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> WG - The Mystery of the Poisoned Healer
mALX
post Jul 29 2013, 07:13 AM
Post #41


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Joined: 14-March 10
From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



*

Eyja:

Eyja nodded mutely at Seth's plan. It did make sense to check the closest Ayleid site first.

Seth swung his horse to the northeast, climbing the hill on a diagonal to meet the road heading north.

Eyja strained her eyes staring to the northwest, but other than a few deer crossing the high fields in graceful bounding leaps there was no signs of movement as far as she could see.

She didn't have to signal Sapphire to turn, the mare automatically followed the large black stud Seth was mounted on, scrambling up the hill with a faster gait to meet his horse's long strides.

Seth spotted the white Ayleid arches through the trees and pointed them out to Eyja while he scanned the structure for a path up to it. The only path going up was slick looking slabs of a marble-like rock gleaming so brightly in the sunlight that it was almost blinding to look at them. Eyja shaded her eyes and let Sapphire have her head to follow Seth’s horse through the thick brush to the lower set of arches.

It was easier to see the structure now, just an entry into an underground cavern in the facing of the mountain. Had it not been for the reflection off the slabs and arches it would have been impossible to see it through the woods.

Seth dismounted and began preparing his weapons for quick and easy access, which took nothing at all; he merely touched each as if checking off a list of preparations in his mind.

Eyja dismounted and did the same, making sure she knew the position of every weapon and shield, potions and spell before setting out behind him.

Seth put his arm out to stop Eyja walking, pointing at an enormous footprint in the dirt, then another in a measured distance from the first. They were going in the direction of the Ayleid ruin. She didn’t need to hear Seth’s whisper of “The Orc” to realize who had made them.

As if on signal both Seth and Eyja reached for their poisons and began tainting several weapons in readiness, both moved to opposite sides of the slick marble and began closing in on the entry with weapons drawn and squatted low to the ground to make smaller targets if someone did exit while they were approaching.




***


Seth signaled Eyja to stay hidden beside the entry while he circled the structure to ensure no guards were hidden on the hill above it.

When he returned he faced the entry itself, scanning every discrepancy in the pattern carefully. He indicated the slightest darkening of the marble in one section and whispered so quietly that Eyja wasn‘t sure she‘d even heard it.

“See that discoloration? That’s from the oils in men’s hands.” He began feeling around that section of the entry; barely making a sound when he found what he was looking for.

“Found it, a hidden spring.”

There was only a quiet ’click’ sound; the stone slab’s spring gave quickly at Seth’s touch, as if it had been kept well oiled and in good working condition. Whether the Orc was still there or not, this ruin was not going to be empty inside.

The slab itself made a tremendously loud grating racket on sliding open, whoever was inside had to hear it. Still, it slid easily, as if the track had been kept well soaped. The slab must weigh enormously by the sound of it in movement.

Eyja had a minute fear of being sealed inside a tomb as the door grated closed automatically behind them.

“Maybe we should find the spring to open it from this side now, before we need it in a hurry to leave here.” Eyja whispered, trying ot see any pattern or design on the inside of the door in the darkness.

Her voice echoed eerily off the curved marble of the walls, carrying well down the corridor before them. Sound carried too well in this place, they would be lucky if the whole population inside wasn’t charging up the corridor in seconds of her speaking. Then again, they’d hear enemies coming too.

Mold covered the walls, the door; everything. There was no way to see discolorations from sweaty hands; especially in the darkness of the place.

Eyja forced herself not to cast a spell for night vision, though as pitch dark as it was she wanted to. It wasn’t just not wanting to make another sound and draw attention to their presence; she didn’t want to use up her magicka in case the enemies in this place outnumbered them and charged.

As if reading her mind, Seth pulled a small vial from a belt covered in tiny pockets; each just large enough to hold one vial of potion. He took a sip and passed it to Eyja without a word. She breathed in relief, it was night vision. He found the spring quickly and then began creeping down the long corridor.





***


Eyja followed Seth, as soundless as he was moving down numerous flights of slippery moldy steps before a central corridor led them to a huge greatroom.

Seth blocked Eyja from sliding into the room, then carefully moved to one side and pointed; first at the floor, then at the ceiling.

“Traps.” His whisper didn’t echo; Eyja didn‘t know if that was due to the larger room that absorbed the sound or if he was more adept at whispering than she was.

He took another sip from the vial and handed it to her again. Eyja took a swig from the vial and handed it back while Seth glanced over the room quickly from his squatted position beside the corridor.

Seth tapped Eyja's shoulder and pointed, sighting down his arm, then moved his head slightly as if signaling Eyja to sight down his arm. She leaned in closely and followed where his finger pointed.

“Fresh blood, recent.” He whispered; then pointed to a small cubicle on the left where a pillar was topped by a set of empty prongs. He moved his arm over and pointed to the opposite cubicle, set up exactly the same; but that pillar held a Welkynd Stone in the prongs.

“They’ve got the stone. The Orc’s footsteps were the only one’s outside; they must be meeting him wherever they are going.”

Eyja nodded, whispering back. “He can’t be that far ahead of us if the blood wasn’t dried.” Her whisper echoed eerily in the huge chamber.

“If the blood was his.” Seth‘s whisper didn‘t disturb the silence of the place, how did he do that?




