Corrupted heart. Options

[jack cloudy]

Alas, I couldn't wait for Agent to finish before I began my next story. Oh, curse me, all of you whose blood shall be spilled before this story comes to an end.

Ahem, I don't expect my loyal readers to complain though. Heh, I hope I managed to portray the first of my main characters nicely. And one last thing that might be interesting to know. This story takes place before the birth of Luper. So yes, that means at least 23 years before any of my other stories. Now, without further stalling I present:


Corrupted heart.

Chapter 1: Among the cold dirt, the fallen lie.

Consciousness flickered, remaining just out of reach. His senses delivered their messages to his clouded mind, broken fragments of a greater whole. The sound of heavy boots hammering cold rock, the smell of dust in his nose, the feeling of being carried in a boneshattering grip. A taste, plaguing the tip of his tongue. Blood, his blood.

The feeling of movement stopped. Words now echoed in his ears, words he did not comprehend.
,,This looks good enough. Open the door.” The shriek of rusted metal being moved ripped through the haze clouding his mind. Now consciousness returned fully and with it, a chance. For a moment, he continued to feign unconsciousness. Long enough to hear more words, words not meant for him.
,,You, don’t move unless you want even greater problems.” The hands holding him pushed him along. His tail brushed against iron bars. Now was the time.

With the frightening grace of a natural killer, his muscles sprang back to full readiness. He used the body of his captor to swing around, somersaulting into the air and landing on the unfortunate man’s back. With a quick swipe, claws ripped out the man’s throat and crushed his neck. Even before the man began to lose his signs of life, the killer had leapt away. The next guard found himself smashed against the iron bars of the cell. Claws leaving a trail of blood in the air where the last thing the man saw before his eyes were removed. He too died soon afterwards. The whole event had taken less than a second from start to finish.

Breathing heavily from both his exertion and the rough treatment he’d received earlier, the killer stared down at his latest victims. In a slow symbolic movement, he raised his claws and licked them clean of blood, savouring the taste. His ears began to pick up the sound of distant boots coming steadily closer. A standard patrol. His hand snatched the nearby torch from the wall and he slammed the piece of wood into a dusty pool of water. There was a large cloud of smoke and then, darkness.

Even though there was practically no light left, his eyes still saw as good as if he was standing outside on a clear day. He quickly scanned the nearby cells. The one which had been destined for him was already occupied by the short stature of a Bosmer. The one directly on the opposite side of the tunnel was occupied by a muscular Dunmer who looked around warily, not seeing a thing. The killer took a double take on the two beings. While the Dunmer displayed all the expected signs of fear, the Bosmer surprisingly acted as if she hadn’t noticed the massacre at all. She just looked at the ground in front of her bare feet with a blank stare.
,,Must have lost its mind so deep underground.” The Killer concluded. He knew from experience that many Bosmer were extremely claustrophobic and hated being in a room without any windows or underground. A natural result from living in the treetops of Valenwood.

The boots had now gotten close. Soon, the owner of these boots would see the darkness ahead and know that something was wrong. By then though, it would be too late. The Killer crouched at the edge of the darkness, confident in the natural camouflage he had. Now the guard ventured into view and the killer’s heart skipped a beat. This was no guard. The fingers of fear reached out for him, embracing him with their cold touch. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt since childhood. The darkness in the tunnel was vanquished by a bright burst of light. With that same burst, the light in his eyes faded and he slipped into unconsciousness once more.

An armoured boot stomped on the ground beside his head.
,,You’ve missed your chance. Enjoy the blood you’ve claimed. They were your last kill.” A gruff voice said as the killer was picked up and taken to his cell.

[Lord Revan]

Nice beginning Jack, that sounds a lot like the Imperial Prison....... I would be right to assume the main character is a Khajiit? Anyway, can't wait for more, Cloudy!

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jan 5 2007, 10:57 PM

[The Metal Mallet]

Wow, your use of description has left me stunned, jack. The viscious intent by our Killer here could certainly give a crazed Simion a run for his money. I have a feeling this story is going to be a bit darker than your previous work.

I look forward to seeing more of this. Most definitely!

[jack cloudy]

Yup, it's the Imperial prison alright. Hey, I'm just following TES tradition here. Start in jail. It's a good place for our Killer to develop a serious grudge against the ones who imprisoned him. As if he wasn't bad enough without one.

Let's just say that I wanted to play around with a character for once who wasn't a loud, happy grinning good guy. I want to play with a nastier character for once. Really nasty. I do have to admit though, Simion has been good inspiration so I thank you for that, Mallet.



The cell was silent safe for his own loud breathing. A sharp pain stabbed into his chest every time he inhaled the damp air. The pain was distracting and he tried to bend over. He failed, having been chained to the wall like a trophy. He took smaller breaths now, keeping the movements of his chest to a minimum.
,,Broken rib, not serious.” He noted and began the painful task of checking each limb for injury.
,,Left arm, scraped against a rough surface. Some damage to the skin and fur. Right arm is fine. Right leg, a sprained ankle. Left leg, multiple fractures. That one needs to be set.”

