The adventures of Arthago chapter II, The Rebellion Options

[Agent Griff]

Here's the link to Chapter I of Arthago's tale.
http://www.waiting4oblivion.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=1782

We can get this new chapter over with. I can also tell you that after this chapter, Arthago will move to a new province. I'm not telling though, you have to be on your guard. Well, blabbering over, here's the begining of the newest chapter of Arthago's tale. Enjoy!


~~~
I found myself in an icy Arena, fighting someone I didn't know. He was a tall Imperial, wearing ebony plates under his blue cloak. He wielded a great mace which gave him supernatural power. He lunged at me with a ferocity I had never seen before, forcing me to put all my strength into evading his blows. He had a red in his eyes which froze the blood in my veins. What did he want? Why was I fighting him? I woke up in my inn bed after managing to hit this powerful foe. I was sweating heavily, and my head was banging. It had been a nightmare, a very realistic one. I hoped that this I wouldn't experience this kind of nightmare ever again.

Nightmares and monstrous foes aside, I had a meeting with the king of Sentinel and I didn't want to be late. I took a look at my armour. It had some patches of dirt on it, the weather in Sentinel was very windy at the time so sand storms often engulfed the city. I gave the armour a quick scrub with a cloth then put it on. I wanted to look my best if I was going to meet the King and talk affairs of state with him. I made my way downstairs and after greeting the regulars I was on my way to the palace. I decided to collect Marshall Daron from his house first. When I reached his house, I found him shaved and wearing some expensive clothes. So the Marshall had an official side to him eh?
"Are you ready sir?" I asked.
"Ready as can be, let us be off!" Marshall Daron said. And with that we were on our way to the palace.

We reached the palace soon enough, and entered the throne room. The king wasn't wearing his crown or any fancy clothes. This must have seemed like an unofficial meeting to him. Whatever. I greeted him.
"Greetings sire! We have come to discuss the subject of Lord Kain's murder." I said in an official tone.
"Yes. Lord Kain was, a good man. But sadly, the ambitions of another got into the way and he was murdered in cold blood." the King said in a sad voice.
"Aye. Lord Vhosek." Marshall Daron said.
"Yes. Lord Vhosek's personal ambitions were to rule his own province. He has it now, in the form of Lainlyn. The terms I agreed with him were that, if Lord Kain refused to rule in our name Lord Vhosek could slay him and rule the province himself. It seems Lord Vhosek didn't even propose any terms, he just plain murdered Lord Kain. If I were to send soldiers to arrest him, he could go to the kingdom of Wayrest and start a war with us. I can't have that, the men have just returned to their homes after a war. We must wait and somehow bring Lord Vhosek to justice." The king said.
"I know how." I said.
"And how may that be Arthago?" Marshall Daron asked me.
"I will go to Lord Vhosek's palace in Lainlyn and slay him myself. I can't let Lord Kain's murder go unpunished." I said in a bold tone.
"Bold words for someone so young. How will you get past Vhosek's guards? He has his own knight order to protect him." The king said. He was right, I was geting too bold for my own age and experience.
"Yes, you are right my king. But what shall we do? Lord Vhosek might as well build his power in Lainlyn and start a war with us. We must neutralize him. If he lied to your Majesty and murdered Lord Kain just to gain power then he doesn't feel any fear towards your Highness." I said.
"Aye, true words. I must say that you have a great ammount of political savy my boy." the king said. Wow, beeing aknowledged by the king felt great.
"I have heard that some rebellious groups have been popping up in the north of the kingdom. Maybe Lord Vhosek has already started his movements?" Marshall Daron said.
"Unprobable, but we must check into it. We cannot risk Lord Vhosek making troop movements in our own backyard. You are to look into it Arthago." the king said.
"I would be proud my king. Where must I go?" I asked.
"Go to the town of Verkath, south west of Skaven, and inspect the situation there. Come back and report once you've found any evidence of troop movements alright?" Marshall Daron said.
"Aye, I'll be on it right now. I'm off to pack my things and any suplies I might need on the journey. Farewell my king! I shall return once I find enough evidence of troop movements." I said in an anxious tone. Finally, a new quest, not just any quest, a quest from the King! And with that I was off to the market to buy some food and water.


