Agent, Ebonheart's finest Options

[jack cloudy]

Update time! A longer one.



I arrived two days later, amidst a raging storm. Shielding my face with an arm, I stumbled into the first building I came upon. I wiped the ash out of my eyes before I could view my surroundings. Two people, an Argonian and a Breton, watched me silently. Judging by their robes and the scrolls lying on a nearby table, I had found the local mage guild.
,,Ash storm. Mind if I stick around till it calms down?” I asked. The howling of the wind against the giant crabshell provided the truth behind my words.

The Breton motioned towards the table.
,,No problem at all. It isn’t the first time a blown away traveller comes by. Vvardenfell is known for Ebony, Kwama eggs and the nastiest weather in the Empire. Take a seat.”

As we sat down, the Breton poured some flin into two cups. The Argonian went back to his studies.
,,So, traveller. Where are you from? Any good rumours lately?” The Breton inquired. I took a short sip from the flin before answering.
,,Pelagiad. Nothing much, just a few cases of the flu. What about here?” I replied. The Pelagiad bit was not entirely a lie. I had passed the small town during my journey and there had indeed been a few cases of the flu.
,,I suppose you’ll hear soon enough. Strange things have been happening. They say that Morvayn’s house is overrun by monsters, though no one is willing to tell more about it. And then our Archmaster now claims that young Sarethi is a murderer. Of his best friend on top of all things! Those two were always seen around, getting into trouble. I can’t believe it.”

I kept the rest of the conversation on the idle chit-chat level. What little I’d learned about the murder was interesting. After our drink, I got to tour the hall. While interesting, there wasn’t anything for me to do here except buy a few scrolls. I knew nothing of Magicka and learning would take time, too much time. I had no doubt that I was already being searched back at Ebonheart. I would have to finish my business here as soon as possible.

The storm had ceased. I stepped outside of the hall where I took out my guide to Ald’Rhun. There was a mention of the Rat-in-the-Pot cornerclub. No place was better for getting supposedly secret information than the shadiest place in town. No place was better for getting into trouble.

In the club, I stuck to the side, keeping out of conversations and away from any drunks. The trick here was eavesdropping while enjoying a good drink, which I did.
,,Hey kid, are you interested in some merchandise?” I looked up to see a Dunmer with extremely bad breath look down on me. His eyes sat deep within their sockets, his mouth revealed rotten teeth and several disgusting boils sat on his face. His eyes were even redder than was normal for his race. I wondered what kind of disease caused this.
,,No thank you. I don’t need anything.” I said in an attempt to make him lose interest and go away. Instead, he gripped me by the shoulder. There was much more strength in his hands than I expected.

,,Come on. I tell you, it is all the rage among you Redorans. Everyone wants one. You don’t want to look like a kid without any money, do you?” He insisted.
,,If I buy something, then I’ll become the kid without any money. Now what makes you think that I’m a Redoran?” I asked him with a somewhat tense tone in my voice. Instantly, the Dunmer let go of my shoulder.
,,Oh, sorry. It’s the clothes, you see. I’m sorry for having wasted your time. Well, I must be going.” The man mumbled and shuffled away. I could barely fight back a grin as I took a scrap of paper out of my pocket.

I’d noticed how he was constantly checking his pocket. When he had been distracted by gripping my shoulder, I slipped a hand into the pocket and retrieved the little scrap of paper. I finished my drink and left the tavern before he could notice he had lost something. Outside, I took a look at my prize. His suspicious behaviour made me think that it would be more than just his Ash yam recipe.

Here is another crate of statues. These are to be placed here in Ald'ruhn. Place the statues quickly and wisely. Destroy this note. Do not disappoint me again.

Hanarai

I whistled silently. Looks like I hid the jackpot at suspicious dealings. I had the distinct feeling that something was up with those statues. If it wasn’t because they had to be placed, the strange behaviour of the seller or the fact that the previous load had been disappointing, it was the bit where my Dunmer friend was told to destroy the note. Notes were only destroyed when they had served their purpose or they contained words that shouldn’t be shown to just anyone. I suspected the latter.

A quick look at my own information revealed the existence of a female Dunmer going by the name of Hanarai Assutlanipal. I decided to pay the lady a quick visit.

I knocked politely on the door and waited for it to open.
,,Just a moment!” I heard a quick shuffling inside. Now this was suspicious. I calmed my mind as I waited. After a full ten minutes, the door finally opened. Wary eyes glared at me.
,,What do you want, Outlander?” Hanarai spat at me, emphasizing the word ‘Outlander’. I smiled as I made a little bow.
,,Oh, I ran into your associate a while ago. He was willing to sell me some most interesting merchandise but alas, his supply had run out. He told me to see you for you would certainly still have a statue.” I spoke with a quick tongue. In the meantime, I managed to sneak a quick glance into the house behind her back.