He opened his eyes slowly. The torch had been replaced and its flickering light cast dark shadows on the walls. Even though he did not like the thought, he knew he needed help in his current condition. The bones in his left leg needed to be set and locked into place somehow or he would never walk again, not without a limp. There was only one person around who could help him. He tried moving his head, only to find out that even his neck had been chained to the wall. Clearly, the guards were no longer willing to take any chances with him. He had to admit to himself that he gave them plenty of reason to fear.
,,First, breaking into one of the most secure locations in the whole Empire. Then, my first escape which resulted in the death of five guards. My second escape, two more. When I get out of here, I need to find myself a new identity, a change of face. I’ll have the greatest death warrant in the century on me and that says quite a bit.”

His chest no longer hurt, only feeling numb. It was as they said, a man could get used to anything. Even pain.
,,Elf!” He hissed and squeezed his eyes shut when the pain returned for a short moment.
,,Elf!” He tried again. It was then that he realized that he wasn’t sure he was still in the same cell. Prisons all looked alike to a newcomer and had never gotten a chance to find any unique features in the walls like a peculiar crack in the stone. Finally, after what felt like eternity, a dirtcovered face appeared before him.
,,What?” The Bosmer whispered slowly, a hint of barely suppressed panic in her voice. Claustrophobia indeed.

The two stared at each other in a long moment of silence. Khajiit and Bosmer, both mortal enemies if they had met anywhere else.
,,My leg needs to be set.” The Khajiit explained slowly, trying to make his words get through the barrier of fear.
,,Why?” He bit back an angry retort. Even in this place, he needed to remember the distrust and outright hate between the Bosmer and the Khajiit.
,,Because I need it when I escape. If you do it, I’ll lead you out as well. Just set the leg already.” He offered, knowing that any promise he made was empty of meaning. He would escape, but he would not offer any help to his fellow prisoner. It was not in his nature to aid people.

He didn’t utter a sound during the whole process, not even when his bones were twisted around back into their natural position or when a sleeve of his prison uniform was tied around the leg so tight it nearly cut off the bloodflow. He had been wounded before. He was used to painful treatments.
,,So, how exactly do you plan on getting out of here?” The Bosmer asked him once she was done. Her voice was calmer now that she had a companion who was not frightened by the walls that appeared to move closer in the dancing shadows.
,,When three weeks and two days have passed, I will make my move.” He answered.
,,Mark my words and count the days till my escape. You will die then, elf. No one ever escapes from me, especially not then.”

He appreciated the silence between them. It allowed him to ease his mind and prepare for the coming ordeal. He’d been trapped before, he’d been chained before, he’d even been impaled upon a spear for a full day once. He’d never been chained for three weeks. It would be a test of patience as well as a test of trust. He still needed the Bosmer. She was the only one who could feed now that he couldn’t feed himself.
,,Next time, I’ll avoid all confrontations. No more killing of guards even though that is the easy path. I must not raise any alarm till I’m gone. When the time comes, I need to be alert and prepared to deal with any unknown factor. Like the Dunmer in the opposite cell. He might shout for help when I escape. I’ll have to silence him.”

[The Metal Mallet]

Let's just say that I wanted to play around with a character for once who wasn't a loud, happy grinning good guy. I want to play with a nastier character for once. Really nasty. I do have to admit though, Simion has been good inspiration so I thank you for that, Mallet.

Hey! No problem! The character you have here does seem quite nasty so far, all ready revealing that he's just using the Bosmer to further his escape plan. I'm digging it so far.

[jack cloudy]

Wow, I just can't stop. I promise I'll get an Agent update tomorrow but today I'm going to postmachine the heart. Enjoy.



The first few days passed agonizingly slow though he soon got used to his situation. Every day, the Bosmer would feed him his portion of what was called food here. The grey substance filled his stomach but left a gruesome taste in his mouth. With little to do but wait, he spent his time with observing the times between patrols. He also struggled against his shackles for several hours each day. Not because he had the vain hope of actually breaking free from the wall, but because he needed to keep himself into shape.

All this time, he heard not a single word from the Dunmer in the opposite cell which was cause for some slight frustration. How could he analyze the man if he couldn’t hear or see the him? What was more worrying though, was the Bosmer. She’d slowly but surely recovered from a mental wreck back into a living being. With that came awareness. With awareness, came questions he couldn’t answer.
,,Why thirteen days? What’s so special then?” She asked him one day. That was his first clue that keeping the elf on a leash would not be as easy as he’d thought.
,,The two eyes are in the right position then. It brings good luck if you make your daring escape at that moment.” He answered slyly, hiding the truth behind a slight lie. It would bring luck if he escaped then, though not in a way she would expect.

The Bosmer concluded it was some strange religious Khajiit thing and didn’t probe any further, much to his relief. He managed to escape from other questions in the same way though his worries increased each time. He needed to keep her from knowing for eleven more days.

