Oasis chapter 5, The battle of Red Mountain. Options

[jack cloudy]

Alright, the final chapter.


Chapter 5: The battle of Red Mountain.

The Ordinators and Armigers were very surprised to see the army. First came the Redoran soldiers, then the Ashlanders, followed by the Hlaalu and the Telvanni with the mage guild arriving last. Various legions of the Empire arrived over the next few days. Things were so crowded inside the Ghostgate that we decided to grow a couple of Telvanni towers just to keep everyone out of the Ash storms that had been getting worse over the last few weeks.

The day before the attack, I held a meeting between the different leaders. I chose a big Yurt for the location. These Ashlanders deserved people’s respect, and this was one way to honour them. I looked at each and every one of them. We were arranged in a circle. Moving around from my right we had: Athyn Sarethi of House Redoran, followed by Crassius Curio of House Hlaalu who in turn was followed by Aryon of House Telvanni. On Aryon’s right, there was Larrius Varro of the Imperial Legion and Ranis from the Mage guild. Sitting on my left there was Sul-Matuul who had been chosen as the leader of the Ashlander tribes for the battle.

Each one of them would command their respective armies during the battle. I was the only one without a personal army. That was because I had a different task. While the armies would take on Dagoth Ur’s forces on the slopes of Red Mountain, I would infiltrate his stronghold and kill Dagoth Ur himself as well as destroying the heart of Lorhkan. It was believed that without those two, the army of Dagoths, Corprus victims and Ash monsters would cease to excist.

The meeting took several hours and was surprisingly peacefull, considering the rivalry that they all had between each other for a long time. When everything had been taken care of, I returned to my own yurt and checked my equipment before going to bed. Ebony Pauldrons, Ebony helm, Lord’s Mail, Orcish Greaves, Indoril boots, Wraithguard and my left hand gauntlet. Everything was fine. I slept surprisingly well that night. Maybe that was the reason why the Ashlanders slept in Yurts.

The next morning I was greeted by a clear sky but with an Ash storm raging over Red Mountain. I geared up and walked out to meet the army. After a few more hours, I’d received the signal that everyone was ready. Now it was time for the classic speech of the leader before the battle. Crap, I was never a good talker.

,,Alright, I’m not good at talking so I’ll keep it short. Just head inside and take out anything that Dagoth Ur sends at you. In the meantime, I’ll give the dirty scumbag a heartattack. That’s all.” I summoned my Daedric sword and checked if my Ebony Towershield was secured before turning to the Ghostfence.
,,March!”
Without a sound, a large area of the Ghostfence disappeared to allow the army to pass.

Just a few steps onto the slopes of Red Mountain and we were engulfed by the Ash storm. My eyes were practically blind, so I relied on an enchanted ring that allowed me to detect life, enchantments and other things. Dagoth Ur’s minions seemed to be able to see as if it was clear as day, so we soon had to hack our way through.

This continued for several hours and I’d lost track of where my side was. Maybe I’d gone ahead or I’d been left behind. I didn’t know and just concentrated on what I did best, hacking ugly things into pieces. Finally, I arrived at the entrance to Dagoth Ur thanks to my enchanted amulet of Guidance. The amulet was a nice piece. I just needed to envision a destination and it would create a stream of Magicka that only I could see to follow.

Unfortunately, the door was sealed with one of those spheres you found on the bigger Dwemer ruins. My amulet of Guidance led me to the crank which I pulled. The sphere slid open but closed as soon as I released the crank. I was getting nowhere like this. As if he’d planned this, Sul-Matuul came out of the storm with a Dagoth on his spear. ,,I’ll hold the crank. Go inside, friend!” He shouted. I nodded and hopped through the door while he held the crank. Dagoth Ur now had one unwanted guest.

[jack cloudy]

I took the time to get that ever annoying ash out of my eyes. The sound of the storm outside was blocked by the thick walls. The silence felt unnatural next to the roaring storm I’d been fighting in for hours. Resting would be nice but there was no time for that. Every moment that I waited, another soldier would find his end. I felt for my amulet of Shadows. With a bit of luck, I’d be able to move through the complex undetected and do my job without anyone ever knowing that I’m here.

,,Die fetcher!” I decapitated the dreamer that rushed me with his club. There went my idea of sneaking through. Suddenly, the voice of Dagoth Ur echoed through the corridor. He wanted me to go to him and join the forces of darkness so that we could rule all of Tamriel as smelly god and fallen hero. Now where did I hear something similar before?

Whatever, I pushed myself away from the wall and worked my way through the maze while hacking at everything that got in my way. As I progressed, Dagoth Ur spoke a few more times with such lovely promises as “casting down the false gods” and ”fighting the Imperial dogs of the island.” Sorry old pal, but I didn’t need any help to do that. Besides, some Impies like Caius were rather nice to have around.

