The Tale of Sudhendra Vahl: City of Light, City of Magic Options

[Burnt Sierra]

[quote=OverrideB1]
“Ha-ha-ha-ha,” Gaenor howled with laughter as the fireball made a totally improbable 180-degree turn and hurled back towards me. With a curse I rolled away from the impact point, scrambling to avoid the hungrily licking flames that splashed across the granite path. “Told you I was one lucky son of a Guar, didn’t I?” he spluttered.
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Ooh, get him Sudhendra. Though I have to admit I did laugh, not I hasten to add at her misfortune, but at the image my mind created of a fireball doing a U turn. This story always has a nice combination of action and humour, and this looks like it could be an epic battle, so I'm looking forward to how it pans out. :lickinglips2:

[OverrideB1]

I had actually made it back to my pack, unnoticed by the raving Wood Elf, and unhooked both of the small crossbows before the words of Asciene Rane came back to me ~ “…Almalexia doesn’t allow levitation inside the citadel’s limits…” That meant I’d have to load them down on the ground, and that increased the chances that the Wood Elf would…

“I SEE YOU!” Gaenor roared with delight, setting off at a run from his spot by the Temple ~ heading straight for me. Damn’, so intent had I been on reaching my pack and… Wait, the cloaking spell was still in place, making me blend perfectly into the background. And, since I was in contact with both the crossbows and my pack, the effect extended to them as well. Calling down a curse on the usual Vahl luck and adding a few choice comments about dammed lucky Bosmeri too, I dropped the bows and ran.

I was running out of options. I’d managed to elude Gaenor by stepping into the shadow of the Temple and running along its wall until I was out of his line of sight. Given his cursed luck enhancement, it was only a matter of time before he acquired me as a target again. Every offensive spell I knew was useless ~ any I fired off at him would just be reflected back. Likewise, a weapon is of no use if you can’t hit your opponent with it.

I did, however, have a plan ~ not a good one admittedly, but a plan nonetheless. Flexing my fingers, I crept up behind the High Ordinator and concentrated on the glove that Aryon had given me. The guard stiffened and I felt my mind settle over his, establishing control. It was hard, very hard ~ right at the limits of what I was capable of. As Gaenor raced around the edge of the Temple ~ gleefully announcing that he could see me ~ I turned the High Ordinator to face him.

Gaenor wasn’t expecting the heavy ebony scimitar that crashed against the breastplate of his armour, the blow knocking him off balance. Instinctively, he lashed out with his own sword and caught the High Ordinator a stinging blow. The shock of it was enough to dislodge me from my precarious grip on the Mer’s mind but that didn’t matter at this point.

“You dare attack me!” the High Ordinator screamed in fury. Glowing filaments of fire appeared between the guard’s fingers and he grabbed Gaenor, allowing the spell to discharge. Both screamed in agony, Gaenor catching at least some of the spell while the majority of it washed back to its source. Disengaging, the guard fell on Gaenor in a frenzy, pounding down blow after blow on the Wood Elf. Of course, most of them missed completely but, such was the Ordinator’s rage, those that got through were enough to stagger the Bosmer.

Nor was I being particularly idle: I was busy renewing the Shadow-Weave spell from the ring in preparation for the second phase of my cunning plan. As the High Ordinator and Gaenor traded hammer-blows, I had the Adamantium dagger in hand and was sneaking up behind the Wood Elf. The outcome of the fight was pretty much as I expected it would be ~ with the enhanced luck he was having each of Gaenor’s blows landed perfectly while the poor guard struggled to make a blow in ten connect. “Ah-ha!” the Bosmer shouted triumphantly, “I am invincible!”

This proud boast was followed by a sound that can best be written as ‘Urk!” This was simply because I’d driven the blade into the back of his neck ~ right at the junction of his armour and his helm. “Dodge that,” I suggested to the writhing Wood Elf. When he’d stopped threshing, I helped myself to the now battered ebony armour, his sword, and the plain copper amulet from around his neck. Hey, a girl needs all the luck she can get. The armour weighed a ton, but I managed to stagger back to Velas Manor and dump it just inside the door. I could deal with it later.

“This is something you should read,” I suggested to Tienius Delitian, handing him a copy of ‘The Common Tongue’. He took it from me and started to read down the broadsheet ~ his face first turning an interesting shade of red, then going quite pale. With a hiss, he thrust the paper back at me.

“Most interesting,” he finally managed to grind out. “I’m sure His Majesty will be most interested in this ‘Common Tongue’. I shall not hesitate to mention your loyal service to His Majesty in this matter. There is another matter His Majesty wishes you to investigate…

“As you may have noticed, there is a little friction between State and Church.” He returned my wry smile. “Fortunately, His Majesty has heard that there is discontentment within the Temple. He would like you to find one of these malcontents and endeavour to find out what the Temple’s feelings are towards King Helseth ~ whether they will support him or if they are planning to act against him. Needless to say, you are expected to be the very soul of discretion when pursuing this matter.”

I planned to be discrete all right, so discrete that I didn’t plan on asking the question at all. Delitian wasn’t jesting when he’d intimated that there was a power-struggle going on in Mournhold. It was fairly obvious that Church and State were manoeuvring for power. And I wasn’t so certain that I wished to get involved. Helseth was involved in the Goblin Horde beneath Mournhold; he was almost certainly the person who had a Dark Brotherhood Writ issued against me; and there was no doubt in my mind that he was a mass poisoner. Which, I reflected, would make me extremely careful about anything I ate while I was here.

The Temple, on the other hand, had treated me with a degree of fairness, although I was frequently made to feel like a provincial bumpkin by the way they spoke to me. I had, however, been extremely well rewarded for dealing with Helseth’s Goblins. While defying a king may be foolish, defying a living God? That’s tantamount to committing suicide. I had nothing that could keep me here, really, and a sudden departure to Vvardenfell might be in order.

While I had been musing, I had wandered into the Great Bazaar, where a young Redguard accosted me. “You look like a traveller ma’am,” he said earnestly. “I’m sure that you often have more things to carry that you can cope with. I have here the marvels of the Third Era: trained Rats and Scribs.

“Any of them will carry a load for you. They are trained to take care of their packs and follow you wherever you go. In addition, they make an excellent meal…” I looked at the rat with the pack on its back. By my estimation it could probably carry a couple of rings and a coin or two. With a grin, I declined the fellow’s offer and continued to wander through the Bazaar towards Godsreach.

After packing up various items I thought I would need back on Vvardenfell, I made my way back to the reception area of the Royal palace and had Effie-Tai send me back to Ebonheart. From there I returned to Tel Vahl.

[size=18]Here Ends the Fifth Part of Sudhendra's Tale

[Wolfie]

Interesting way to do Gaenor in......

[OverrideB1]

[quote=LoneWolf]Interesting way to do Gaenor in......[/quote]

I figured that was better than the truth ~ tedious standing toe-to-toe and slugging it out, with me guzzling healing potions by the gallon

[Wolfie]

lol. When i fought him i didn't use any. I just smacked him across teh face repeatedly with my Daedric Katana. I only missed about twice, not including blocks.

[minque]

Ok so I hereby admit it....I commanded 3 high ordinators to follow me and when he attacked me I simply get them to do the killing for me... :embarrassed: