Old Habits Die Hard Part Six, some old habits never die Options

[haute ecole rider]

@ghastley: To answer your question, yes, Julian brought some repair hammers. She is busy repairing her weapons and armor off-stage in this story, so to speak. She can only do so much without time and a proper forge, though. We'll see later the price she pays for the lack of proper repair work.

@Cap'n Bam: Thanks for catching that wayward the. I have gone back and fixed it. I've already found a place for it in Miscarcand. I hope it hasn't been too difficult catching up with this story, and thanks for doing so.

Acadian: I'm glad that you are just as proud of these four Blades as I am (and as I hope Destri is!). Coming from a retired Marine that means a great deal. For them to accept her as a Blade sister means a great deal to Julian herself, as well.

@treydog: You re-read this story again?? Either you're crazy or this story is that good! That one chapter in the Imperial City with Phillida, Camillus and Ocato was intended to be a simple bridge, but turned out to be oh, so much more. I had a great deal of fun venturing off the paladin trail into Robert Ludlum territory for a little while. As for the Interview with a Vampire, I wanted to convey the mixed feelings I have every time I deal with the Count of Skingrad. How to reconcile his manner and the well-being of the city/county with his vampiric nature? That's a problem I'm still wrestling with, as well as Julian. Ever since that dig of SubRosa's about Julian rescuing cats in trees, I couldn't resist pointing that out a couple of times. Even she is aware of how that quirk of her personality appears to others. And it doesn't stop there, as we will see when she reaches Miscarcand. I'm glad you loved the glimpses of her childhood in the Mages Guild - I think it further reinforces the logic of her joining that particular Guild rather than the Fighters' Guild. And I see you caught the origin of her wandering brow!

@Olen: The reason I went to D. Foxy for the combat scenes was because I wanted each fight to reflect each individual Blade's strengths and weaknesses. This is where Destri's development of these characters came in. He and I talked about how the events in Interregnum would influence their later careers in the Blades as well as their attitudes and personalities after being frozen in the undead zone for over 400 years. I have to say that D. Foxy exceeded my expectations, and Julian's readers are totally reaping the rewards of the contributions of these two men. There will be references to their characters in Interregnum in upcoming posts, and I intend to tie Destri's story even more tightly to mine, as his vision is so close to my own it's a shame to ignore that tale. Thanks for your suggestion of PM'ing a writer for a copy of their original document. I know I can convert it into PDF format and import it into my iPad that way.

@Grits: I'm glad you enjoyed the Nordic flavor of that last fight! Destri's story really made these four guys come alive for me, beyond what Beth had so pathetically done with them. It seems that you have picked up on the strong relationship between Valdemar and Alain - I really wanted to bring that forward through the years of their undeaths.

@Sage Rose: I'm glad you recalled Valdemar's curse from Interregnum. When Destri posted that bit, it really hit home because I knew what lay ahead for these two intrepid friends. And believe me, the next two fights don't get any easier!

Two down, two more to go. That's how far Julian has progressed through Sancre Tor in her search for Tiber Septim's armor. As Rielus told her, all four of the Blades have to be freed from their curses in order to overcome the deadly magic Zurin Arctus left behind.

Once more, many thanks to Destri for letting me borrow the four greatest Blades from Interregnum, and to D. Foxy for helping me with the combat scenes and keeping them from becoming too repetitive. Now we move on to the third Guardian.

****************************

Chapter 26.6: The Third Guardian

As I made my way into the lowest level of the Hall of Judgment, I peered over the edge of the mezzanine overlooking the bottom. The undead Blade paced around a large space rimmed by two low steps that ran around the walls. He clanked onto the steps and swung his weapon with casual ease. My eyes were drawn to the glimmering blade. A faint red glow shimmered along the narrow blade. I recognized the long hilt of the dai-katana and understood the absence of the typical Blades shield.

I knelt down and took a deep breath of the dank, stale air. The damp chill seeped through the fur-lined tunic and into my muscles. I could feel the fatigue already settling into my bones. This bad air is no good, but so far I’m still fighting, still lucid. There must be ventilation somewhere. I resisted the urge to cough the moldy stench out of my lungs and took another deep breath. Three vials of refresh remained in my belt pouch. I drank one down, feeling a renewed surge of energy beat back the exhaustion that was becoming apparent.

I’ll keep Valdemar’s shield, I hefted the large round on my left arm, shifting my hold on the leather-wrapped grip. And I’ll use Daedra Slayer. I don’t know what kind of charm is on that dai-katana. I studied the skeleton a few moments longer. He’s about my height. We’ll be evenly matched, except his blade is heavier than mine. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I slipped down the stairs while his back was turned, and set my pack, my katana secured to the outside of it, at the base of the stairs. Then I straightened up and stepped forward. My booted feet sounded loud in the echoing stillness.

The blade of the dai-katana flashed in the dimness as the skeleton spun toward me and immediately attacked. I ducked back to stay clear of the slashing sword and to keep my distance from him. His skull faced me again with that imperturbable expression as the dai-katana swept back down toward my head.

I sidestepped right, bringing Valdemar’s shield up to block the strike. I tilted the enchanted shield around to deflect the dai-katana to my left, pushing off my right foot. As the undead Blade’s weapon slid off the shield boss with a clatter, I angled the metal over the blade to keep him from swinging it back up. At the same time, I lifted Daedra Slayer in an overhead arc toward his right shoulder, fire trailing after my blade.

The undead Blade slid back fast, recovering his dai-katana in time to parry my strike with a deft flick of his wrist. He stepped away, his weapon continuing its swing to his left. I lunged forward and swept Daedra Slayer in a low slash at his legs.

