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]

Peanuts, my friends!

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After saying my farewells to Ah-Malz, who may or may not have understood them entirely, I went on my own path, towards Rihad. If I was to be a knight-errant, I was now a haggard one, with not even a horse to his name. The only objects I currently had were the clothes on my back, my scimitar, my packed armour and the money given to me for my various expenses. If I was to call out in front of the gates of Rihad that I was a knight, I was very liable to be taken for a common sellsword trying to make a fool out of the guards. Of course, I was intent on appearing to be more than a simple mercenary, if I was to be noticed so as to infiltrate king Sorian's royal court.

For the time being however, I had no horse seeing as I was unable to leave the city mounted on my own horse. Knowing Clavilla, my horse was probably being butchered by a knacker that very moment. Also knowing Clavilla and her rage however, companies of Taneth guardsmen were probably searching for me as I walked the roads leading to Rihad.

Ever the cautious one, I decided that it might be wiser if I were to try to keep more to the wooded sides of the roads, so as to avoid being spotted by any ill-meaning onlookers. Seeing as my two companions were also no longer with me, one of them gone while the other was captured by the Taneth guards, I no longer had anything remotely similar to a retinue of my own. Another thing that would lessen me in the eyes of the Rihad nobles.

The terrain was craggy and covered by decrepit fallen leaves which made it harder to navigate through the uneven terrain. Until I reached Rihad however, I would have to act the fugitive. Knowing at the same time that a bounty hunter and two Nordic trackers were hunting me, didn't make me feel any safer. Using the roads meant sure capture at the hands of the city guards while travelling through the forest meant sure death at the hands of the bounty hunter. I was prepared to take my chances with the bounty hunter however, seeing as he was only one man whereas in a squadron of guards there were more than ten.

My path through the woods slowly brought me to clearing. It was rather large and not far from the road but the only sounds which were floating in the air were those of birds idly chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. It seemed like a tranquil place, and it would have been...were it nor for the man in the middle of it. I found him sitting on a long forgotten tree stump jutting out of the ground, seemingly forgotten himself. The sword in his lap showed that he meant business however, and what a sword it was! It was a greatsword, yet sheathed in its scabbard as it was, I could only judge it by the craft laid into the making of its hilt and pommel. The pommel was made of finely polished steel which seemed to gleam in the sun while the hilt was of leather. The man was tall and clad in black from head to toe, yet he wore no armour so to speak off.

A long cape extended from his shoulders to the ground, and by the many tears in it it was well-worn. It was also muddied at the base, were it sometimes brushed the ground. As the man gazed at me, I could feel piercing blue eyes almost looking through me. He turned and rose from the stump, to his full height. We remained silent for a few moments as we seemed to size each other up. From the look of him, the man was a Breton. An exceptionally tall Breton, slightly taller than Beomir, but a Breton all the same.

"You must be the fugitive knight. I greet you Vilamon...or should I call you Arthago?" the man said with an eerie voice, low as a growl. His tone was menacing.

"And you must be the famed bounty hunter." I said, trying not to appear frightened, despite the fact that this man more than unnerved me.

"That is very astute of you...yet we are not here to exchange niceties. Show me your steel Redguard." the man hissed as he drew his blade from its scabbard. The greatsword gleamed in the sunlight, almost as long as I was tall. It was indeed of fine make, with a sharp edge.

"You've not even told me your name, and already you're trying to kill me?" I asked, trying to appear defiant. If this man was hellbent on slaying me, then I could at least annoy him before actually engaging in combat.

"My name is Oakheart for those who would know but you aren't one to be interested in my services. And I have tried to kill you before. Do you think it mere chance that you were abducted by the goblins and almost eaten before that oaf of an Argonian saved you by chance? Make no mistake however, I intend to finish what the goblins failed."

"You're not really one for conversation, are you?" I said as I drew my scimitar, holding it in my right hand.

"And you're not one to fight openly are you?" Oakheart said with a stinging tone. The man seemed never to smile. Men like that always unnerved me.

"Ladies first." I said with a forced smile. The man stared at me with a stony glare.

"You seem to be quick of tongue. Blades cut deeper than words however."

"Try me." I said with grim determination as I faced the towering bounty hunter.

Oakheart started to slowly circle to my side, closing the distance all the while. I did the same as he did yet in the opposite direction. Eventually, one of us would have to make the first move and commence combat. With an opponent such as this however I had to be on my guard. I never knew what tricks he might have under his sleeve. Or in his overly adorned belt for the matter. Several small phials were sheathed in his belt, to make them more accessible during heated combat apparently.

As he approached me more and more, the bounty hunter started slowly raising his sword to a battle-ready position. I did the same thing, yet his blade had far greater reach than mine. That was a great disadvantage in combat. If I could successfully close the distance however, I could turn my weakness into my strength. Longer swords were unwieldy at close quarters, unlike shorter blades like my own scimitar which was somewhat more catered to close combat. The bounty hunter had a look in his eyes, however, that seemed to say Your next move will be your last.