Six days before his escape, the routine was broken. The servant who brought their food each day also left a note and a bottle filled with a brown liquid. Even though the bottle was still sealed, the Khajiit’s nose picked up the scent of its contents. His ears reared back and he bared his fangs. Poison. The Bosmer did not know it yet. She picked up the note and began to read. Then she began to sob and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. When she looked at him, he saw sadness, despair and most important of all, anger. He’d lost his grip on the elf.
,,You didn’t told me you were a murderer!” She screamed at him. The loud sound caused the rats to flee. The Khajiit looked at her with emotionless eyes.
,,If you’d bothered to actually look around you instead of sheltering in your own nightmare, you would have seen how I’d slain two guards just a few steps away from your feet.” He sneered.
,,Now, I suppose they’ve decided to kill me by letting you shove that poison down my throat?” He growled. To his surprise, the Bosmer shook her head.
,,No, the poison is for me.” She said slowly in a slightly surprised tone.
,,This is a disgrace! I refuse to die by poison. I will not suffer a coward’s death!” It was the first time he’d heard the Dunmer though he’d lost all interest in the man.

,,For you?” The Khajiit blurted out.
,,Yes, for me and for the Dunmer. They don’t want to take any chances with you so the whole cellblock is being abandoned and forgotten. With the poison, we won’t have to starve to death. That’s your fate.” She told him with a trembling voice. The panic was about to return.
,,I wasn’t supposed to die in here! I was supposed to get out in two months and return home to Valenwood! I hate you furballs!” The khajiit hissed slightly when a fist was driven into his stomach.
,,You’re going to pay for that. I’ll tear out your guts and force you to eat them. No one escapes me.” He threatened.

The Bosmer laughed.
,,How are you going to do that, you’re tied to the wall? Oh, since we’re all going to die, I’m going to have some fun first.” She threatened him in return. She then reached out and with a vicious yank, she pulled out one of his whiskers.
,,That’s one. Five more. And after that, who knows?”

Half an hour later, he felt as if an Orc had danced on him. The Bosmer wasn’t strong but given enough time and no way to fight back, even she could totally beat him into a pulp. Fortunately she wasn’t strong enough to break his bones. The torture had altered his plans, turning them into a more gruesome form. He’d been tortured before and the only thing his torturers had gained was a less pleasant death than he’d initially planned. This would be no different.

She was now sitting on the ground somewhere out of sight. There were sounds of an unknown activity.
,,What are you doing, making a new tool of torture? With each strike, you only make sure your fate gets more painful.” He warned ominously.
,,Oh, shut up before I decide to use you as target practice.” The Bosmer snapped back.
,,I’m not going to poison myself until I’m absolutely sure there is no way to get out of here. In the meantime, I’m building what’s got to be the crappiest bow ever so I can hunt those rats. The ingredients, some guy’s rib and six whiskers.” She continued, emphasizing the word 'whiskers'.

When she was done, she crouched down near the bars. She began to make strange squeaking sounds. The Khajiit pressed his ears flat against his head.
,,Stop that, it’s annoying.” He growled. The squeaking changed tone. He was about to give another warning when he realized it was no longer the Bosmer who was squeaking. At least half a dozen rats had gathered around her. They all sat as if hypnotized, calmly awaiting their fate.
,,Sorry, but a girl’s gotta eat, you know?” She whispered as she pierced one of the rats with a fork used as an improvised arrow. The other rats didn’t move but waited till it was their turn to die. The Khajiit stared at the scene, his anger forgotten.
,,So the stories are true. Those wood elves can talk to animals.”

The anger returned when he saw how she threw three of the rats to the Dunmer’s cell and kept the other three for herself. She wouldn’t give anything to him. He bared his fangs but did not utter a sound.
,,Let her think I’m beaten. I’ll escape and when I do, no quick painless death for her!”

[The Metal Mallet]

You would think they would just relocate the prisoners that are in the same block as our assassin instead of allowing them to poison themselves. I guess it's that full in the Imperial Prison.

Hopefully our kitty is a plump one or else he's going to be quite weak when he makes his escape attempt. I fear for those around him when he does escape (surely he will, he is a main character, right?).

[jack cloudy]

The point is, they would relocate. Only, the prison has recently come under new management.
And someone asked for an escape?




Six more days passed. The Khajiit realized that within a few hours, he would put his plans into action. He felt excited at the idea of spilling the blood of his victims. Vengeance would be his. He felt weak from lack of food, but that would not matter. Soon, he could feed as much as he liked. The lone torch had long since burned out, allowing darkness to claim his world. He licked his teeth in anticipation of what was to come. Then, he heard it. Bad fitting boots, running, coming closer. Light returned, coming from a moving torch that rapidly drew closer. He looked expectantly at the celldoor. Who would come here?