***



“So we only need to track the Orc to find them, right?“ Her whisper echoed across the room like the hissing of a snake, she heard it reverberating down the row of cubicles and nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud voice responded.

“By Ysmir's beard, we've got ourselves a live one!”

Eyja’s head spun from Seth’s face to the end of the huge greatroom where a muscularly built Redguard woman was reaching onto her back. Eyja hoped it wasn’t going to come back with a bow in it.

Seth was on his feet with his bow out before the woman had finished speaking. The Redguard woman’s arm swung back over her head with a wicked looking throwing hatchet in her hands; the bronze color making it recognizable as Dwarven.

She couldn’t possibly have the strength to throw it this far, so Seth’s weapon was the only valid one in the fight. Seth was backing away, moving toward the corridor and signaling Eyja with a jerk of his head to get into the corridor first so he could cover her escape.

Eyja stood up to obey him, backing to the corridor as well with a poisoned throwing dagger ready in her hand.

As she moved into the corridor Eyja shot the woman a universal signal for what she could do with her threat, then kissed her hand and rubbed it on her rump. She blew her hand toward the woman, enraging her.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" She swung her arm back, moving forward and keeping her eyes on Seth.

Eyja turned and moved quickly down the corridor while Seth stayed in position, his bow nocked with an arrow and holding a dead aim at the woman’s chest. The woman could obviously see them clearly by her following of their movements, she must be using night vision as well.

Eyja stuck out her tongue and made another motion with her hand, even ruder than the last one.

"I'll send your bloody soul straight to Sovngarde! Uraaagh!" She was already in motion toward them.

Seth made a low grunt Eyja correctly interpreted to mean "get moving." Eyja obeyed him quickly, hurrying down the corridor and up the flight of stairs they had just descended.

As Seth barreled down the corridor toward her, an arrow still nocked and his bowstring still taut they heard it; the sound of a huge slab moving at tremendous speed and slamming against the ceiling.

The whole building shook with the force of it. They heard the Redguard woman’s scream break off into a gurgle.

Seth passed Eyja at the door, automatically reaching for the spring that set the stone slab sliding open. He pushed Eyja through first, then stepped out behind her into the blinding sunshine just before the slab grated shut.


*


OOC: I think I had too much coffee in my system, what the hell did I do? I blame Folgers for fueling me up too much. Blackie said it was okay, so go ahead and post if you are ready, Grits - sorry about this. sad.gif
embarrased.gif


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 31 2013, 10:31 PM


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Grits
post Jul 29 2013, 02:20 PM
Post #42


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Joined: 6-November 10
From: The Gold Coast



Abiene

Honditar led the way up the road at a pace that earned them warning looks from the Legion patrols. He must have taken her at her word that she could keep up. Abiene did not enjoy her home county’s traditional troll hunts, but social custom dictated that she participate. Though she could claim no kills of her own, her pride insisted that she excel in the chase.

They reined up at a crossroad. Honditar dismounted. Abiene did the same.

“Hold the horses and watch the road,” Honditar told her. He headed into the bushes.

“Which way do you suppose they went?” she asked before thinking. If he knew they would still be riding. Perhaps he needed a comfort break. Abiene decided that she didn’t need to go. In fact she was probably dehydrated.

Honditar’s reply was an irritated growl.

“I have a Scroll of Clairvoyance,” Abiene suggested.

That got the Altmer’s attention. “Why didn’t you use it to find Maxical?” His voice wasn’t quite a shout.

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.” Abiene tried not to snap back at him. “Maxical is too far away. There are surely creeks and impassable gullies between us. The scroll would show the most direct path, but it could easily send us off in the wrong direction to get us around an obstacle that we can’t yet see.”

“Then it’s useless.”

“We’re on the road. That’s a direct path.”

Honditar made a gesture. “Use it, then.”

Abiene bit the corner of her lip. “Well, it only works for something or someone with whom the user is very familiar. I could use it to find my house keys, for example, but you couldn’t use it to find my house keys. It’s left over from one of my papa’s experiments. It turns out there isn’t much of a market for them.”

“Get to the point.”

“Well, an old friend or a lover should be familiar. I think the scroll will work.”

A series of expressions crossed Honditar’s face. “But you just met— Oh, you don’t mean... You and Eyja?”

Abiene strained not to roll her eyes. “You and Eyja. Didn’t you tell me you’ve known her for decades? I thought you could use it to find her.” She turned to reach into a saddlebag for the scroll.

Two Imperials and a Nord walked out of the bushes. Now Abiene saw the faint trail they had been using. Not even a footpath.

“Look here,” said one of the Imperials. “I sure wish we had some horses.”

Honditar moved forward. “Get behind me,” he hissed at Abiene.

Too late for that, thought Abiene. The men seemed to move more slowly as she glanced over them. She didn’t need to know much about weapons to recognize clubs, and the Nord had an axe on his hip.

“Good day,” she said. Her tone said Move along with all of the authority she could muster. She sent a Fear spell at the Nord to shake his confidence, hoping that he would be the most susceptible. Intelligence was more a factor than bravery. Her spell glittered slightly in the bright sunshine.

The other Imperial spoke up. “Yeah, I’m tired of walking.”

“Forget about it, Aldo,” said the Nord. He sounded nervous. “Not worth it.”

Abiene considered drawing fire into her hand as a threat, but it might upset the horses. Also it might escalate the situation beyond her ability to control it. Her aim was poor with elemental spells.

