp objects around were just old pieces of cutlery like forks or knives. My "patrons" soon appeared however, removing the shroud of mystery which surrounded them. Their scaly green skin shone in the pale light of the bonfire, their mistreated fangs hung out of their mouthes and their bright yellow eyes showed nothing but mischief and evil. Goblins. Lots of them.

As soon as one of the foul creatures emerged, about eight others followed it. They were all scantily dressed. Some wore only a loin-cloth to cover themselves. All the years they had spent in this cave had made them accustomed to the moisture and the cool breeze which sometimes passed through the cavern. Most of them lied down on either logs or stools around the fire but two of them came to enjoy themselves at my expense. One of them played with my head, his blunt claws scratching my skin in an annoying manner, while another giggled like a demon at my predicament. I could almost understand him taunting me in his own language. They soon left me to my torment however, pleased of their feat of capturing me alive.

Another three goblins soon entered the chamber from some passages which I could not see, one of them precariously holding my scimitar. Despite he fact that in my hands it wasn't that big of a weapon, in the fiend's claws it seemed like a claymore. He came right up to me and swung it around in a mocking way, at a safe distance however so he couldn't hurt me with it. It was now very clear, the beasts were saving me for later so they could eat me properly.

More and more goblins came to enjoy the show, as it were, of seeing a live Redguard bound hand and foot in front of their very eyes. Soon enough, a couple of goblins brought three big drums, almost as big as the goblins themselves. They set them around the fire. Three goblins then rolled their stumps up to the drums and started playing the drums with the palms of their hands, keeping up a constant beat. The scene was starting to get surreal. The only thing missing was to have the goblins start chanting something as they prepared to fry me.

After a few more goblins had tormented me with their demonic laughter and mindless games a stranger goblin came to examine me, followed by two other goblins carrying poor quality axes with rusted axe-heads. They had leather caps on their heads and weird tattoos on their arms. The goblin which they were apparently escorting had only a stained apron and was carrying a ladle. Unlike many of the goblins, he was neither overjoyed at seeing me nor particularly mischievous. He treated with cold precision. He examined my entire body closely, from head to toe, noting how much muscle I had on me and if my bones were too big. He seemed pleased at the end of the examination and only then giggled with mischief as most of the goblins did. With a squeal he then left, followed by his two guards.

The atmosphere was starting to get rather tense as the decisive moment approached. At first I was terribly afraid when I discovered that I was going to get eaten yet a feeling of resentment soon started setting in. I stopped really caring whether I was eaten alive or whether they killed me before roasting me. I had lost my concentration and that had led to my downfall. There wouldn't be a second chance, to atone for my mistakes. Hopefully, some wandering adventurer would discover this godforsaken cave and learn from my mistakes, somewhere in the near future. If any part of me was left after this goblin-feast.

The little beasts sure had great pleasure in tormenting me before the moment came when they would fry me. I had lost count of how many times a goblin had come up to me and had shook my head or tried to tickle me with their claws. It had gotten to a point that it was so annoying that I would have begged them to eat me, if I had only known their language. They did have a language however. It was odd yet, with perseverance, one could surely learn it. Of course, now was not the time to learn a foreign language. Now was a time for prayers and, in a man's time of need even an atheist could start praying. I for one knew that I did, despite the fact that I wasn't an atheist. I didn't go to temple often either, but it never was too late to start, as the priests often said.

After saying many prayers to almost all of the gods I knew, even some Daedric ones (probably because of the desperation), I felt that the moment when the goblins would eat me was nearing. It seemed almost as if the beasts had prolonged my suffering just so they could turn me into a nervous wreck. I wasn't prepared to give them that satisfaction however. My only regret was that I couldn't die fighting the beasts. I also had other regrets, yet they weren't really appropriate for the situation. The goblin with the apron, who must have been the cook of the goblin tribe, returned to the chamber along with another goblin besides the two warriors following him. This new goblin was wearing some extravagant headgear, most probably the skull of a ram. It still had the horns so it made the goblin look particularly frightening. By the way most goblins treated this new goblin, he must have been their chieftain. Like every other goblin did, he also came up to me and looked at me. After eying me over and casting a demonic smile he went near the fire and raised his hands. He then said something in the harsh tongue of the goblins, something which seemed to frenzy the other goblins. They all raised their hands much like the chieftain and some of them who were holding anything, cutlery, twigs, rocks, anything at all, started banging what they had against the rock tables. It seemed almost as if the goblins started chanting. Just my luck. The scene was now complete and it seemed I was going to be devoured by the cannibal goblins.

