Hero in Disguise, Chapter 5 Options

[Taillus]

Thank you all for wishing my poor little kitty, Bailey well. She is doing fine and is ripping up the carpet and causing general mayhem as she once did. Now for Chapter 5, you will see some things here that will totally change the story and from here to beyond until this saga is finished I will try as hard as I can to keep you on your toes. I am up to chapter 8.5 now and will soon be finished. I hope you all are as thrilled about this as I am. Thanks all!

CHAPTER 5


After finishing my meal and tipping the owner nicely I decided that further stalling would get me nowhere so without thought, without hesitation I got to my feet and stepped outside. It was turning out to be far too nice a day to die and I let out a subtle sigh before walking through town to the stables to retrieve my horse. The people of the Imperial City traversed along the walkways of town, each with their own agendas and tasks to achieve before the days’ end while remaining completely oblivious as to the dangers that plague Cyrodiil.

I wish I could be one of those people. To be able to live in a peaceful, ignorant bliss minding my own and only truly realizing the evil that clouds this place only moments before perishing. Sadly I fall into the small percentage of those that know all too well the horrors that lurk behind every, single corner of the globe and I am the one that has to do all I can to stop the evil before it consumes all it touches. I didn’t choose this but I know that it is my battle with Taillus and I have to win, I have to win because there may not be another living soul capable of stopping him so I leap atop my faithful horse and trek to Vindasel and finish this hopefully once and for all.

I should be more confident in myself, considering that I had just been blessed by Aeriandala, giving my magicka a new life. I should be ready to send Taillus back to Oblivion where he belongs but something in me, knowing that Taillus was free from Molag Bal and still ripping the souls out of his victims made my so sick to my stomach that I must have vomited thrice on the path to Vindasel. As I always do, I decided to spot check my gear and weapons to ensure that they were in perfect working order. My armor was in tip-top shape as well as my katana, plus I had readied some spells, casting them at the side of the road to ensure I could recall them at a moment’s notice. I was as ready as I would ever be which is good because Vindasel was only seconds away...

The cold darkness of being underground shrouded me as I entered the dank, musty place. Among the smell of stale air was something out of the ordinary. As I turned my first corner I came upon a body. A male Breton was pinned to the wall by what looked to be his own blade. His head was separated from his neck and lay face down on the cold stone floor in a pool of dark red blood. The smell was almost as unbearable as the sight of it all but oddly enough when I rolled the head around there was something definitely out of place. His face was pale and his eyes were a yellowish color. Lastly, I noticed his broken jaw, revealing to me a set of long fangs.

Jumping back in surprise I quickly determined this to be a vampire of sorts. Maybe this was what Aeriandala was talking about. When she sensed multiple energies before and now there was only one. Could it be that a pack of vampires were seeking refuge in this place when Taillus had arrived? If that was the case, and Taillus had killed this man then Taillus now has the souls of a handful of vampires to fuel himself. If a bad day could get worse, this is how it happened. I deeply regretted going further but I had little choice. I stepped forward, shaking my head in disbelief over my poor luck.

Continuing forward, I stumbled upon more and more bodies, it seems as though this was the hideout for a whole clan of vampires and now, as I stand here looking at their eviscerated bodies, massacred without even so much as an ounce of remorse I know now that any man capable of doing this has to be stopped. In anger I strike out at the wall beside me, cracking it on impact. This HAD to end and I was through stalling.

I broke into a run, suddenly filled with anger that was pumping adrenaline into my body making me perform almost like a spiteful god. I bounded staircase after staircase, dodging minor traps and fallen vampire bodies. Each breath I took made me more and more angry until finally I found myself in a large, dimly lit room where Taillus stood over a body of a woman armored in heavy ebony armor.

“Killing vampires for sport now are we?” I bark sarcastically as I descend the final set of stairs leading me to my opponent. Taillus turns to face me, wielding a dark black long blade that glowed purple with enchantments. He wore almost no armor at all, just a pair of black tattered pants and the boots to his daedric armor. I could see the scar I left him, still fresh and new but it didn’t seem to bother him and I was not surprised. The body that had fallen before him looked completely void of all life. She didn’t look too much like a vampire however making me wonder what she was doing here.

“This lady proved quite difficult but I wanted her sword so I struck her down… She said her name was Umbra and she offered me a chance to leave this place with my life. After I told her that I was interested in her life instead, She told me to attack her and die or leave. I obviously declined the latter and stuck her down. I was very impressed when she didn’t die on the first shot. She was a feisty one, but she fell in the end, minutes to be exact. It seems that no one in this pathetic realm can stand up to me. A real pity, I thought she had potential and it’s really too bad you will only end up disappointing me as well.” Taillus hisses as he drags the dark blade across the stone floor, sparking the edge before letting its length rest in his other hand.