“Aldo,” said Honditar. “That’s funny, we just passed a Legion rider named Aldo. Do you know him?” He jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating the way he and Abiene had come. “Should be here any minute.”

Abiene pretended exasperation. “No, his name was Ronaldo,” she told Honditar. “All of those Enemies Explode spells have damaged your hearing. You shouldn’t be so quick to cast them.”

The Nord headed up the road without another word. The two Imperials exchanged a glance. Then they broke into a trot to catch up with him.

Honditar turned to Abiene. “You were supposed to be watching.”

Abiene raised her eyebrows at him. “Do you want the scroll?”

“No.” Honditar took the reins. “I found Eyja’s sign. They went this way.”




.


This post has been edited by Grits: Jul 29 2013, 03:21 PM


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Black Hand
post Jul 30 2013, 01:52 AM
Post #43


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Joined: 26-December 05
From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



"Sometimes I wonder why the Ayleids made their own dwellings so dangerous." Seth said, reslinging his bow.

He took out another small potion. This one was a Dispel potion to readjust his eyes to the daylight, and handed it off to Eyja as he squeezed his eyes shut with a pained expression only to open them again, blinking rapidly.

"Then I remember many of them had their slave pens. Mannish 'creatures' were treated in such a cruel and degrading manner by the tell of the old stories, even the Dunmer with their barbaric practices would be aghast." he recounted, remembering the Cyrod's tales of the older days, which lead to the Slave Queen Alessia's rebellion.

Slaves were not permitted to speak, and had to communicate with signs and gestures; which was why modern Cyrodiilic was based on Aldmeris, the Men had no language of their own. They were pitted into terrible gladiatorial fights that made the Arena seem like a marionette show in comparison, and slave owners traded butchered slaves organs like currency.

Traps like these were for the cruel amusement of the Ayleid Masters. The promise of freedom so close...and now these ancient machines claimed at least one more life. He was prepared to use the arrow at any moment, but saw how quickly the Redguard woman's temper overcame her reason.

No doubt she knew the lair's layout, and still let herself become her own worst enemy.

Mephala would be pleased. He thought wryly.

However duplicitous and 'evil' she may be, he was in her sphere. Her webs to be more accurate.

As Eyja's got used too the new lighting, he started looking around for the Orcs tracks.

"All right, we've eliminated this possibility. We know they have what they came for. Now we can look for them. How much longer do you suppose Abiene and Honditar are behind us?" He asked.

"Shouldn't be long now." Eyja replied. "I left markers for Honditar to follow."
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mALX
post Jul 30 2013, 02:35 AM
Post #44


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Joined: 14-March 10
From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



Eyja:


Eyja leaned against the gleaming marble and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air; trying to cleanse the stench of mold from her nostrils. She gratefully took Seth's offer of the vial, taking a deep swig of the chalky potion and blinking back the stinging tears the sunlight on the night vision had caused.

Seth was saying something about the traps, Eyja could barely hear him over the pounding of the blood in her veins. That massive slab of rock pounding the ceiling; the whole ancient structure of this place shaking the way it had...until Seth pushed her through that door she had been almost frozen by the very real fear of being entombed in that place.

She who feared nothing, had crept into garrisons full of men to kill one and sneak out. She had been terrified. For all the times she had taunted and laughed at Maxical for calling it dangerous to crawl through these Ayleid dungeons, for the first time she understood.

The Ayleids were evil geniuses of torture devices. For all the murders she had committed and heard the final cries of death, that Redguard woman's final gurgle would never leave her mind and ride above all the rest in its depths of horror.

She glanced up at Seth's words, something about a Slave Queen. It wasn't registering with her. She held her hands up, one over the other and smacked them together.

"Squeeeeish. That was horrible. I was afraid the place would collapse around us." She looked over at Seth, he was as lost in thought as she had been when he'd been talking to her.

For a moment they both stilled their tongues, letting the silence and the breeze through the trees purge that place from their thoughts.

Seth was the first to pull himself back to the business at hand, checking the surrounding area for the Orc's prints leading away from the dungeon. He found them, his voice as quiet as the breeze itself called to Eyja to come look.

Eyja pushed herself back from the marble and stood, shaking and brushing the dinginess of mold that clung to her armor.

Seth had no sooner asked about Honditar and Abiene; and Eyja barely answered him when Sapphire's whinny caught both their attention. Sapphire's raised head and perked ears let them know it was a horse, but whose? They both found trees to duck behind while the sound of clopping neared and they watched in the direction of them till they saw two horses emerge.

"Honditar!" Eyja blew out her breath in a gust and hurried in a stumbling gait down the steep hill toward Honditar, her body feeling heavy and clumsy from lack of sleep.



*

This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 30 2013, 04:55 PM


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mALX
post Jul 30 2013, 05:04 PM
Post #45


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From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN





Honditar:


Honditar nodded his head to Seth, calling to him. "There's a good heavy trail of footprints, the Orc came up through the woods the same way I did. He's been here."

Eyja's armor was filthy, Honditar was sure they'd already checked the dungeon. "I take it he wasn't inside, do you know if he got the Welkynd Stone?"

Eyja nodded, then mounted up; reaching for the dangling rein on Seth's horse to bring it up the hill to him.