~~~~
And that's the first bit of this chapter. It was kind off short, but the next one will be longer, I promise you. And if some of you missed the last update of the first chapter then you should check it out. Cheers!

This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Mar 26 2006, 10:34 AM

[Kiln]

Very nice update, I liked how you managed to sneak in a little reference to the Clash of Titans in your story. The meeting with the king was nicely done, I like that the character knows when he's gotten himself in over his head, its good to know the limits on what you can do.

Anyways to make a long story short, great beginning to the second chapter.

[Tellie]

Imust agree with Mr.Oven here as well...I really liked the way you got a little part of the clash between titans, in your post...hmm,maby I shoulddo the same...

*outlines several plots.

[jack cloudy]

I agree with everyone else, this was a nice update and the clashy bit was great.

[Agent Griff]

I won't keep you waiting with the next update. Here it is!


~~~~
After buying a sack full of food and some bottles of water, I was off to the stables to get Whisper, my horse. I found him sleeping. Damn horse, the lack of recent activity made him fatten up. No matter, he would get all his fat off in the coming journey! I woke him up with a slap on the back of the neck. He reacted just as he always did in a shy way and got up. I saddled him and we were off to Verkath to inspect local unrest. Since Verkath was a northern city close to the Dragontail mountains I bought some warm clothes.

My 20-th birthday caught me on the road, just as my 19-th one did. I really needed to catch a birthday in the city. If I continued to make my aniversary in the middle of nowhere, I don't think I would ever receive any presents. At most a fart from my horse. Birthdays and honour aside, I was a few miles out of Sentinel and already a highwayman aproached me.
"Well, what have we ere'? A little Redguard from Sentinel?" the highwayman said. He was a tall Nord.
"Step back bandit! I'm a knight of Sentinel in service of the King! If you don't want to have a whole guard squad after you then step away from me!" I boldly said to the tall Nord. He seemed intimidated and stepped away a few steps. I had seen bigger men than him in my days.
"I'll be seeing you around Redguard. I'm Beomir. Remember the name you hear?" the Nord said while turning his back to me. So my intimidation tactics finally worked for a change eh? It seemed the name of the King held power even outside the city.

The journey held no events from that Nord bandit onwards. I was already crossing a path through the mountains that would help me reach Verkath faster. It was a perfect place for an ambush. The good thing was nobody knew I was coming, so I was safe for the moment. I wasn't puting too much strain on Whisper. That Nord bandit gave him enough unpleasant feelings. Night was falling though and I had to make camp quickly if I wanted to avoid any creatures of the night. I had heard rumours of unholy creatures in the mountains so I had to watch out. Since I forgot to buy a tent, I had to make due with a small cave I found in the mountain crags. It was abandoned, thankfully. I made a small fire inside to keep me warm and baked some food over it. I gave what pieces I didn't like to the horse. He didn't quite like it either, but he was on a diet so he didn't have much choice. He ate the food anyway, seems he wanted to keep his belly. I then, slowly acustomed myself to the cold floor of the cave. I fell in a deep sleep after that.

I found myself in that Ice Arena again, fighting with that monster of a man. I don't even think he was a man, he seemed to lack the fear of dying that most men have. He lunged at me with all he had and succeded in throwing my scimitar out of my hands. I dodged the blow of his mace that followed but I still felt it connect. I realised that I had to fight this oponent or die to exit the dream. If I died in the dream maybe I died in the real world too, I had heard tales of men dying in their sleep. The monster picked me up with his free hand and with great force threw me across that arena. Something gave him unnatural strength. It must have be the mace he wields, it seems to glow with evil. Still, I managed to lead him into attacking me. If this oponent had any weakness, it was his overconfidence. I managed to vault over him and aquaint him with my foot. It felt good to be on top of things after a while. We both took distance between eachother, but before I or he could act, I woke up in the cave. Damn these nightmares!

Whisper was already awake. Pretty strange, he loved to sleep more than it was necesarry in the morning. I saddled him and hunged the sack of food to my back. I was ready to resume my journey to Verkath. The shortcut through the mountains had given me a day's advantage. Later, close to sun set, I set my eyes on the city. It wasn't that big and it wasn't much of a city, it was more of a stronghold in the mountains. A stone wall protected its eastern face while the sheer rock of the mountains closed off all of its other sides. If Lord Vhosek's men were to strike here, our forces would have a hard time capturing the city back from Vhosek's men. I aproached the gates....


