Hero in Disguise, Chapter 6 Options

[Taillus]

Alright folks. This is going to be a pretty crazy Chapter. I hope I can surprise you at least a time or two before it gets done. Enjoy all.

CHAPTER 6

Voices? Am I dead? I can hear commotion around me, seeming frantic and scared. I can also sense some familiarity in the voices, perhaps some people who have also died that I once knew? People began calling my name as the unmistakable sound and feeling of healing spells began washing over me. Someone is trying to bring me back, someone saving me but who? How actually would be a better question. The only thing I can remember is watching Taillus fall after putting the amulet around his neck. Perhaps just a dream? I can’t be certain but one thing I do know for sure is that I must truly be alive because the pain of the grave wounds I must have suffered makes its presence known.

“Xander please wake up. You did it you know, you defeated Taillus and are living to talk about it. Please wake up, give us some sign that you are still with us. Your heart is beating and you are breathing so we know you survived, please wake up.” A familiar voice trembles as the feeling of someone touching my face tingles down my spine. I begin to open my eyes, or eye rather; finding myself resting on a bed in Frostcraig Spire. Around me was Aeriandala who was trying to make me drink a potent healing serum and to my complete and utter surprise, the Blue Lions! They were all here! The young Khajiit courier must have performed exceptionally well because they managed to make their way here in less than a day! That is impossible.

“H..how did you guys get here so fast?” I manage to wheeze, trying to sit up to see them all. It was suggested that I keep laying down considering my plethora of wounds and countless battered bones. I could see out of the corner of my good eye, my trusted friend and fellow member of the Lions smile softly before clearing his throat to speak. Lance, the best fighter that I have ever seen touches my good shoulder, patting it carefully.

“Xander you have been dead to the world for well over a month. We got here as soon as we could, following your message. We met up with one of Aeriandala’s allies who camped out by your side to make sure you were fed and had water until we arrived to help him bring you here. We all took our turns nurturing you back to health but you are still in pretty bad shape fearless leader.” Lance explains with a tone of sadness.

Lance was the definition of a good man. A caring friend who would throw his life on the line to save those he cared about and I have witnessed him doing such a thing countless times. The older Altmer was actually born under a different name but was nicknamed Lance seeing as how he was prodigal in his proficiency with pole weapons. He stood tall, fighting tears in the standard elite Lions armor. Thick silver chainmail under overlapping silver plates complete with a cloth drape colored royal blue and white showing off our faction’s logo.

All of the Lions wore the same armor, updated since I had seen them last making me proud that since we parted ways, we have yet to lose a single member. Our faction was tightly woven with each member caring for the others like siblings. It was the only way to ensure a completely flawless team.

“We will fill you in on everything soon enough but our first concern is to get you feeling better. We have the best healers in Cyrodiil here to help as much as they can and we will do what we can to fix the damages Taillus caused.” States Merin, my second in command. Merin is a fellow Battle mage and has stood beside me since day one. She is a beautiful Breton with fiery red hair that reached her shoulders unless pulled back into a neat and practical ponytail. She has a heart of gold and a fierce battle sense to boot. It was ironic for her to say that the best healers in Cyrodiil were here to help considering that her skills were exponentially better and we all knew it. Nevertheless, I was thankful and surprised at the turnout. I had no idea so many people were concerned about my health.

I could even see Dimir and Cerwin amongst the crowd. They had heard word through the grapevine and made their way to check on my status. I made sure I acknowledged their presence, making them both smile, slightly embarrassed. I was glad they had made the trip to see me because I had been thinking of them since I left Bruma. I was sure they also wanted to see if the rumors were true, to see if I had actually captured Taillus. Heck, I was wondering the same.

The rest of the Blue Lions took turns congratulating me on capturing Taillus who they inform me is in holding in the lowest part of the Spire. The amulet is keeping him at bay as expected in addition to the pillars that Aeriandala had set up around him, keeping his powers further stunted. I was so happy to see my crew, exactly as I remember them. It was refreshing to hear that they had been fighting to have me released from prison since the second I was incarcerated and had been trying to track me down without success for what seemed to them like ages.