“Die Taillus, Just die! I have beaten you twice now, why don’t you just give up and die!?” I shout as I throw my katana to the ground. I could feel my magicka ready to explode inside of me and I was just waiting for a chance to release it. My hands were literally trembling with power and I could feel the newly recovered power that Aeriandala had bestowed upon me. I watched as a smile washed across Taillus’ twisted face as he presses the tip of his sword into the floor and leans against it, mocking me.

“Why don’t you just come down here and make me die Xander!?” Taillus jokes before yawning loudly and leaning harder against his new toy. With those words, my anger took over and launched me into a frenzy. Taillus would pay for all of this, for everything and I was not going to let him leave here alive, even if I had to die in the process, this was the last stop for him.

[The Metal Mallet]

Damnit! Reading that has made me all giddy for the battle! I can't keep giddy until you update again!

Argh! Giddiness not being put to use.... *passes out*

Anyways, obviously you can tell I liked this update!

[Taillus]

I am really trying to take it easy, knowing that some may be having trouble keeping up with me so I will be slowing down a tad on my updates... it is just so hard cause my updates are already done and waiting. With the story going in the path it is I just can't wait for you all to read on but I will slow down a tad so no one falls behind.

That being said I will now contradict myself with a huge update. Enjoy all!!!


My hands burst into flames as I motioned them in front of me. In between my palms grew a quivering ball of flame magicka that pulsated with every move of my hands. Within a fraction of a second, before even I could realize what I was doing, I launched a column of fire that twisted in Taillus’ direction, obliterating everything between me and him. The column of fire was large enough to consume Taillus’ entire body as it pummeled him against the wall behind him creating a large crater in the stone. I watched as the fire continued to eject from my palms, forcefully holding Taillus against the wall. I could hear him yelling in pain and as much as I wanted to hold him there until his last breath, I was exhausted and my magicka was expended.

As I dropped to my knees seeing only thick, dark smoke pouring from my stinging hands. I watched as Taillus fell to the floor, burned and smoking. Sadly he didn’t stay down for long so I recovered my fatigue as best I could and grabbed my katana to meet him. I was to my feet before him and using this to my advantage I quickly downed a vial of potion to restore my drained magicka before he could stop me. Just as he got to his feet, I met him with yet another powerful blast of magicka, this time in the form of lightning. I watched as his body shook, convulsing from the current flowing through him. He grunted and winced in pain but the lightening was forcing him to clench his teeth so he couldn’t yell.

I decided to rest my magicka for my next flurry of attacks and instead tried dancing my blade across his chest but at this time, Taillus had had enough. With the first swipe of my blade, Taillus simply reached out, caught it in mid swing and snapped it into pieces with his bare hand, without even so much as breaking his skin. He then proceeded to throw his own blade upward, letting it dig into the stone ceiling before pummeling me with his fists. Each punch blacked out my vision temporarily making it hard to anticipate his next move. I staggered helplessly as he grabbed my neck and whipped me at the wall behind myself, making an equally large crater as the one Taillus made when my magic beat him against the wall.

I could only watch as a helpless spectator in my own fight as Taillus man handled me over and over again. Just as I regained some composure and tried to get to my feet, Taillus was there, Throwing me before kicking me upwards in mid air, grinding my face against the floor as he knocked me down. His hand to hand skills were brutally devastating as each underhanded move brought me closer and closer to death.

Even something as simple as a punch to my ribs was like getting trampled by a horse and like always, he managed to break some bones. My collar bone was mangled and this time he decided to break my leg so badly I fear it may never heal again. Just as Taillus was getting ready to bash me with a large chunk of rock, my body suddenly sprung to life once again. Filled with a new vitality that seemed to breathe new life into me. Was it a second wind? Or maybe Aeriandala hand a hand in it I may never know but Just as the rock was brought down upon my head, I arced my feet upward, pressing my heels against the stone pushing back enough to catch Taillus off guard. With an extra push, I was able to smash the rock against his face knocking the rock, now in pieces to the ground between us.

Without even missing a beat, I rolled to my feet and hopped atop the rock shards to deliver a side kick with my armored boot to the already paining face of my adversary. Taillus stumbled back in pain giving me enough time to grab a piece of my broken blade. I watched as he reacted with split second agility, grabbing my wrist. I flicked my wrist enough to toss the broken piece of katana to the other hand just as Taillus broke my wrist. Screaming in pain, I still managed to bury the piece of blade into his collar bone furthest away from me. I pulled as hard as I could, dragging the blade down his chest leaving only a path of blood trailing it. He responded with a furious punch to my face, knocking me to the ground as he fell also.

