Corrupted heart. Options

[jack cloudy]

Alas, I couldn't wait for Agent to finish before I began my next story. Oh, curse me, all of you whose blood shall be spilled before this story comes to an end.

Ahem, I don't expect my loyal readers to complain though. Heh, I hope I managed to portray the first of my main characters nicely. And one last thing that might be interesting to know. This story takes place before the birth of Luper. So yes, that means at least 23 years before any of my other stories. Now, without further stalling I present:


Corrupted heart.

Chapter 1: Among the cold dirt, the fallen lie.

Consciousness flickered, remaining just out of reach. His senses delivered their messages to his clouded mind, broken fragments of a greater whole. The sound of heavy boots hammering cold rock, the smell of dust in his nose, the feeling of being carried in a boneshattering grip. A taste, plaguing the tip of his tongue. Blood, his blood.

The feeling of movement stopped. Words now echoed in his ears, words he did not comprehend.
,,This looks good enough. Open the door.” The shriek of rusted metal being moved ripped through the haze clouding his mind. Now consciousness returned fully and with it, a chance. For a moment, he continued to feign unconsciousness. Long enough to hear more words, words not meant for him.
,,You, don’t move unless you want even greater problems.” The hands holding him pushed him along. His tail brushed against iron bars. Now was the time.

With the frightening grace of a natural killer, his muscles sprang back to full readiness. He used the body of his captor to swing around, somersaulting into the air and landing on the unfortunate man’s back. With a quick swipe, claws ripped out the man’s throat and crushed his neck. Even before the man began to lose his signs of life, the killer had leapt away. The next guard found himself smashed against the iron bars of the cell. Claws leaving a trail of blood in the air where the last thing the man saw before his eyes were removed. He too died soon afterwards. The whole event had taken less than a second from start to finish.

Breathing heavily from both his exertion and the rough treatment he’d received earlier, the killer stared down at his latest victims. In a slow symbolic movement, he raised his claws and licked them clean of blood, savouring the taste. His ears began to pick up the sound of distant boots coming steadily closer. A standard patrol. His hand snatched the nearby torch from the wall and he slammed the piece of wood into a dusty pool of water. There was a large cloud of smoke and then, darkness.

Even though there was practically no light left, his eyes still saw as good as if he was standing outside on a clear day. He quickly scanned the nearby cells. The one which had been destined for him was already occupied by the short stature of a Bosmer. The one directly on the opposite side of the tunnel was occupied by a muscular Dunmer who looked around warily, not seeing a thing. The killer took a double take on the two beings. While the Dunmer displayed all the expected signs of fear, the Bosmer surprisingly acted as if she hadn’t noticed the massacre at all. She just looked at the ground in front of her bare feet with a blank stare.
,,Must have lost its mind so deep underground.” The Killer concluded. He knew from experience that many Bosmer were extremely claustrophobic and hated being in a room without any windows or underground. A natural result from living in the treetops of Valenwood.

The boots had now gotten close. Soon, the owner of these boots would see the darkness ahead and know that something was wrong. By then though, it would be too late. The Killer crouched at the edge of the darkness, confident in the natural camouflage he had. Now the guard ventured into view and the killer’s heart skipped a beat. This was no guard. The fingers of fear reached out for him, embracing him with their cold touch. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt since childhood. The darkness in the tunnel was vanquished by a bright burst of light. With that same burst, the light in his eyes faded and he slipped into unconsciousness once more.

An armoured boot stomped on the ground beside his head.
,,You’ve missed your chance. Enjoy the blood you’ve claimed. They were your last kill.” A gruff voice said as the killer was picked up and taken to his cell.

[jack cloudy]

End of the Cliffhanger and the start of a new one! Yeah, I'm getting good at these things. Feels like a soap series. Every episode ends with a frightened face looking at something unseen. Anway, sorry I'm late tonight. Arena is too damn addictive. Curse Bethesda!






Marsh laid on the floor, his head resting against the cold altar. His imminent death refused to come. Instead, he heard a cold voice filled with evil intent.
,,So this is where you dragged her corpse. An unpleasant fate, to be hidden in the sewers were an amateurish necromancer can call upon your spirit whenever he pleases. Oh, who would ever wish for such a fait? Ah, I forgot. It was the great Ria Silmane herself who made the request. To bad for her, but she’ll have to go back to Tharn. Or rather, her soul will have to go back and her body can rot wherever it pleases.” Whoever had attacked him said and chuckled. The voice sent shivers down the Argonian’s spine. Yet, with his fear came the determination to survive.

