Light through Darkness, You asked for it, so here you go. Options

[mALX]

I have never seen Sibylla drawn out in any fic before - you have given me a totally different outlook on her - reading this tempts me to pop into the cave when I am NOT on a DB quest to see if she is friendly when not being attacked !!! Awesome characterization !!!

I am excited about the spirit guide Equine! (especially providing a horse for him!) SubRosa added spirit guide "Fox" to her story - a thrilling addition - intriguing to me because I knew nothing about them and wanted to learn more instantly !! AWESOME WRITE, TK !!!

[haute ecole rider]

I really enjoyed the interaction between Faith and Derelas in the latter part of the chapter. It rang true as two people thrown together by chance learn bits and pieces about each other. The hint of Faith's background is tantalizing while explaining some more things about her character, flaws and all. And Derelas is so charming as he struggles so hard with being a typical clueless male. I like that they have just enough respect for each other to listen to each other. It makes me want to see a romance blossom between them.

[Grits]

“Your spirit guide; every Bosmer has one.” She explained, “Usually they take the form of an animal such as a raven or lion, but you can occasionally find a few with a human guide, though they are rare.”

Great to see Sibylla as a real person! I really enjoyed her way of speaking.

Faith and Derelas bickering as they walked through the woods sounded very natural. As did the blush and hand clasp at the end.

Though rather small, their deep steel-blue complexion shone through the lush green grass with the rippling sheen of a small pond.
I must be spending too much time with an Atronach sign. I even got a thrill when I saw these in Derelas’ story!

Having Equine available for a silent chat or a sudden manifestation should be very rewarding. He already has a lot of personality!

[SubRosa]

I second the others who said that they enjoy the speech patterns and word choices of Sibylla. They instantly make her stand out as unique.

Faith's storming off was nicely done, along with the frustration and skepticism that led her there. They give her depth and feeling. Likewise with her later semi-rant and tears. You make it clear that she has a history, and a bad one.

give a cliffracer’s beak about it.
A wonderful setting-friendly phrase!



nits:
You forget I’m not a druid, like you obviously are with your city-slicking ways
This seemed incongruous. Usually the term druid makes one think of a wilderness holy person (although historically they were much more than that), making it feel strange to link that with the city remark.

[ghastley]

I always thought that Sibylla deserved a bit more background in the game. You get to have some dialog with her siblings to help you decide if you like them or not (even if it's just [SNORT] from Matthius), but she's already decided to hate you before you reach her in all the games I've played. But that quest is the least comprehensible of the whole DB line, anyway. All the others have some hint of who might benefit from the murders. The only theory I ever came up with was that the DB wanted Applewatch.

I assume that spiders are added by a mod I don't run. Her cave's always full of mountain lions for me. I think the bears are leveled and everyone gets those, so they're a good choice for her favorite.

Faith continues to be an enigma, of course, and you're revealling her at just the right pace to keep this story going for a long time. Want more!

[Acadian]

This was lovely! I'm delighted how you seem to be developing Derelas and Faith. Initially, Faith seemed a touch overbearing, but it is nice to see Derelas coming into his own, and some vulnerability in Faith. The interaction between the two is a joy to read, and singing perfectly with just the right amount of sparks, give and take.

Sibylla's manner of speech continues to be delightful. It would be tough I imagine to maintain for a primary character, but is such a treat in a supporting character as she seems to be.

We get to meet Equine! Magically done! I loved how Derelas got a touch confused in speaking aloud unintentionally to Equine. An easy mistake to make when you have a voice in your head!

This is not a nit, but a tiny suggestion I humbly submit for your consideration:
'Sibylla eyed her with detest at her words.'
Repetition in close proximity is always a challenge during edits. The more minor the word is (her and he are very minor words for example), the less noticeable it is. Nevertheless, I did happen to note it and couldn't help wondering if something as simple as this would help: 'Sibylla eyed the Dunmer with detest at her words'.

[Thomas Kaira]

@mALX: Unfortunately, Sibylla is always aggressive in game (her aggression is set to 80 if you look up her stats). You can talk to her if you get her disposition high enough and cast a few calming spells, but she has no unique dialogue. She is just one of hopefully many generic NPCs in this story that I shall make unique.