It was a bit dusty. I could see two pairs of footprints. One pair obviously belonged to Hanarai while the other belonged to something bigger, something inhuman.
,,I don’t sell to Outlanders.” She shouted before slamming the door shut in my face. I stood there, thinking if that disease both Dunmers were suffering from was contagious. Right now, I was convinced I was dealing with something big. Hanarai got extremely agitated the moment I mentioned the statue. I had no solid proof, yet my master had told me that in some cases, an Agent had to rely on instinct. My instinct was screaming to take a closer look.

I made sure no one was watching before jumping on top of a nearby cart. From there, I could reach the roof and climb up onto the chimney. I hid out of the view of any passing people.
,,I praise you, oh great lord. Soon, Ald-Rhun shall be in your grasp, a bastion from which we can purify the lands of those who deny you. Even at this moment, I have spread our agents into the Redoran council. Sarethi and Venim manor have fallen under your spell. Those who would not fall, Morvayn and that young Dunmer who always hung around Sarethi manor have been removed by your men. Have faith, for the Sixth House shall rise from the ashes.” Hanarai was apparently saying some sort of prayer inside her home.

I counted the facts down with my fingers.
One, I was dealing with some sort of fanatic rambling about a Sixth House. Two, Ald-Rhun was slowly being conquered from within through treachery and foul play. Three, Sarethi had fallen under a spell and the young Dunmer hanging around Sarethi manor was likely Varvur’s late friend. Conclusion, I had definitely hit the jackpot here. What would follow was taking action against the bad guys, or bad woman in this particular case. The only fact I forgot to take into account was the rumour about monsters invading Morvayn manor. I also forgot about the big footprints I'd seen.

The chimney was not only a good tool for eavesdropping, it was also a good entrance for when the door was locked. I dropped down, landing in the fireplace softly. Fortunately, there was no fire burning. A quick look on the upper floor revealed that Hanarai had ventured down the stairs. I followed, without a sound. The door was open and I would never forget the horror I faced beyond.

Hanarai was not alone. Her little chapel was filled by a hulking mass of flesh. Upon seeing me, it gave a loud grunt and limped up the stairs towards me. Hanarai also turned around.
,,You again! You have seen that which you shouldn’t have seen. Now die!”

Both the monster and the Dunmer woman came up to meet me. I withdrew my hands into my sleeves, pulling out two steel throwing stars. I lobbed the first at Hanarai’s knee and the second went straight for the thing’s face. The woman fell down as the star penetrated yet the creature didn’t even seem to notice the sharp bit of metal sticking into its flesh. I cursed loudly as I realized the trouble I was in.

It swung slowly at me with a massive arm. I ducked under the blow and then kicked at its leg. Pain shot up my own leg in return. This thing had some really hard skin. It swung its arm back, forcing me to jump back, up against the wall. When it brought back its arm for a third swing, I pushed off against the wall and soared up into the air. My boot came into firm contact with its face which snapped back with a satisfying crack of shattered bone. Pleased with the knowledge that nothing could survive a broken neck and a nose in the brains, I landed behind its back and moved to arrest Hanarai.

The woman had pulled herself up from the floor again and now brandished a digger gleaming with venom. ,,You will never get me! Now die!” She shouted again. I rushed forward and knocked the dagger out of her hands with my fist while my foot connected with the still healthy knee. With both knees officially ruined, she was helpless.
,,Now can’t we calm down and solve this peacefully? Hanarai Assutlanipal, You are hereby placed under arrest according to the authority granted to me by the Duke of Ebonheart. You can come along quietly or you can make me knock you out. Your choice.” I spoke with a calm but stern voice.

A shadow fell over me.
,,Aw, crap.” I muttered as I spun around and drove my fist against the tough skin of the thing. It was still alive, somehow.
,,Zombie, why did it had to be a zombie?” My train of thought never finished. Something sharp stabbed me from behind and all went black.

[canis216]

Interesting chapter... I wonder how Ro-El will get out of this mess?

[The Metal Mallet]

Ack! The dreaded cliffhanger! How I despise you and you leaving me here on the brink of hysteria!

[jack cloudy]

Consciousness slowly ebbed back to me. The first impressions I received were that of a moving floor and some serious pain in my back. I recollected my wits and kept still as I assessed my physical situation. My arms were tied behind my back, I was gagged and wounded, not good. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t too serious. If it had been, I wouldn’t be lying there thinking about it. Still, I’d better figure out something before I was disposed off, permanently.

Some more listening further revealed aspects of my problem. I was on a cart, dragged forward by a Guar. The zombie was walking along and my not so pleasant host was in control of the vehicle. I carefully opened my eyes. That was when I finally got some good news. Apparently my scrolls had been seen as too expensive to throw away. When you are in big trouble, use anything you can. That could be my motto.

I slowly shuffled closer to the stack of scrolls till I could reach it with my fingers. I snatched one of the stack and examined the ink with my fingertips. Bingo, one firestorm spell at my disposal. If I could get rid of the gag, that was. That problem would have to be solved in the simpliest way possible.