My breath caught in utter surprise as the skeleton leaped upward and pulled his feet well clear of my enchanted blade. His own weapon darted up into yet another overhanded strike as he retreated a full step. I barely managed to block it with Valdemar’s shield. Then he was charging forward, laying into me, smashing that dai-katana into my left side, then my right, then my left again. I yielded back, struggling to block, then parry, then block again. My teeth and knees vibrated and my muscles strained from the continuous attack.

Without thought, I slammed back into him with the shield when his weapon sparked against its brass trim again, the shrieking of the metal changing pitch ever so slightly. He staggered two paces back and dropped into a guard posture I had not seen in years. With his left shoulder presented to me, the skeleton held his two-handed sword vertically at his right shoulder, his empty eye sockets steady on mine.

Recovering my breath, I regarded him from my own crouched guard, my shield before my left leg, Daedra Slayer extended straight-armed behind me, ready to sweep around in either defense or offense. Where did I see that before? A niggling memory whispered in the back of my mind, but I ignored it, more focused on staying alive against an adversary that had the slightest edge in speed and agility on me.

I shifted my weight back onto my right foot and swept Daedra Slayer forward and upward. The undead bones swung his weapon toward me, again parrying my blade on his forte. He resisted for the slightest of instances, just enough for me to press back, then released his grip on the weapon. As I fought to recover my balance, the dai-katana spun around my blade in a full circle and the hilt smacked home in his hands again, only now it was free of mine.

Before I could disengage, he pressed forward, again slashing at me from side to side. While retreating - again - I cursed myself for being caught like that. Damn! He’s also a better tactician - I should have seen that coming!

As I backed across the wide chamber, Valdemar’s shield wrought its enchantment on the undead Blade. Every time I blocked his weapon, he would grind his teeth in frustration as magic tingled up his forearms. Yet at the same time, I could hear the change in pitch as metal clanged on metal.

I was still at a disadvantage. He was quicker than I, more agile. Though we were equally matched in height and reach, he had more upper body strength than I. I kept my knees bent, my body below his, so I could use my lower body strength against him - in accordance with the tactical plan I was developing. Each time he strikes and hits my shield, he gets weaker. Being on the defensive conserves my energy. I'll let him exhaust himself, then finish him off with a whirlwind attack. That's the plan.

Justine Case would be proud of me, I thought.

For a moment I forgot another truth as old as war: No operational plan survives contact with the enemy.

As I deflected strike after strike from that deadly dai-katana, we settled into a rhythm that was eerily familiar to me. Careful now. Don’t get lulled into a false sense of rhythm. He’s about to do something unexpected - right - about - now.

Then the skeleton did something I never thought I would see a collection of bones do. He leaped high into the air, bringing both bony feet against Valdemar’s shield. His skeletal mass drove me nearly to my knees. As I shoved him away, tilting the shield into him, he lunged over the round metal toward my throat. I barely managed to slip aside from the strike. The thin edge of his blade grated across the top of my right shoulder. Savlian’s mail flickered and crackled apart in a long gash right next to the just-healed wound from Valdemar’s weapon, sending a renewed stab of pain through my right shoulder.

In that same instant, the niggling memory clicked, shouted. Of course! He fights like a Knight of the Moon. That’s the Desert Wind style he’s using! Jelin had demonstrated how the ancient style of fighting could overwhelm a shield bearer, making a burden of something that was normally protective.

The leap onto my shield had seriously unbalanced me, and worse than that, it left me with only one option - a quick scramble back. He knew this too, which meant he didn't need to think at all about his best countermove - to follow me as closely as possible. Even as I went scrambling away, desperately trying to regain my balance and fight him off at the same time, he surged forward, switching between overhead smashes, lightning side slashes and deadly straight thrusts. Somehow I managed to block and parry them all without thinking - I was in survival mode, not even registering the pain of some strikes that got partly through. I stayed in constant motion, ducking, weaving, and blocking, all the while moving back and trying to anticipate his next strike.

Which was how he caught me.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Jul 1 2011, 07:50 PM

[Glargg]

Wow, talk about cliffhangers!

I've been reading and lurking for months. And greatly enjoying. I figured it was high time I added my voice of praise. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful work.

[Olen]

And another drastically different fight. They certainly get no easier for her, but they stay fresh and exciting to read. It also strikes me that as well as being a tour of fighting styles you're also showing how Julian has come accross them - she really is well versed and a formidable opponent

And quite the cliffhanger end to this part.

Also I'm very much enjoying how you've tied this to Destri's story, both capture exactly how I imagined the four blades to be, but with so much more depth.

[ghastley]

This is getting perilously close to "and then I died and had to reload from my last save".

[Acadian]

Another heart pounder! You've done a great job distinguishing all three fights to date. Very different opponents - all presenting formidable challenges for which Julian has had to adopt unique solutions.

Both her mind and body are working overtime with these fights! I enjoy how you are lavishing Julian's thoughts upon us amidst the thrusts, slashes and parries.

In their own way, each of the four blades we have encountered thus far (three ancients and one Redguard with white hair) clearly demonstrate their worthiness of the title they all share.

'For a moment I forgot another truth as old as war: No operational plan survives contact with the enemy.'
This gave me a chuckle, but is also quoted for truth.

[Grits]

Very exciting! The enchantment on the dai-katana is certainly troubling. I love the description of how it opened a gash in Savlian’s mail. Do Redguard skeletons still have an Adrenaline Rush? It sounds like he’s executing Julian’s plan to finish with a whirlwind of attacks.

[SubRosa]

Poor Cliff, hung again!

Again, a very expertly planned out duel with the third Blade. I spent most of the first part trying to figure out which of the last two it was. But when he leaped up, I knew it was Casnar. Who else but a Redguard would do such a thing? Although I should have guessed it sooner, when you pointed out that he and Julian were the same height. Also, once more you have turned this into a subtle crossover from Interregnum, as Julian recognizes his tactics as those of a Knight of the Moon.