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Grits
post Jul 30 2013, 06:38 PM
Post #46


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From: The Gold Coast



Abiene

One look at Eyja answered Abiene’s most pressing questions. She and Sethyas were both uninjured, and they had not found Maxical. Exhaustion was evident in the Nord woman’s stumbling gait.

Honditar spoke as Eyja mounted up. Their quarry had the Welkynd stone. Eventually their tracking could become a chase.

Abiene kept her tone even and reasonable. She was in no position to start ordering people around, but she needed to be heard.

“Eyja, I know we don’t have time to rest. Will you allow me to help you with my spells? I can ease your fatigue, make you feel as if you’ve slept if only for a little while. Will you take a moment to drink some water and eat? Our pursuit will likely end in violence. Please, Eyja. Maxical will need you strong and clear-headed when we find her.”

She glanced at Honditar, hoping he would step in if Eyja resisted her advice.








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mALX
post Jul 30 2013, 08:08 PM
Post #47


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Joined: 14-March 10
From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



*


Eyja:

Eyja nodded. "Just the spells, there is no time to delay. The Orc's blood was fresh in there, we aren't that far behind him. Seth thinks the Orc is meeting them at wherever Earana is doing the experiment. It might be Cloud Top, but three maps showed Cloud Top in three different places."

She handed Seth his horse's reins before continuing.

"The Orc knows where he is going, we'd be better off catching him before he gets there; fight one at a time. When we confront Earana we can offer the Orc's Welkynd Stone in exchange for Maxical, try to end this without killing her since Maxical may be under spell to fight on Earana's side."


*





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Black Hand
post Jul 31 2013, 07:41 PM
Post #48


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From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



Sethyas considered the plan. It seemed like it was a good one, and made sense. Earana seemed to be the type to send underlings out with the 'minor tasks'. Whether underling or mercenary, the Orc was definitely single-minded if his behavior's indications were accurate. Setting about finishing his task rather then tending to his wounds. But what most might consider a serious wound, Orcs would laugh at. You had to be tough to be an Orc.

He relented to Honditar's superior tracking skills, and knowledge of the area.

Unslinging his bow in anticipation, the chaotic nature of his plan was simply to have no plan.

If you wish to hear the Nine laugh, nine times: Then tell them your plans. One of the Monks was fond of saying, in the orphanage in which he grew up. It seemed to serve the situation well.

In that, until they knew the situation for a certainty they could merely act upon what little information they were able to glean. Until then, he would attack his enemies plans.

"Let's get to this Orc than. If we can take him out before he reaches Earana, she will be stuck in place." he agreed.

He only than started to notice Eyja's state. At first he assumed it was worry for her friend, and then possibly the hunger. He realized then the possibility that she still felt something at the end of a kill.

A trait that speaks well of your humanity, and poorly of your profession. You know the lines, but you can't hear the music, and I pray that you never do. He thought to himself.

He knew that whatever it was that gave him this...talent; as Master Andarys called it, was not 'normal'. He hated the thought that he could and would be equated with a heartless killer. If he examined his actions from an objective account, he was.

But, he still couldn't stand the sight of pain. He was telling the truth when he told the nameless assassin that the torture was not something he wanted to do. He still felt the familiar self-loathing over the act.

He shook his head once to clear his mind and followed Honditar on horseback, nocking an arrow as he prepared for combat, extending his senses as he had grown adept in over the years.

Their high vantage point gave them a wide view of the area, and he scanned for anything that might be amiss. An Orc trampling through the woods would certainly fit that description, and he had the increased confidence of their now-doubled party. Two Assassins, a Hunter and a Healer.

Honditar began to follow the tracks going North-Northwest. Quite fresh from their appearance, and the fact they were on horseback provided them with an advantage in terms of speed.

But not in Stealth.He thought, as a bolt buzzed past them landing two feet from his head in a tree trunk.

He glanced at it, Orc-make. he realized, as he jumped off the horse, smacking it in the hindquarters and yelling 'Hee-yeah!' to get it to trample blindly towards the general direction of the projectile's path.

He quickly took a covered position behind a tree, and drew an armor-piercing arrow.

His quick reaction took perhaps five seconds and he started to bark out instructions.

"Get behind the trees! He's got a crossbow, so that means our armor won't count for much against it."

He than began to scan for the bolt's source, tracing it's trajectory mentally.

He than saw him: Laying behind a log, using the position to effectively snipe at them. The terrain was still in their advantage however, as they were in the higher ground and had several stone pillars around them.

The Orc was preparing his next shot, and Seth then took aim. It was a difficult shot, the downhill trajectory actually working to the Orc's defensive advantage, alongside the range. Crossbows didn't have the versatility and speed of bows, but they didn't have the Archer induced errors either. Not too mention the pure power behind their punch.

He took a deep breath, and released his arrow at his exhale.
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Grits
post Jul 31 2013, 10:00 PM
Post #49


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Joined: 6-November 10
From: The Gold Coast



Abiene

“Just the spells, there is no time to delay,” Eyja told her.

Abiene reached out and caught Eyja’s arm. The spells to restore and temporarily increase her stamina passed between them as softly as a caress. Abiene followed them with the spell she used on the family members of critical patients. Calm and Rally combined with a charm to fortify their nerve. Folk in a crisis often had hard choices to face. She hoped Eyja wouldn’t mind.

They mounted and headed uphill. Abiene kept Kip at the rear of their group, out of the way.