I brought myself back into a helpless looking situation, hiding the scroll underneath me. I then delivered some inventive curses which were all muffled by the gag. That was okay, I was only trying to get Hanarai’s attention. It worked, as expected.

The Dunmer looked at me as if I was mud under her shoe. She then removed the gag.
,,What’s the matter, N’Wah? Want to beg for your life?” She sneered. I simply grinned and aimed my back at the zombie.
,,Not really, I’ve just been dying to try out one of these. COME FORTH, FLAMES OF OBLIVION!”

I wasn’t in the position to observe the results directly, though the sound of the explosion and the fire lighting up the entire area gave me an idea. Simply, I liked it. As a really convenient side-effect, the oversized fireball had also burned through my ropes before smashing into the zombie. I sprang up and threw the woman off the cart. Looking around, I saw only ash where the zombie remained. Not bad for a scrap of paper with enchanted ink.

This time I systematically made sure I’d broken all of her limbs before tying her up and putting her back on the cart. I took the reins and made the Guar turn around.
,,I believe we need to discuss the finer points about taking prisoners. For one thing, make sure they don’t get any tools with which to escape or blow up the guards.” I told her smugly with the scrolls now on my lap, safely out of reach. Though it wasn’t likely for her to do anything with her body ruined like that.

,,You killed him!” Hanarai snapped at me. I frowned.
,,Technically, I didn’t kill anything. Zombies, or Bonewalkers as you call them, are already death. You can’t kill something that’s already death.” I replied. The utter hate on her face made me check if she was properly incapacitated once more.
,,That was not a zombie. It was a man, blessed by our lord with his divine powers.” She spoke with a fanatic zeal.
,,Blessing, it looked more like a curse to me. Now shut up, you can talk all you like when I drag you in front of the Redoran council on the charges of murder and undermining society.”

We arrived in the middle of the night. Needless to say, the Redoran guards were less than pleased with allowing me and my cargo inside the city. A few quick words convinced them that I was no problem and they even gave me directions to the council.

I opened the door and practically threw Hanarai inside. The Redoran council members sat before me and eyed me with more than just a little bit of suspicion.
,,What’s this? Why do you interrupt our meeting?” One of them finally spoke. I nodded at the man.
,,Miner Arobar I presume? I would like to borrow some of your time regarding an investigation I’ve conducted as ordered by Vedam Dren, Duke of Ebonheart. Mind if I hold a little interrogation with the suspect?” I answered politely. Arobar looked towards the man at the head of the table who, after a long wait, gave a short nod.
,,Just make it quick, Outlander.” The man said sternly. Again with the Outlander thing. Really, I was wondering if there was a real difference here between the bad people and the good people. If they all behaved the same, then what was I trying to do?

,,Thank you, Archmaster. You are much too kind.” I answered instead of voicing my real opinion concerning his manners. Some flattery always worked with these stuck-up people. I pulled out one of my scrolls and turned to Hanarai.
,,Hanarai Assutlanipal, you are hereby charged with the following. Murder and placing the blame of said murder on Varvur Sarethi.” The table creaked as one of the council men tensed up and stared at us with a hint of anger crossing his face. ,,The containment of an unnatural and destructive creature under your home for the purpose of causing chaos and destruction throughout Ald-Rhun. The attack on Morvayn manor with the aid of said creature. The plotting of a political overthrow of this city through treachery and deceit. The illegal spreading of decorative objects that are believed to have a negative influence of some sort. Finally, any charges that may come apparent at a later date.” The only woman on the council had burst into tears. I instantly knew she was the widow and only survivor of the attack on Morvayn manor. On the inside, I felt sorry for bringing up bad memories but I had a duty to fulfil here.

I rose the scroll in front of my face.
,,I have a simple question to ask. You will answer with the truth.” I informed the Dunmer. My eyes took in the Daedric runes written on the scroll.
,,YOUR BODY, YOUR SOUL BELONGS TO ME!” A green haze enveloped her. The words I used to invoke the scroll of commanding left a bad taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, I leaned in closer as I fired my single and most important question.
,,Are you guilty?”

We could see her battle the effects of the scroll.
,,Yeeeee……NO, I’M NOT!” The sudden outburst caught me by surprise. I was convinced I would get a confession right now. I glanced at the scroll in my hands.
,,The effect lasts only five seconds, figures.” I noted with a grim expression.

Still, she had almost confessed before breaking free from the scroll. As such, the councilmembers were now in hot debate. I couldn’t quite follow it. Both Athyn Sarethi and Brara Morvayn insisted on interrogating Hanarai further, seeing as how they were personally involved, namely Athyn’s son and Brara’s husband. Finally, they seemed to reach a decision. Or rather, the Archmaster reached a decision.
,,You have a lot to explain, Outlander. How dare you mistreat an innocent woman like that? Truly you barbarians from the Empire know nothing about the rights of the Dunmer.” Ok, that was the wrong answer.