[Captain Hammer]

Eh, catching up wasn't too difficult. Enjoyable, really, once I got the chance for a good read-through.

And now we see one of the deadliest swordsmen ever to walk out of the Alik'r Desert. I'm impressed how well you make the old pile of bones move like a warrior three-hundred years younger than he. I wonder if either Fortis or Jauffre are familiar with the style?

Semi-Nit:

And I'll use Daedra Slayer.

I don't know whether this is part of the internal dialogue that Julian is running through prior to engaging Blade Tertius. If not, then it's fine. If it is supposed to be inner thoughts to oneself, then you might want to try it reversed, as such:

And I’ll use Daedra Slayer. I don’t know what kind of charm is on that dai-katana.

Honestly, I have a difficult enough time myself converting to the forum's tags from my word processor. Doesn't help that I don't have a program which uses the same formatting nature of the forum for me to type my drafts in. *grumbles...*

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: Jul 1 2011, 07:37 PM

[mALX]

These chapters have inspired me to go play the game and do the Sancre Tor quest - LOVE Sancre Tor !!! Great Write!

[treydog]

This should be the last of my majpr spammage... I will be following Julian to Sancre Tor soon- and should be caught up within the week. That is a- mixed blessing....

“Like half the daedra I’ve faced in the Deadlands,” I mumbled to myself."

There is a spark of the pride we know Julian keeps hidden- or perhaps more her exasperation at rudeness.

Caminalda is wonderfully snarky throughout. And I also like the change you made to the quest based on how well-known Julian is.

“I staggered and fell to one knee, Daedra Slayer dragging my right arm down, the weight of the immense sky above pressing me into the hard cobblestones. With tremendous effort that hurt my neck I looked up in time to see her step toward me, triumph on her face as she raised her hand for the killing spell.”

A wonderful, vivid description- we can TASTE the despair and determination.

“A promise I made before I came here.” I smiled at the thought of meeting that white stallion again. Will he still like me?

Girls and horses. Shakes head.

And Clesa (with Blanco’s able assistance) is quite a horse-trader…

I cannot quote just the “good parts” of 23.11- because I would have to quote it all. One reason I read is to find perfect moments, perfectly described. The pain and the humanity in this section fit that requirement.

“I caught my breath. Blood flows in this house once again.”

Now that is an ending line!

The juxtaposition of Jared’s betrayal with the Sirens is brilliant- as is that last line.

“Why does Mother never speak of my father?”

“That is for her to tell you, Julian,” Relas did not meet my gaze, but turned back to the path and the climb to the farm. “It’s not my place to say anything about him.”

And- even as one incident from Julian’s past is revealed, you treat us to another mystery.

Again, I cannot quote from this section without highlighting all of it, so I will leave it at this. We wanted to know about Julian’s tragic past and now we do. It is a reminder to be careful of what we wish for.

"Before long, I was on my own white stallion and riding out of the courtyard. Clesa watched me go. “Don’t forget to breathe!” she called after me as we headed west, the morning sun warm on our backs."

That brought a big smile to my face- but nothing like one Julian had.

“Clesa!” Ernest growled. “Speak plainly! None of that fancy haughty echo talk!”



"Right now, I’m just trying to think about getting through the day.” Blue eyes drifted into my mind, eyes as azure as the sky. What? Why am I thinking about him now? No. Not him. I shook the thought away. Don’t think about him."

Woo-Hoo! That will start a flurry of page-turning and head-scratching!

"As Blanco passed the Dunmer, Mira heard him blow hard, and looked back to see Marche brushing equine mucus off his blue velvet doublet with distaste. “Blanco, behave,” she whispered into the horse’s ear. He only flicked an ear at her."

Loved Blanco before- even more so now. And the entire section on Blanco and Mira was just wonderful.

“I stared at him, feeling my jaw tighten. Kill him? My eyes drifted over his injuries. He’s right. I can’t give him back his legs, his mobility. Without it, he’s dependent on others. And the folks in Skingrad are not likely to treat him kindly, bandit that he is. I nodded reluctantly and rose to my feet, bringing my plain katana out of its scabbard. The Redguard lay back and closed his eyes.”

Puts me in mind of the long version of the General Sherman quote- “People will tell you that war is all glory- but it is all hell.”

Seeing Merowald (and Paint!) again is always a treat.

“Knowing that there’s people taking casualties, I can’t just sit here and rest until they’re safe,” I countered. “That was my job as pilus in the Legion, and it’s an old habit I prefer not to break right now.”

That is the Julian we know. She will see things through and makes sure the people are safe.

"I decided not to take offense and chuckled, shaking my head. “After half a lifetime in the Legion,” I remarked, “I’m looking to get out of fighting. It’s just not as easy as I hoped.”

One thing you do quite well is show that time has brought changes to Julian’s outlook. By giving her a new start on a different life, you show how well the decision to have her older than the “usual” adventurer has worked. At the same time, her “previous” life (or lives) provides a rich source of material.

“You can’t be in nine places at the same time,” Bittneld half-growled.

A wonderfully clever use of setting-specific phrasing. I admit it slipped past me the first time. Perhaps re-reading some Pratchett- with the significance of “eight,” made me more attuned…

“I let the old smile, the smile I reserved only for combat, the smile that hid my nerves, surface. Her jaw clenched at something she saw in my face.”

Pardon me as I stand on my chair and cheer for Julian. You capture the contradiction of Earana perfectly. She is so arrogant that she treats the player character like dirt- yet she expects a favor all the same. And finally, I love the way you show how the Altmer’s obsession causes her to be oblivious to all the townspeople- who REALLY do not much like her.