I was going to fight until I died and regardless of the pain that was coursing though my body, regardless of my broken bones, I had to finish this! Taillus was going to die today I was going to make sure of it. I quickly got to my feet and stomped hard on the back of Taillus’ head as he was struggling to get up himself. I watched as his head bounced off the ground before I stomped again. Taillus rolled sideways, groaning in pain and covering his head with his hands.

Still steaming with rage, and this second wind I was blessed with, I began conjuring up another spell to bring Taillus down. With my enemy barely stirring, I decided to end things with a trademark of mine. Elemental Trifecta was a magic that was standard issue in the Blue Lions and developed by myself and one other member. The unforgiving sting of Ice, Fire and Lightning cast simultaneously and in high dose. The colorful magic collided with Taillus’ back sending him cart wheeling across the battered stone floor.

I clenched my fists and shouted in anger before releasing the spell once again. My fingers were numb from casting and my body was straining to breathe but I wasn’t going to stop. I watched as Taillus gradually got to his feet and staggered forward despite being pounded for minutes with high potency magic spells.

“I suggest you refrain from getting too excited. Your false sense of victory will only end in disappointment. I think that play time is just about over Xander, and now that I have seen what you have left in you, I had best destroy you before you actually break my skin again. I am growing quite weary of this game and while you have fought more fiercely than I have ever seen, it is all sadly, only in vain. My wounds are all but completely healed leaving only minor scars behind, and your spells…well, they’re a joke at best.” Taillus solemnly explains as he brushes the dust off his shoulders and walks towards me.

Broken, would be the only word to describe my feelings right now. Broken and beaten. Here I was fighting with everything I had twice over and look where I am. I stand, frozen in fear as the man I have been pummeling for the better part of an hour gets to his feet as if just waking from a deep slumber. How can anyone stand a chance against this, this demon?

“Taillus, why do you do this? I know that you are free from the clutches of Molag Bal so if this is true, why do you continue this murderous rampage? Has someone else, another Daedric Prince picked you to do their bidding?” I ask as he slowly marches towards me.

I see that my comment struck a nerve in my impenetrable opponent. I could tell that my question really got under his skin and I wasn’t about to let up now. If I got him distracted then I might be able to make a game ending blow.

“How dare you think that I am someone else’s puppet. I made that mistake once and it will happen never again! If you must know, Molag Bal didn’t relinquish his grasp on me on his own. He was forced to, by me! Slowly but surely I fought my way through his plane of Oblivion until I finally set foot before his throne. He had realized that he created something he couldn’t control in me and I had more souls powering my body than he anticipated. If I killed him in Oblivion, I would draw some of his power from him. I had the capacity to do it and we both were aware of it.” Taillus explains in a cocky manner.

“I brought Molag Bal to his knees, made him bow before me. I made him beg for salvation and finally, I forced him to free me from his grasp. He opened a portal to Mehrunes Dagon’s plane of Oblivion for me and severed his link to my mind and for that, I left him wounded and humiliated to reflect on his mistake in taking me prisoner in my own body and mind. The rest is history my friend, and so it shall be. I will rule this realm and gather enough souls to overthrow each plane of Oblivion as well. Everyone, mortal and immortal will fear me!” Taillus shouts as he stops before me, looking into my eyes with his own burning red eyes.

I wanted to play with his mind further, find out more and I was going to push him as far as he could go. By insulting him and playing mind games with him, he will reveal all to me. Like I say so many times, information is one hell of a powerful weapon but what do I ask next?

“So how do you expect to rule Oblivion if you can’t even kill me?” I bark hastily without even thinking of how the question might put him over the edge. Taillus’ expression turns from cocky to twisted in less than a second proving that I may have just taken things too far too fast. He explains how he was just toying with me, hoping that I would suffer greatly for what I had done to him, embarrassing him and I would beg for death after he was through. He asked me if I really believed that I have managed to stay alive by pure skill before informing me that it was he who was allowing me to live. To him, our battles were a way of passing the time, he found my pathetic determination amusing and… well why don’t you just hear the rest from him…

“You are a powerful soul Xander, with much determination and heart but if you honestly think that I have been weakened enough for you to even so much as make me think my life was slightly in danger you are sadly mistaken indeed. I am much more powerful than I have ever been and while I would love nothing more than to show you by killing you as slowly as I can, I have realms to conquer. I am a very busy man! This ends now Xander!” Taillus whispers as he takes as step away from me.

[jack cloudy]

Ouch, lots of powers being unleashed yet Taillus still stands. And he beated Molag Bal? Wow, he definitely deserves the titel Godlike.

[Kiln]

Amazing battle Taillus, simply amazing. After all that Xander has done Taillus still refuses to fall...with so much power I can't see how anyone could defeat him. I can't wait for the next part mate so please update soon.

[The Metal Mallet]

Wow, what a riveting battle. It's frightening that Taillus can survive that. And it's also intriguing on how Xander gained his second wind.

Hopefully Xander still has a trick up his sleeve....