The door was slammed open before either the Archmaster or I could go into a debate. We all watched to see who the newcomer was. The first thing I noticed was that the man was a Redguard, a bit short for a Redguard but still a Redguard. The second thing I noticed was the power of Magicka his equipment radiated, especially his Cuirass and the Claymore on his back. The third and final thing I noticed was the man’s spirit. He showed all signs of containing a power that was unlike anything found on Nirn. Who was this man really? The only beings I’d felt who showed similar spiritual power were the Daedra though this man’s spirit was much stronger than that. We all felt it, even those who were otherwise completely unconnected to Magicka.

The Redguard displayed a smug grin.
,,Sorry I’m late, there was this Cliffracer flying around your crab so I just had to chop it up.” He joked. His face then grew darker as he saw Hanarai sitting on the floor.
,,You smell like the Corprus. What did he promise you? Power, immortality? Well, what did he promise you?” He asked her. His presence was most threatening and I had to stop my hands from shaking even though I wasn’t the one who had to face his wrath. To my surprise, Hanarai merely laughed.
,,The same things he promised you, lord Nerevar. Why do you deny your lord? Why do you fight him? He will come and all that is not his, shall be destroyed. Just like the Morvayn’s, the Sarethis and all of Vvardenfell, all that denies him shall be destroyed. Even your beloved Telvanni shall not survive. So why fight, when you can join him?” She yelled at the Redguard’s face. I must’ve looked really dumb. The only Nerevar I knew was a death Dunmer in the history books.

,,If your god is even half as powerful as you all claim he is, then why does it take so long for him to take over the world? Why do you deny me? I’m going to kick your silly Dagoth Ur’s behind and everything that is his, shall get a severe headache! Now take that disgusting wreck away.” The man known as Nerevar spoke, his last words meant for the guards. To my further surprise, none of the Redorans complained.

The Archmaster looked at me. His hate for Outlanders was apparent. Behind me, Nerevar put a hand on my shoulder.
,,Don’t worry about that old drunkard. If he tries anything funny, I’ve got you covered.” He whispered in my ear. I gave a barely noticeable nod to show I’d heard him.
,,Very well, Outlander. It appears that you have found the source behind the trouble that plagues our city. A delusional source that is evidently addicted to Skooma. You may leave.” The Archmaster said.

I did but before the doors closed behind me, I could hear how the next matter of their meeting was discussed.
,,Now, you aim for the title of Hortator?” I decided that as soon I got back in Ebonheart, I would ask Leroth what a Hortator was. My hand closed upon the letter that explained the results of my investigation. I just hoped that my little escapade would be forgiven.

[The Metal Mallet]

Lucky Ro-El was captured by a Dunmer who was overconfident. Those types are good to take advantage of.

Nice update! I knew I was suspecting a cameo sooner or later

[Taillus]

Man-oh-man is Ro-El a crafty sort! I loved the update and it is true. You cannot kill what is already dead...but is sure is fun to try!

Congrats on a wonderful update Jack. Very well done!

[jack cloudy]

Hmm, debriefings seem to be ahrd to write. Nothing fun ever happens. Oh well, enjoy the update.



Once again, it took two days to travel. Two days of doing nothing but enjoying the weather. Ebonheart looked just as when I’d left it, the castle simply towering over everything else. Well, nearly everything else. Vivec’s cantons were much bigger. No one tried to stop me as I made my way to the entrance, for which I was grateful. I’d probably have a lot of explaining to do.

I’d barely set foot inside the castle when someone grabbed me by the neck.
,,There you are. What have you been doing?!” Serius growled. Ok, now I was getting nervous. An angry Serius was a bad thing.
,,Business. I’ve investigated a certain matter in Ald’rhun.” I replied as calm as I could. Serius let me go.
,,Business? I don’t think you know the meaning of the word, kid.” He sneered before walking away, leaving me to rub my sore neck.

,,Ro-El! There you are!” I looked up and saw Leroth. In the few days I’d been gone, he’d gone through a remarkable recovery. He began to drag me over towards the council chambers.
,,Why did you come back?” He whispered into my ear.
,,Trouble was brewing and someone had to deal with it. In this case, me. I suppose we’re getting a debriefing now?”

As I’d already guessed, I was brought into the Duke’s bedroom for a meeting with the man. Today, he was wearing some comfortable clothing instead of his armour. As he said, Ebony was good for intimidating people but it really itched.
,,So, Ro-El Frost. I hear you’ve conducted a private investigation?” He asked me, with a considerably warmer voice than during our first meeting. Apparently, it wasn’t only his attire that changed in a private environment.

I gave him the letter which told him everything he would like to know, and more.
,,There had been a rumour that Varvur Sarethi has been responsible for the murder on his best friend. Varvur’s father, Athyn Sarethi, is an important member of the Redoran council. The embarrassment and political leverage his enemies could gain on him through this event would cause a shift in the balance of power on the Redoran council. My investigation lead me to the one who was really responsible for this murder.”