@rider: If we start speculating who Dere gets to romance in this story, heads are going to start rolling. Seeing what mALX and 'Rosa were up to in Julian's thread was dirty enough for me. I am glad you have become attached to the twosome, though, because their adventures are far from over.

@Grits: I always like to hear that about my dialogue! I put a pretty big effort into making sure it flows well together and sounds like two people really talking to each other.

@Rosa: I think you missed the sarcasm in that sentence. I know perfectly well that it was incongruous, but that's only if you take it literally. If you add in a sarcastic tone, it makes a lot more sense. Still, sarcasm is difficult to convey in text, so I've made it a bit more obvious.

@Ghastley: Martigen's Monster Mod be the one. I'm running OOO+MMM on my game, so a lot of my dungeons get re-populated with more diverse creatures.

@Acadian: Indeed, if this were a story about her, it would get pretty hard to maintain that speech pattern. I do like to imbibe my side characters with mountains of personality, but keep it rather subdued for the main characters. This way, I can demonstrate the protagonist's personality over a longer stretch of time, instead of right off the bat as I do with supporting cast.
I took your suggestion, as I try to maintain a broad vocabulary across chapters.

@all: If any are wondering, this is how I envisioned Equine's avatar. It was rather hastily taken, so please excuse him being shadowed, but you get the idea.

next: A climax in retrospect...

Chapter 4-6: …It Always Heals Stronger

Exhausted, out of breath, and shivering head to foot, we slid through the capacious stone archway. As we entered, the last blood-tinted rays of sunlight disappeared through what few holes in the dense canopy they could be seen. The forest was now plunged into a darkness so complete you would struggle to see your hand before your face. Not even the crickets sang to the white-speckled sky within these woods.

“What a day, don’t you think?” I asked, directing my eyes to the Dunmer who was now lighting a torch for us to see by. She had sunk to her knees again, though this time out of sheer exhaustion rather than frustration.

“I know,” she replied, returning to her feet. The small flame she had conjured to her hand had once again done its job, and the ruined tower was now bathed in flickering orange light. “Giants…. Of all the places in Tamriel… giants here? Wouldn’t they have a hard enough time with that mess of a canopy?”




----




“We turn southeast at this clearing and keep in that direction until we reach a large tower,” I told Faith in response to her question, removing my map. Faith mirrored my motion, only she held a compass in her hand when she finished.

“That way,” she said, pointing towards the nondescript wall of trees present on all sides.

“Handy you have that,” I remarked, folding the map and returning it to my rucksack, “this place looks like it would be ridiculously easy to lose yourself in.”

“And it is,” Faith added, “almost everyone who ventures here never finds his way out again. You’re going about the mages guild right?” She then asked.

“Yes, why?”

“You might want to ask about getting that map enchanted,” Faith replied. “They have some useful navigation spells they could place on that thing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I told Faith truthfully. “Shall we get moving?”

“Yeh… wait, what’s that?” Faith stopped short of her initial reply with a question I was beginning to dread. The now very familiar sound of thundering footfalls were thudding in our direction. However, this time it was coupled with a new rumbling… voices, maybe? Strange, I didn’t know trolls could speak.

Before we could get our bearings and retreat to the shelter of the yews, we noticed two of the trees before us ominously bending apart, as if something were pushing them aside. After several seconds, something did indeed push them aside, leaving several roots hanging limply in the air in his wake. It could only be described as the largest man I’d ever seen, easily dwarfing three Nords stacked on each other’s shoulders. But there was something not quite human about him. His skin was tinged green and his hair and beard looked like he had giant tufts of moss growing from his head.




----




“I really do hope there aren’t more out there, they could probably crash through these walls easily.” I added. From what I could make out from the light of Faith’s torch, this place had definitely seen better days. The walls were of the same yellowing stone I had seen at the ruins of Fort Nikel. The gray mortar was crumbling away in so many places it was a wonder to me this place was still standing. Further investigation revealed a flight of stairs nearby.