In one room, I met the last of the Ash Vampires. He cracked my shield with a big swipe of his claws and I nearly fell from the blow but managed to keep my balance. I then decided to fall anyway and when the abomination tried to strike me, I impaled him on my sword. I got up and began to push him to the wall. When he began to resist, I made my sword disappear and watched him fall now that there was no blade left to push against. While he was on the ground, I drove my sword through the back of what was once the thing’s skull. I took the usual artefact that these things held and spun around when Dagoth Ur’s voice echoed through the air again. This was getting annoying, I always thought he was behind me when the damn freak did that.

Dagoth Ur complained about my stealthy approach. Now this guy should check up the meaning of the word. Stealth was about not being noticed. I had been wandering around in plain sight and hacking at everything that moved. Not exactly stealthy.

My shield was utterly ruined and I cast it aside as I took out Chrysamere. Now that I’d lost that bit of my defence, I might as well compensate with a better offence. I wandered a bit further and finally arrived in a cavern deep underneath Red Mountain. There he was, the one who had plagued me in my dreams and during the day. I was looking at Dagoth Ur.

He looked like one of the Ash Vampires, with a golden mask covering his face.
,,So you have come. I greet you. Long have I thought of what I would say when you came to me. I would offer for you to join. But, I have gained all this rightfully and I shall not allow any competitor to live. Now before we get down to business, I have questions to ask which you may answer if you like. You may ask me questions as well. Or if you don’t want that, you are the challenger and I’ll await the first blow.”

I lowered my sword. Every moment of hesitation would cause more people up at the surface to die, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. Our conversation would give me more time to judge his strengths and weaknesses. That time might prove to be that thin line between life and death.
,,Ask your questions” I answered.

,,Alright, then I shall ask my first question. Are you truly Nerevar Reborn?” Should I lie to him and say that I was? Or should I tell him the truth, that Azura had made me just to impersonate the old Elf?
,,No, I’m not. I am the Nerevarine and Hortator, but I am not the reincarnation of Nerevar Indoril. Who I am is my own affair, and I shall decide what to do and how. No god will tell me to do this because of a stupid phrophecy.” I answered.

,,So you are not Nerevar yet still you took up his role. Interesting. Now my second question. If you would defeat me, would you use the heart to become an immortal god?”
I shook my head. I had seen the power of the heart.
,,No, even if my body survived, my soul would not. And that is something I won’t allow to happen. I shall use the heart, but not for myself. The mistake of the Dwarves must never be repeated.”

Dagoth Ur seemed to think for a few moments.
,,So you have your own secret plan for the heart. Perhaps it is just your nature or perhaps you do not trust me. Now, my last question. Would you surrender the tools when I offered you to join me?”
,,No, you ruined my dreams and annoyed me with your stupid ash storms. So I think I’d prefer to put a sword through that mask of yours.” I answered.
,,I see Then ask your questions. I am waiting” The thing said before falling silent.

I was still thinking of something to ask when I noticed a small change in Dagoth Ur. He had slightly bended his limbs as if he was preparing to strike. I raised my sword and dodged out of the way just in time to avoid Dagoth Ur’s leap. While he passed, I sent the blade through his spine. Dagoth Ur vanished without a trace. So much for my right of the first blow.

I stood there for a few seconds. I refused to believe that Dagoth Ur was death. It had been too easy. In the end I turned to a door. I felt that whatever my destiny was, it would be decided beyond it. I raised my hand and focussed. The door started creaking in its hinges.

Suddenly, the door flew out of its hinges and crushed a Dreamer with its weight as it landed on the ground. I leapt through the opening and began a rapid assault of slashes and stabs at Dagoth Ur. He was still alive and had been waiting to ambush me but it was me in the end who surprised him by blasting the door out of its hinges instead of opening it. Akulakhan and the heart could be seen in the distance, but I paid no attention to them. Dagoth Ur was the strongest opponent I’d ever fought and moved with inhuman speed.

,,Fool! I am a god! You cannot defeat me! Why do you even attempt to?!” He screamed.
I didn’t answer. People who talk during a battle are just wasting breath and I needed my breath.

With complete disregard for his own life, Dagoth Ur suddenly went all out on the offensive and hit me on the head. I staggered and fell over the edge of the platform we’d been standing on, causing me to drop to the lava below. My helmet was ruined and I couldn’t see, so I ripped it off and threw it away while trying to stop my fall.

I spun around in mid-air and found Akulahkan. With a single use of my Skybolt spell, I shot up across the gap and landed in front of the heart before Dagoth Ur even knew what happened. I took out Sunder and struck the heart of Lorkhan.
,,No, stop!” Dagoth Ur shouted when he finally realized just what my plan for the heart was.

