Oasis 2, Free from Destiny. Options

[jack cloudy]

Here is the link to: Jack Cloudy's Other Stories


Ok, I've got to be crazy. Starting a third one before finishing the last two? Yeah, definitely crazy. More crazy than Tarhiel, Curio and M'Aiq combined. Ah well, I guess I can't be stopped. (Note to self: Make an Agent update tonight.)





Oasis 2: Free from Destiny.

The task I’d been sent to do had been finished. No, I hadn’t just been sent to do this, I’d been made for it in a quite literal way. Yes, that task was the only reason for my existence. Now that I’d completed it, what was left?

Anyone in my position would probably try to retire and live the remainder of his or her life at peace, preferably with the comfort of nearby friends. I had friends and I could retire easily enough. During the course of my life, I’d amassed a large amount of wealth, including a house big enough to accommodate a whole village. In fact, my house was a village. Then why did I leave? Why was I walking here at this moment, so far away from civilization?

The truth was, I couldn’t. I hadn’t realized at the time, but the reason why I fought was because my friends needed me as much as I needed them. I’d fought to protect them, to keep them near. Yet what should have been my moment of everlasting glory was my moment of defeat. I could no longer see those I considered friends. It would undo everything I’d done.

The sun began to sunk beneath the horizon and I sat down next to the nearest shrub. A small wisp of fire, and I had created a small circle of light to keep me company. The fire was bad company if it was the soul that required comfort instead of the body. Nothing opposed my train of thought. I relived the last moment, the moment it all became clear.

I stood on the slopes of a mountain. Beneath me, several tents had been placed in the ashcovered ground. People milled about like ants. Banners flapped in the gentle breeze. A smile crept across my face. These were the people of Vvardenfell, my people. Most were unknown faces to me but that didn’t matter. In the end, they were all a part of the island. And I would be their hero. Society had been at the brink of collapse but now, everything would be fine. The Houses had united, the Ashlanders received the respect they deserved. The time of politics and struggles for power had ended. There was nothing left to fight over. And I would be right in the middle of it all, basking in glory, everyone would call me their greatest hero. Like a child’s dream come true.

The smile vanished. It would not be fine. There was still something for them to fight over. Ironic as it might seem, that something was me. To win the favour of the land’s champion, the Houses would return to their internal strife, bloodier than before. Those around me would be the victim of it all, as they would be pulled into this conflict. Politics was a plague, hard to control. There was only one thing I could do to prevent this from happening. I would have to leave, vanish into myth.

And leave I did. I never even took the chance to properly say goodbye. I couldn’t say goodbye. If I tried, I would end up staying and make my nightmare into reality. It was a bit of an anti-climax. Whenever I thought about what would come after defeating my enemy, the only things I saw were scenes of fame, glory and perhaps even a bit of worship. I couldn’t let any of that happen though. It would be as destructive as having let him have his way.

Perhaps this is how the guy who killed Jagar Tharn felt after he’d claimed victory in the Imperial palace. He too left right after his greatest moment. To this very day, no one knows his name, or his race, or even his gender. I say guy, but it could have been a woman for all I know. I’ve heard a few stories, but they’re quite conflicting. Some talk about a Redguard pirate, some about an Imperial Battlemage much like Tharn himself, yet others about a scarred Orc or your stereotypical knight in shining armour. Then there are those who take it into the extremes, saying that this nameless champion was none other than Tiber Septim himself or Akatosh or a spirit of death or even a Goblin, though I seriously consider that last one a joke. Well I knew one thing for certain, Akatosh was not involved there. Because Akatosh, that’s me.

Whatever is the case, the champion vanished and I was about to follow his or her example. Where would I go? If I had taken the time to think, I would have concluded that leaving Tamriel entirely would have been best. The legendary continent of Akavir would be a great place for a fallen hero to hide. But I decided otherwise. Instead of going east to Akavir, I would go west, to the place where I was born, all the way on the other side of Tamriel. Despite my achievements, which happened to include the killing of a supposedly immortal being, my fame was still only local.

Hammerfell would be the perfect place to make a living. There, no one would care about Luper Alkad, Nerevarine, the godslayer. There I would be just another Redguard, albeit one who was in possession of several unique artefacts. Yes, Hammerfell would be perfect. But how to get there? Vvardenfell had been saved of the Blight, a horrible disease that turned everything it touched into a raving monster. There was the Corprus which was even worse but likewise, its threat had ended. Despite that, the island was still strictly quarantined. No one could enter or leave, at least not through legal channels.

I knew that there were plenty of smugglers and pirates. I could try to make contact with them, see if they were willing to transport me. While the idea appealed to me at first, I soon changed my mind. So far, the smugglers I met here were a lot more aggressive than the bunch that had raised me. I was unlikely to get a single word out of my mouth before I was parrying daggers, clubs and whatever they were using to kill people. No smugglers wouldn’t help.

I went through a few more ideas. I was too well-known among the mages and the independent ones were usually Necromancers who would rather have me as their next test subject than give me a quick teleport to the mainland. Buying, building or stealing a ship wouldn’t work. For one thing, ships weren’t for sale here and I would be hunted by the coast guard. Waterwalking might work, but I had no real idea of just how far it was to the mainland. It would be rather embarrassing to run out of Magicka and get devoured by Slaughterfish and Dreugh. In the end, I knew of only one organization that could give me a quick and secret way to the mainland. The Blades, the spy service of the Emperor himself.