He formed his hands into a cup.
,,Ukil, ukil, ukil.” He chanted softly with his eyes closed, bringing his mind into a state of pure focus. The hidden man had stopped chuckling.
,,What is that, little mortal? Are you praying for your life? You should’ve stayed in the swamps were you were born.” He taunted. With his current state of mind, Marsh did not even hear it.
,,Groht Heyat!” A pale blue light shimmered in the Argonian’s hands. He opened his eyes, which had received the same blue colour as the light in his hands. In the light he saw the face of a mundane looking Imperial. However, due to the warped Magicka in the argonian’s hands, his face became distorted, turning into a pure nightmarish visage with a elongated snout that breathed flickering tongues of fire.

,,As I thought. Even the guards have been infiltrated.” Marsh spoke with an oddly echoing voice. He released the spell which pierced through the demon’s chest and then exploded. The light spread throughout the entire system of canals in the sewers, even lighting up the exits like a miniature sun. The Imperial city bathed in light as if it was day, only with the sun shining from under the ground rather than in the sky. The creature staggered forward but was death before it could reach the Argonian. The light faded from Marsh’s eyes and he dropped to his knees. He couldn’t see a thing though he wasn’t sure if it was because he was dying or if it was simply because there was no light.
,,Marsh, you must hurry. More demons are coming to this place. You can’t fight them, not yet. I’ll pay the price for the spell you just cast. You must survive. Farewell, Marsh.”

He could hear his own strained breathing again. He could feel the stone under his body again. His body and spirit were drained and more tired than he’d ever considered possible. He realized that he should’ve died after casting the spell and he did. Yet somehow, he’d returned from the death. But someone else had been left behind. He remembered the voice that spoke to him during his death. This memory itself was nearly enough to make him die again.
,,Lady Silmane. No, Ria. I am sorry. While your spirit is now truly gone, your will is not. Farewell.” He whispered into the air. There was no response, no feeling of an ethereal presence nearby. There couldn’t be one, for Silmane’s spirit had been destroyed by the spell’s demands.

He forced himself to get up even though his legs could barely support the weight. He remembered the warning his friend had given. He had to leave, now. His hand wrapped itself around the key he’d been given.
,,We’ve gone too far to give up now. Tamriel must be saved at all costs.”


Near the top of the Imperial palace, a lone man stood on his balcony and watched the city below.
,,Such a glorious yet ultimately wasted display of Magicka. Whoever cast this must be death by now. Nothing can use such power without succumbing to it. Fools, to think they can overthrow me. All they’ve so far managed to do was disturbing my sleep.” He spoke to himself with a smirk.


Marsh stumbled through the tunnels, willing himself to move on. He knew that if he ran into another of those demons, he would die. And this time, there would be no one willing to sacrifice herself for him. Footsteps met him from behind, and in front of him. He stopped, weighing his options. The maze made it hard to judge a sound’s origin. The footsteps sounded like they were approaching, but they might be moving away. It was a risk, but he had to be sure he wasn’t surrounded.
,,Heyat.”

The light in his hand weakened him even further. It flickered and nearly died a few times. His worst expectations were revealed as another of the demons blocked his path. This one had cast away its illusion of a mortal man and looked completely like the monster it was. Behind it, the grating of the exit gleamed in the moonlight. Just a hundred more steps, and he would’ve made it out of the sewer.

The demon approached him slowly. Its hooves carved into the stone and left fiery footprints behind. Marsh leaned against the wall. He was too tired to fight and even if he did, his only way to win was to kill himself by pouring all of his essence into a single spell like he’d done before. But how would he be able to explain his task to someone else so that the fight could be continued and ultimately won?
,,Good, good. Just stand still and it won’t be long.” The demon gloated, raising a barbed axe above its head. To the Argonian’s surprise, its movements stopped. Instead of striking down and finishing off its helpless victim, its bloodred eyes simply looked over Marsh’s head. If the Argonian didn’t knew better, he would’ve thought to see disbelief etched into its ugly head.

,,You, why don’t you run?!” It roared. Not at Marsh, who was too weak to run but at someone else.
,,You must think you’re brave, to kill a defenceless being. I don’t run away from cowards.” A gravely voice answered. Marsh turned his weary head to see a cloaked man stand behind him. A finely crafted spear was gripped with one hand while the other hung loosely at the man’s side.
,,I am Aran Geydar! I challenge you!” The man shouted and rushed forward. The demon couldn’t believe its eyes. Not only did the mortal refuse to flee, it actually dared to attack!






Note: Here's a pic of the demon I'm talking about. Much of thanks to the UESP.

This is actually one of the more powerful monsters, similar to a Dremora Lord in Morrowind or a high ranking Dremora in Oblivion. (Kylvan, Markynaz or something?)