I paused for a moment to take a deep breath. Leroth nodded me to continue.
,, Hanarai Assutlanipal, a Dunmer resident of Ald’rhun, has instead influenced Varvur through the means of a curse similar to the Command Humanoid spell. This spell was bound to a peculiar kind of red statue which she and her accomplice spread through Ald’rhun. Both have been sentenced to execution. Now, Hanarai apparently also kept a shrine in her house dedicated to the so called Sixth House, whatever that means. I couldn’t find out much about this Sixth House, except that its influence spreads throughout Vvardenfell. It also has the use of Bonewalker-like creatures. I’d like to investigate this Sixth house further.”

The Debriefing took the better part of three hours. After the Duke had finally heard enough, Leroth and I were dismissed. We then went over to my room where we sat down to discuss a few things regarding my training. Basically, Leroth thought I was ready for the simple jobs. If Ald’rhun was supposed to be simple, then what were the hard jobs? I pushed that thought to an empty corner of my mind. I had other things to think about.
,,Leroth, what is an Hortator?”

Leroth looked at me with that funny expression he always wore when he was surprised.
,,Hortator? Well, a Hortator is a warleader of sorts, a general. He leads the houses in war. The Hortator is the only authority, not counting King Helseth or the Tribunal, who may command the houses. Frankly, with all that political scheming, all the Hortators have died within a week. The only one who lasted longer was Nerevar Indoril himself, the Tiber Septim in Dunmer culture. Why do you want to know?” He explained.
,,I met a Redguard there. At least, he looked like a Redguard. His spirit was something completely different. Heck, I’m not even sure if he was even mortal. He wanted to be given the title of Hortator.” I fell silent as I remembered something Hanarai had said.
,,Hold on, that Dunmer, Hanarai Assutlanipal, she called him lord Nerevar. So the first Nerevar was a Hortator, now there’s a Redguard with an unique spirit who is called Nerevar. What’s going on here? I’m so confused.” I muttered and shook my head.

Leroth sighed.
,,Understandably. I believe I know the man you are speaking of. Luper Alkad, the Redguard. He’s quite an interesting person, I might say. Released from an Imperial prison and then brought into the Emperor’s private spy organization, the Blades. He has been part of the mage guild but was expelled after some unknown mistake he made. After that, he joined House Telvanni and has since risen at an unbelievable pace. In fact, he now holds the rank of Arch-magister. Finally, there are rumours of him being called Nerevarine. Nerevar reborn. Quite an interesting man, quite a dangerous man. Stay away from him, Ro-El. We are not in the position to take action. We lack both the information and the manpower. Telvanni are not to be taken lightly, especially a Telvanni of a non-magical race who has taken the highest rank in just a few months.” He told me with that serious tone he’d used when warning me of the dangers involved with my profession.
,,You look tired, go get some sleep.” With those words, the Bosmer left.

I lied down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Nerevar reborn, Hortator, the Sixth House. How where they all connected? And just what was this Luper Alkad? A Redguard, a reincarnated Chimer hero? Or something else? With every answer I found, two more questions seemed to appear.

[Taillus]

Wow! What an amazing update. I have to say I didn't think this story would involve Luper at all but lo-and-behold his name is mentioned. When I read those last few paragraphs I got goosebumps. Great work as always my friend. Keep it up and keep us wanting more!!

This post has been edited by Taillus: Nov 27 2006, 11:01 PM

[The Metal Mallet]

Looks like Ro-El didn't have too rough of a homecoming of sorts. But now it seems the situation is thickening.... It'll be interesting to see where this story goes next. I can't wait!

[jack cloudy]

No update yet, sorry. I just wanted to say that with the exception of one, all my fanfics include Luper at one point or another. Only this time, he's degraded to a background character. I'm not trying to retell Oasis here, even though it takes place in the same timeperiod.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Nov 27 2006, 11:06 PM

[Taillus]

Mmm It would be a shame to not have Luper in the story at all. I am going to be crushed when I finally retire Taillus. It was just refreshing to see Luper's name mentioned seeing that he himself is not yet retired.

[Black Hand]

Nice update there Jack! I liked the de-breifing with the Duke too, stood out for some reason.....

[Kiln]

Even hearing of Luper as a background character still gave me a strange feeling, made me think of Oasis and how good it was as well. Great work on this part mate and I'll be waiting4updates.

[jack cloudy]

Did anyone ask for an update? As for this one, I needed to add something silly. This just came up when I overheard a conversation between the guys sitting behind me in class.





Two men stood on a balcony at the very top of the tall tower, looking down on the land below. The sun shone brightly in the clear sky.
,,I haven’t seen you since the formation of the council. I won’t say that I disapprove of you coming here yet I still need to ask. Why did you come?” The shortest of the two spoke. His pale skin and pitch-black beard provided a sharp contrast with the golden hue of his friend. The golden-skinned man gave a simple smile.
,,The weather is nice today. You should get outside more often, my friend.” He said, evading the question.”

