The Story Of Taillus, Chapter 3 Options

[Taillus]

CHAPTER 3 - Looking Out For Number One.

The partially hidden sun makes its course to the top of the mid morning sky as Taillus again awakens in a foreign town. This was going to be the trend for him as there was nothing about this place that was familiar. The simple fact that people even reside in a place like this perplexes him. Regardless, if it wasn’t for Ald’Ruhn There is no telling where he would be or how living he would still be.

On his way out of the Inn, Taillus stops and knocks on the door where supposedly, Jiub was staying. No response to the knocking again as Taillus eventually gives up and heads towards the exit. On his way out, as Taillus stops to adjust his sack that held part of the bounty from the Caldera incident he is stopped from leaving by the words of the Innkeeper.

“Your Dunmer friend has a message for you my Imperial pal. He says to lose some excess baggage and meet him at the Rat in The Pot Cornerclub.” The man says while curling his nose up at the name of the meeting spot.

“He seems to have a poor taste in location my friend. The scum of Ald”Ruhn meet there and it is not much of a friendly joint. But who am I to judge. I wish you well Imperial. Good luck on your journeys.” The man chimes as Taillus nods while walking out the door.

Taillus quickly trots from building to building looking for a pawnbroker or a tradehouse. He was almost frantic in his search, fearing that another Ash storm would hit. The bare thought of that made Taillus angry, disgusted, fed up and mostly exhausted. He decided that it would be to his advantage to brush up on his Morrowind History, cartography, bestiary and whatever knowledge he could arm himself with. Morrowind was a place you could wind up dead if you relied on the “Learn on the fly” tactic.

Taillus unloads all of his unneeded items and winds up with a very impressive wallet. With the money made from just his half of the loot he could easily go on an equipment shopping spree and wind up with quite the set up. He decided to meet up with Jiub in the Cornerclub to see what the plan was.

At the club, Taillus finds out that the Innkeeper was dead on about the quality of people visiting this place. It reeked of old liquor and skooma but the worst of all were the characters around the place. It make Taillus want to make sure each and everything he owned was tied down to his body in some way considering even the bartender himself looked as if he would rob you blind if there wasn’t a wooden counter in his way.

Taillus spots Jiub in the corner of the cornerclub and shakes the irony from his mind before heading over. He sits at the small table across from his friend who is enjoying stout drink of liquor. Taillus sits across Jiub in the stiff wooden chair and pulls himself closer to the table.

“I see that you made it to Ald’Ruhn Taillus. I didn’t think you’d make it. I am sorry I had to abandon you but you would have done the same thing as I if faced with that scenario. I wouldn’t have been able to carry you along with the weapons we plundered so I took a bag and ran for cover.” Jiub explains between drinks.

“Yes, Jiub that is exactly what I would do, just like I did on that ship in Seyda Neen. You really know how to repay a good deed!” Taillus growls as his eyes give the impression that Taillus was about to reach across the table and strangle Jiub. The old Dunmer simply smiles as he takes another few sips of his drink.

“I took the liberty of talking to a friend of mine that is in tight with the guild of thieves. He made sure that the events that took place in Caldera didn’t happen if you understand me and he also scored us a complete set of House Redoran Gah-Julan Bonemold armor so we can travel with relative ease through the ash storms.”

Taillus heard only one part of that sentence, the part about the Bonemold armor. This made him quiver in fear as he stares blankly at the wall behind Jiub. He felt a flowing tingle as it slid down his spine making him feel cold. He looks up at Jiub with a nervous tone to his voice, hoping he could acquire a different set of armor.

“Well that is very impressive Jiub but is there any armor that I could wear other then that Bonemold stuff. It really gives me a chill and to be perfectly honest. I do not like the idea of wearing old dead bugs.”

Jiub laughs out loud as he almost spills his drink. He pounds his fist on the table as he can barely breathe from laughing so hard. Finally he calms down enough to speak and his face suddenly washes with a look of dire seriousness.

“If wearing armor made from bugs scares you Taillus then I am not sure how we will be able to search for artifacts. Clearly you have never seen a Dremora Lord before. I am telling you Taillus there are things that dwell beneath our feet that could scare you to your grave, and assist you in getting there as well. I will not be able to journey with a man that will turn white when we are in danger. You have to be strong.” Jiub explains as Taillus nods in agreement.