A beautifull sound was emitted by it. I dropped Sunder on the floor and switched to Keening. The first strike turned the sound into a beautifull and complex music. The second caused a slight tremble to start, the third destroyed the music and formed some random high-pitched sounds. The fourth turned it into a shrieking mess that hurt the ears.

Then, Dagoth Ur was behind me and threw me away from the heart. I landed on the other side of a bridge that crossed the big gap. A Dreamer came up from behind and I slayed him. Now Dagoth Ur stood behind me and the heart. Great.

,,Give it up. It is not too late for my mercy! Don’t you remember how I saved your life when you were being killed by a ghost? I filled your lunges with air from Red Mountain, I gave you strength and put the magic sword in your hand.” The thing that was once an Elf said. I could vaguely remember that. It was the first time I’d entered a tomb. But I had looked at death too often to be impressed. Besides, I felt no loyalty towards him, even if he saved my life.
,,Sorry pal, but I don’t do what other people say.” I answered and charged across the bridge with countless bolts of destructive magicka flying ahead of me.

Dagoth Ur didn’t even attempt to dodge and simply walked forward as the storm of fire, ice and Lightning engulfed him. I cast a spell on myself to increase my speed so that I could get closer to the heart before reaching Dagoth Ur. I saw the damage the spells inflicted and how his wounds were healed even faster than they were caused. Then, we reached each other and began the melee.

The battle felt like it took ages, but it probably was just a few minutes. I needed every single trick I knew to keep those claws away from me. Fighting an immortal enemy was not a pleasant experience. I inevitably tired and when my speed spell ended, Dagoth ur managed to penetrate my defences. I could feel his claws carving through the muscles in my side and leg. I dropped to my knee.
,,You have fought well, but you are still a mortal. Now you shall meet the end of all mortals” Dagoth Ur said as he raised his claws for the final blow.

A quick burst of Magicka sent him of his feet. Ignoring the pain that shot through my ruined leg, I jumped up in the air and threw Keening at the heart. The shock and agony of my landing knocked the air out of me.
,,So, you are defiant till your last moment. I…AAARGHH!” Keening had struck the heart with tremendous force and wedged itself in it. Now all the power of the heart was unleashed with no one to control it. Dagoth Ur screamed as if the blade of the sword had pierced his own heart.
,,Sorry, but this is the end of the line. Have a nice day.” I told him before using Telekinesis one last time to hurl Dagoth Ur into the lava.

In the meantime, huge bursts of Magicka were erupting from the heart and wrecking anything they touched, including the giant golem Dagoth Ur had been building. Akulahkan, the tools and the heart all sank into the lava below. While bursts of Magicka continued to wreak havoc on the chamber. I couldn’t walk, but I needed to get out of here. One burst of Magicka knocked a hole in the ceiling and caused a big rock to fall down and crash through the bridge. The bridge was destroyed and I fell down again. To save my life, I used Skybolt one last time to soar up to the hole in the ceiling and out of the crater of Red Mountain. I landed on top of the volcano and collapsed.

The image of Azura appeared in front of my eyes.
,,You have fulfilled the prophecies. Now you must guide my people. Take this ring as a sign that Azura is pleased with you.” She said and a small ring floated in front of me.
,,This is what I think of you and your gifts.” I said before taking the ring and hurling it into the depts of Red Mountain. I then lost consciousness.

When I awoke a few hours later, I found that I was about to die. I managed to heal my wounds but the bloodloss still made me feel weak. Despite that, I got up and began to walk down the slopes. The sky was a clear blue and free of the Ash. I also noticed that my equipment was glowing brightly with its enchantments as it had done in the cavern where I found the Moon-and-Star. So it seemed that Dagoth Ur had been the one who was draining enchantments. I never got the chance to ask him why, but I knew the answer. To get more power.

I found a couple of yurts and a group of Ashlanders near the door where I’d entered Dagoth Ur’s stronghold.
,,Nerevarine, we greet you warmly. Sul-Matuul is inside, recovering from the injuries he sustained when he held the door against the forces of the Demon.” One of them told me. I gave them my thanks and headed inside.

Sul-Matuul was lying on a bed, with countless wounds that had been treated.
,,Hello, my friend. How do you feel?” I asked.
Despite his condition, the Ashlander managed a smile.
,, I’ve held the door to prevent reinforcements from coming to the aid of their master. My body is in agony but the warm feeling of victory soothes the pain. Soon, these wounds will be nothing but scars that young men and women will look at to see the deeds behind them. I shall be honoured as a hero and the children shall dream of fighting a battle like we have. I however, shall cherish this moment of peace and dream that it will last for a long time.” He said.

,,Then I must thank you. Tell the people that I trust them to take care of Morrowind. My task is done, and now I must seek the answers to my own existence. You will find a note with my wishes in Tel Uvirith, underneath the pillow of my bed. Farewell, my friend.” I said and walked back out.