Stay alert and do as you’re told, she reminded herself. Rather than look for the orc herself, she kept her eyes on Eyja and Sethyas.

It happened almost between blinks. A shout and Seth’s horse lunged ahead, riderless.

“Get behind the trees!” Seth called out.

Abiene jumped to the ground, spell in one hand and reins in the other. Kip’s bulk loomed over her. She cast a Shield spell on him as she ducked down. Her Illusion spells weren’t strong enough to turn him invisible, but she hoped the orc wouldn’t bother attacking a horse.

Hide. Save your magicka. It seemed to take an age to reach cover. Abiene drew a fireball into her hands and peeked out from behind the tree. She probably couldn’t hit anything, but most mortals flinched when they saw fire in the air. If the need arose she might be able to buy them a moment of distraction.






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mALX
post Jul 31 2013, 10:21 PM
Post #50


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From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN





Honditar:

The Orc's trail was easily followed by the drying drops of blood clinging to leaves and grass in the brush alongside the pathway. Honditar was used to following bloodtrails; his mind was on the hunt rather than the prey being something other than what he was used to. Had he thought he might have realized it was too easily followed and smelled the trap they rode into.

As the horses had been climbing the hill he'd scanned for wildlife by habit; and noticed the deer were too scarce for this time of year. Honditar assumed they'd been scattered by the Orc just passing through, meaning they must be close on his trail.

The Orc being uphill of them, they'd be easily spotted if not for the cover of the trees as they rode. Honditar glanced up, and was satisfied they'd be hard to see from the criss-crossing foot trail on the mountain above them.

While debating whether the lack of deer would be worth mentioning, Honditar heard a click to his right, and immediately the bolt flew towards them; his first indication the Orc had laid in wait for them. Sethyas's quick reflexes saved him.

Honditar and Eyja both slid off their horses as the bolt lodged deeply into the tree near Seth's head with the sound of a loud 'THWACK." He thought he saw Seth nod his head to the west and agreed silently. Wolf packs take down large prey by surrounding them. With one motion he signaled Eyja to stay low and get further up the hill. She would be safer fighting from above the Orc.

Honditar dipped his arrow in poison before he nocked it, knowing even with the poison they'd be lucky to take an Orc down. They were like massive tree trunks, he'd seen one looking like a pin cushion and still walking through the gate at Chorrol.

He began darting from tree to tree to get west of the Orc, sighting the direction the bolt had come from as he went until he sighted the Orc's movement on the hill above him. A huge fallen log blocked his shot until the Orc leaned up over the log to shoot another bolt at Seth. Honditar leaned against the tree he was using for cover and let his first arrow fly; immediately dipping another arrow in the poison and readying it.



Eyja:

Eyja ducked low and cast chameleon while Seth's horse thundered past, covering the sight or sound of any magicka in the air. She moved north up the hill along the ditch to the far side of where the steel rod had come from.

Seth and Honditar were keeping the Orc's attention down on them, Seth to the southeast of him and Honditar to the southwest. She moved out on the footpath where she would make less noise and could move faster, climbing the hill till looking down she could see where the Orc was fighting the two men.

The path veered west northwest, criss-crossing the mountain's side for ease of climbing the steep grade. Eyja followed it across, stepping carefully so no stick would crack or pepple roll down and alert the Orc she was above him. When he was almost directly below her she crept to the edge, looking down the steep grade to see if she could or should get closer. Any move down to his level would expose and trap her. He couldn't move uphill easily either without heading to the road first.

The Orc wore plain hunting pants of leather, and no shirt under a fur hunting vest. Other than his crossbow and a quiver full of bolts, she saw no other weapons but assumed he had at least one dagger. What she didn't see struck her immediately. There was no Welkynd Stone, no glow from one anywhere. And he had no travel pack. The Orc raised up and fired toward Honditar, taking an arrow from Seth as he did.

She'd never seen a crossbow in action this close before. It had deadly speed and power, those bolts would easily go right through someone. She shivered, wishing there was a way to alert Seth and Honditar how many bolts he had.

Any Destruction spell from here may roll down past the Orc and strike Honditar. The only way to fight him would be to remove his weapon. Eyja dug through her spells, finally deciding on a Telekinesis spell. The crossbow may be too big to lift, but the bolts weren't.

Eyja cast, pointing the spell at the top of the quiver and lifting a bolt out. She considered holding them in case Seth took the crossbow from him, but then discarded the idea in case the Orc got the bolts from her instead. She flung the bolt with force as far to the west as she could.

The sound of the bolt cracking a tree top below him caused the Orc to jerk around and spend a bolt in the direction the sound came from. Eyja congratulated herself. Not only had she got rid of two of his bolts, but now he thought a third man was fighting him from the far west.

While he scanned hard to the west a movement caught Eyja's eye, Seth was changing positions while the Orc was distracted. She waited till the Orc was concentrated back on Seth's orginal position before taking another bolt and tossing it to the far west, this time aiming to hit the rock facing there. The Orc's head jerked around again, and once more he shot a bolt toward the sound.

Seth was in motion again, closing in on him.



*





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Black Hand
post Jul 31 2013, 10:51 PM
Post #51


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From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



Eyja expertly distracted the Orc as Sethyas ate the distance as quickly as he could with his stride.

She's no Assassin. She's a Nightblade! He thought in admiration. Mage-Thieves that mastered in forms of trickery, cleverness and using spell and shadow to benefit their circumstances; and just as deadly.