It was a young man, dressed in a mismatched set of Iron plates. He held a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. Wet blood dripped from the rusty blade. He stopped, and looked at the two cells in turn.
,,Who are you? Were you thrown in here by the traitor as well?” He asked, his face revealing his anger.
,,The Bosmer and I have fallen victim of bad people. Are you here to free us?” The Dunmer asked. As he approached the bars of his cell, the torchlight revealed countless scars on his bare chest. The young man peered into his crimson eyes where they found the truth.
,,Fine, I’ll free you. What about the Khajiit?”

,,That furball from Oblivion? He’s the whole cause of our current trouble. He kills people for fun! Let him rot.” The Bosmer shouted. The man winced.
,,Shh! Not so loud, they’ll hear!” He whispered urgently, looking around nervously. The Khajiit growled.
,,So you all plan to leave me here? Well, I suppose there is no harm in telling you now.” He snarled, looking at the Bosmer.
,,I never planned on letting you live. Right from the first moment, your fate had been sealed together with the other elf. Now though, it will be much worse than I’d initially planned. And you, Imperial. You’ll join them.”

The Imperial ignored the threats. He pressed his hand against the lock. There was a purple light and then a click after which the door slid open. He repeated the spell at the other cell. Both elves walked out quickly after which the man locked the cell that still contained the Khajiit.
,,Your threats are without power.” He claimed. All three of them walked out of his sight. Darkness filled his cell again. Within it, he laughed. It was a loud laugh, the laugh of someone who knew that he had everything under control.

Where the three escapees were walking, the laugh had died down to a faint whisper in the air.
,,We haven’t been properly introduced. May I have your names?” The Imperial whispered as he cautiously looked around a corner.
,,Rajn Treesap, Valenwood guide.” The Bosmer whispered back.
,,Aran Geydar, Urshilaku.” The Dunmer replied with a voice like gravel. The Imperial nodded with a wry grin.
,,I’m sorry about this but it is for your own safety that you should not know my name. You may call me the Champion. I am a loyal battlemage in the service of Uriel Septim VII. It is because of him that I’m here with you now.” He said as they moved on further till the tunnel branched into two directions.
,,And here is where we must part. There are multiple ways to the surface, try to find one. I’m their main target, so the resistance you’ll encounter should be light.” He explained as he looked in both directions.
,,Here, sir Geydar. Take my blade. Use it to defend yourselves. I’ll use my Magicka till I can claim a new blade from the foul beasts that inhabit this place. Now, farewell. May Stendarr protect you.” With those words, the battlemage walked away.

Aran and Rajn watched him go. Then, Aran pointed at the other corridor with his new blade.
,,Shall we? Long have I missed the sun. I shall do anything to see the light again.”

Back at the Khajiit’s cell, the laughing had stopped. Now he was merely waiting. He could feel it, the itching of his skin. His eyes shot open, staring blankly into the darkness. His mouth opened, letting out a roar. His muscles swelled, his bones grew. His face grew a long snout with razorsharp fangs. His claws doubled in length, digging deep into the stone wall he was chained to. His tail became like a brush, his once smooth fur taking on a spiked appearance. Then, the transformation was complete. He sniffed the air, smelling more than ever before.

He began to pull against his shackles. Slowly, the iron began to deform under his newfound strength. With a loud clang of snapping metal, he pulled his right arm free from his prison. He reached up and tore away the ring around his neck. One by one, his chains were torn out of the wall and removed. Now he was free and walked over towards the celldoor. Seemingly without any effort, he bent the bars and opened a gap wide enough for him to pass.
,,The Hunter has called his minion to this world. Let the hunt begin.” He thought as he rushed through the tunnels at incredible speeds. Sometimes he paused to sniff the air like an animal. Then he would rush off again, following the trail.

The Champion stopped when he heard the sound of padded feet rumbling on the floor. Cold sweat broke out when a terrifying howl echoed in his ears. He turned around, raising his hand to ward off his foe. Before him, a monster nearly as big as the corridor stood on all fours. Two golden eyes looked out over a large snout covered in fur as black as the night that spawned the creature.
,,Werewolf! Cursed abomination! Leave quickly or suffer death!” The champion shouted as a mighty spell of destruction charged in his hand. The Werewolf threw back its head and laughed.
,,What makes you think you will survive this encounter?” It asked with a malicious voice. The Champion swallowed back his fear and gave a silent prayer to the Nine for protection.
,,It has been prophesized. I can’t die here.” He answered. The Werewolf looked at the man in silent contemplation.

,,Why do you need to live?” It asked next, watching the still growing spell closely.
,,I am to travel Tamriel, collect the eight…” The Champion was cut off when a descending gate crushed his skull. With his death, the spell erupted, wrapping his corpse in hot flames.
,,The eight what? Your eight last words? Travel no more, you’ve found them.” The Werewolf snickered as it removed its paw from the lever controlling the gate.
,,Stupid self-proclaimed heroes. They never pay attention to their surroundings. At least they’re filling.” After having said those words, the Werewolf stepped up to the corpse and sank its fangs into the charred flesh.