“Hey,” I caught Faith’s attention, “over there. We should probably get to high ground, might be safer.”

“Good idea,” Faith agreed, steering her feet for the crumbling, but still usable steps. Up one flight, then another, and we reached the second floor of the tower. It was similar to the first, but not alike. For one, the floor was not of soil and grass, but of stone and gravel. By the torchlight, I could see a portion of floor to our right had fallen away, and had long since been reclaimed by nature. Opposite the stairwell, there was a small alcove containing stacked crates and barrels.

“We could set up in there,” I told Faith, pointing toward the alcove. “Perhaps use some of that wood for a proper fire.”

“You don’t think someone lives here, do you?” Faith inquired, eying the alcove with hesitation. “I don’t think he would be too happy if he found his pantry destroyed.”

“I don’t think so, I didn’t see an entrance other than the one we used,” I replied. “Besides, who would want to live in this crumbling hulk?”

“I’ve known a few mages to,” Faith revealed, “but I actually think you’re right, this place looks pretty abandoned. Let’s check the contents of those crates just to be sure.”

We made our way to the small, cluttered room and proceeded to try the lid of one of the crates. It came off without a fuss, and was completely empty. The two barrels I then checked shared the contents of the crate.

“Huh,” Faith suddenly voiced, a perplexing tone reaching my ears. “Look at this.”

She tipped a small sack on its side, and out rolled a collection of fruits and cheeses. The strange thing was, they were completely unspoiled, albeit quite dusty.




----




“Blue mushrooms… Urg want blue mushrooms,” he pandered, completely oblivious to the fact he wasn’t alone. He was too busy staring at the ground. I then looked down, and noticed the large tuft of blue mushrooms right beside my feet. I gave Faith an alarmed look, one which she returned. We both began shifting as quietly as we could away from the mushrooms.

“Soft, round, fleshy mushrooms… Urg like. Make Urg feel warm inside.”

*SNAP*

I closed my eyes in frustration; I had trodden on a stick. The giant who called himself Urg then snapped his gaze our way. We froze…

“Humans? Urg like humans…”

His eyes then shifted to Faith, and then bulged out of his skull.

“Human! With soft, fleshy mushrooms! Urg like! Make Urg feel warm inside! Urg want to eat! Urg Hungry!”

“MOVE!” Faith cried out to me, making a beeline for the forest. As she dashed away, I couldn’t help but notice the purple flush building in her cheeks….



----




After cutting into the fruit to ensure there was no rot inside, they became our dinner. Faith had also discovered a small chest, which contained the last vestiges of pillaged wealth within its iron bands. The grand total was two Septims and a small gemstone for each of us. We now sat in the warm embrace of a small fire constructed from wood fragments from the various abandoned barrels. We were watching the identically glowing silhouette of Masser pass across the gaping hole atop the tower; the first sight of a moon in days.

“I love the moonlight,” Faith commented airily, her eyes fixed on the orange sphere.

“Shadowborn through and through,” I replied, taking my eyes away from the starburst sky.

“You remembered?” Faith then asked, bringing her eyes to meet mine. “I’m surprised, most try to forget people like me. They always dismiss my sign as ‘Criminal’ and ‘the Lowlife Sign’. They seem to think that being Shadowborn makes you a thief or a night-stalker.”

“Shame they can’t see anything but the surface of the sea,” I mused. “I did used to think you were the latter, but, that was before we met Sibylla.”

Faith’s faintly touched expression then became fixed and rigid. I knew she hated the woman, but this was a point I felt I had to make.

“She showed me my guide, and you know what he told me?”

“What?” Faith asked, slightly more aggressively than I would have like, but understandably so.

“That you were neither thief nor night-stalker.” I answered, causing Faith’s expression to clear slightly, though it still remained rather hard.

“Really?” She pressed, “And so he, by what you said at least, just tried to kill me for fun?”

“He didn’t try to kill you, he was just a bit annoyed you brushed him off so rudely.” I replied, watching the last vestiges of hardness slide from Faith’s ashen features.