Bittneld’s teasing and Faric’s banter were also a lot of fun- as was watching Julian struggle a bit with the unaccustomed attention.

"My thoughts skipped back to a dark stone room and a young legionary. “I have a little experience in that area -” thanks to General Camillus. “I can offer to see what I can do.”

That darned "young legionary" keeps showing up- his young lady will probably do something about that soon enough.

“Canvassing the Castle”

Groan. Despite my enjoyment of mystery stories, I had trouble with this quest for some reason… However, you and Julian handle it quite well, and use the time to add more excellent characterization.

"You mean take one last look at the place where you lost your men. I kept silent, only nodded my understanding. In your place, I would do the same."

For example, right there.

"Chanel stared at me, her eyes huge in her small-featured face. “If you’ve ever been in love, you would know -“

I felt my face freeze at her words. That stings."

Good thing Athlain was smart enough to not make his “interview” with Julian personal. He would not have liked the outcome.

“Some mothers don’t think I make a good role model for their impressionable young daughters,” I remarked dryly as Piner handed the bridle to me. “After all, I’m a Legion pilus, likely to break into foul language at the drop of a hat, spending all my free time in taverns with other rough soldiers, and spoiling for a fight.”

I quite enjoyed that mischaracterization of the Julian we have met. While I have no doubt that might have been who she was while in the grip of drink and skooma….

The description of the hackle-raising pillar at Cloud Top is quite wonderful- as is this bit of introspection:

"The only person I would really trust with such a volume is Martin Septim. But what purpose would giving him this book serve? What would he do with it? He has to focus on recovering the Amulet, he can’t be distracted by a trifling matter as this. Or is this a trifling matter? Nothing daedric is trifling, as far as I know."

The description of Julian’s decision-making process is also welcome- she does not simply assume one course is the “right thing to do” without weighing the alternatives carefully.

Nits:

23.9- “…Hanus knelt on one knee, blood…” More of a preference than a reall issue here- might avoid two “knees” so close together (I hear Foxy sniggering in the background)- with “…Hanus was on one knee, …”

23.14 – “Within the open-sided stable, divided into stalls within, one of the white horses standing one of the rear stalls…”

In her excitement, Julian has lost an “in” between “standing” and “one”.

25.4- “Now I recognized the tall Breton. Though his ginger hair now had more salt than cayenne pepper in it, and his florid face was now more weathered,”

Three uses of “now” in a really short space. I think you could lose the second and third without harm to the meaning.

25.6- “Against the northern arc a chair, empty bottles piled up behind them,…” Should that be “…piled up behind it….”?

25.7- Her voice turned anguished. “I did out of the greatness of the love I held in my heart for him.” In her agitation, Chanel seems to have lost an “it” between “I did” and “out of.”

“I just brought a High Rock stallion in Anvil,” “Bought,” perhaps?

[haute ecole rider]

@Glargg: Welcome to Chorrol! I'm glad you finally came in from the cold. There are so many good stories here, don't be shy about posting comments or questions! And thanks for enjoying Julian's story!

@Olen: Yes, that was the big challenge in writing this chapter - how to make four consecutive fights different from each other. With D. Foxy's help, I've been able to present each one differently. This third one was actually a lot of fun to write. This little movie was my inspiration for Casnar.

@ghastley: Yes, it was close to that point! But hang in there, k?

@Acadian: Julian was glad for all the fortify potions she bought in Chorrol before leaving town! I believe she used them all up here in Sancre Tor. (in an aside) You did? Okay. (back to the forum) Yes, she did!

@Grits: As ineffective as the Adrenaline Rush is in the game, it wouldn't surprise me if Casnar didn't think to use it but instead relied on his ancient training. Ironically enough, it has been passed down to Julian through her old pilus Jelin.

@Sage Rose: I really wanted to give each Blade his own distinctive flavor that suited each one as we know them in Interregnum. The fact that you recognized Casnar by his fighting style tells me that I've succeeded. I only hope that I've inspired Destri to resume writing!

@Cap'n: I'm really glad you enjoyed catching up. I like stories that entertain, and that's the kind I try to write. The fact that you assure me you had fun tells me I've been successful. And thanks for catching the formatting error on Daedra Slayer.

@mALX: Did you have as much fun in Sancre Tor as I did writing it?

@auggie doggie: Thanks for the wonderful spammage - it's great to get a review of what works in the previous chapters. Yup, girls and horses are like boys and cars. Thanks for the nits - I'll make sure the final draft of this story has 'em all fixed before I send 'em off to you for your Kindle!

@all: Here is the second part of the fight with Casnar. Once again, credit goes to D. Foxy for his expertise and Destri Melarg for his inspiration for these four Blades.

*********************

Chapter 26.7: The Knight of the Moon

The undead Blade’s side-slash rebounded from my shield as he shifted his sword to smash another overhead strike - or so I thought. Instinctively I shifted my own weapon up for a parry, but instead of a hammering downward blow he smacked my sword with the flat of his blade, and then pushed my katana down and then, still in the same smooth move, swung it around, up in a savage twist - and spun it out of my grip. With only one hand on my sword versus his two, his heavier weapon easily sent my lighter blade flying from my hand across the dim chamber.

With no time to think things through, I took immediate action. Jelin’s hard training kicked in, and I spun the shield at the undead bones’ lower legs, releasing the grip so it flew from my arm sidewise just above the floor. The skeleton leaped upwards, his feet easily clearing the flying metal.

It gave me the break I needed to regain the advantage. I dove right, rolled along the floor, and recovered Daedra Slayer where it rested against the wall. Before the undead Blade could follow after me, I kicked off the stones and launched myself toward my pack, still near the entrance of the chamber. With Daedra Slayer in an underhanded hold, its enchanted blade held along my left forearm, I caught up my katana in the same grip with my right hand.