Before we could cross blades properly, however, we heard a stringent cry coming from the road. As I quickly turned to look, I could see several men on horseback approaching the clearing. When they finally entered I could see by their heraldry that they were men of Taneth, guardsmen by the look of them. They all seemed thoroughly surprised at seeing me and the bounty hunter ready to fight each other. The bounty hunter fixed them with that grim stare of his.

"What be the meaning of this?" one of the guards asked, a fat Imperial with an unkempt mustache.

"My name is Leo Oakheart and I've been commissioned by the Queen of Taneth herself to hunt down this fugitive. You will not stop me from bringing him in bounds back to Taneth." The bounty hunter said, rather angry that he had been interrupted.

"You're the bounty hunter eh? No wonder people get scared at the mere mention of your name Oakheart. The fugitive is going with us however. No sellsword like you is snatching our prize." The fat Imperial replied arrogantly. I seemed to be in luck.

"You wretches can barely lift your swords, let alone capture and subdue this fellow. He's mine, and you'd do best to leave this to me. This is the work of a bounty hunter, not drunken guardsmen like you." His hateful words were met only by the guards' loud laughter.

"You seem to forget, master Oakheart, that you are alone while there are four of us." The Imperial did have a point. The bounty hunter was alone and, whatever his skill, it was unlikely that he could take on four mounted men and win.

"You seem to have forgotten your place. I haven't followed this mark all the way from Taneth, only to have him taken by you at this point, after all my efforts. These are the seeds of my work that you're sowing." Trying to remind the guardsmen of their honour seemed like a bad course of action in my eyes however. Some of them started reaching for their swords as they stood witness to the bounty hunter's stubbornness.

"As a peasant sows, so does a noble reap. Stand aside bounty hunter." The fat guardsman said, trying to intimidate Oakheart. He didn't seem like a man to be easily intimidated however.

"You leave me no choice. If I'm to step over several corpses to fulfill my assignment, I would gladly step over yours, Imperial." Oakheart said, obvious scorn for the guardsmen in his words. Despite his grim demeanour and ways, I could discern some honour in the bounty hunter, something I found completely lacking in the guardsmen.

"Let's put this bast-"

The Imperial guardsman's insults were cut short, literally, by the bounty hunter's greatsword slicing through his throat. The other guardsmen, surprised and in awe at the bounty hunter's daring, were slow to act. One of them drew his sword and rode towards Oakheart while the others seemed to have forgotten they even had swords at their sides. The bounty hunter stood defiantly as the guardsman galloped towards him, sword raised and ready to strike Oakheart down. Oakheart stood like this, unmoving, until the very last moment when he quickly sidestepped the charging horse and severed its hind legs with a low slash of his greatsword. The horse came tumbling down, with the guardsman along it. The bounty hunter only completed a simple formality afterwards by going to the guardsman, who had been crushed under his horse, and thrusting his blade through his throat.

As blood gushed from the dead guardsman's neck, Oakheart turned to face the remaining two riders who had ridden away a short distance so as to gather their momentum for a charge. Against a single charging horse he might have stood a chance, but against two his plight was hopeless. In an incredible access of selfless courage, however, I saw myself running to the horse of the fat Imperial guardsman and vaulting into his place on the saddle. Thus mounted, I raised my scimitar and galloped towards the two guardsmen. As they saw me coming, one of them rode off to charge Oakheart while the other started galloping towards me. I kept my horse steady as I galloped towards the guardsman and he seemed to do the same with his horse. I held my blade high at my side while my opponent seemed to be preparing his own weapon for a whirling slash that would probably take my head off. Unarmoured as I was, I was extremely vulnerable yet I prepared my last minute tactics on the assumption that the guardsman would swing his blade high, aiming at my neck.

As both our horses galloped towards each other, I braced for impact, seemingly raising my own blade for a high slash, much like my opponent. I could almost see his smile as we neared each other. As soon as he started his swing however, I quickly lowered myself in the saddle, almost leaning down on my horse's neck, and slashed low across his stomach. I could feel my blade making contact as it cut across his side, spraying his blood across the ground as he fell from his saddle in pain.

Slowing my horse to a trot, I found that my little burst of mindless fearlessness had cost me. The guardsman's sword had cut me across the shoulder, dangerously close to my neck. Much as I expected, Oakheart was standing in front of me with another dead guardsman at his feet. This time however, he had spared the horse, merely unhorsing the rider. A sturdy blow from that greatsword of his could probably unhorse even a knight in full armour. As I rode up next to him, the bounty hunter gave me one of his usual looks yet this time it was somewhat different. I could also see the corner of his mouth slightly arching up, as if in a smile, yet I wasn't sure what that grimace meant.

"You've won your freedom for today. Go now, but remember that I will still follow you until either of us dies or the bounty on your head is annulled. Unless you are royalty however, I find that unlikely." The bounty hunter said, this time in a somewhat more respectful voice. I found myself smiling, even though I planned on not showing any particular emotion.

"You never know."
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With that, ends this update which features a character that Mallet might find familiar.

This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Mar 13 2008, 08:31 AM