Ahnaressu's Travels Ch. 8 Options

[Dantrag]

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Chapter 8

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A dunmer of about nineteen years stared at the Odai River as the wind blew his long, thin, black hair across his face. His arms were thin, but taut with muscles, a trait gained from years at the forge. He had worn black leather boots, brown pants, and a black overcoat covering his light grey shirt. His fierce red eyes took in everything around him. he watched the dazzling reflections of the trees on the surface of the water, the movements of a scrib, and he felt the presence of the mer walking towards him.

"Hello there. young lad." the elderly dunmer began. "Would you happen to know where to find a young dunmer by the name of Ahnaressu?"
"Actually, I do." said the young elf. "But might I ask why you want to know?"
The elderly mer continued. "I have need of his services. I am old, I will need help getting to my annual pilgrimage to Ghostgate."
"When do you need to get there?"
"Tomorrow."
"Meet you here at dawn. I will escort you to ghostgate then."
The old priest laughed. You had me fooled for a moment, but I knew who you were all along."
Ahnaressu began to walk back towards town and yelled behind him, "Remember. First light."

Ahnaressu had started a mercenary-like business about two months ago, having quit his old smithing job at the Razor Hole. When he started the business, he had hoped for exciting jobs from collectors of artifacts, great houses, guilds and the like, but being based out of Balmora, he usually got jobs escorting priests wanting to go to various shrines. He chuckled to himself whenevr he thought of the time he escorted a priest to the House of Earthly Delights in Suran - without revealing the priest's identity. He made more money than he did working for Thorek, and he had the added bonus of getting out of the monotony of "civilized" life.

When he had saved up enough money, he rented the top half of a house on the west side of the river. He, Cali and Relgar all shared the little house and it was a large improvement from the room in the temple, and less pressure on Ahnaressu to join the ranks of the temple doctrines.

Ahnaressu walked into the house he rented. Having only rented the top half, he always ended up carrying things up the steps for Cali.
"Ahnaressu!" Relgar yelled happily when he saw his older brother walk through the door.
Ahnaressu suddenly became a young child again when he yelled, "Relgar!" and ran towards his brother.
They ended up wrestling, the seven year old Relgar emerging triumphant while Ahnaressu played dead.
Cali laughed, just as she did every time she saw the two brothers together. She turned away from the brawl for a moment to check on the soup, tasting a sip before deciding if it was ready or not.
"Okay, boys, time for dinner."
Relgar jumped off Ahnaressu and quickly sat down at the table. Ahnaressu slowly got up and brushed himself off before seating himself.
The two males in the house rubed their hands together in anticipation of the food. Cali served them and sat down herself.

After dinner Ahnaressu went to sleep in preparation for the next day's short trek to ghostgate.

[Dantrag]

Ahnaressu was quite angry at himself - he had Neloth beaten and threw it away. But his spells were not without limit, Ahnaressu knew, the mage's magical energies would soon be exhausted.

Neloth took a different approach than usual. Neloth was casting a spell, and Ahnaressu readied himself to dodge a fireball, or brave another lightning bolt, but instead, he found himself unable to see.

"You are blind." Neloth said casually. "Do you yield?" he asked, as if he was expecting Ahnaressu to actually give up.

Ahnaressu focused, using his ears intsead of his eyes. He swept his sword across, hoping to hit the target.

Neloth was a long way away before Ahanressu even swung his sword. "Your hearing doesn't help much." Neloth said, tauntingly.

He went to the left. Ahnaressu thought once he heard Neloth's voice, hoping maybe he could find a pettern in the telvannni councilor's movements.

He swiped his sword to the spot where he heard Neltoh last as a test. Would he go left again?

"You can do better than that I hope." Neloth said, trying to anger the young ashlander.

Ahnaressu smiled to himself. He pretended to charge the spot he heard Neloth last, but swerved to the left at the last second, connecting with Neloth's midsection. He heard the sword tear through flesh, the groan that followed, and the sound of Neloth's body falling to the ground.

"Dispel the blindness." Ahanressu said. "And I can help you."

What he saw was not what he had meant to do. The wizard's stomach was wide open, blood was pouring onto the ground out of the wound.

"Hand...me your...sword." Neloth said in a raspy, breathless voice.

When Ahnaressu did so, Neloth closed his eyes and used its magic. Ahnaressu stared wide-eyed as the wound closed, and Neloth stood up, seemingly unhurt.

Ahnaressu was glad that the mage was alive, but quite angry that he had put a healing enchantment on his sword. "You put a healing enchantment on my sword?" Ahnaressu asked incredulously.

"Not quite." Neloth answered. "It is an advanced absorb health enchantment. When you strike someone, the sword stores the bit of life that it took, whereas a normal absorbtion spell would transfer the enrgy to you immediately in the form of healing, you can use this at any time to transform the life energy into any kind of magic, because your sword will store the energy. Watch." Neloth said as he cut his hand with the blade. "I will use this energy to make your sword have a....flame enchantment." Immediately, the sword burst into flame.

Ahnaressu was more than impressed. "Wow." was all he had to say.

"I have something else for you, since you defeated me." Neloth continued. "I didn't think you would actually win, so I had actually thought to keep it for myself. but I try not to break promises I make to myself. I break ones I make to other people too much for that." he said with a chuckle as he led Ahnaressu back to his chambers in the tower of Tel Naga.

Neloth opened a large chest and pulled out a shortsword. Dwemer, by the look of it.

"This is an ancient dwemer sword. Its name is Scrib - some joke of the dwemer, no doubt." Neloth began, holding the shortsword out to Ahnaressu. "I don't know what you would use it for, since you have your own fine blade, but I felt the need to give it to you anyway."

Ahanressu accepted it. "Thanks, for the enchantment, as well as the duel." Ahnaressu said. "Especially the duel."

As he walked out the door of Tel Naga, he began thinking on what a great day it had been. He was nearly ready to exact his revenge.

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Enjoy. LoneWolf, I hope you aren't too disappointed with its enchantment

and minque, I probably should have sent it to you....but I just wanted to post it.