----




“By the Gods,” Faith voiced breathlessly behind me. We had hit rock bottom, quite literally. We were surrounded by cliff faces on all sides, with the looming figure of the giant closing. Our frantic path had taken us into one of the many confused gorges throughout the woods, but we had to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Now we were trapped, and about to be crushed by the half a tree the giant was wielding.

The telltale swish of an arrow swung my gaze backward. Faith had her bow in hand and was nocking another arrow when a loud roar sounded. She had hit the giant in the leg, but even with the arrow buried halfway in, he did not seem anything if not simply angered by her attack. With another bellow, he swung his tree-turned-club high into the air, ready to crush both of us under his mighty blow.

“Beluam Placet!”

At my words, a surge of bright green light left my fingertips and encircled the monstrous humanoid. Struck dumb, he blinked stupidly around the canyon, then slowly lowered his club and yawned widely.

Another swish later, and he was on the ground, another arrow penetrating his skull through his mouth.

“That,” came Faith’s quiet voice, and I turned around to see her on her knees, shivering as though she had been teleported to Skyrim, “was close.”

I remained silent. I was too caught up in what had just happened. I don’t know how, but I had apparently calmed the giant. I don’t know what made me think of doing it, the spell just came to me of its own volition. I didn’t even know what kind of spell it was. I knew it was from the school of Illusion be the green light, but I had only ever used such magic to light my way home when it got too dark to see.

“Lucky you think so fast,” Faith continued, gingerly making her way to the enormous corpse. “If you had given him one more second, that would have been the end for us.”

“Yeah… sure.” I replied slowly, still bemusedly staring at my hands. As Faith got to work retrieving her arrows, I couldn’t help but wonder if a certain spirit might have had a hand in it.



----




“Never knew giants could be so rich, though.” I said, examining the contents of a large bag I had removed from my rucksack. Money, gemstones, and a faintly glowing ring had made it inside. I wasn’t sure what it did, but I could always get it appraised when I arrived in Bravil. This wealth was along with an object wrapped in a damp, red cloth that I knew to be the heart. Again, I was unsure of the value, but Faith had said it would fetch a shiny Septim from an alchemist.

“You’d be surprised,” Faith replied, “They love shiny objects. By the way, how did you think of that calming spell?” She then asked. I silently groaned inside, this was one question I didn’t have the answer to. I did finally figure out what kind of magic I used, though, so that was a plus.

“I honestly don’t know,” I explained, trying desperately to keep my gaze fixed on her as I spoke. “It just… came to me. I never even thought I knew how to calm a creature until today.”

“Well, you do have your Beast Tongue. Maybe it manifested from that?” Faith mused. “Are you sure you didn’t use your racial power?”

“I’m sure, the day hadn’t passed fully at the time. I can only use it once a day like anyone else.” I replied. “Besides, I didn’t actually voice the power when we met Teddy, I just cast it as a panic reaction.”

“Oh, really?” Faith asked, unconvinced with my argument. “You’d be surprised what you can do when instinct catches you right. It’s no tall tale that Man and Mer are capable of extraordinary feats when their lives are at risk.”

“So you think that my racial powers found a different way to manifest?” I asked her back.

“You have a soothing aura about you,” Faith answered. “You can bring peace even to the most aggressive of beasts around. Your Tongue is just one of the means for you to deliver. Dare I say it, but you give yourself far too little credit. We wouldn’t have made it past Teddy if it weren’t for you being there. Panic reaction or not, you knew exactly what to do.”

Her answer surprised me and warmed my heart. She had done a very good job of hiding the gratitude which she was now making known.

“I’m sure the Bravil mages can sort that out for you, so let’s concentrate on getting out of here before we keep speculating,” Faith then finished, burying herself in her bedroll.

“Do you think we will? We nearly died today.”

“Just trust in yourself, Dere,” Faith responded woozily. “That’s all we need now. So long as you do, I don’t think we’ll find a way out, I know we will.”

With that, I entered my own bedroll feeling as if the flames crackling beside me had flooded my body. Perhaps this hardened forester asleep beside really was warming up to me?

______________________________________________________________

Post Script: Derelas shouted in Latin. I will explain why later, but this is part of how I envision spellcasting in the game. Literally translated it means "Beast be calm!"