[mplantinga]

While we'd all love to see Xander win, it does seem like it will take a miracle. After all, I'm sure Xander couldn't bring Molag Bal to his knees. But since the story is about him, it does seem likely he will survive. I'm looking forward to finding out how he manages to do this.

[Taillus]

This is it. The Battle's end. Hopefully it doesn't catch you off guard too much

The next few seconds move slow, as if time wanted me to pay close attention. I reached out to strike him with another lightning attack but he simply smiled as he raised a hand, pulling free his new sword that had been hiding high above us all this time after he tossed it upwards at the beginning of our fight. I gasped in horror as it descended from its hiding spot just in time for it to land in his hands as my left arm was rippling with electrical energy. Just as the tendrils of lightening jumped from my fingertips, Taillus strafed sideways, turned slightly and hiked the dark blade upward quickly, spraying blood up and outward.

Time slowed to a crawl and I watched my arm separate from my body as easily as a document being ripped in two. Words, thoughts all were stunted and all I could do was watch as my whole arm was removed from my body right at the shoulder, leaving nothing behind. Taillus laughed his evil laugh before stepping back once more and reversing the blade’s direction. He pulled the blade back just enough for it to scratch my face, blinding me in one of my eyes instantly. That was almost the last thing I could remember.

Taillus began shouting taunts at me, telling me that I should have seen this coming. He told me that I was far outclassed from the very beginning and that in surviving our first encounter should have been a warning to keep far away from him. I knew he was right. Who was I to think I could bring him down? I was just a battle mage, he was unlike a god, he brought Molag Bal to his knees single handedly and now, because of my stubbornness I was going to die right here, amongst the vampires and others that he had just slain giving me yet another warning to stay away.

I could feel my heart beat, every second pumping more of my blood to the stone floor. My vision was fading from my good eye and the warm trickle of blood from my damaged face was seeping into my armor from my neckline. I was done, a dead man…I should have known.

Taillus walked over to my fallen body and knelt beside me, digging his sword into the stone floor just in front of my face. I could barely see as he unlatched the silver and ebony amulet from my neck. I tried to yell obscenities at him but a low moan was all I could muster. Taillus only chuckled explaining that I wouldn’t need jewelry where I was headed and he got back to his feet, kicked some dirt in my face “accidentally” and turned to leave.

Taillus grabbed his sword and wished me good luck but I couldn’t hear his victory speech because a soft voice in my head was trying desperately to get my attention. Aeriandala’s voice began ordering me not to give up. She shouted encouraging words, telling me she knew I was mortally wounded but not to give up. I tried telling her that I was bleeding to death and was missing an arm and an eye but could only moan again. That is when she told me that I have won.

At first I thought she was completely mad, before she explained that is. Turns out she couldn’t tell me what the amulet and ring actually did, because if I knew, Taillus might have been able to find out as well. She told me to remember her strict instructions before I left and I did just that.

“Always make sure the ring is the last thing you remove, and the first thing you put back on.” I manage to whisper as blood begins seeping out of my opened mouth. I watch as Taillus holds the amulet over his head, eager to wear it proudly as a prize of war, a token to remind him that he had just beaten me to death.

“The amulet Xander is named the Prisoner of Greed. I crafted it in order to defeat a very powerful sorcerer back in my day. Its enchantments are heavily masked so that no one would ever be able to determine what its effect would be. The Prisoner of Greed silences the wearer, paralyzes, damages magicka to the point of it being almost non existent in the wearer, dispels any constant effect or other enchantments not created by the amulet, siphons strength enough to make your friend as weak as a baby and finally, burdens stronger than most spells.”

“In other words Xander, you have defeated Taillus. He will be rendered helpless as soon as that amulet rests around his neck. The sorcerer that I was in battle with met his fate the same as your friend did. He thought that the amulet was the source of my power and in ripping it from my neck and wearing it, he was trapped until the day he died. It truly is the Prisoner of Greed, the ring was the counter spell making it completely harmless to you. Now I must be going Xander, your mental strength is waning and you are almost unconscious. Please don’t forget to cauterize your wound to stop it from bleeding. You will be alright I promise.” Aeriandala assures as her voice fades as well as everything else around me…


End Of Chapter

[The Metal Mallet]

Oooo very crafty, but has Taillus put on the amulet yet....

PS- Damn those wounds must hurt like something fierce!

[Kiln]

Very inventive with the amulet idea Taillus, astounding. I must say that I'm actually worried about the character at this point...I'll be glad when you continue so I can see what happens next.

Seriously I hope you continue soon mate.

[mplantinga]

You foreshadowed the use of the amulet so well that I can't say I was surprised by its real purpose. It does seem, however, like a bittersweet victory, given the incredible wounds that Xander has suffered. I hope that things still turn out okay for him.