~~~~
That's it for this update! I hope you've liked it thus far. And good luck in the Clash of the Titans, you're gonna need it!

[Kiln]

I'm glad you mentioned the arena fight in your story, it brings back a feeling I thought I'd lost, I'm glad Clash of Titans was thought of. It probably makes little sense to you what I mean but...well great update anyways, it keeps getting more and more interesting.

[jiub]

I really like your story. I skimmed through the 1st chapter and this one is so much better! Now I wish I didn't vote for the other guy. Oh well my vote is made, sorry

[Tellie]

Woaw...that one was...well great...I liked the further interplay between the clash of the titans,maby we'll get to see the result as well in anotherr update.

So I loved this update, it was definately good...but Sentinel, isnt that a town in Cyrodiil...I might be mistaken...but then it would not make sence that it had a king when they have the emperor...well, never mind...it's after all your story, and i love it even more when you take liberties with the story.

Please give us more. a Jona for you...no wait you deserve more ...Jona's than just one.

[Taillus]

Whoa that was completely unexpected. Adding dreams of the Clash battle. Pure genius!!!!

[Agent Griff]

Sentinel is a city in Hammerfell, province of the Redguards. It's actually the capital of the greatest kingdom in Hammerfell. Learn your lore Tellie!

[Tellie]

Sentinel is a city in Hammerfell, province of the Redguards. It's actually the capital of the greatest kingdom in Hammerfell. Learn your lore Tellie! 

Ahh...thats what I thought that there was something that did not match up...DOH..I feel stupid now...

But well, lets hope we get an update soon. a Jona for your efforts.

[jack cloudy]

Another good update.

[Agent Griff]