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Mar 4 2011, 07:18 PM

[mALX]

My PC blackscreened this morning with nothing open but the Email. Now it keeps blue-screening, so I am on and off of here. I'm doing a system restore and see if that helps (by the way, I noticed you had that as an icon on your desktop !!! What a great idea for any Hewlett-Packard junky pieces of crap owners out there - like me. )

Anyway, I don't want to read your chapter in spurts while I am cursing my PC, but as soon as I get it stabilized I'll be over and read - great chapter lead-in, lol.

[haute ecole rider]

It gets more and more interesting.

I had to laugh at Urg's dialogue. The only thing missing was "Fee Fie Fo Fum . . .!"

And the relationship between Derelas and Faith progresses. It's actually okay by me if they don't grow into a romantic pair. I get quite tired of seeing every male-female pair (where both are straight) become a romantic pair in fiction. It's possible IRL for a man and a woman (both straight) to have a good, friendly relationship without throwing - umm - benefits into the mix. In some relationships, benefits tend to screw up a good friendship, anyway!

Okey dokey, I'm getting off my soapbox here. Back to your story. Latin works as the language of magic, and if you're happy with it, that's great. There's plenty of other little-known languages that can be useful for incantations, as well.

The interspersing of the past and present is well done and well paced here as well. It had a natural flow and rhythm that kept it from being too jarring. Good job!

[SubRosa]

A very interesting way to tell the episode, going back and forth from the giant to the ruin. But it paid off, as you kept the excitement going throughout the piece with every flash back to the giant.

“Human! With soft, fleshy mushrooms! Urg like! Make Urg feel warm inside! Urg want to eat! Urg Hungry!”
Mmmmm, humans... Too bad there are only elves around!

Struck dumb,
Somehow I don't think that was very difficult to do, given the subject...

Your Tongue is just one of the means for you to deliver.
Can't wait to see what Foxy will make of that line...



nits:
Exhausted, out of breath, and shivering head to foot, we slid through the capacious stone archway as the last blood-tinted rays of sunlight disappeared through what few holes in the dense canopy they could be seen.
This is one really long sentence. You might consider breaking it up into two.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 2 2011, 11:33 PM

[mALX]

TK, I'm coming back tomorrow to read - too tense tonight after the crashing of the PC all day - and just now my pup got her conehead collar stuck between her upper and lower jaw, then came inside after I took it off and bit a cord that was plugged in. I don't think I could absorb anything tonight but a tylenol. TOO STRESSED !!!

[mALX]

@rider: Seeing what mALX and 'Rosa were up to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A



*

[Acadian]

Urg! Find giant. Run from giant. Immobilize giant. Shoot giant in mouth. Giant fall down. Works for me!

Derelas and Faith are working well together, and neither one peed their greaves it seems. I'm glad to see the Dunmer beginning to appreciate the Bosmer.

[mALX]

Lucky thing for Dere he wasn't traveling with Sigrid when he ran across Urg !! - Talk about mushrooms! lol.



One of the things the email copy of your chapter did was remove the font changes - without the italics in place I was struggling to understand the order - thankfully, coming here and reading it fixed that, lol.

In spite of the flight and fight with the giant Urg, this chapter had a relaxing feel, the conversations between Faith and Dere were quiet; coming to learn and accept the things about each other that are different - the kind of conversations that are easily pictured between two people traveling through the wilderness and sleeping out in the open air .. quiet ones. (with the exception of Faith's ever present quick temper)

Great chapter, you have a knack for setting moods in your chapters !!

This post has been edited by mALX: Mar 3 2011, 06:17 AM

[Grits]

I then looked down, and noticed the large tuft of blue mushrooms right beside my feet. I gave Faith an alarmed look, one which she returned. We both began shifting as quietly as we could away from the mushrooms.

Oh my gosh, this was perfect! Those mushrooms with the magicka, what a great idea that everyone should like to eat them!

“She showed me my sign, and you know what he told me?”

Um. Did she show him his guide? I could just be reading this wrong.

I love the atmosphere you give each setting. Creepy forest, cave, or fire lit ruin, each one has its own feeling.