After the second bolt snapped against the rock and the Orc turned and fired, he closed the remaining distance sprinting. As the world blurred around him and the green-hued sniper became a center of focus, he saw the Orc's look of surprise.

He would not have enough time to reload for a shot. Seth jumped over the log, landing square on the Orc with an audible thud.

His gauntleted fists met with his tusked jaw blow after blow, as the Orc struggled underneath him. The Orc's superior strength catapulted Seth off, but not without the Dunmer grabbing his crossbow from him. Landing on his back, he agilely returned to his feet and threw the weapon off into the clearing.

The Orc pulled out a wicked looking dagger. Twisted and a dark-hue of greenish metal, it was undoubtedly Orc-make as well. The opponent was apparently unfazed with the assault, simply licking the blood from his lips, and giving a tusked grin that said: Come on!

Seth pulled out his own ebony shortsword; Shimsil and stared the Orc down, and began to speak aloud rustling the leaves with his boots.

"Where is Earana?" He said aloud. "Where is the White Khajiit?" he continued, careful to not move his glance to the stealthy Eyja.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Jul 31 2013, 10:52 PM
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mALX
post Jul 31 2013, 11:39 PM
Post #52


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From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



Eyja:


Honditar could be heard plunging up the road sounding more like a Nord than the hunter he was. Eyja pulled the dagger Seth had given her and kissed the blade, hoping that would make the ancestor ghost within more inclined to aid in the fight. She poised in position to throw the blade into the Orc's massive neck, but Seth's question stopped her.

The Orc didn't have the Welkynd Stone on him, they had to find out...

With a sudden clarity Eyja realized the Orc had already delivered the Welkynd Stone to Earana. Earana was conniving and intelligent; the Orc wasn't smart enough to set up this trap and lay in wait for them. Earana had sent him back to buy her time.

Still in chameleon, Eyja dropped off the path's edge and onto the hillside below, skidding down the incline to the ledge where Seth was pounding the Orc. She breathed in relief that Seth had already gotten rid of the crossbow.

Though he couldn't see her, there was a mockery about the Orc, like he knew she was there and her mission was fruitless. There was no doubt in Eyja's mind now that Earana had the Welkynd Stone in her possession.

Eyja put the full force of her arm into one swing with the blade trying to sever the tendon on the back of the Orc's foot and barely nicked the tough hide, but she saw the mist move from the blade to the Orc's wound. The inherent poison in the blade had begun working. She gripped the blade with every bit of strength she had and stabbed into the tendon and barely made a deeper wound than the first, but the slight give of that leg let her know the thick tendon was injured.

"Damn his hide!" She cursed over and over again while Seth grappled with him, and kept stabbing that tendon over and over again, but never felt the blade sink into the thick sinew.

She remembered Maxical's trick with killing Orc, stabbing the only place their skin wasn't tough. She tried it, plunging the dagger into his crotch and twisting the blade. It cut readily through the leather pants and seemed to pass through soft tissue, then almost bounced back out against her hand when she tried to twist the blade.

"Damn him!" Eyja forgot she was in chameleon and shook her head at Seth, feeling stupid immediately when she realized he couldn't see her.

As soon as she had a clear shot at the Orc without catching Seth in her swing accidently; she plunged the dagger with full force into the Orc's eye, squirting the slimy liquid onto her hand and down his face.

The roar from the Orc sent shivers down her spine and she backed away feeling the panic of an enemy she couldn't cut to kill.

"Tell us where she is or I'll take the other one out!" She almost growled it, but even Eyja could hear the fear in her own voice negating the threat.

"I'm not strong enough, Seth. I can't get the blade in him anywhere unless you want me to get his other eye. Earana's already got the Welkynd Stone, could be killing Maxical while we're busy with him. She planned it that way to keep us from stopping her, I'd bet on it."



*





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Black Hand
post Jul 31 2013, 11:59 PM
Post #53


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Sethyas heard her words, and the truth in them.

He brought Shimsil's point down hard into the Beast's throat. Severing windpipe, artery, and finally spinal cord. It was his favored strike point, quickly incapacitating opponents with a minimum of effort, while also incapacitating their ability to move or feel as well as make any sounds.

The Orc's hide was indeed tough, as tough as armor. But Ebony had been called 'crystallized blood of the gods' for a reason. It was one of the toughest known substances known to man and mer, and cut through with a bit more ease than the silver-steel alloy of Eyja's dagger.

She was far more astute to the situation than he, being up close and personal. Given his minimal dress and the trap that had been set...she was right.

The Orc was here for speed and ambush.

He pulled out his blade with a bit of effort.

"Than let's not waste any more time." he nodded, rising back to his feet.

"Uhhh. Hmmm. I'll need to ride with one of you until we can track down my horse." he said, wiping the Orc's blood off his blade, and resheathing it.

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Grits
post Aug 1 2013, 12:21 AM
Post #54


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Abiene

Seth closed with the orc. Abiene could hear Eyja with him, though she couldn’t see any trace of the Nord. Their words chilled her to the bone.

The orc knows where we should go. And they are going to kill him.

She broke from the trees at a run, pulling a Charm spell to her mind even as she braced herself for the healing trance that would join her with the orc, giving her influence over him beyond her skill in trickery.