Sorry for the delay in my update. As always I've been playing Oblivion. It really helps my creative juices to actually see battles and various types of armour. But enough pointless dabbling, let's not keep Arthago waiting shall we?


~~~
I entered the fortified city of Verkath through its great gates. They were made of wood with some iron here and there, a good combination which could hold off a battering ram just enough for the defenders to rally inside the gates. Through the gates I saw a single street, wide enough for 2 carriages to pass through. In the center of it all was an Imperial Soldier who was passing down small booklets. Pocket Guides to the Empire he called them.
"They have a Hammerfell section at page 56! Come, take some! They are free friends! Here, take this!" the Imperial Soldier said as he gave me the small booklet.
"Well, thanks but I already know Hammerfell's history and things like that pretty well." I said. History was a thing I loathed, but because my father really wanted me to be very smart as well as good with a blade he hired a personal tutor to teach me every little bit of Hammefellian history there was to learn. I was given books like "Redguards, their history and their heroes" and things like that. I learned so much about Frandar Hunding and his glorious life that I could say it like poetry.
"No problem friend, it has an interesting section on places of interest, if that's what you like." the Imperial Soldier said. This guy was really persistent, calling me friend? Who did he think he was? Still, I took the damn book and leaved him on the street.

The section on places of interest said some things I didn't know. Something about Sentinel and it beeing a mighty Forebear city. It also said about Stros M'kai. Mainly about it beeing the ancestral city of the Crowns and things like that. Nothing I didn't already know. It was getting late so I decided to head to an inn. Some beggar I asked directed me to the "Ansei Lodge" inn. Interesting, either he was really looking out for me or he directed me to some of his friends who would ambush me and take my money. I trusted the first opinion and made my way to the respective inn. It looked pretty nice, and it didn't charge much, only 15 drakes for a room. It seemed like a good offer so I headed upstairs to my accommodations. I found a pretty new bed with clean blankets and a small table with some free drinks. Mostly cheap stuff though, beer or ale. I wasn't much of a drinker so I took off my scabbard from my belt and unfitted my armour. I then made myself cousy in the bed and prepared for a good night's sleep.

My sleep was pretty uneventful, no nightmares or things like that. I however woke up to noise. Two men entered my room, they were both armed and armoured.
"The Crowns are taking over this inn!" one of them shouted.
"The what?" I asked, I was still in my sleep.
"Where are you from citizen?" one of them asked me.
"From S.." I stopped. I remembered what I had read in that book. Sentinel, great city of the Forebears, Stros M'kai, ancestral home of the Crowns. I also remembered who the Crowns were, a revolutionary group in search of Redguard freedom. A noble cause but that meant fighting the Empire, and not many people were up for it.
"I'm from Stros M'kai of course!" I said in a jolly voice.
"Oh good, we thought you were some Forebear scum from Sentinel. Go downstairs, the Forebears are attacking the city." one of them calmly said.
"Someone's attacking the city? I just come in here and all hell breaks loose?" I shouted.
"Calm down, go downstairs and suit up if you don't have armour. Go to the wall, and hold it with your life!" one of them said.
"I have my own armour, but I don't want to get involved in this war!" I said.
"If you're not with us, you're against us!" one of them said as he was grasping his sword.
"Alright, I understand! I'll go and defend the damn wall!" I said in an annoyed voice. I really didn't want to get involved in this war that was going on for hundreds of years. I was now a rebel, whether I liked it or not.

The inn had become a recruitment center overnight. It was full of men receiving armour and arms then being sent of to the wall. I passed through the mass of people and into the street. A group of warriors were heading towards the wall, I decided to follow them. I reached the wall in a few moments and was shocked at what I saw over the walls. A great many soldiers were heading towards the wall, carrying ladders. A shower of arrows and javelins started falling over the city. The ladder soon started hitting the walls, and enemy troops started pouring over our defense lines. I stood between and archer, to my left, and an axe man, to my right. When a ladder landed right in front of the archer next to me, he leaned over the wall trying to shoot an arrow down. A javelin pierced his neck and he fell down the wall.
"Bad luck." the axe man next to me said.
"May your axe strike hard!" I shouted as I approached the ladder with my sword drawn.
A hand touched the last handle of the ladder and I chopped it off after a few moments of deciding to strike or not. It was his life or mine, and I wasn't prepared to give up. The poor man fell down, and probably brought some of his comrades down with him. Another soon climbed the ladder, he raised his axe trying to strike me down. I slashed him over the chest before he even lowered his axe, and he was flying down like the others before him. I looked around me to see the situation, the axe man to my right was swinging his axe in a wide arc, slaying enemies like flies. To my left the situation wasn't so bright, enemy warriors were already on the walls fighting the Crown troops.

Before I could clear my thoughts an enemy already scaled the ladder and touched the wall with his feet. He swung his claymore in a wide arc, aiming for my head. I ducked and slashed his left foot, he fell down and my scimitar soon severed his head. The next enemy didn't even get to raise his weapon, I broke the handle of the ladder on which he was standing and he fell down. I looked around once again, I was getting more and more surrounded by my enemies. The axe man to the right was holding that portion of the wall all by himself. I was getting pretty close to his situation, only a scant few men were left to my left. 6 at most, me included. The situation was getting from bad to worse. Reinforcements however soon came in the form of a unit of foot knights led by the leader of the rebel Crowns himself. Wielding a steel claymore he carved a path through the enemies to my right, relieving the tired axe man. The knights in armour did the rest. The city was still in Crown hands, for the moment.

After the battle, the leader of the Crowns called all of the surviving original defenders of the wall to reward them for their bravery. I was among them, a rebel forced to fight. I met the axe man at the ceremony, he was called Davik. He was a good and honest man. The leader of the Crowns named us knights in his service and rewarded us all. I received 3000 drakes out of the town's coffers. The leader of the Crowns approached me after the ceremony.
"I saw you on the wall, you fought bravely my boy." the Crown leader said.
"I didn't have much of a choice, I was getting surrounded." I humbly said. I really didn't want to get on the bad side of this guy after I saw what he did with that claymore of his.
"Don't be modest lad, you deserve that reward. I will also trust you with a task now my boy, I trust you will complete it." he said.
"What task?" I asked, this could be my chance to escape!
"I want you to track down a deserter. He left us after the battle, I fear he will go to the enemy." The Crown leader said.
"Do not fear, I will find him and bring him to you!' I said in a happy voice. I was actually happy to get out of this situation.

The next day after the ceremony, I was already on my horse and on my way back to Sentinel. I had to report all of this to the King!