Note: If you actually decided to count, the Champion did say eight final words! And yes, I'm poking a bit of fun at the hero escaping out of jail thing. I mean, do they really expect a hero to escape like that? That's probably why I like Morrowind's start. You can become a hero, but no one expects you fight your way out of a dungeon filled with monsters right from the start.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Jan 6 2007, 11:21 PM

[The Metal Mallet]

Haha! What delcious update, jack. So it looks like our assassin is a Were... wolf?.... cat? Werecreature! There we go! I'll go with that one.

Anyways, so it seems that our assassin is a Werecreature, and quite a powerful, and cunning one at that. I also liked how the hero convieneantly cooked himself as well. That was great!

[canis216]

I don't want to ruin anything, but I must ask; is this set during the Imperial Simulacrum (aka Jagar Tharn time)?

Excellent update, Jack. That khajiit is crazy dangerous...

This post has been edited by canis216: Jan 7 2007, 08:32 AM

[Black Hand]

Excellent! Yes, I likie the story already, and will be following this quite closely. I dunno, i'm pretty light in RL, so my interests are pretty dark in Fake...life?....Great, I just had a Mallet Moment...

[jack cloudy]

I won't have much time tomorrow but I'll try to work on Agent then if possible and hopefully make a better update. The last one was a bit short and crappy in my opinion. Ok, more Corrupted Heart stuff.




The two elves heard the Werewolf’s howl. Aran waited while the Bosmer stared at the wall.
,,You can see through walls?” He asked curiously. Rajn shrugged.
,,I’m a Tower so, a bit. It’s all blurry to be honest, I wouldn’t trust myself with an arrow if I could only use this mental vision. Umm, lots of stuff moving around. One big….dog? It’s eating.” She said while watching the scene beyond the wall. Aran frowned.
,,Big dog? Who keeps dogs in a prison?” He wondered aloud.
,,Oh, not just dogs. Giant rats, goblins, big worms, living skeletons and other stuff that scares me. Exactly what happened since I got thrown in here? There were only little rats and guards when I arrived. I’m quite sure of that. It was before I went completely wacko.”

The Dunmer’s frown grew bigger.
,,Necromancy. Dark powers are at play here. We must hurry.” He urged and began to move again, faster this time.
,,If you can see through walls, then do you see the exit?” He asked with the calm voice of someone who was used to danger.
,,Take the first corridor on your right.” Rajn answered, struggling to keep up with the man.

The Werewolf slowed down as he rounded another corner. The path to his prey was blocked by a pack of small green humanoids.
,,Goblins. A Stinking nuisance.” The werewolf let out a roar and watched with satisfaction how the creatures ran away. Suddenly, an arm lashed out from the shadows and gripped one of the little green monsters. There was a scream and then the goblin’s neck was snapped like a twig by its killer. When it stepped into view, the Werewolf stepped back and growled.
,,Zombie. This is not your average prison. Not at all. I’ll be slowed down like this.”The black beast lunged at its undead foe, throwing it into a wall with its great strength. When the undead construct finally managed to crawl back onto its feet, the Werewolf was already out of sight.
,,I would love to stay around and tear that thing into little pieces but I’ve got work to do. No one can pull out my whiskers without paying in blood.”

Both elves were stopped death in their tracks by another group of Goblins. Aran took a short glance at the improvised bow the Bosmer was wielding.
,,Can you shoot bigger prey than rats with that thing?” He asked with a sour grin.
,,No, but I can club them over the head when they’re not looking.” The two looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

,,I am Aran Geydar, Urshilaku! Fear my blade!” The Dunmer shouted as he waded in. He stabbed his sword into a goblin’s chest and used his foot to pull the blade free. Already, the other Goblins had begun to surround him. He grit his teeth when the first club descended on his unprotected back. He had three Goblins in front of him so he couldn’t afford to deal with the one behind him. In an attempt to finish the fight quickly, he jumped forward and tackled the three Goblins to the ground. A few quick stabs later, and he was sitting on a pile of stinking Goblin corpses.

,,Now the one behind me.” Aran thought and scrambled back on his heels to deal with the remaining Goblin. A hard hit on his leg sent him to the floor and another against the back of his head caused him to black out for a short moment. He rolled over on his back and spat the Goblin in the face. The dumb creature stared at the Dunmer in surprise for a second before raising its club high above its head with an angry snarl. Aran couldn’t help but chuckle at seeing the Goblin’s eyes grow big with confusion. The chuckle turned into full laughter when the Goblin turned around to see where its club had suddenly gone.
,,Go, doggy. Fetch the stick!” Rajn yelled and swung the club into the Goblin’s face. The critter fell on the floor, unconscious.

Aran got up carefully and examined his fresh bruises. It hurt a lot but he failed to discover any serious damage.
,,That was that. Let’s get going again. Any longer in this Goblininfested pit and I’ll kill myself.” He said a bit annoyed.
,,And what about me? How am I supposed to get out of here without my strong bodyguard?” The Bosmer replied sarcastically.
,,Just what kind of Emperor lets Goblins into his prison?” She asked herself a moment later.
,,Either a bad one or one who doesn’t know of the Goblins. Probably the latter.” Aran answered.
,,Now be quiet, girl. I want to avoid any further confrontations with who knows what is down here.” He added. There were lit torches on the walls yet the dust and cobwebs told him that no guard had been down here in years. The whole environment gave him a bad feeling like he’d never had before.