The pale man howled with laughter.
,,That won’t happen soon, I’m afraid. Never forget that we are in the end, opposites. The sun and the grasslands belong to you, yet the shadows cast by the fire of the forge belong to me. No, I don’t think this will change too soon. Now, why did you come?” He repeated.
,,Not now. After the sun has fallen into the sea, my friend. Then, I shall tell you why I’ve come.”

I munched on my bread without a care in the world. The bed had done its work as usual and I felt like I could run from one end of the island to the other. I also had a nice dream. So all in all, nothing was wrong. Sure, things might go bad at any moment but it’s not healthy to worry about it al the time. Since it was my day off, I decided to make the most of it. I went fishing.

I knew a really nice fishing spot, just behind the castle. There were always fish around, though none of the large and hungry Slaughterfish which was good. Fish that saw you as food weren’t very appetizing. As I approached my spot, I heard voices. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who knew about this place.

,,I really don’t see your point in this. It will be fine, I tell you.” I recognized the voice as belonging to Leroth. Was he explaining the art of fishing?
,,Fine? You always say it will be fine. Just look at you, you nearly lost your life to some amateur, sent the kid up against the Sixth House and yet still you insist on things being fine?!” Only one man had that gruff tone. Serius.
,,But he succeeded, didn’t he? I’m telling you, the kid is ready. Dren won’t even notice till it’s too late. When he notices, we’ll be ready to tie him up and deal with his friends.” I swallowed back a curse.

Was Leroth planning on betraying the Duke? It sounded like that. Now that was something I did not need to hear. After all, I knew that there were no real rules in our shadowy trade. Yet, I had always held the principle of loyalty as the only thing separating us from the backstabbing murders, bandits and thieves we fought against. Now, it seemed as if Leroth had abandoned his loyalty. What was I supposed to do now? Did I have to remain loyal to Leroth who was my master, or the Duke, the man I worked for?

,,Ready? Where do you think you get the right to tell if the kid is ready?” Serius argued.
,,As Ebonheart’s spymaster, I know when someone is ready or not. Trust me, the kid is ready. I’m sure there will be no problems.” Leroth persisted.
,,You said that Ephraim was ready!” Silence. Then, there was the sound of armoured boots stomping the wet mud. There was no chance for me to hide when Serius moved towards me. We spotted each other at the same time. I shivered. That conversation was something I wasn’t supposed to overhear. I would surely be punished.
,,Know your limits, kid. Just know your limits.” The Imperial grunted and passed me without another word.

Leroth followed soon. There was an awkward silence between us. We both knew what had happened, what I’d heard.
,,Ah, Ro-El. I was just going to see you. Since today was supposed to be our day off, I had a very pleasant trip planned.” He said with his usual cheery tone. Except that the cheerfulness was faked. My mind had kicked into high gear. I no longer knew if I could trust the Bosmer. If he planned to kill me or something, I had no chance against him. In the end, I was still the apprentice.
,,Sure, where to?” I answered with the same faked cheerfulness.
,,Balmora.”

Leroth didn’t plan on killing me, at least not at this time. The trip he’d planned took us to the Vivec mage guild where he bought a single teleportation to the Balmora mage guild. We vanished in a twirling cloud of Magicka and reappeared a moment later. I quickly took in my new surroundings, fighting off the disorientation that followed this kind of transportation. We were in a small office of sorts occupied by a Breton and a Khajiit who was working on a few potions behind her desk.
,,Ok, there is something I don’t understand, master Leroth.” I began.

The Bosmer watched me intently.
,,If as you claim we came here to test my talent for Magicka, then why did we pass through the Vivec hall? Being positioned in the capital, isn’t that the most likely place to do such a thing? Besides, didn’t we had this test before?” I continued. Leroth forced a smile.
,,This is where the experts are.” He claimed.
,,And since when do you care about who the expert is?”

The smile vanished.
,,Oh, alright. I give up. We are not here to conduct this test. You see, I was in the arena last night, watching the Redoran Archmaster and the Mage guild Archmage getting killed. It was there that I saw this totally hot Bosmer chick!” He sputtered. I frowned.
,,Bosmer chick?” I wasn’t so sure if I could just believe this. We’d come here for Leroth’s lovelife? I never knew he was the shy type who needed assistance at getting close to a woman. If so, he’d made a wrong choice. As he’d noted upon our first meeting, my conversation skills weren’t all that good. All I knew were some pick-up lines I learned from a drunk Nord. I wasn’t exactly the most effective matchmaker. More like matchbreaker, really.
,,Yes, she works in Balmora. She’s enchanted my heart.” I could hear the Khajiit snicker behind our backs. Leroth looked disappointed.
,,I know, Ro-El. I’m just acting stupid. Let’s just hit a teleport back to Vivec.”

I turned around.
,,What are you waiting for? We don’t have all day. I’m a busy man, you know.” I told him and grinned as I headed up the slope to the upper floor. Leroth threw his hat into the air.
,,Whoopie! That’s my boy! Know what? I’ll organize the Magicka test as a bonus.” I simply shook my head when he said that. Yes, Leroth might have become a traitor or maybe not. Whatever was the case, he was still my friend and I would treat him as such for as long as possible.