[Thomas Kaira]

@rider: I'm still debating having a romance going here, but I am in favor of one not happening. I'm going to be following the developments of this tale and the characters, as well as the interpretations of the readers here, to make the final decision. I'm glad you do wish to see something happen between them, but it probably won't be in that way.

@SubRosa: This chapter was used as a base for experimenting with writing in two separate time-frames and telling those stories at the same time. My cues tend to be based on the length of the passages as well as giving verbal cues through the writing. I'm glad it worked for you.
Nit be picked.

@Acadian: I reserve the man (or mer)-made puddle for when someone gets a good shock. For example, if it were at night and the giant snuck up on our twosome going "ooglie booglie booglie!", THEN we might see some urination. That, or someone is becoming fairly certain that his life is about to end. Those two hadn't QUITE reached that point yet, as they could still fight back. I will say they were close, though.

@mALX: If I might make a suggestion on how you could fix your computer: C-4. It's stable, reliable, and capable of cleaning up any mess anyone might have made! Just what the doctor ordered! (Side effects may include craters, burns, irate husbands, and cat-scratch fever.) Thank you for your kind words.

@Grits: Dere's birthsign and spirit guide are one and the same. But, I do see your point, considering he was already aware of his birthsign at the time, so I'll be editing that. Thank you for your thoughts!

@all: I am referencing an actual chess opening move set in this story: The Two Knights Defense. It just fit the idea so well that I had to run with it. We also have the identities of our villains revealed... a bit.

next: Our foray into the forest of death has finally come to an end. It is time we learned a little more about what is going on here.

Chapter 4-7: Out of the Woods

The trees were thinning. Above us, the bright blue mantle of a clear sky winked down through the gently rustling leaves. The yews had shrunk, now interspersed between great oaks and haughty poplars. The suffocating canopy we had dwelled under for the past three days had been left behind, and now the forest floor breathed again.

“Look!” Faith exclaimed, prompting me to turn to look at her. Upon following her finger, it fell upon a lone horse. He stood quite still, his glinting brown eyes fixed upon the two strangers now disturbing his peaceful grazing. His dark gray mane glistened in the late afternoon light, and his steel-colored body was dappled with light gray spots. His figure ended with a long, swishing tail.

“Do you think its the same horse we startled away?” I asked.

“I think so,” Faith replied, following the progress of its tail. He seemed much calmer now then he did when we last met him. His gaze did not seem nervous, else he probably would be holding his tail starkly still. Was it curiosity?

“You know what, Faith? I think we might be close to leaving this place.” I voiced aloud.

Sure enough, as Magnus began to sink behind the rolling hills of yonder, the trees overhead finally broke. The soft crunching of our footfalls on grass and leaves had been replaced with the dull clopping of shoe on stone. We had met the road; we had made it out.

I could barely repress my shout of joy, and even Faith with her hardened demeanor could not help but smile. Approaching torchlight and the extraordinarily welcome sound of horseshoe on rock preceded the arrival of a Legion patrol. Safe at last.

“It’s getting late travelers,” the leading Decanus called out to us. “You should draw up alongside the road and rest. Best not to travel by night anymore, not with what’s happened over the past few days.”

“You mean besides Kvatch?” I asked. It suddenly came to my attention that I was woefully behind on news, having been trapped in overgrown brambles for the past three days.

“Yes, though the fall of Kvatch is most certainly a part of it.” The legionary replied, gently tugging his dark burnt-sienna horse to a halt. “We’ve been getting increasing reports from travelers… the Daedra.”

“You mean, they’re spreading?” Faith interrupted, her joyful gaze replaced with one of shock.

“We can’t be too sure right now,” the Legionary continued, “but as I’ve said, we’ve had several sightings out in the wilderness. Did you just come from the Yews?” He then added, eyeing us with an unreadable expression.

“Yes, actually,” I responded. “Don’t ask how we ended up there.”

“Well, you got here alive, so obviously Kynareth has smiled upon you,” The Legionary replied. “You would do best to stick to the roads now, Bosmer. The wilderness just isn’t safe anymore.”