The Werewolf sniffed the Goblin corpses he found half an hour later.
,,Their death is recent. So, that means my prey came by here not too long ago. Good, let them fear the hunt.” He let out a howl that echoed throughout the entire prison.
,,I am coming, prepare to die.”

[canis216]

Ah, this prison just gets worse and worse--feels claustrophobic. Very nice.

[The Metal Mallet]

I hereby rename this prison The Labrithyn of Doom! Beware all those who dare enter!

Looks like our two elves are going to have a tough time ahead of them in escaping....

[jack cloudy]

Yeah, I think I went a bit overboard here. Would the Emperor really have a prison like that? On the other hand, it is the prison for highly dangerous criminals. The Khajiit tried to assassinate the Emperor and even made it inside the bedroom. (as shown by the teaser) Then, he nearly escaped twice, requiring Magicka to be put down. So I'd say he qualifies as dangerous criminal.






Aran never slowed his step when the ghostly sound echoed around them.
,,I don’t think it’s just a big dog.” He said simply. The Bosmer chose not to respond and instead turned her eyes towards where they came from, still running alongside the Dunmer. To her eyes, the walls seemed to become transparent, like glass. She silently looked around till she found what she was looking for.

The dog, or whatever it was, was clearly following them. It didn’t rush but wasn’t slow either. It moved at a constant pace that rivalled theirs, stopping only to sniff the air. What was most worrying to her were how the creature moved. It was almost as if it was….intelligent.
,,I think you’re right. That’s not a dog.” Suddenly she felt a hand on her chest that pushed her back.
,,Didn’t you ever learn to look where you’re walking?” Aran spat at her.
,,I was looking at the dog that’s following us. Why?” She spat back using exactly the same tone.

Aran said nothing but simply pointed at the obstacle in front of them.
,,Whoever thought that placing a bottomless pit with a small bridge in this so-called ‘prison’ would be fun, deserves to die! Is there another way out?” He complained. Rajn calmly moved to the edge and gazed down into the depths.
,,I never quite understand how a bottomless pit is even possible but it is there. You drop and, splat. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights, tough guy.” She teased the former prisoner. Aran scowled.
,,Don’t tell me that you suffer from claustrophobia.” He countered.

,,Hey, that’s mean! You’ll just have to cross that bridge. It’s the only way out and I’m not going to wait for that dog to come and eat us!” Aran did feel a bit bad about the low blow he’d just delivered though he was too proud to admit it.
,,Then you go first.” He merely said. He realized that he was stalling, waiting for some sudden surge of courage.

The Bosmer smiled weakly.
,,I grew up in trees. So I actually feel better about having a bridge in this place. Just you watch.” She said to him and stepped on the bridge. Even for someone of her small stature, the bridge was barely wide enough to stand comfortably. She moved to the center of the bridge where she spun around on one foot and made a few small jumps.
,,Look, it’s not that bad. I can even dance here!”
Aran looked uneasily at the bridge. If the girl’s intention had been to reassure him, she’d failed. In fact, just seeing her do her crazy dance made him feel even worse.

Rajn stopped her dancing and looked at the Dunmer who was staring at the pit. Sweat glistened on his skin. He was frightened as if he’d seen Oblivion itself.
,,Is this how I was?” She asked herself and admitted to herself that that had indeed been the case.
,,Close your eyes and give me your hand, I’ll help you. Trust me.” She finally offered, extending her hand.

Aran swallowed back the lump in his throat.
,,I have to get across. I’m a disgrace for the Urshilaku, showing fear where even a girl shows none. And she’s the one who is nervous just by being underground. Come on Aran, show to your ancestors that like her, you can overcome your fear.” He ordered himself. Closing his eyes, he took the Bosmer’s hand.
,,Good, now take a step forward. Then, once you’ve placed it securely on the floor, you take another one. Nice and easy. There is no pit, no bridge. Just the stone under your feet. And another step please. Good, now open your eyes.” She whispered softly.

Instantly, the fear came back.
,,What, she wants me to open my eyes on the middle of the bridge? I’ll fall if I do that!” He shouted mentally. Then he remembered how she’d asked for him to trust her. He’d already put his trust into her by letting her lead him with his eyes closed. A bit trembling, he opened his eyes and looked around. He’d crossed the bridge and was now standing on the other side.
,,See? Heights are nothing as long as you don’t panic.” Rajn explained to him but ignored her own advise when her eyes widened in panic.
,,Good evening. Can you feel it, the fear? The fear of your death? It will be the last thing you’ll feel. Pray to your gods for mercy if you like. They won’t hear you.” The Werewolf said maliciously from the other side of the bridge.