Too late. Abiene stumbled to a halt as Sethyas yanked his blade out of the orc.

“I'll need to ride with one of you until we can track down my horse,” he said.

Abiene kept her eyes on the ground. Her stomach churned with anger and disappointment.

She took a deep breath to steady her voice. “Kip can carry us. If you like, you can ride with me.”





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mALX
post Aug 1 2013, 12:36 AM
Post #55


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From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



Eyja:

Eyja dispelled her chameleon and nodded. "Take my horse, I can ride behind you or Honditar."

Honditar and Abiene arrived the same way Seth had, coming from the east; probably because the climb was too steep to the west. Honditar held the crossbow and horse's reins in one hand and was pointing up above them on the hillside with the other.

Eyja noted the crossbow in his hands and yanked the quiver full of bolts off the dead Orc, handing it to Seth just as Abiene ran up, winded from the climb. She looked upset, angry for some reason. Was it over what Honditar was trying to signal them?

"What is he saying?"

She had asked Abiene, but before either Abiene or Seth could answer there was a loud CRACK and lightning zig-zagged across the sky, touching down and locking on a high ledge above and to the northwest of them that was surrounded by stone pillars. For just a second Eyja was sure she saw something black fly backwards.

The scream that formed in her throat was suffocated by lack of air in her lungs as she ran blindly towards Honditar.


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 1 2013, 12:53 AM


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Black Hand
post Aug 1 2013, 03:08 AM
Post #56


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From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



The suddenness of the situation didn't faze Seth. Not from some fictional claim to machoness out of a Casta Scribonia novel, rather from decades of exposure to them.

It was with that he realized: That is Cloud Top. The Orc was guarding the site.

He shook his head and unslug his bow. He whistled too Honditar and slung the bolt quiver towards him, he didn't know if he was as familiar with the device as he was, but the principles were similar enough.

His bow was a bit more handy. The Bow of Shadows was suspected to be a Daedric Artifact. A Longbow crafted by Nocturnal herself, the legends said. If the enchantment were used, it would make the user invisible and fleet of foot. Given the limited charges and slow; or expensive, regeneration of the inherent enchantment, he saved it for the most dire of occasions.

Every instinct was telling him this situation had become just that.

He glanced at the figure that had been blown back by the lightning. The mass of black cloth hid the figure leaning over onto their side, its back to them. The white tail that lay limply gave a clue as to their identity.

Maxical. He thought. Damn. We may be too late. He pondered the scenario with lightning speed.

Maxical needs a healer, and our healer will need protection. Honditar can cover our approach. Eyja and I can take her out with...

His thought process taking less than the blink of an eye was cut out by another black-robed figure slowly approaching and gauging the scene with golden eyes.

Earana. He thought.

Eyja had warned him: That she was a Battlemage of no small measure.

Battlemages.

Kynareth curse it all!

I HATE Battlemages!
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Grits
post Aug 1 2013, 07:22 AM
Post #57


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Abiene

Abiene had turned to whistle for Kip when a massive bolt of lightning cracked across the sky. She found herself cringing on her knees, arms raised instinctively to protect her head.

She looked up to find Sethyas with bow in hand and Eyja running toward Honditar. Above a small figure was visible on its side, white tail vivid against its black clothing. Maxical.

Abiene gathered herself for the sprint, spells running through her mind. First fortify your own magicka and skills. Then the healing.

A tall woman in black robes came into view, claiming her attention. Mother Mara, could she have cast that lightning? Abiene’s breath stopped, and her muscles froze. She crouched in the grass like a rabbit startled at night by a light spell.



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mALX
post Aug 1 2013, 08:10 AM
Post #58


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*

Eyja:

The offer of her horse to Seth was forgotten in her fear. Eyja grabbed a lock of Sapphire’s mane and swung herself into the saddle, barely waiting while Honditar lifted the reins back over the horses head before digging her heels into the mare’s side in a headlong gallop up the hill.

She was forced to slow down as it wound to the west along the narrow ridge of the mountain’s peak. She saw the stone pillars well before reaching them, knew Earana had to hear her and know someone other than the Orc was nearing. Eyja didn’t know if Earana would come out fighting or wait till the fight came to her; but knew she’d better dismount before reaching the pillars just in case.

Following Seth’s lead earlier, she cast chameleon and slid off Sapphire, smacking her rump so the horse would distract Earana at least till she could find Maxical...or cover.

Sapphire followed the trail around a bend and up toward the pillars, Eyja shot to the opposite side and entered the pillars from behind Earana.

Maxical could only be the crumpled heap of black cloth on the ground outside the farthest pillar. Her tail lay limp and still. Eyja choked back the scream that rose in her throat and tried to sneak silently around to where Maxical lay.

Earana turned from the rider-less horse to looking directly at Eyja. “You're a bold little thing, aren't you?”

She should have known better than trying to sneak past a Battlemage. Earana must use some form of Detect Life enchantment.

“I don’t want trouble, Earana. I’m not here to fight, just here for my friend. She is like a sister to me, I’m only here to see she is all right. Please, can I check her? She looks so...still.” Eyja moved closer to Maxical as she spoke. “I’ve brought a healer with me, will you allow her to heal Maxical?”

Earana stepped between her and Maxical. “You can do what you please with her once she has returned my belongings.”

“Are you talking about that robe?”