~~~
And that's the end of this update. This was a more epic part of Arthago's adventure, I hope you'll like it!


This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Mar 29 2006, 06:34 AM

[jack cloudy]

I liked it, though I don't quite understand why the emperor would allow big wars like that to happen. Unless Verkath isn't part of the Empire of course.

[Agent Griff]

This war happened in Hammerfell, which is one of the most independent provinces of the Empire. And this war is a secret war, not to be known by Imperials. It would be hard for it to reach the Emperor's ears. It is after all a battle between Redguards.

[Tellie]

Ahh...loved it griffie.. here you have a jona, and a milanius.

please update soon, I really love your story...it's on my must read list, so you cn count on me reading it........I like the way you give hima life, and all that...damn good story...:sorry for my language there:.

[Agent Griff]

Here's another update for all of you! Enjoy it!



~~~
I galloped until I was well out of reach of Verkath. After that, I tried not to tire poor old Whisper. He was getting older and older so he couldn't exactly keep up with my needs. Still, he did his job pretty well for a horse of his age. I once again took that shortcut through the mountains and slept in that cave. The night though, was horrible.

I once again found myself in that damned Arena fighting that madman. I seemed to be winning for a moment, I had actually wounded him with a few slashes of my scimitar. The blood pouring from his wounds however seemed to give my foe more power. I surprised him again and again with my attacks which seemed to give me the upper hand. Madness soon disappeared from his eyes, only rage and bloodlust remained. He grasped his great sword and his demonic mace then prepared one last charge. He raised both his weapons and struck me with all of his power, the blade knocked me down then he brought down his whole weight on me using his mace. He hit me right in the head and everything soon went blank. Nothing followed as I felt myself floating through the void of Oblivion itself. I could slowly make out a voice.
"I have deemed you not worthy of myself, mortal. You shall have your chance to fight in the great war to come against my brother of Destruction. Prepare yourself!" the voice boomed in my head.

I waked up to find the sun rising over the mountains. It was time to move on to Sentinel. I made a quick journey out of the mountains and was back on my way to Sentinel. I once again passed the clearing where I had met the Nord highwayman Beomir but he wasn't there anymore. Maybe he got scared and ran? Who knows. Still, I rejoiced for I was close to Sentinel, close to the King and my fellow knights. I was soon in front of the great city gates of Sentinel. The guards already knew me well and opened the gates. I made my way to King Lhotun's palace to report my deeds back in Verkath.

The king was relaxing in his private quarters. I found him looking out the window in pretty common clothes. A knight in full armour was guarding him. He was of my order so he let me pass once I showed him my seal. The King greeted me as if I was a friend to him. That honoured me greatly.
"Welcome back Arthago! How did things go in Verkath?" the King asked in a jolly voice. He obviously didn't know about the battle that took place there.
"There was trouble." I simply said.
"What kind of trouble? Where Vhosek's men scouting the city?" the King asked in a confused voice.
"The Crowns took over the city. They then repelled an attack from men bearing the white Moon of Lord Vhosek. You were right to suspect Vhosek making movements in Verkath." I said.
"This sounds bad. I want you to take back the city from Crown hands!" the King said. He was beginning to understand the look in my eyes.
"Well Sire, I kind of helped the Crowns take over the city." I simply said.
"So, let me understand, you helped one rebel group win the city while you stopped another rebel group from conquering it right?" The King inquired.
"That's pretty much what happened Sire. I was forced to comply with their orders my King. I have however gained their trust, if that compensates for the things I have done." I humbly said. I was in a bad situation.
"You say you've gained their trust eh? That could help us win the city back easier. I will send an order to Marshall Daron to gather 40 of our best knights and meet you outside the city gates tomorrow. Go back to Verkath and get the knights inside the city. Once you've done that, you should make your way to the leader of the Crowns and slay him. The Knights should wear cloaks and you should call them 'fresh recruits'. Quick now, have a rest and refresh yourself then meet Marshall Daron outside the gates tomorrow. Get to it soldier!" The King said in an authoritative voice.
"I'm on it right now Sire. Wish me luck!" I said as I left the King's private quarters.
"You're going to need it." the king said in a sad voice.

I went straight to the "Frandar's Rest" inn to get a good night's sleep. It was one of the first rests I had had in a long time in which I didn't dream about that fight. I awoke in the morning refreshened, I put on my armour then made my way to the main city gate. Marshall Daron and the others were waiting for me outside.
"Good to see you made it on time Arthago, let us be on our way shall we?" Marshall Daron calmly said. He had probably been through countless of these situations before so he had cool blood.
"Aye, are the knights all accounted for?" I asked. It was better to be cautious in such situations.
"Sure they are Arthago, they aren't cowards like yourself!" Marshall Daron said in a sarcastic way. And with that sarcastic remark we were off to Verkath to conquer the city back for our great king.