He raised himself on his hind legs to his full height. Now, he even towered above the Dunmer. Then, in one tremendous leap, he cleared the gap.
,,I’ll enjoy the taste of your blood.” He whispered, baring his teeth.

[The Metal Mallet]

Uh oh, they're in trouble now. If only our Dunmer friend wasn't afraid of heights. Ohwell, we'll see if they can make it out of this situation.

By the way, I really like the building of the relationship between our two escapees. Very nicely done.

[jack cloudy]

The Werewolf grinned in anticipation. Finally, he would receive revenge for the humiliation he suffered. The two elves he was going to kill here would just mark the beginning of a new day, a day where Cyrodiil would drown in the blood of his enemies.
,,Next time, I won’t fail. I will rip out the foundations of your power and crush it with my bare hands. Then, when fear and despair have filled your soul, I’ll come. I’ll walk into your room, slowly, to feed on your fear. Then, with one swift strike, I’ll cut open your stinking corpse and spread your organs on the floor. I’ll squeeze your heart dry of blood, as the last thing you’ll see in this world.” He gloated. A powerful kick hit him under his snout and threw him backwards, over the edge.
,,Focus! You are not worthy as an opponent!” The Dunmer taunted.

He dug his claws into the walls and came to a screeching halt several metres below the ledge.
,,Fool! Don’t gloat before the kill! If my master had seen this, he would kill me.” He scolded himself. He released his grip on the smooth with one hand and slammed his claws into the rock a bit higher. Repeating the process with his other limbs, he began to ascend.

,,Is it death?” Rajn asked as she moved closer to the ledge to take a look. Aran grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along.
,,No, I don’t think so. So don’t go stare down the ledge unless you want to die.” He grumbled. He stopped upon seeing a grate mounted in the wall. The Dunmer dropped to his knees and looked into it. The grate covered the entrance to a small tunnel. He concluded that he could fit through, barely.
,,This tunnel, is it a shortcut?” He asked his Bosmer companion. Rajn looked at the grate nervously.
,,Yeah, but do we really have to go through there? It’s so cramped!”

Aran took a single look at the ledge which gave him his answer. He grabbed the rusted grate and with an effort of all his strength, he pulled it free.
,,Yes we have to. That furry monster is too big to fit through. Now get in.” He urged as he pushed himself inside. His shoulders scraped agains the walls but he managed to crawl.
,,I won’t have any skin left on my shoulders once we reach the other side.”There wasn’t enough room for him to turn his head around but he knew that he hadn’t been followed.
,,Don’t give in to your fear. Now it is your turn to trust me! Come!” He shouted.

The Bosmer looked at the grate and then at the ledge. A black head came up and bared its teeth as it saw her.
,,Oh, alright.” She squeezed her eyes shut and began to crawl into the tunnel. Aran smiled as he heard the noise behind him. That smile vanished instantly when the girl screamed.
,,What’s wrong?!” He asked with a worried voice.

The Werewolf growled in frustration. His prey had escaped. He reached in with his arm again but failed to reach them. He growled again.
,,So close yet so far. Curse them!” He slammed his shoulder into the wall, sending clouds of dust into the air. A few cracks formed into the rock but it did not fall under his might. He held up his hand and looked at the red liquid dripping from his claws and wetting his fur. His efforts hadn’t been completely without success.
,,I’ll find another path. Next time, I’ll finish the job quickly and efficiently.” He turned away from the small tunnel and was about to renew the chase when a dark figure seemed to materialize out of thin air.
,,So the cat has become a dog of war. An unexpected development, I must say. Still, I can’t allow you to leave this place alive.” The figure spoke with a gruff voice the Werewolf recognized instantly.
,,You!” He howled.

Aran got up on his feet. He felt a bit stiff after his crawl through that cramped tunnel but aside from this stiffness and a few scrapes, he was as healthy as was possible here. He reached down and helped his companion get out herself. At first he was relieved to see that the scream he’d heard was not a sign of death but his worry came back instantly when she collapsed to the floor.
,,What’s wrong, Treesap?” He asked. He received no answer. He didn’t need one. The dark blood covering her leg and the pale bones glistening in the torchlight said more than a thousand words could.
,,Damn that thing and its claws. I need to get her to Erinus, she’ll be able to help.” The Dunmer thought. He tore his shirt to pieces and used the fabric as an improvised bandage to help stop the bleeding. She’d already lost too much blood and couldn’t afford to lose any more. Once he was sure he’d done all he could, he heaved the unconscious Bosmer on his shoulder. The load was lighter than expected.
,,A serious wound while being seriously underfed, not good. Hang in there, you’ll be fine. I promise.”

[canis216]

Temporary refuge from the werewolf. Sounds like they need it. But that wound could be bad, really bad. Hope she doesn't get Sanies Lupinus...

[The Metal Mallet]

Hmm I'm curious of who this new "mystery" person is. Seems like he holds some sway over our Werewolf, but we'll see.

It also seems that our escapees are getting into more serious problems. Hopefully the Bosmer survives.