I waited till dawn before continuing my trip across the island. I took my time because this would likely be the last time I would see Vvardenfell, the island that had become my home. There was a silent beauty in the Ashlands, now that the dreaded storms which plagued this region had fled. The transition from dry ash to a swamp teeming with life was quite sudden, only a single mountainous ridge between them. Like everything I saw, it brought back memories. Memories of fighting against slavery, getting my leg cracked by a Mudcrab. It had been less than two years, yet it felt like eternity separated Luper Alkad, the badmouthed prisoner who was all bark and no bite, from Luper Alkad, the badmouthed hero who is even more bite than he is bark.

I walked up to the nearest Mudcrab and placed a single hand underneath its shell. With a simple flip of the wrist, I threw it upside down and sent it sliding down a hill. It was a feat of incredible strength I wouldn’t even dare dream about in those early days. I’d definitely changed, beyond recognition. The everburning flame of the Lighthouse told me I was nearing my destination. Seyda Neen, where my journey began and where now a new journey would begin.

[jack cloudy]

I'm still wondering if I should pull Velas the greater out to play. In all reality, Velas the lesser survived his encounter with Luper. He only got wet and was severely humiliated.

And a sign would be handy to have around, but then I'd be out of a job writing his adventures.
Anyway, here we go again. Now I just need to figure out what comes next.





Neither of us spoke till after we’d entered the palace, a grotesque thing that seemed to be meant only for intimidation. I wasn’t so impressed though. Compared to village-sized mushrooms that grow to their full size in just a week, this contraption of stone and bronze was quite frankly, lame.
,,A consultation, eh?” I said to myself as we joined the mass of citizens that had formed into a line.
,,Maybe we should figure out a problem of our own, just to justify being here?” I suggested a few steps further.

,,Perhaps. We could talk about how crazy murderous mage-wannabes are allowed to run around freely in this city.” Ro-El replied and chuckled softly at the memory of the ‘crazy murderous mage-wannabe’.
,,Yeah, I hope he doesn’t have a twin brother or something, one who actually can make a claim at the title of battlemage. Dealing with some stupid grudge is so not what I’m interested right now. Meh, I doubt he has.” I laughed myself.
,,Well, for a rumour of that magnitude, there must be someone like him with a lot more power. So that brother thing might be closer to the truth than you believe. Anyway, we’ll whine about it for a bit if we’re actually asked to talk. Look at all the people. I doubt that even half of them will actually get a chance to speak. Kings are notoriously impatient and I shouldn’t say this, but even Duke Dren can be one impatient and cranky old fella.” Ro-El said dryly. I admitted to myself that I had to change my opinion of him yet again. Few absolutely loyal servants were so open and willing to say that their lord wasn’t the most perfect thing on Nirn.

Clanking footsteps drew closer and I turned my head to see a knight, Imperial, in crimsonred armour walking up to meet us. I frowned and secretly tensed my muscles, ready to lay into him the moment he got aggressive. I have had bad experiences with guards, especially Imperial guards, for fifteen uninterrupted years to be precise. One doesn’t lose his paranoia around them that easily. Ro-El turned to look with me, casually leaning on his cane.

,,You will give me that sword.” The Imperial stated cleanly, leaving no questions asked which sword he was talking about. Still, I theatrically looked behind me and shrugged when the only people I found with swords, or any other weapon, were more of those plate-mailed guards.
,,I’m not even thinking to consider it.” I stated just as clean and looked him in the eyes. The look the Imperial returned me was uncompromising.

,,Listen, you Redguard hick in the woods. This is not your lovely sandpit. This is Mournhold and in here, I’m the boss. Now my rule is that only the trusted guards of king Hlaalu Helseth are allowed to possess weapons in his presence. You will give up that sword and you will do it now.” He replied with a slight hiss in his voice.
,,Not a chance. And seriously, you think that was an insult? Oh come on, like I haven’t heard better.” I replied in turn. By now, his face was beginning to turn a light shade of red. It was rather cute, the colour matched his armour.

,,You think you’re famous or something?” He growled.
,,Not yet, give me a few hours and I’ll come back to you, ok?” I flashed a grin.
,,Luper.” With a slight sting of annoyance, I turned my attention to Ro-El who up till now, had been listening to our conversation without saying a thing.
,,I suppose you don’t understand, seeing the culture you’ve lived in. But here, it is a sign of goodwill to give up your weapons before you meet the king. I’m sure that your sword will be returned to you as soon as you leave. Isn’t that right, captain?” He directed the last words at the guard. I changed my opinion again. Ro-El was good at playing the spoiled and easily angered noble.

,,Alright, here you go. But if I find as much as a single scratch or fleck of dust.” I grumbled, throwing Chrysamere with scabbard and all into his hands. I suppressed a new grin as his arms were forced to lower a few centimetres before he managed to compensate. Chrysamere is heavy, and it takes nearly inhuman strength to carry it around all day or swing it all day. Lucky me that I have inhuman strength.

The captain turned away and marched off, even stiffer than when he came.
,,I don’t like this.” Ro-El whispered.
,,Yeah, me neither. He got this calculating look in his eyes as soon as you said my name. Looks like I am already famous, to him. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to be careful when someone gets all calculating. Keep your eyes open.” I whispered back.
,,Now who was the bodyguard here?” Ro-El asked.