Hope however, as I said before, had an odd habit of appearing when it was least expected. An inhuman shout silenced the goblins standing about the fire. As they all started looking around I could see a notable feeling of anger and hate in their yellow little eyes. In some of them I could even see a certain dose of fear. Things had just gotten a whole lot better. It could have been a bigger monster, like an ogre or a troll. It would have killed the goblins then it would have eaten me in its own way, so the situation didn't improve by a lot. Instead of being cooked and eaten by goblins, I would get devoured alive by an ogre. If it was an adventurer however, well that changed things. If it was an experienced adventurer, then he could slay the goblins and rescue me, thus learning from my mistakes in a much more user-friendly way, for me at least. If it was an inexperienced adventurer, then he would just get killed by the goblins or even captured and eaten along with me. If that was truly the case, then the goblins would have had a real holiday. I could just imagine the goblins telling themselves about it.

"So what's the news?"

"We bagged another adventurer today, along with the one we already have."

"And?"

"We're eating em' both. Bring a friend!"

Of course, now was not a time to make grim predictions. For the moment, I just watched and listened. Goblins scurried off in all directions from the chamber I was in, some heading to the right while some ran to the left, all entering passages hidden from sight. I could also notice goblins brandishing weapons that had been hidden thus far. Goblins which had no weapon prepared ran off to get their own. The chieftain waited around the fire as two of the lesser goblins brought his armour and fitted it on him. As he stood to let his servants properly fit on his armour, the chieftain threw a glance towards me. I could almost hear him saying that after they dealt with this annoyance they would return for me.

After his armour was ready, he hastily grabbed a spiked steel mace brought to him and ran off in the direction of his warriors to face the threat. The chamber was soon emptied completely, except for the goblin cook which hid behind a rock, throwing his ladle in an act of fear and desperation. It was clearly the first time he had experienced the attack of an adventurer. Since the chamber was now empty, besides the fear-stricken cook, I now listened carefully. I could hear the echoes of steel clashing with steel and the grotesque sounds of goblins giving their last breaths. Those sounds were music to my ears as I let off a visible smile. Despite the fact that the echoes made it hard to determine the source of the sounds, it was clear that they were approaching the chamber I was in. By the panic stricken cries of the goblins, it seemed they were dealing with an experienced adventurer.

Soon enough I saw a goblin running into the room. If he had a weapon, he had dropped it in favour of using his feet. By the bleeding gash on his shoulder, he had been wounded badly. Soon enough another "goblin" entered the chamber. This one however was somewhat lighter than his kin because only his head entered the chamber. It came rolling from the passage to the left, blood dripping from it in rivulets as it rolled into the fire. Something had beheaded the goblin with such strength that it had sent the head rolling into another part of the cave. That also meant that the adventurer was close however.

More goblins came from the passage to the left, going towards the passage to my right. Some of them ran off, trying to exit the cave, yet some stopped near the passage, trying to form a sort of barrier, a last stand of sorts, so that their comrades could escape. One of the goblins was carrying the wounded chieftain on his back. The chieftain's right arm had been hacked clean off, close to the shoulder and it was bleeding wildly. He didn't have much time left. I almost cheered when I saw the chieftain exiting the chamber on the back of his faithful follower. The goblins were clearly trying to evacuate the cave with what they had left.

After the chieftain left, an eerie silence set in. The goblins, about three of them, stood tense by the passage to my left as they waited for the adventurer. After a few moments of peace and quiet, all hell broke loose once more as the adventurer finally emerged from the passage to my left. He was a tall Argonian, powerfully built and dark-skinned, wielding a large steel claymore. He held the claymore in one hand however since two goblins were atop him, trying to wrestle him to the ground, one on each shoulder. The Argonian, trying to get rid of his unwanted guests, slammed his right shoulder into the rock-wall, slamming the goblin head-first into the wall as well in the process. He then repeated the process with the second goblin and soon two goblins with cracked skulls were lying on the ground. Afterwards, raising his claymore, he charged the remaining barricade of goblins head first.

Filled with dread at the sight of the Argonian, one of the goblins ran off, dropping his weapon and his shield. With a wide swing of his blade, the Argonian beheaded the first goblin and, after swinging his weapon back and forth several times, the second goblin was soon down on the ground as well, the arm with which he held his axe hacked off almost perfectly, bone and all. He had attempted a clumsy counter-attack after one of the Argonian's wide swings yet that was exactly what the Argonian was expecting. As the Argonian looked around the chamber, he noticed the goblins' dinner preparations. He then looked down towards the goblin with the hacked arm, which was still alive yet in great pain.

"Sorry for interrupting."

With a powerful thrust he then ended the goblin's miserable life. As he turned around, the Argonian noticed me. He seemed surprised at first yet he quickly regained his calm. As he approached me he held his blade high, in case any more goblins appeared or in case I was just something to bait him into walking into a trap. After standing still for a few moments and realizing that there was no trap involved, the Argonian lied down on one knee, bringing his own face to my level.

"Ah Malz, Fighters Guild."
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I'm sure you'll never look at goblins the same way again.