Oh yes, and I found that first paragraph to be deliciously descriptive jack. Excellent work!

[jack cloudy]

And a quickie to end today's update.




,,Yes, me.” The figure answered. The Werewolf crouched down and held out his arms. His claws shone in the light of a torch.
,,I won’t let you stop me. Now tell me what you are!” He shouted. The figure chuckled.
,,That’s the right question. Not who, but what. You must have been surprised when I defeated you so easily last time. The answer is simple. I am not from this world and so I do not share your limits.” He replied.

The Werewolf looked at the man. His armour definitely gave him a demonic appearance fitting for a being from another world.
,,Then how about this? No spells. I’ll show you just what my limits are.” The Werewolf challenged. The figure chuckled again.
,,You want to make this more interesting? You do have courage to face me without fear. I will reward you with the honour of knowing my name Ra’trith, embodiment of darkness. Few mortals ever receive this honour. I am Merdrar, a Markynaz.” He spoke and drew a large claymore that looked as demonic as his armour.
,,Now, let us begin. No spells as promised.”

Ra’trith lunged at the man, scraping his claws over the chestplate. The man jumped back surprisingly fast considering the weight of his armour. He swung the claymore in a low arc and forced the Werewolf to retreat towards the bridge.
,,What does a being from another world seek here?” He asked as they both swung at each other once more.
,,My lord has given my strength to a mortal. This mortal is intrigued by your skills and wants to keep you from interfering with his plans. You’ll have to die here, Werewolf.” Merdrar said and stabbed at the black head.

The Werewolf jumped back, landing on the bridge. He grinned upon seeing his opponent’s hesitation.
,,What’s the matter? Are you afraid to fall?” He taunted. The man cut a large gash into the wall.
,,My strength is greater than that of any mere mortal. Yes, but this strength won’t protect me if I came to fall. I’ve made a promise. We Dremora do not break our promises, ever. Fine then, I’ll fight you on the bridge. No spells, so no levitation! One false move, and we’ll plummet into the depths. Prepare yourself!”

The Dremora lunged at Ra’trith. The Werewolf leaned away from the blow and clenched his teeth when the demonic blade cut through his skin. At the same time, he struck out with his claws, tearing off Merdrar’s helmet and carving a long cut across his cheek. The Dremora took a step back and laughed.
,,Good! You’ve challenged me well. Unfortunately, you are weakening.” He said, not showing any pain from his wound. The Werewolf took a step back as well.
,,That face, it looks so similar to an elf or a human. No matter where it’s from, I’ll sent it to Oblivion. I’ll have to do it quick. It won’t last much longer.” He thought to himself.
,,This wound is nothing! It takes more than that to weaken me! Now get ready!” He shouted, his voice echoing around them. To his surprise, the Dremora sheathed his sword and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
,,No, the wound won’t slow you at all. You’ve been quite busy and so you’ve spent Hircine’s gift. The power of the hunter is fading. I can feel it better than you do.” He spoke solemnly.

Just a moment after the Dremora had said that, Ra’trith fell to his knees. His body shrunk, his claws retreated within his paws. The effects of his exertion hit him fully, draining all of his strength.
,,And so, the dog of war turns back into a miserable cat.” Merdrar gloated. The Khajiit glared at him.
,,A cat is a hunter as well, a hunter of a different kind.” He whispered. Using all of his remaining energy, he leaped up into the air with an agility his Werewolf form did not possess. He wrapped his tail around the Dremora’s throat and used his momentum to bring the being out of balance. He landed behind Merdrar and kicked at his legs. The man tripped and fell from the bridge. For a timeless moment, the two looked each other in the eyes.
,,I salute you! You have been a worthy challenge! Perhaps we shall meet again!” Were the last words the being from Oblivion said as it vanished into the depths. Ra’trith crawled across the bridge and lay down on the floor, exhausted like he’d never been before.
,,Odd creature, to congratulate the one who beat it. And why did it raise the possibility of another meeting? Nothing can survive a fall that great. Wait, it must be hiding out of sight, levitating. I must hide and recover my strength for when we clash again. The hunt has come to an end, for now.”

Aran bowed his head when he saw the sun for the first time since his imprisonment. Already, the memory of the dark tunnels began to fade. He would think about the dark powers whose actions he’d witnessed. Though that would be later, not now.
,,We made it. I never thought I would see the sun again. Yes, death will not be our fate. Do you hear me? I’ll take you to a friend of mine. She’s taken care of my wounds countless times before. She’ll take care of yours.” He whispered and set off towards the spectacular tower marking the capital of Tamriel.

In a dark chamber, far away from the prison, a man awoke. He shook his head to clear the fogginess of his sleep. He then frowned.
,,So, it appears that Merdrar has fallen. Who did it? That young fool, Talin? That assassin I put on the other side of the complex? Perhaps the Bosmer who saw too much? No, not her. She would try to run rather than fight, if she could run at all. Maybe one of the few other prisoners?” He rang a bell and waited till his servant entered the room.
,,Gather the Blades. I have a mission for them.”