[The Metal Mallet]

Hehe, Leroth fancies a little Bosmer lass. And this idea of betraying the Duke is quite interesting, I wonder where that speculation is going to lead to...

Great update jack!

[Black Hand]

Wait you mean Galbedir? Stuck-up b......osmer.

[jack cloudy]

Hey, you can't argue about taste. Me, I wouldn't touch a Bosmer with a ten metres long pole.




We walked up the slope till Leroth stopped. He was merely staring at the door in front of us. I needed no further information. Without saying a thing, I knocked and went through. Leroth was too nervous to follow. The inhabitant of the small office was indeed a Bosmer, though I wasn’t capable of saying if she was hot or not. It takes a Bosmer to judge a Bosmer. Now how was I going to play mister love expert? As I’d said earlier, I only knew some pickup lines from a drunk Nord. That wouldn’t work.

I casually looked around the room as if I was browsing the Bosmer’s wares. Judging by all the soulgems lying around, I concluded that Leroth’s obsession happened to be an Enchantress.
,,Hey, that’s a big one. What’s in it?” I said, pointing at a large purplish stone with spiky features.
,,Yes, that is a Greater Soulgem filled with a Winged Twilight.” Bingo.
,,Really? I bet that my friend would love to see this. He works with things like that, as a hobby.” I replied smoothly. As I’d hoped, that sparked the woman’s interest. Man, I might actually not screw up here.

,,I would like to meet this friend sometime. Perhaps next time you visit?” The woman offered. Right up from that point, I knew I could not screw up anymore. Nothing gets a relationship started better than a good conversation over mutual interests.
,,Actually, he’s browsing for some potions downstairs. We’re trying to deal with a case of the flu back home. I’ll go and drag him over. Please wait for just a second.”

Leroth was still standing outside the door, not sure what to do. I grabbed him by the arm and almost literally shoved him through the door, after waiting for an appropriate amount of time to hide the fact that Leroth had been eavesdropping on us all the time.
,,Just have a nice talk and relax. I’m off to meet the steward.” I hissed into his ear before departing, leaving Leroth trapped in the Bosmer’s office. I would see the results of my matchmaking later.

,,Now, hold still…….I’ll put you into a trance.” The Dunmer steward spoke. I closed my eyes and felt my conscious self plunge into the depths of my being.

The man waited patiently as the platform lowered through the dark shaft. Next to him, the stocky old man was pacing back and forth with a lot less patience.
,,Calm down, master. A few minutes of waiting never killed anyone.” The man said to calm down his pacing friend.
,,Hah, that’s easy for you to say, Dumac! But I, I don’t know what to expect. What if a problem occurred while I was out to fetch you and this Chimer buddy of yours? This is a masterpiece of unequalled complexity. Next to this, Numidium is as sublte as a rock!” The old man claimed.
Dumac gave his Chimer buddy a knowing grin.
,,While I hate to sound as a critic, Numidium has never even done as much as move a single finger. So will this one work?” He asked the old man.

,,It is all a matter of the right powersource. Numidium is big and as such requires a lot of power. This new Centurion will be smaller and therefore require less power to move. Already, we have claimed the souls of a hundred Dremora and bound them into several massive soulgems of unequalled perfection.” He explained as the platform finally reached the end of the shaft and now lowered into a giant chamber lit by countless Dwemer lights. In the middle, the unfinished shape of a Humanoid Centurion drew all attention. The old man spread out his arms, as if encompassing the entire room in his grip.
,,I present to you, the great bane of the barbarious nordfolk and the defender of Resdayn. Pelinal!”

All three gazed upon the giant Centurion.
,,Pelinal, the Glorious Knight.” The Chimer whispered. He looked at Dumac who smiled.
,,Now Resdayn will be safe against any invasion.” The Chimer said. Dumac sighed.
,,True, but is it needed?” He wondered. Pelinal stood there at the center of attention, like a god. It was a symbol, both of hope and destruction.

I opened my eyes and stared in the steward’s.
,,What was that?” I asked bluntly. The steward whose name I did not know shook her head.
,,That which you saw can only be seen by you, it is the very core of your soul. What did you see?” She asked me in return.
,,I saw……..Pelinal.” I answered after a long silence.

The steward frowned.
,,You mean Pelinal Whitestrake? That is unusual. I’ve never met anyone who received a vision with Pelinal Whitestrake.” I shook my head upon hearing that.
,,No, just Pelinal.” Something told me, a feeling, that I shouldn’t tell her that my Pelinal came in the form of a giant Dwemeric construct. I had no idea what to make out of it myself.

[The Metal Mallet]

Hmmm that's was an interesting vision, I'm rather intriguied about why Ro-El saw such a thing. Nice matchmaking as well

Continue as soon as you can!

[jack cloudy]

Update time!