The skeleton charged me before I had time to reverse my hold on the weapons. Thank you Jelin, for showing me how to fight with upside-down swords. The two blades moved as extensions of my arms as I parried his blows, first a sideways slash to my left side, then a high right attack toward my bleeding right shoulder. Damn you fetcher! Aren’t you getting tired yet?

I crouched beneath the blow, deflecting it long enough to get out from under the strike. Daedra Slayer flared toward his knees. The undead Blade leaped backwards, his dai-katana rising high for an overhead chop. I crossed my weapons, both of my katanas pointing forward, and caught his blade on both of mine. I shoved upwards, pushing up with my knees, then danced to my left, letting his weapon slide away to my right.

With a swiftness undulled by centuries, he returned with another chop toward my head. I raised the katana to parry his heavier weapon, again deflecting it harmlessly to the side. At the same time, I darted Daedra Slayer toward his pelvis. Fire flared as the steel bit into his upper thighbone. I barely managed to break it loose of the bone before he was swinging at me again, his teeth clicking angrily at my hit. One hit for you, one for me. Now we’re even.

Again I parried him with the katana, again I attacked from the left side with Daedra Slayer. He barely deflected the enchanted weapon and spun away from me, dropping to his left knee in a defensive crouch, dai-katana stretched straight-armed behind him. I caught myself from following through when I recognized the Coiled Serpent stance. As I instinctively dropped into the counter Collected Lion pose, nearly sitting on my right heel, my left leg stretched in front of me ready to take my weight in a forward lunge, his eye sockets glared into mine for a long breath. His gaze seemed to follow my blades as I extended my katana behind me in a similar straight-armed position, Daedra Slayer flickering horizontally in a low guard just above my left knee.

The skeleton dipped his head slowly, once, then rose to his feet. His dai-katana lowered until its hilt rested near his right hip, its tip nearly touching the stone floor. I barely had time to flip my swords into a more conventional overhand grip before he charged me, his weapon flashing toward my head. My blades crossed above me of their own volition, again catching his sword and parrying it off to my left. Before he could retrieve his weapon, I stepped forward with my right foot and pivoted my right shoulder into him, shoving him back off balance.

As the undead Blade staggered for the briefest instant, I disengaged my swords from his weapon and swung them back toward him, leading with my katana. He barely managed to parry them and fell back another step. I took advantage of the momentum he imparted to my blades and spun my back to him, then completed the pivot to bring my weapons back into him from my right. Daedra Slayer flared in a metallic scream as it struck his dai katana, and I followed with a rapid strike from my plain katana.

While he sought to bring his greater strength to bear on me, I focused on keeping him moving defensively to counter my double weapons, sweeping first one then the other toward him in high strikes that he easily parried with his two-handed sword. Yet the rapidity of my blows forced him to yield back until he was close to the wall.

And now it is your turn to pay the price for overconfidence. Your technique has become sloppy - you are just a touch more reckless now, which means . . .

When his right elbow struck the unyielding stone, the skeleton resumed the offensive toward me, seeking to avoid being pinned against the high structure. He began matching my slashes with rapid sideways sweeps that flung my swords to either side. Then he stepped forward and brought his dai-katana high in another overhead chop.

The muscles in my chest complained as I snapped my blades back together in time to cross them and parry his chop. This time when I shoved him back, instead of attacking from the outside as I had been doing, I lunged forward with Daedra Slayer leading. The point of the enchanted blade dug deep into the bone of his spine. Before I wrenched Daedra Slayer free, my katana bit into the vertebrae from the other side. His spine cloven into two, the bones scattered before me. The dai-katana struck harmlessly against my left shoulder and slid down my back to the floor in a slither of white magic from Matius’s enchanted mail.

Short of breath, I knelt shakily. Akatosh! That’s the third time I’ve had my behind well and truly tanned by the unexpected! Think I'd have learned by now? I sheathed Daedra Slayer, the act of catching air still an uphill task. As I waited for the next phantom, I struggled to my feet, wincing at the complaints from my knee. It’s going to be Alain. Or Casnar. We’ll see. I held the katana left handed behind my back, ignoring the trickling blood beneath Matius’s mail.

The phantom that shimmered into being was not quite as tall as Valdemar. Actually he was the same height as I. I recognized the proud features of a Ra’Gada man as he met my gaze. His ghostly eyes widened, and he lowered his eyes.

“Who are you? And what brings you here?” His voice was as light as a feather. His accent, so like my mother’s, triggered a twinge in my heart. “And have you found my brothers?” His tone grew pensive. “They were with me here. Rielus fell in the lower chamber. I did not see where Alain or Valdemar went, the fog was too thick. But they were fighting side by side, as always.” He shook himself. “But no, that was the dream, and I’m awake now. I must go and finish my duty to the Emperor.”

“Emperor Tiber Septim died nearly four hundred years ago,” I said softly. “But his descendant has need of your help.”

The Blade regarded the stone wall past my shoulder silently for a long moment. “You serve the Dragonborn?” Now he met my gaze briefly. What is that I hear in his voice? Guilt?

“I serve the descendant of Tiber Septim,” I answered. “Your name is Casnar?” I chose the one name that sounded most Ra’Gada to my untutored ears.

Again Casnar turned his face away from me, his gaze moving over the dismal chamber. “I am he,” he admitted reluctantly. I wondered at his attitude, so unlike those of the Blades I had met so far, including his undead comrades.

“Rielus and Valdemar are waiting in the tombs, before the Shrine. I go to find Alain and send him there.”

“Are you Duneborn, or city-bred?” he asked suddenly. Wondering at his question, I shook my head.

“I was born in Anvil,” I answered. “My mother was from Hammerfell, but I don’t know which town.”