Sadly, my pain was becoming far too intense and was forced to take an elixir to dull my pain and put me to sleep for a few more days; but now that I knew the Blue Lions were once again at my side, a certain level of peace washed over me, making me feel warm and comfortable.

I wanted to jump to my feet every morning for days but sadly, I was unable to even move. I wanted to hear the stories of each of my crew members but sadly, I was only awake for a few hours at a time. I felt so helpless but everyone was so very understanding that it would take me quite some time to be in working order again and without even hesitating for a second, they did what they could, sitting by my side and preying that I recover soon.

Finally after rehabilitation, healing programs, powerful magicka sessions and more I was finally able to get up and walk around on my own; well if you consider with the aid of a large staff being “on my own”. It was not until I did however, that I realized the extent of the damage Taillus caused me. I was most certainly blind in one eye, and in looking in the mirror revealed my damaged eye to be completely without color, and scarred from my hair line to the middle of my cheek; a deep, thin scar that will never go away, constantly reminding me of my loss to Taillus.

My right leg was so badly damaged that I would probably always walk with a pain filled limp, making me have to rely on this sturdy staff to help me walk. My left arm was as I feared, completely removed at the shoulder, leaving nothing behind. I was a fraction of the man I used to be. My hair was beginning to silver due to the shock of so many battles and my face was starting to age prematurely. I still looked fairly young, just a bit more…refined so to speak.

As I dressed in a robe provided for me, I decided to make my way to where my crew was gathered, they wanted to take me to see Taillus who had been held prisoner since we all came here. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him but they claimed that it would do me well, to complete my healing process.

Upon arriving to his holding area I realized that I had done more damage than I had previously anticipated. A deep, thick scar crossed diagonally down his chest where I stabbed him earlier and his body was burned from my magicka. He was completely helpless, sitting in only the black pants he wore when we battled. He was chained to a thick, icy, stone column with the amulet around his neck. His head was down, as if he had been looking at the floor but he had no choice due to the effects of the Prisoner of Greed. Five smaller pillars spanned a tight perimeter around him, each with a colored stone that was emitting a beam of light, holding him in place and draining his attributes. Until we could figure out how to kill him we would have to keep him here.

[Taillus]

All right. Time to end this Chapter and bring this story to an end. I belive this will be over by the end of Chapter 7 or at the very latest, Chapter 8. I hope you all have enjoyed this story to this point but after the Hero in Disguise, I will be starting a new series with entirely new characters. Perhaps a cameo or two will be seen but I am not sure at this point. Anyway, Enjoy the finale to this chapter and I hope it is to everyone's liking.


Just as Taillus was about to force the mace to collide with the fallen Telina again, I step in and catch the head of the mace in my gauntlets. I can feel the mace draw my energy from me even in holding it so I aim a knee into Taillus’ ribcage sending him back a few steps as to give me some breathing room.

I decide to drop my sword and accumulate some magicka for an attack. I had to get Taillus down so I could have enough time to check on Telina. I was surprised that she went down that fast, I thought she was as strong as Taillus but that is impossible. No one can beat this man… No, that is not true! What am I saying? Taillus has already been beaten! I beat him already! This is my fight and he will lose just as he has lost many times before.

I scream out my spell as my hands make the motions to activate the attack. Elemental Trifecta was my best chance to put him down for the count weather he liked to admit it or not I knew it was a powerful spell. Before Taillus could react, I released my magicka sending the attack screaming in his direction. I watched as he raised his hands to block the attack but it was no use. The attack exploded on contact in an array of colors. Sparks of blue, red and yellow lit up the darkened sky bringing Taillus to his knees.

I wasn’t about to end there. As Taillus was wheezing, trying to catch his breath I fortified my strength and speed with a quick spell before running at him, using his state to my advantage. With a fierce kick, I launched Taillus upward, letting my boot collide with his chest. As Taillus hung in mid air for a second or two, I charged my most powerful fire spell. I let the magic grow in my hands as the sheer power of it made my body twitch. Finally as gravity was bringing him back to the ground, I released my attack, letting it send Taillus higher into the sky while the magic tore through his armor, reducing it to dust.