The people in my vision were no strangers to me. I’d dreamed about them before, sporadically. Ever since I came to Vvardenfell though, those dreams had come more often. What was going on with me? I kept my questions in front of me as we went through more questionable tests. Finally, after my patience had worn as thin as a spider’s thread, the steward gave me the results.
,,There is plenty of Magicka hidden inside you. So theoretically, you should have all the means necessary to becoming a mage. With the proper training.” The steward left no doubt about what she considered proper training. Training that delivered shiny coins into her pockets.

,,But? There’s something here you’re not telling me.” I pressed her to voice the thoughts she’d kept silent. The steward shot me a sharp look, realizing that she’d underestimated me for yet another ‘dumbwitted Nord’.
,,You appear to be connected somehow to something, though I have no idea what. In essence, all of your Magicka is being drawn across this connection towards the other end.”

My eyebrows rose a notch. This was new. When Leroth conducted the test himself, all he knew was that I was totally unable to cast even the simpliest spell. He found nothing about some connection. I might not be dumbwitted, but this proved to be a mystery even for me. Did it have anything to do with my vision?

I excused myself and left the building with the intent of getting a bite to eat and perhaps a single flin to drink. The Plates looked like a decent place so I crossed the street. Inside, I found your usual drunkards, guards off duty and…….a Bosmer couple having a romantic diner. I turned around and left instantly. It was best not to interrupt them. Which lead me to the obvious conclusion of having to find somewhere else to drink. A short bit of walking led me to my new drinking spot. The Council club.

The door opened before me. I had just begun to appreciate the apparent friendliness when I found out that the door had not been opened for me. Instead, a Dunmer in rather cheap clothes was shoved out by a younger Dunmer sporting a ridiculous haircut. Once outside, the two began to yell at each other.
,,I know you did it! I was there, I saw you!” The woman shrieked and was promptly rewarded by a slap in the face that sent her to kiss the street.
,,Shut up, hag! No one would ever believe a simple maid such as you! Nine-Toes killed Ralen Hlaalo, not me! Now get out!”

The maid argued a bit more about Argonians not having Dwemer axes and that the murderer had exactly the same haircut as he had. In the end though, said axe forced her to swallow her words and storm off. I shook my head before going inside myself. My desire to drink had diminished greatly. My desire for justice though had only been stimulated. I’d rather believe a hysterical maid than a brute like him.

,,Hi.” I cheerfully greeted the bandit as I took my usual glance at the room. A smith, plenty of heavy tools and of course that big axe. The violent type. He looked at me in a manner eerily similar to the way my masters in the egg mine had looked at me. As if I was a tool.
,,What do you want, scum?” He hissed.
,,Now, now. No need to get so formal with me. I’ve just been looking for the best smith in town to fix a family heirloom which I, poor me, seem to have broken.” I replied with a perfect sense for drama. While the Dunmer rolled his eyes, I quickly emptied his pockets. He noticed something though and his hand was about to enter his now empty pocket.
,,So, could you be so kind and help me out?” I interrupted him before my situation could go bad. The movement of his hand stopped just hair’s width from the pocket.

,,And what is this family heirloom you speak of?” He asked me, making it perfectly clear that I was wasting my time.
,,Your reproductive organs.” I told him with a stupid grin before snatching a hammer from the anvil and slamming it into the mentioned area. He keeled over which gave me the chance to deliver a vicious kick to the face, breaking his nose and sending him rolling down the stairs. Now my chance for a drink had been ruined for the second time. I snatched an unopened bottle of Mazte from the floor and made a quick exit.

Outside, I had a chance to examine the items I’d found. My hands produced the usual kind of junk and…a note. What was it with bad people and forgetting to get rid of their notes?

Thanelen Velas, my brother in the Camonna Thong. It has come to my ears that Ralen Hlaalo opposes my ideals. Remove him in any manner you see fit, as long as he will never breathe again. Feel free to blame one of those scaled animals for the deed.

D

And it was a good note as well. At least on this island such things were considered sufficient evidence. I walked by a guard and slipped it into his pocket, making sure he noticed but without giving him a chance to recognize me.
,,Hey! Thie……..huh, what’s in my pocket?” I was gone before he had gotten over the surprise. Five minutes later, six heavily armed Hlaalu guards barged into the council club. Another five minutes later, they came out again, dragging a heavily beaten Velas with them. One more crook behind the bars.

I sat down at the edge of the bridge spanning the river at the center of the city and enjoyed my Mazte. The note had raised another question. This wasn’t simply a random act of violence. No, someone had made a decision to assassinate sir Hlaalo without using the official authorities on assassination, the Morag Tong. Apparently, the Camonna Tong had been seen as a better tool for this crime. Why, and who was this D? I sighed heavily as a dark thought clouded my mind. D, maybe it was Duke Dren. Was this why Leroth was thinking about betrayal? Or was I wrong altogether. Was something else going on here? If so, then what?

[The Metal Mallet]

Psst! Ro-El!! There's more than one Dren! That D could be Orvas Dren!

Too bad I don't think Ro-El will hear me. Anyways, excellent update. Groin shots are funny!!!