~~~
And that's it for this update, one of the shortest I've ever made. Good luck with your own projects!



This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Mar 29 2006, 07:32 PM

[minque]

Ahh...loved it griffie.. here you have a jona, and a milanius.

please update soon, I really love your story...it's on my must read list, so you cn count on me reading it........I like the way you give hima life, and all that...damn good story...:sorry for my language there:.

Agree with Tellie......and I´ll put in another milanius.....wow.....

[Agent Griff]

Here's the newest update. I'll have to be quick on this one since there's a big soccer match coming up and I'm going. Well here's the update! Enjoy!

~~~
We started our journey well and progressed quickly. I was the only one who had a horse sadly, so I had to keep up with the foot knights who were getting tired in their heavy armour. I had to give them some time to rest so I talked with Marshall Daron.
"I'm going up ahead to scout the road. Tell the men to rest then follow me." I said as I galloped off on Whisper's back.
"I will don't worry, you be off!" Marshall Daron calmly said.
I galloped ahead a while until my horse started getting tired. We were approaching a pass in the mountains and I could hear the knights behind. Their clanking armour parts gave them away to any would-be ambushers but from what I knew nobody knew we were coming. I entered the pass. A Nord soon appeared. It was Beomir, the highwayman I had met on my first journey to Verkath. He approached me slowly, with his hand on his broadsword.
"Greetings Beomir! How's life treating you?" I calmly asked. It was best to keep your calm in these situations.
"Just fine Redguard. I see you've remembered my name." Beomir said in a sooth voice, while smiling.
"Ah, but didn't you advise me to remember your name?" I asked.
"Yes I did. But let's cut the small talk, you know why I'm here!" Beomir said, loosing his temper.
"Don't get angry Beomir, haven't I already warned you? I am not alone you know." I calmly said. With a bit of luck I could scare him off.
"Well, neither am I Redguard. Sons of Skyrim!" Beomir shouted. I drew my sword from my scabbard.
A dozen bandits came from their hiding places and surrounded me. They all had weapons and they all were pointing their weapons towards me.
"Now let's keep our calm friends! Can't we solve this in a civilized way?" I asked in a loud voice. If I could stall them long enough for the knights to arrive I could rid the countryside of these bandits for good.
"There isn't any civilized way! Harald, get him off his horse!" Beomir shouted to one of his men.
A tall Nord approached me with his club drawn.
"Step back Nord! Don't make me do anything bloody Beomir!" I shouted. The knights were close, I could hear their clanking armour.
"Redguards!!!" one of the bandits shouted. It seemed the knights had finally appeared after their rest.

The bandits started running in every direction, some of them didn't even know where the knights were so they ran right into them and got slaughtered like pigs. Beomir stood his ground and didn't know what to do. His face showed fear and his legs were probably stunned with surprise.
"I'll get you for this Redguard! You wait and see!" Beomir shouted as he ran off into the opposite direction. He knew the local caves so it was easy for him to escape. I then met with Marshall Daron who had bloodied his sword with a few confused bandits.
"I leave you alone for half an hour and you're already getting into trouble! What am I going to do with you?" Marshall Daron said as he started to laugh.
"I warned them but they didn't listen." I said, laughing as well.
We had a great time until we reached Verkath. A guard that was standing watch shouted at us to identify ourselves.
"Arthago of Stros M'kai! I have returned with followers of our cause!" I shouted as Marshall Daron approached me.
"You got these guys good didn't you?" he slowly said to me as he chuckled.
"Well, I had to be creative. Having a sword to your face helps in the process." I said as I started smiling as well.