“Thank you for your warning,” I said as the Legionary turned to resume patrol.

“Good night,” he bade us as he smooched to his horse to move on. I then turned to look at Faith, her eyes were troubled, and I was sure mine matched. If the Daedra could bring an entire city to its knees, what could they do to a lonely wanderer? I didn’t even want to think about how close to death several of those travelers had come.




----




“Well, here we are. Great Niben Bridge.” Faith said, embellishing our arrival with a flourish. The great stone arches of the towering structure branched their way over the glittering river beneath, its waves lopping lazily against the great pillars. To the south, the river disappeared into a lake… no, a sea. It stretched as far as the eye could see, small islands dotting the glinting azure waters; Niben Bay. I had to suppress a fierce urge to sling my shirt to the ground and dive into the clear blue sea. It felt so great to be free of the stuffy woods whose treetops now waved innocently at our retreating backs. It was almost as if they were beckoning for us to return, saying “oh, come now, it’s not that bad in here. There’s only trolls and giants and cliffs and canyons. Nothing lethal, nothing at all.” Rather ironic, considering my heritage, but I had grown amongst tall, airy trees. The yews did nothing but compress the air you breathed and restrict your movement. I do not like it when things restrict my movement.

“Once you cross the bridge, you’ll reach a small village called Vergayun on the coast. You can rest there for the night. You can then meet up with the Green Road from there, and take it straight on to Bravil. You are no more than two days away,” Faith finished explaining as I drunk in the serene freedom of nature.

“Thanks,” I replied, but I still wasn’t done. “And not just for getting me back on track. I probably would have died in those yews if it weren’t for you.”

“You fared pretty well, yourself, you know,” Faith responded, the ghost of bashfulness betrayed by her eyes. “I could say the same thing.”

“Oh, well… thanks.” I could feel my face warming slightly at her words, and it had nothing to do with the rising sun. I forced myself to look into her own eyes before I continued, “Are you coming, then, watcher?”

“No, I need to get back to the Imperial City,” Faith responded. “Besides, you can take care of yourself well enough.”

“Very well,” I returned, directing my shoes towards the great stone bridge before me. “Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime?”

“I’m sure we will soon enough,” Faith replied as she turned away. She took a few steps, but then gave pause. After some hesitation, she then doubled back.

“I almost forgot, this is for you,” She then finished, handing me a small, sealed envelope. “Hopefully it will explain a few things. Now, I really do need to go, so take care of yourself.”

“And you, too,” I called out as she shrank into the distance. I then heaved a deep sigh, and turned to seat myself on the banisters of the bridge. I had a full day to myself now, and I wanted to enjoy being freed from Mephala’s clutches as best I could. When I finally got bored of staring out into the bay, I turned my eyes to the letter Faith had given me. There was very little writing on the front, it only said “To Derelas, for your eyes only.” Hmm, a secret… my curiosity perked, I tore the envelope open and unfolded the parchment within.

Greetings, Derelas of Elder Root. We have not met in person and it is probably best things remain as such. I understand you are already acquainted with Sera Dresdan, as well. It is time you learned why she is shadowing you.

We are known as the Children of Dawn. We are an organization dedicated to the cleansing of the Walkers of Night from the lands. You may know them more commonly as vampires. Our pledge is to rid the world of this blight, and to put an end to their senseless murder. Why does this concern you, you might ask? The answer is simple.

We believe there is one Ancient who has taken an interest in you. Do not fear for your life, that is exactly why you are holding this. Sera Dresdan has been assigned to you as your Shadow. It is her job to ensure nothing happens to you.

Why are we telling you this? You must remain vigilant, as Sera Dresdan can only do so much for you. Your safety is our prerogative, and therefore your awareness is needed. Travel only by day, and do not stray from the patrols. Believe us, we do not wish for you to fall into the hands of the Ancients any more than you do.

May the Light of Dawn guide your journeys.

----




“Have you brought it?” The cloaked figure demanded of the Argonian knelt before him.

“Yes, Lord,” his hissing voice replied. He then drew a thick, heavy volume from is cloak and passed it along. “Fingers of the Mountain, as requested.”