“She never told you about - about - Hammerfell?” His voice faltered on the last word. I stared at him, puzzled by his odd demeanor. Why is he acting guilty toward me?

“She spoke very little of it,” I said finally. “Mostly tales of Cyrus -“ I stopped when Casnar shifted uneasily. My eyes widened at a sudden thought. The Blades were formed when Talos became Emperor. Was Casnar one of the original Blades? If so, he must have participated in the military action against Hammerfell during the Redguard rebellion. Suddenly I thought I understood the source of his unease. How could he take up arms against his own countrymen? That couldn’t have been easy for him to do. “She used to tell me if it wasn’t for Cyrus, Hammerfell would not hold the close relationship it has with Cyrodiil. Instead, it would be a place of unrest, much like Morrowind is now.”

Casnar finally faced me. “You have the air of the Duneborn,” he straightened his shoulders beneath the ephemeral cuirass. His gaze raked over my own armor. “Yet you wear the mail of a Kvatch guard. And your katana is heavier than our own, though it resembles the Akaviri make.” Now I could see the typical Blades pride that marked the others.

“I am still a Blade sister,” I answered. “Though I came to it late in my life, and by a roundabout way. As for my ancestry -“ I shook my head.

“None of that matters,” the Ra’Gada waved me into silence. “What matters is that you are a Blade sister, and you have freed me from an eternity of slavery.”

“I could do nothing else, sir.” I regarded him for a moment more. I wish I could ask him about Cyrus. They lived in Hammerfell at the same time. Or did they?

Casnar’s left hand gestured toward the discarded dai-katana behind me. “Take my weapon and restore its honor. Else return it to Cloud Ruler Temple, hero and fellow Blade sister.” He gestured toward the amulet around my neck. “I see you have the amulet I gave Rielus. He needed it, the young rapscallion, taking too many chances. He gave me Mishaxi’s Cleaver in trade. And a fair one it was, too.”

I found myself smiling at his description of Rielus. “Brother, your cleaver shall hang in a place of honor in the Hall of Blades,” I said to him. And I should recover the old katanas from the others, too. When I’m finished clearing this place I will do so. “The last passage from the central hall is blocked though, I do not know how to get past it.”

“There is another door somewhere here that passes into the Catacombs,” Casnar advised me, his tone turning brisk. “At least, that’s what Alain said they were going to search.” He saluted me before turning and walking away. As his ghost disappeared into the gloom, I paused to drink a few healing potions. I wanted to conserve my magicka for the last Blade, the last fight.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Jul 15 2011, 03:21 AM

[Captain Hammer]

Wow. Quite the finish to a fantastic fight. And we see how Casnar came to carry that dai-katana. But how did Valdemar get a hold of it? Wait, sorry, I'm asking the wrong person. Where's a Destri when you need him? I figure if George Martin can finish Dance, Destri Melarg can finish the next month in Interregnum. (I kid, Destri, I kid. Besides, I still have a ton of writing to do as well, and if I don't start before Tuesday...)

One not-quite-a-nit-yet (Bring Out Your Nits!):

"He gave me Mishaxi’s Cleaver in trade. And a fair one it was, too.”

You tend to italicize properly-named weapons. Is there a reason you haven't done so for Casnar's katana?

Lastly, Julian's a retired pilus prior, yes? That means one thing:

Jelin’s hard training kicked in, and I spun the shield at the undead bones’ lower legs, releasing the grip so it flew from my arm sidewise just above the floor.

*Sings loudly*
"When Captain Anvil-Julian throws her mighty shield!..."

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: Jul 7 2011, 05:08 PM

[Destri Melarg]

Behind the veil that Aetherius uses to cloak itself in mystery, and through the uncharted landscape that mortals have come to call the Dreamsleeve, two souls stand side by side in eternal fellowship. They have made their way to seats near the balcony railing, and with craned necks they focus their attention toward the Mundas. They remain a rapt audience to the trials undertaken by the sister whose every action heaps further honor upon their memory.

In the Halls of the Virtues of War amidst the sharp clash of endless swords one scabbard remains full. It rests upon the back of a handsome Redguard who stands vigil in the courtyard. He will remain this way until he is joined by the one who returned honor to his name, and gave him the map to find his way back home. He smiles at the thought of sharing a Sunbird dance with her when at long last she finally sets her labors aside.

And in Sovngarde where Shor’s table is ample enough to hold tankards that have never known the dregs, a Nord as large as any who ever ventured out of Skyrim shares the occasional sip with the comrades and heroes of his youth. He will not share in their revelry; he means to keep his wits about him. While she who ended his curse yet lives he stands ever ready to lend whatever fleeting moments of aid the Gods will allow.

On occasion the veil parts and the four souls are reunited with all of those who have come before. Blue plate covers skin, fur, and golden scales in equal measure. In those moments all the worlds are transformed into a single Temple of Akaviri design. Smiles and embraces are exchanged, and all share a moment to marvel at the exploits of the sister who so perfectly carries their legacy.

_____

I don't know what else to say. This is all simply brilliant hautee!

Wow. Quite the finish to a fantastic fight. And we see how Casnar came to carry that dai-katana. But how did Valdemar get a hold of it? Wait, sorry, I'm asking the wrong person. Where's a Destri when you need him? I figure if George Martin can finish Dance, Destri Melarg can finish the next month in Interregnum. (I kid, Destri, I kid. Besides, I still have a ton of writing to do as well, and if I don't start before Tuesday...)

I hear you Hammer, and I'm working on it!

[Olen]

The third fight, and again you suceeded in making it different and interestingly novel. The change of tactics halfway through definatly swung the balance, makes sense. Perhaps she will learn more about applying tactics in the ruin, certainly she's going to need them for the last fight, and they might be rather different given the prophetic line about conserving magic. I look forward to finding out.