"You're right, but enough humour, we have work to do!" Marshall Daron said as the smile disappeared from his face. We entered the city.

Night was falling and the city streets were deserted. People were too afraid to come out of their homes. The Crowns had the city all to themselves and they were probably hogging the taverns. I decided to head directly to the source of the problem, the leader of the Crowns. I spoke with Marshall Daron in regards to how many men we should take with us. We decided in the end to go with 10 men to the palace of Verkath and leave the rest in small groups at various points in the city, close to the palace so they could help us if things got ugly. When we reached the palace, I went in together with Marshall Daron and a senior knight of the Order. We didn't want to arouse suspicion among the Crowns present in the palace.

We entered the palace after we left the other 7 knights outside the palace gates, ready to come in and help us if need be. In the Crown's eyes they were fresh recruits but I knew their power and skill. They were veterans of the Lainlyn civil war and they knew how to handle the blade. We were soon in front of the Crown leader, who had surprisingly little bodyguards with him. Only 4 soldiers. He greeted us.
"Welcome back Arthago! Have you found the deserter?" the Crown leader asked.
"Sadly not, he evaded me and got away. But I have brought you new recruits! With a little training they will be Imperial leggionaire quality soldiers." I said, trying to convince him that the elite knights we brought with us were just peasants.
"Good enough, I have heard that the Forebears in Sentinel will make a move against us so we will have to be on our guard. You never know what those Forebear scum might throw at us." The Crown leader said. He was right, we were using dishonorable methods.
"Now's the time lads, slay this traitor!" Marshall Daron shouted. Subtlety wasn't his strong point that was sure.

The palace broke out into chaos. The knights who were outside barged in the palace after slaying the outside guards. The leader of the Crowns was soon left alone, with his weapon far from him. He didn't beg for mercy, instead he stood firm and looked me into the eye.
"Arthago, I trusted you. I thought you cared about Hammerfell's independence! You're just Forebear scum, like the rest of these murderers. Go ahead! Kill me!" The Crown leader shouted.
"Listen, I'm as much a fan of Redguard freedom as any man, but when it comes to fighting with the Empire there's no point! They will crush Hammerfell if they get the chance. A war in the province will give them that chance!" I shouted back.
"The Empire is dying Arthago, can't you see it? The blood wheel has all but turned against the Empire and its rulers. The Empire shall soon pay for its crimes and injustices. The Forebears have blinded you!" the Crown leader shouted. He was starting to make sense. I could see signs of the Empire's end all around me.
"Enough of his lies, let's end his miserable life. Arthago, will you give the command?" Marshall Daron said to me and every knight in the room.
"I'm sorry sir, it was an honour serving the Crown cause." I hesitated giving the order, this man was an honest Redguard, a model for other men to follow.
"If my aprentice hesitates, I will not. Men, slay this traitor!" Marshall Daron swiftly said.

The leader of the Crowns was then slain on the very spot he stood. A true hero's death if you ask me, he died fighting for what he believed in. After we counted our loses, 2 good men, we left 35 of the Knights left in charge of the city. I, together with Marshall Daron and 3 other Knights, left for Sentinel to report what happened to the King. He would be most interested to hear all of this.


~~~
That's it for this longer update, I hope you've enjoyed it!

[Tellie]

Oh....an update so soon???....well, it was a welcome one, and I enjoyed it throughly, so Arthago began to change his mind.....hmmm,I can understand him, I propably would if something like that happend as well.

So please accept a Tellie from me, and a jona.

Lovely update, quality writing for sure....please give us more.