With adrenaline and pure rage flowing through my body, I brought my magicka to new levels with a spell I wasn’t sure I could even do. I clenched my fists, wishing Taillus would plummet hard to the ground at my feet. Just as I clenched my fists, Taillus stopped in mid fall. With a move of my hand, Taillus moved with it. Finally, before the effect wore off, I forcefully brought my hands downward making Taillus’ body scream downward with enough force to blast through the stone pillar we were all on, creating a large crater only ten feet away from where I stood.

Telina and I both gasped in shock as Taillus was driven into the stone ground at our feet seemingly from a powerful telekinetic spell I had never known I was capable of. I wanted to pummel Taillus with everything I had while Telina watched over me. With Taillus still struggling to even move after my surprising attack, I jumped forward, ready to attack without a moment’s notice. My blade that I had previously cast aside, threw itself into the air before landing squarely in my right hand as I met the now standing Taillus, swinging mightily at his chest.

Taillus, now without armor because of my violent display of magicka ducked and weaved as best he could but received a few large cuts from my blade. I managed to break his thick skin thrice making him wince and cry out in pain. Telina jumped in to give me a quick breath of air, launching him backwards with a spell of force that threw him headlong into the stone floor many feet away.

Telina decided to light Taillus up once again with a fierce lightning spell that seemed to increase in ferocity each second. Large blue tendrils of energy shook Taillus like he was just an infant. I watched as the lightning surged around his body, making his muscles twitch badly. Thinking quickly, I launched a complimentary attack, casting a dire weakness to shock on his body making the pain multiply exponentially.

Taillus seemed to pulsate with magicka as Telina and I both launched a fury of attacks. After Telina grew weary from her spell I decided to stand in her place, violently shaking Taillus with a wicked lightning attack of my own. His wounds were seeping blood making his knees wobble and his muscles were tensed and flexed from the searing pain of our combined lightning magic. Just as our reserves of magicka were all but completely drained, Taillus was beaten.

Finally, Taillus fell to his knees, devoid of all life but not before a rogue spear screamed by Telina and I, catching our foe in the middle of his upper chest, where his collarbones meet his neck. The spear glowed purple for a split second before Taillus keeled over, completely dead. Looking behind us, we were treated to the sight of another Taillus who was badly beaten, bloodied and sickly. We both watched as his long and tiring fight concluded, giving him the chance to realize his wounds. I reached out, grabbing the falling and unconscious second Taillus knowing instantly that he was the good version of my Nemesis.

Telina and I watched as our view changed before our eyes. Now we were standing back in the basement floor of Frostcraig Spire with all of our allies applauding. Taillus was still alive but I was confident that we had defeated his evil self. Telina patted me on the shoulder, congratulating me in my mind and after a hardy celebratory meal and a few drinks, we retired for the night leaving me actually excited for what would follow…

The next morning; Telina, Aeriandala, Merin and I ventured into the basement to see how Taillus was feeling. He was awake, but unable to move or speak. I watched as Telina stood at his side, placing a hand on his forehead. After a few moments of silence, Telina revealed to us that we were free to remove his restraints.

“The evil inside of him has long since disappeared. It seems that Taillus wants to talk to Xander privately for a few moments.” Telina states as Aeriandala began removing the Prisoner of Greed items from Taillus’ body. In an instant, Taillus was freed from his prison. If we were wrong and the evil Taillus still held strong, we would all be doomed but I gave Telina the benefit of the doubt and waited for Taillus to drink some spring water so he could speak.

I was not sure what to expect from him. Was he still going to hate me for trapping him in Oblivion, is he going to still want to kill me? Or was he going to understand why I had to do all of this and ask for forgiveness? I watched as he shakily got to his feet. Having been strapped to the pillar behind him for quite some time I was surprised that he could actually still stand. I watched as he eyed me carefully, seeing himself in me. I could tell he was confused and we would have to take it very slow in order for him to understand correctly.

Finally he approached me, clearly with a head full of questions. I decided to lead him to the upper level of the spire so that we could all explain to him what he had been through. It was going to be a very long day for all of us.