I love how her development shows in these fights. Both her legion training and that from the blades are coming together and proving vital.

nit (sort of)
His spine cloven into two -- I found this line a bit odd - after four hundred years I doubt there's a whole lot left but bone so the spine will already be in discrete segments. It left me wondering if she knocked out a vertebrae, or shattered one, or seperated two - in which case how are they held together... It might just be me though.

[Acadian]

Well done again! You ably capture the action, skill, poignancy and even majesty that I believe you have worked so hard to accomplish in Sancre Tor.

'With a swiftness undulled by centuries, … '
Very evocative phrasing!

'My blades crossed above me of their own volition, … '
Fabulous display of muscle memory in action.

'I sheathed Daedra Slayer, the act of catching air still an uphill task.'
Again, I love your wording here. In this case, to creatively say our Blade Sister was out of breath. I would be too!

[Grits]

“Brother, your cleaver shall hang in a place of honor in the Hall of Blades,” I said to him. And I should recover the old katanas from the others, too. When I’m finished clearing this place I will do so.

I’ve been waiting for this. Like passing (dropping) a dagger to Menien, returning the katanas was a big deal to me after Sancre Tor.


Pretty much all I can say is, wow. And of course, you can guess that this:

“And have you found my brothers?” His tone grew pensive. “They were with me here. Rielus fell in the lower chamber. I did not see where Alain or Valdemar went, the fog was too thick. But they were fighting side by side, as always.”

is my favorite part.

[SubRosa]

An expertly written description of Casnar disarming Julian. It was so well done that I knew what he was doing before he finished the maneuver. Then of course Captain Julian with her mighty shield was an excellent touch. But of course the height of aweseomeness moment is Julian fighting with both swords upside down, in that classic Chinese style (well depicted in that link of yours).

I wish I could ask him about Cyrus. They lived in Hammerfell at the same time.
This was excellent! Here Julian is fighting like Kwai Chang Kane on steroids, and she is thinking "Gosh mister, did you know the Cyrus!" It is a wonderful way to keep her down to Nirn, after such spectacular displays of swordswomanship this chapter.


nits:
his heavier weapon easily sent my lighter weapon flying from my hand across the dim chamber
You have a repetition of weapon in the same sentence.

[mALX]

Loved the conversation between Casnar and Julian, Great Write !!

[Thomas Kaira]

Wonderful fights, so far!

Next we shall see how Julian fares against the power of the North Wind. The tension sure is mounting fast!

Good luck, Julian, you're going to need it.

[haute ecole rider]

@Cap'n Bambam: Thanks for the compliments. Actually, it was Rielus who got the cleaver, and gave it to Casnar in return for the amulet. For how Rielus got the weapon (and Casnar the amulet) in the first place, well, you've already figured out that it's Destri that must tell that tale. Good catch on the cleaver's name, I've gone back and fixed it. And when I clicked on that link, I just about died! I had forgotten about Cap'n America!

@Destri: *Sniff* Now you made Julian and me cry! That was the ultimate compliment from a master storyteller, and we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

@Olen: I'm not sure just how much magic comes into play in the next fight, beyond the interaction of the enchanted gear. But I'll let you be the judge. I'm glad you liked the third fight - that was quite the challenge to write. As for your comment about the spine, that's my medical background showing again. Spine refers to the column of small bones that we like to call the backbone. Collectively, the spine is considered singular. But when referring to the small bones that interlock to make a single spine, those are vertebrae. Thus, cleaving a spine in two makes sense to me, but not cleaving vertebrae into two. I hope that was clearer than mud.

@Acadian: To say I was out of breath after writing that fight is the understatement of the decade. It was tough to capture so much blurring-fast action in words so that people can understand what Julian experienced was difficult. And muscle memory - what a wonderful thing it is. When it works, that is.

@Grits: I realized after playing Oblivion on the PC that there is an empty space on the rafters at Cloud Ruler Temple. I discovered that the two katanas hanging over the hearth belonged to Captain Renault and Glenroy, and knew that the empty space had to have been reserved for Rielus, Casnar, Alain and Valdemar, the four Greatest Blades ever. So I knew Julian had to bring them back even before she told me she had to bring them back.

@Sage Rose: Yes, I was so happy to find that little film. It was awesome to watch these guys - the choreography was so convincing that my heart jumped into my mouth more than once! And yes, Julian still has a bad case of hero-worship - she never quite outgrew that one. I wanted to play that up as much as I could given the situation.

@mALX: Thanks!

@TK: After fighting three tough hombres, Julian is going to have to dig very very deep to go up against Alain. I think you've pretty much summed it up.

Again, many, many thanks to Destri for the inspiration and characters of the four Blades, and D.Foxy for his combat expertise. I've learned so much writing this chapter.

And Julian makes her way to the final guardian. One more to go . . .

********************
Chapter 26.8: The Final Battle

I crept over the rough cavern floor toward the mystic flame that burned in the center of a relatively smooth area. The skeleton, his bones limned in a faint blue glow, shambled loose-limbed around the wide brazier. His ancient katana glimmered in the cold light.

He’s carrying the usual shield and blade combination, I thought to myself. But I can’t assess his fighting style by the way he moves. Unlike mortal opponents, these undead skeletons gave no indication of their training or combat preferences in their typical flat-footed toe-dragging. One thing for certain, he will be a tough fighter. Didn’t Grandmaster Jauffre call them the four greatest Blades that ever lived?

I recalled what Casnar had said about this Blade - “-they were fighting side by side, as always.” Alain and Valdemar. Ironic that they should end up on opposite sides of this cursed keep.