I took one last look at the people of Morrowind. Once they were all divided, but they united to defeat a common enemy. I hoped that they would remain united now that that enemy was death. I smiled, my friends would be more than capable of that feat. I turned around and walked to the west, away from the people, away from Morrowind. Now it was time for others to take my job. I was going on a long vacation.

[jack cloudy]

And an epilogue of sorts. So, what do you all think about it?



I, Aryon of house Telvanni am the one who has written this book which is in turn based on the journal of Luper Alkad, Nerevarine. I believe it is necessary to tell you of the changes that have occurred on Vvardenfell.

I found this yournal when I made a visit to Tel Uvirith in search of Luper. The door was opened by a young mage with the name Ajira who claimed to have inherited the stronghold. I went inside and met many more people, each of them related to the man in some way. It was there that I read his will and found a journal. Through the help of this journal, I have reconstructed the life of the man who was once my pawn and became my mouth, my friend, my master and eventually, my savior.

I shall now tell you of what has happened since he left. As I already said, Ajira of the mage guild has inherited the stronghold which has now been turned into a museum, a guild hall and a library. There, the mages help anyone in search of knowledge or a cure to some disease at no cost.

Felisa Ulessen has become the new councillor of Tel Branora. At first I was rather suspicious and suspected that her rank was only given through her friendship with Luper Alkad. She has since proved herself to be more than capable of her current rank and my worries have been lifted. I have also heard rumours that she plans to marry with her mouth, a young fellow who was till shortly scrubbing the decks of boats.

I, Aryon have taken my place as Arch-Magister of House Telvanni and am currently working towards strengthening our bond with the Ashlanders and the other houses.

House Hlaalu has lost most of its power since the disappearance of the Cammonna Tong who have stopped their actions after having one of their hideouts in Hla Oad wiped out. The Empire has abandoned the island which has further weakened the power of the House.

In House Redoran, Athyn Sarethi has replaced Bolvyn Venim. Venim manor has been occupied by a Dunmer named Athus Mirthri who has come over from the mainland. His high rank in House Redoran is surprising for a man with the reputation of never having picked up a weapon in his life. I shall need to meet with him before I can say anything else.

The Ashlanders have united and now enjoy good relations with House Telvanni, House Redoran and the mage guild. Sul-Matuul is the one who takes care of all our affairs with the Ashlanders. He is proud, but fiercely loyal to his people and with a great sense of honour. I am pleased to have met him.

The mage guild is now being led by the stewards and there appears to be no intention of choosing a new Arch-Mage. Though we were once on the brink of war, we now happily exchange information and services while enjoying some friendly competition.

The Fighters guild has taken a role more akin to bandits than mercenaries, and will have to be dealt with. Percius Mercius of Ald’Rhun is one of the few who has kept his hall on the right side of the law and in effect is seen like the House Redoran for those who aren’t members of the House.

With the Cammonna Tong out of the picture, the Thieves Guild has taken its place as the largest criminal organization on the island. There are also stories about a group of noble thieves who call themselves the Bal Molagmer.

Vivec has been losing power steadily since the destruction of the heart and his temple has been largely reduced in power. He still rules Vivec with his Ordinators, but people are no longer persecuted for their beliefs. I fear what will happen if Vivec becomes taken by rage over his lost power. He shall be watched closely.

The last thing I have heard of Luper Alkad was when he passed through Mournhold. After he had passed, Almalexia was death, the Dark Brotherhood had been eliminated and king Helseth was looking for new Royal Guards.

This is the end of the story you have read. Know that this wasn’t the story of a hero, but the story of an ordinary man who did what he felt he had to do.

[Tellie]

WOHOO.....*the huge audience celebrates, as jacky, is given his oscar awards....*

A exellent finush for the great tale of Oasis, I have as tyou know followed your story since the beginning, and have seen it grow better and better.

This story is about the funniest one I have read and the sheer sarcasm and sense of humour that have, have been a great asset to the story.

The sad thing is that there is no more Oasis to have , and I shall miss him.....but I'll be on the lookout for your next fan fic.

Many Tellie :cakes: to you...a dozens of Milaniuses , and take a few Jona's while you here.

A great finish to this master piece.

[Kiln]

Whoa, I just noticed this and it was an awesome way to end it. I really liked the last part that explained what happened to the character and his accomplishments after the events at red mountain. Truly a great job here man and I'm glad I kept up with your story.

[Taillus]

Unbelievable, truly unbelievable! I was clutching to this story till the very end. It was spectacular, so amazing. I am at a complete loss for words. Congrats on a superb story that is truly worthy of the main page for sure.

[treydog]

A great ending to a great story. You know, it's odd, but seeing the story end was profoundly satisfying. It was also sad, because the writing and action were intense. But so many of us (cough: cough:like me:cough:cough) don't ever seem to finish. Closure is good- particularly when you give us that excellent epilogue. I congratulate you on a grand piece of writing.