“The robe, but more importantly she has borrowed a book and a spell of mine. Once they are in my possession I will leave and you may take her to any healer you wish.”




***



Earana had plenty of time to get those things from Maxical and be gone before Eyja arrived, why hadn’t she just taken them?

Earana stepped to the side and Eyja hurried forward. She could see a charred and smoking book clutched in Maxical’s hands, but as she neared Maxical she heard a loud humming sound. Eyja kneeled down beside Maxical and reached one hand out for the book.

When her fingers neared Maxical something crackled in the air between them. Eyja drew her hand back quickly.

“Where is the Welkynd Stone?”

Earana‘s voice sounded surprised. “You know about the Welkynd?“ She hesitated. “It’s gone. You’ll need to get another stone to touch her.”

That explained why Earana hadn’t gotten her spell and book and run. She couldn’t get them from Maxical. Would the healer be able to heal her like this?

Eyja cast dispel over Maxical, but the spell hovered in a circle feet away from her body.

“Don’t you think I would have tried that?” Earana's voice dripped sarcasm.

Eyja dug through her spells till she found a scroll to protect against shock and cast it on herself, then reached out to grab the book. A force more powerful than she’d ever felt knocked her in a backward arc and left her laying stunned at Earana’s feet.

Out of her peripheral vision she saw Seth entering the pillars and Earana stepping toward him. She tried to call Seth and warn him not to fight, but had no wind in her lungs to make a sound.

And then, with a huge feeling of relief she saw Maxical’s tail move. She was alive, that’s all that mattered now. Eyja’s head sank back onto the dirt as she fought to breath, to keep from blacking out.


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 1 2013, 08:14 AM


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mALX
post Aug 1 2013, 07:36 PM
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Honditar:

Honditar shouldered the crossbow and waited to mount, unsure if Abiene would let Seth ride with her on her horse. After seeing how quickly Seth was able to dispose of the Orc he wasn't taking any chances on the man being left behind, they would need him going up against Earana if it came to that.

Seth was as smooth as Eyja leaping up behind Abiene, before Honditar could urge his horse forward they were already in a full gallop passed him and blocking the way on the narrow trail. Instead of following them his horse took exception to being passed up, balking suddenly and bucking Honditar off.

Honditar caught the rein quickly before the horse bolted, not bothering to dust his britches off before trying to mount the sidling beast again. Then suddenly he saw what was giving his horse a fright and felt the chill of it go through his own bones. The dead Orc was glowing with purple light.

As Honditar watched the massive Orc began rising up, the huge gash in his neck still dripping rivulets of blood. His eyes had an eerie glassiness that nearly gelled Honditars blood in his own veins. He was dead, Honditar was sure of that...now he was walking. Walking dead.

Honditar couldn't get the frantic horse to stand still long enough to mount him, the horse was dragging him in circles by the rein Honditar still held; and every time Honditar tried to leap up the horse had circled him again, snorting and neighing its terror.

The Orc was walking toward him, getting closer. Honditar didn't know whether to run or keep trying to mount the horse, and stood still staring at the Orc in his indecision.

"Well, ain't you the high-tom-titty? You want something, I guess, or you wouldn't be messing up my air." An odd gurgling seemed to be echoing out of the huge gash in in the Orc's neck when he spoke, and the glassy eyes honed in on Honditar.

"Nothing, just...have a nice day..." With as powerful a leap as his shaking limbs could muster, Honditar made a grab at the horse's mane and heaved, holding on for dear might as the horse took off up the mountain.

Honditar never made the saddle, was sprawled across the horse's back at an angle and still clinging to the clump of mane. The heavy crossbow kept slapping down on the horse's flank, driving him faster up the hill.

Where the trail deadended in the pillared enclosure the horse ground to a halt and Honditar was jerked loose, tumbling over the horse's head and landing on the ground between Seth and Earana.

"She's raised the Orc from the dead, he's coming..." He warned Seth, then pulled himself up and tossed him the crossbow and quiver full of bolts. "You better take this, don't know how it's loaded."

He saw Eyja stretched out and turned back to Earana. "What have you done to Eyja?"


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 1 2013, 07:40 PM


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Grits
post Aug 1 2013, 09:07 PM
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Abiene

Kip charged up the hill like he was going to war. Abiene shortened the reins and lifted her weight, trusting that Sethyas would still be on the horse at the top of the mountain. She sank back into the saddle to slow him as they reached the pillars. Kip responded like a dream. Abiene turned him to give Seth a quick view of the mountaintop from Kip’s height, hoping they wouldn’t get shot or scorched while they were moving. She breathed thanks to Jerric for leaving Kip behind, wherever he had gone this time. For steady nerves it was hard to beat a battlemage’s horse.

She slid to the ground with Kip’s bulk between them and Earana. Eyja lay at the Altmer’s feet. Abiene smacked Kip’s rump to move him out of the way. Then she slipped behind Sethyas and to the side, uncertain.

Abiene’s fingers barley flicked as she cast the spells she used before a long healing session. Her internal magicka well swelled and her body began refilling it at an increased rate. She drew a resist shock spell into both hands, one for herself and one to cast upon another. Her Breton blood gave her a native resistance to all cast magicks including shock spells, but her Nord, Dunmer, and Altmer companions did not have that advantage.

She glanced at Maxical’s still form, scanning the ground for obstacles should she need to bolt in that direction.

Her tail twitched. She lives.


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