Still crouched in the shadows, I set my weapons down carefully. A second assessment of Valdemar’s shield showed the damage from Casnar’s dai katana had not improved in the last few minutes. I’m not certain I can trust this shield anymore. The magicka flared slightly in the darkness as I laid it gently against my pack. My katana and Daedra Slayer showed similar signs of damage. I regarded the red glimmer of Casnar’s weapon. It looks like the same glow on Thornblade. Disintegrate armor? Silently I fingered the broken rings in my shoulder. A few applications of healing spells and potions had closed the wound, but the unmended gash in the mail reminded me how close I had come to losing my arm.

Again my gaze moved back to the shambling bones, automatically trying to assess his fighting style, though my mind knew it was useless in this case. Can I handle this dai-katana now? The last time I held one of these, I could barely last two minutes before my arms started failing. But I was sick, weak, lame then. Now I’m healthy, strong. My right hand caressed the long hilt of the heavy weapon, designed for a two-handed grip. Would its enchantment help me, or hinder me?

Once more I rubbed at my right shoulder, feeling the raw scar beneath the broken links. The muscles beneath still felt bruised, but I had been able to carry my pack easily. My right hand still had its grip. And my left hand is the stronger. Using this weapon makes sense - I can bring my dominant side into play should my right side weaken. Fatigue still lingered in my bones, despite the last of the restoration potions I had drank down.

Never mind how I feel right now. I have to finish this. Blanco, and Martin Septim, are waiting for me to return. My right hand closed around the hilt of the dai katana, bringing it up to my left. I rose to my feet and straightened my spine, bringing the long narrow blade to rest lightly against my right shoulder. Ignoring my sore muscles and aching joints, I stepped forward into the glow cast by the brazier and waited.

The skeleton’s katana glimmered with a silver light as he turned toward me. Another enchanted weapon. Well, it’s to be expected - every one of the Blades so far had something enchanted. Wonder what this one has? Fortunately the shield seemed ordinary - if one could call the beautiful Akaviri shields ordinary.

The undead Blade stiffened and froze in place as his empty eyes met mine. His katana rose into the classical en garde position, the shield rising to protect his left side. As Casnar’s bones had done, I presented my left shoulder to him.

This one didn’t wait, but leaped past the brazier toward me, his weapon darting for my unprotected left side. I danced back, avoiding the slash that nearly sliced my hip. As he passed in front of me, I reached my left hand to his shoulder before he could spin away to bring his shield up. Magic swirled from my fingers, greedily sucking at his life energy before he broke the contact. I didn’t follow with a counterstrike, not wanting to waste the blade’s charge on the round metal. Instead, I waited for him to recover. Wait to strike. Evaluate his fighting style first.

He turned and faced me, his katana lowered, its tip barely touching the uneven ground. His frozen grin gleamed in the mystic light as his skull tipped to one side. An eerie sense crept over me at his assessing regard. He’s sizing me up just as I’m figuring him out. He’s fast, and strong. And he knows not to overextend himself.

As we stared at each other, I shifted my grip on the dai-katana. That bony visage moved slightly at the soft humming of my enchanted blade. Does he recognize it? Have I given him the impression that I’m not experienced with the two-handed blades? As with Rielus’s bones, I hoped he considered me a tiro.

Those empty eye sockets lowered slightly to meet my gaze, and he tapped his katana slightly on the ground so that its enchantment flickered again in the argent light from the ancient brazier. I couldn’t resist glancing at that enchanted weapon again. Before I could shift my gaze back to the grinning skull, the undead bones leaped toward me, his shield leading.

I skipped back just in time to avoid the bash and brought the dai-katana down on his armor. Red sparks flashed along the length of the blade as it skittered across the brass trim of his shield. I could see the nicks and scratches my weapon gouged out of the hard yellow metal as he stepped back. I barely ducked the overhead chop from his katana, catching it on the mailed sleeve of my left arm just above the elbow.

Argent magic swirled with blue as the enchantment of Matius’s cuirass interacted with that of the undead’s blade. Through the fur-lined tunic beneath my mail, cold sank into my flesh and numbed the bone. Damn! That’s frost magic! The impact of the strike, though glancing, gave me a hint of the strength the skeleton could wield.

My teeth clenched involuntarily against the combination of cold and bruising pain as I leaped back another step. He’s not as powerful as Valdemar, but he’s faster. Almost as fast as Casnar. As agile? I’ll have to find out. My gaze moved to the stairway that led out of the cavern. It rose into the darkness just beyond the skeleton’s shoulder, several paces away. Can I get to it before he does? I sidled to my right and feinted toward his shield. He blocked me easily, for I did not follow through on my hit. Then it was time for me to parry his counterstrike. We fell into a syncopated rhythm of parry and block, neither of us yielding ground to the other. After my third hit, the sound of the clanging metal changed slightly in pitch.

Good, this dai-katana is working on his shield. Apparently the bones also noticed the warning signal of metal fatigue, for he dodged my next feint, avoiding contact with my blade. Again his enchanted katana sent cold flooding through my left shoulder before I could duck back. This time the blow sent me reeling, pain chasing the chill. Damn, he’s fast. And he keeps his weight centered over his feet. No overextending or exposing himself unnecessarily.

I darted closer to that stairway, my left hand dropping from the dai-katana’s grip long enough to shake the chill out of my arm and shoulder. Argent light fizzled around me as I cast a quick healing spell to take the edge from the frost magic. Again the skeleton lunged at me with another overhead chop. I slid back, and as the other’s weapon struck the hard ground, I stepped forward and brought the dai-katana down as hard and fast as I could. I kept my body centered over my hips as the weapon bit savagely into the structure of his right shoulder, sending red sparks fizzling from the white bone. He rose and sent me staggering with a backhanded sweep of his sword arm.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Jul 16 2011, 01:57 AM