“And no one knows of its whereabouts?” The cloaked figure demanded again, his blood-red eyes beginning to glow.

“The only one who could easily track it has been slain, and the Associate who brought it to me is none the wiser,” The Argonian replied. “He thinks he brought it into the safekeeping of the Mages Guild.”

“Good,” the red-eyed figure replied. “You have done well to bring me this Teekeus. I take it you have kept your ties with the Worm King intact?”

“Indeed, Lord,” Teekeus responded, barely able to contain the relief and glee in his hissing voice.

“What news from him?”

“He is biding his time,” Teekeus replied. “He waits for the opportune moment to strike, but his forces are ready and willing. I believe he will move alongside Dagon, try to catch the Mages off guard.”

“As they will be too busy dealing with Dagon’s assault to forsee an attack from a thought dead foe.” The cloaked figure finished. “Very well, you may leave,” He then dismissed the Argonian.

Clutching the book close to his chest, he returned to his throne. His joy was palpable, he almost thought he could feel his heart beating once again. Everything was playing out exactly as desired. Now all that was left was for Mannimarco to make his move.

“The Two Knights,” he commented staring down at the chessboard. “So, Dagon failed to kill the last heir.”

“And Akatosh’s Champion now brings him to safety,” a woman’s voice reverberated throughout the chamber. Her bronze skin clashed vividly with her stark white gown, which was painted a vivid red by the glowing orbs above. Her midnight-black hair was drawn back into an elaborate plume, adding to her already substantial height. She was seated at the opposite end of the chessboard, eying the white pieces with deep blue eyes and anticipating the next move. As she spoke, her dagger-sharp fangs gleamed.

“But will he find solace? That is the question,” the man replied. As he did, he moved his bishop forward into the empty field of squares, ready for battle.

“Dagon has already dispatched his servants,” The lady in white replied. “He may have lost the last Septim, but he is not unintelligent. Where one is gained, another is lost. Weynon will be his in but a fortnight.”


This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Mar 4 2011, 09:41 PM

[haute ecole rider]

And so the mystery deepens!

Child of Dawn, huh? Why does that make me think of Buffy the Blond Bosmer Bowgirl from Bravil? Hmmm . . .

It felt so great to be free of the stuffy woods who’s treetops now waved innocently at our retreating backs.

Should be whose. Who's is like it's - it refers to the contraction of who is.

The yews did nothing but compress the air your breathed and restrict your movement.

I think the 'r' snuck in while Derelas was trying to escape the yews. Time to kick it back to where it came from!

[ghastley]

His gaze did not seem nervous, else he probably would be holding his tail stark still.

-
did you mean stock still?

and

his dark burnt-sierra horse

was probably intended to be burnt-sienna - the color, not the moderator.

Is it just coincidence that Dawn is the opposite of Twilight?

[Thomas Kaira]

No, I most definitely meant stark(ly) still. From the ever-handy dictionary:

stark
   /stɑrk/ [stahrk], -er, -est, adverb – adjective
1. sheer, utter, downright, or complete: stark madness.
2. harsh, grim, or desolate, as a view, place, etc.: a stark landscape.
3. extremely simple or severe: a stark interior.
4. bluntly or sternly plain; not softened or glamorized: the stark reality of the schedule's deadline.
5. stiff or rigid in substance, muscles, etc.
6. rigid in death.
7. Archaic . strong; powerful; massive or robust.

It's the same usage as in the spell Stark Reality.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Mar 4 2011, 10:24 PM

[mALX]

“The only one who could easily track it has been slain, and the Associate who brought it to me is none the wiser,” The Argonian replied. “He thinks he brought it into the safekeeping of the Mages Guild.”

“Good,” the red-eyed figure replied. “You have done well to bring me this Teekeus. I take it you have kept your ties with the Worm King intact?”

“Indeed, Lord,” Teekeus responded, barely able to contain the relief and glee in his hissing voice.

WOOOOOOOOOOOT !!!!!! You just knocked me out of my chair !!!!! WOO HOO !!!! Now that's what I'm talking about !!!!!!