Taillus could not agree more. This childish fear of wearing bug armor is minor compared to the monstrous beings that he will eventually meet. He would have to shake his distaste for the bonemold armor and learn to adapt here in Morrowind. He gets up from the table and goes back to the Ald Skar Inn with Jiub to get suited up in his room. They both equip the Bonemold armor and all of Taillus’ doubts wash away after thinking of how much more protection it will give over his old armor.

“I was also thinking that you could use a new blade as well. Taillus. That Sparkblade helped us back with the slaughterfish but we will need to rely on something a bit more powerful.” Juib states as he passes over a weapon that makes Taillus simply wide eyed.

“This is a long blade that I have had imbued with three minor enchantments. It will cast a fire spell; an ice spell as well as a lightning spell dealing very minor damage alone, but tied together along with the swing of your sword could prove to be quite devastating. I call it the element blade. It was a gift from my friend here but I am afraid that it is not my style in weapon. I think that you will be best suited to it.”

Taillus nods as he grips the sword with both hands. He stares into the blade mesmerized by the enchantment. Three different colors swirl magically about the metal as hues of blue, red, and yellow tint the blade every few seconds. It was beautiful in a deadly sort of way and it made Taillus smile knowing that he had this at his side when times got tough. He looks up as Jiub straps a long, thin blade to his back and also tucks a dagger into the confines of one of his boots. Both men seem to be very well suited and actually well equipped as they pass by the Inn keeper before heading out into the city.

Taillus bids farewell to the city that he promised himself he would never visit again. He enjoyed the hospitality of the Ald Skar Inn but knows that if he ever experienced an ash storm again he would more then likely take his own life. Taillus and Jiub make their way though the city quickly so that they will not be caught in the House Redoran Armor. They make their way through the gates of the city and are soon well on their way to the first temple, cave, or ruin they can find....

[Taillus]

The two heroes march through the unforgiving wasteland of the Ashland region once again as they both cover their faces with an arm to try and deflect the swirling ash storm around them. They knew that the House Redoran Bonemold armor would give them all the protection they needed but they still raised a free hand to their faces out of reflex. Taillus was used to these storms at this point but that did not mean that he liked them. The one they were traveling through was so intense that it could have knocked him over.

Taillus realized something as he stomped through the monochromatic scenery of the ashlands. He was relying too much on Jiub and where he was headed as far as direction was concerned. Not to mention that Jiub was beginning to worry Taillus. It seems that Taillus considered them better friends then they actually were.

He had been trying to shake the feeling but could not deter himself from feeling like nothing but a pawn. I guess being left in an ash storm to die gives people ideas like that.

As they begin to see a castle like structure that stood off in the distance, Jiub looks up to see two flying beasts overhead. He quickly slaps at Taillus’ shoulder before drawing his sword. Taillus mimics Jiub, pulling out his elemental blade and looks up at the approaching flying terrors. The sound they emit as they swoop down gave Taillus a rude awakening as to what they were. He was about to experience the joys of a blighted cliff racer.

Blighted beast are much more interesting then their normally healthy kin. They have the exciting added feature of them being insane due to the desease that is in their blood and it makes them more aggressive and much more deadly. The first of the two cliff racers dives from the sky and weaves to avoid the blade of Jiub. Taillus closes his eyes as he was looking directly into the creature’s mouth and he swings hard with his own blade.

Taillus managed to wound the racer quite badly but the momentum of the diving bird knocks him to the ground as the bleeding racer struggles with a broken and deeply injured wing and shoulder. Taillus quickly tosses the large cliff racer off of him as he struggles to get back to his feet. Jiub had made very short work of the other cliffracer and Taillus quickly tackles the one he had been knocked over by as it just barely lifted off the ground. Taillus plunged his elemental blade into the racer’s back as he shrieks in pain before giving up on the ash covered ground at his feet.

Jiub simply shrugs as he sheaths his sword and they continue on their way. Taillus though to himself as they walked wondering how blighted monsters managed to get through ghostfence. He had always heard that the cursed creatures were contained within it and the though of them encountering blighted monsters worried him.

They continue past Fort Moonmoth which they can see off in the distance and Jiub points in their desired direction. Taillus thought he could hear Jiub say something but he had great trouble hearing because of the storm. As Taillus feels his legs begin to buckle under the stress of walking, Jiub grabs his shoulder and points to the horizon up ahead. What they saw was a tall, oddly designed structure that looked as if it was made up of otherworldly materials. The architecture was unlike anything Taillus had ever seen and the very sight of it sent a deep chill down his spine.