Gaenor: Reloaded Options

[ShraX]

I posted this on the official TES forums, and although it's not finished, I'll continue updating both here and there.

If you haven't read the other two stories I've written, one of them is in the Fan Fiction section of this site, and you can PM me for the other. There really is not much needed to know when reading this one, except who the already well-known characters such as Gaenor and Almalexia are.

Enjoy--

The Nerevarine lay a lifeless corpse upon the Mournhold Temple steps. His blood trickled out of the slashed openings in his neck, limbs and torso, and down each stair, leaving its stains as it went before collecting into a shapeless pool on the tiled courtyard floor. The High Ordinators were still, their armored masks hiding the looks of terror on their faces as they stared at their defeated savior. The Temple doors were now wide open, and Almalexia hovered at the entrance. Her Hands were nowhere in sight.

"My champion," she said softly in disbelief, her golden face emotionless. "Who is responsible for this?" She spoke quietly but the entire city heard her. A Hand emerged from the darkness of the Temple and removed his helmet., engraved with the Daedric runes for S and V. "Our guards watched the battle," he explained in his low, rumbling voice. "They dared not aid your Nerevar for fear of death by his murderer - the Bosmer, Gaenor." The Demigoddess floated down the stairs, over the the corpse of the Nerevarine and turned back to the Temple. "Salas, this wood elf has gotten his revenge, but Terenius' life is nowhere close to Nerevar's in worth. Remain here and clean this mess. I will find young Gaenor and speak with him." Her Hand bowed and ordered the two Ordinators, still in a stupor, to dispose of the Nerevarine's body, as well as those of the four slain Hands within the Temple. Almalexia's wrath was unbridalled, and vengeance consumed her. Her fury at the news of Nerevar's death manifested physically, killing all but her favored Hand, Salas Volar, in an explosion of goldy flames.

She flew from her place in the Temple courtyard high above the city and into the clouds which concealed the late afternoon sun's light. The moons were now more than halfway over the mountainous horizon and brought their stars with them. With a gesture of her wrist the dense clouds parted in two and the light of the lowering sun lit the city aglow. She closed her eyes and began searching for her prey. However, this was unnecessary. Almalexia expected this mortal to flee into hiding from her might, but he welcomed it. He was sitting on a bench in the Bazaar, doodling shapes in the dirt with his sword.

His armor was sundered, dented and sliced through. One pauldron was missing as well as both gauntlets and parts of his greaves. It wasn't clear to tell from his ebony armor, but he was covered in blood from head to toe. He leaned his blade on the bench and removed his helmet, then placed it over the hilt. It was hot and sweat was dripping from his forehead to his beard. He put both hands to his face and wiped it, and ran his fingers through his stiff hair. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, waiting with open arms for death's embrace.

Almalexia dove towards him like a starving hawk upon a field mouse, disintegrating the clouds with the aura of flame around her. This mortal wood elf defeated her martyr in combat and had the audacity to sit on a park bench in plain sight! Masser and Secunda were rising in unnatural quickness and the sun was already out of sight. The furious demigoddess did not realize in her blind rage, but Gaenor tore away from his hands and looked up past her to see it: both moons took position directly above him, Secunda in front. As they slowed to a stop everything around him turned pitch black, aside from the raging Almalexia, now halted in mid-air, as well as both moons.

The elf slowly stood and faced his enemy in partial confusion. After his ordeal he truly cared not what his fate was. 'An eye for an eye,' was his logic. 'She took Terenius and I take the Nerevarine.. but this is very strange. perhaps this witch's debt is still not repaid.' He walked past her toward the moons, which were glowing and pulsating with light, as if to communicate.

"Much has happened this day. We must speak."

[ShraX]

Scaling the wide stump was more difficult for the iron-clad soldiers than it was for Gaenor, and even his companion displayed masterful climbing skill and found himself standing with the Bosmer, facing their wooden battleground. The air was especially thick, and the elf's command for the rest to catch him up was muffled. He and Naztheril continued westward for a short while before they noticed its silhouette in the clear horizon ahead; it was the forge, and the two halves of the anvil towered over the tables and trough around them. Gaenor unsheathed his Blade and turned to his friend. He had made a decision.

"It was the pain that changed me, Naztheril. My sister taken, Terenius slain, my home burned, our forests torched.. and all I have for it is this stump under my shoulder, these scars on my back, and my heart in shreds. I will never be as I was, and not even the destruction of my enemies will fix what has happened.. but it will prevent such things from occurring in the future. You can do nothing, but you are not useless. Being at my side during these hardships has helped me, although I cannot display my gratitude, and I thank you and call you brother."

The Beast nodded respectfully and didn't say a word, and gave him Valenwood's national salute, throwing his right fist to his chest and standing tall. They both realized Gaenor would not be guaranteed his life from then on, but only that the evil lurking in that place would be purged. The elf faced the forge and walked toward it steadily, unknowingly exhibiting the many scrapes and wounds on the backs of his legs and ankles from trudging through the wastes.

The remainder of the Prince's army had reached the top of the stump and marched onward to meet Naztheril shortly after the Bosmer left his sight. He turned to Garen and informed him of his companion. "He has chosen to face them alone without Imperial steel." The Prince was shocked, "But what of our strategy? We were to charge them with.. gah, why would he challenge them by himself?! Come, people of Cyrodiil," he called out behind him, "we must aid Gaenor in this battle!" He led the attack and advanced on the forge with great speed, his army following him up with swords in hand.

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