Hero in Disguise, Chapter 6 Options

[Taillus]

All right. Time to end this Chapter and bring this story to an end. I belive this will be over by the end of Chapter 7 or at the very latest, Chapter 8. I hope you all have enjoyed this story to this point but after the Hero in Disguise, I will be starting a new series with entirely new characters. Perhaps a cameo or two will be seen but I am not sure at this point. Anyway, Enjoy the finale to this chapter and I hope it is to everyone's liking.


Just as Taillus was about to force the mace to collide with the fallen Telina again, I step in and catch the head of the mace in my gauntlets. I can feel the mace draw my energy from me even in holding it so I aim a knee into Taillus’ ribcage sending him back a few steps as to give me some breathing room.

I decide to drop my sword and accumulate some magicka for an attack. I had to get Taillus down so I could have enough time to check on Telina. I was surprised that she went down that fast, I thought she was as strong as Taillus but that is impossible. No one can beat this man… No, that is not true! What am I saying? Taillus has already been beaten! I beat him already! This is my fight and he will lose just as he has lost many times before.

I scream out my spell as my hands make the motions to activate the attack. Elemental Trifecta was my best chance to put him down for the count weather he liked to admit it or not I knew it was a powerful spell. Before Taillus could react, I released my magicka sending the attack screaming in his direction. I watched as he raised his hands to block the attack but it was no use. The attack exploded on contact in an array of colors. Sparks of blue, red and yellow lit up the darkened sky bringing Taillus to his knees.

I wasn’t about to end there. As Taillus was wheezing, trying to catch his breath I fortified my strength and speed with a quick spell before running at him, using his state to my advantage. With a fierce kick, I launched Taillus upward, letting my boot collide with his chest. As Taillus hung in mid air for a second or two, I charged my most powerful fire spell. I let the magic grow in my hands as the sheer power of it made my body twitch. Finally as gravity was bringing him back to the ground, I released my attack, letting it send Taillus higher into the sky while the magic tore through his armor, reducing it to dust.

With adrenaline and pure rage flowing through my body, I brought my magicka to new levels with a spell I wasn’t sure I could even do. I clenched my fists, wishing Taillus would plummet hard to the ground at my feet. Just as I clenched my fists, Taillus stopped in mid fall. With a move of my hand, Taillus moved with it. Finally, before the effect wore off, I forcefully brought my hands downward making Taillus’ body scream downward with enough force to blast through the stone pillar we were all on, creating a large crater only ten feet away from where I stood.

Telina and I both gasped in shock as Taillus was driven into the stone ground at our feet seemingly from a powerful telekinetic spell I had never known I was capable of. I wanted to pummel Taillus with everything I had while Telina watched over me. With Taillus still struggling to even move after my surprising attack, I jumped forward, ready to attack without a moment’s notice. My blade that I had previously cast aside, threw itself into the air before landing squarely in my right hand as I met the now standing Taillus, swinging mightily at his chest.

Taillus, now without armor because of my violent display of magicka ducked and weaved as best he could but received a few large cuts from my blade. I managed to break his thick skin thrice making him wince and cry out in pain. Telina jumped in to give me a quick breath of air, launching him backwards with a spell of force that threw him headlong into the stone floor many feet away.

Telina decided to light Taillus up once again with a fierce lightning spell that seemed to increase in ferocity each second. Large blue tendrils of energy shook Taillus like he was just an infant. I watched as the lightning surged around his body, making his muscles twitch badly. Thinking quickly, I launched a complimentary attack, casting a dire weakness to shock on his body making the pain multiply exponentially.

Taillus seemed to pulsate with magicka as Telina and I both launched a fury of attacks. After Telina grew weary from her spell I decided to stand in her place, violently shaking Taillus with a wicked lightning attack of my own. His wounds were seeping blood making his knees wobble and his muscles were tensed and flexed from the searing pain of our combined lightning magic. Just as our reserves of magicka were all but completely drained, Taillus was beaten.

Finally, Taillus fell to his knees, devoid of all life but not before a rogue spear screamed by Telina and I, catching our foe in the middle of his upper chest, where his collarbones meet his neck. The spear glowed purple for a split second before Taillus keeled over, completely dead. Looking behind us, we were treated to the sight of another Taillus who was badly beaten, bloodied and sickly. We both watched as his long and tiring fight concluded, giving him the chance to realize his wounds. I reached out, grabbing the falling and unconscious second Taillus knowing instantly that he was the good version of my Nemesis.

Telina and I watched as our view changed before our eyes. Now we were standing back in the basement floor of Frostcraig Spire with all of our allies applauding. Taillus was still alive but I was confident that we had defeated his evil self. Telina patted me on the shoulder, congratulating me in my mind and after a hardy celebratory meal and a few drinks, we retired for the night leaving me actually excited for what would follow…

The next morning; Telina, Aeriandala, Merin and I ventured into the basement to see how Taillus was feeling. He was awake, but unable to move or speak. I watched as Telina stood at his side, placing a hand on his forehead. After a few moments of silence, Telina revealed to us that we were free to remove his restraints.

“The evil inside of him has long since disappeared. It seems that Taillus wants to talk to Xander privately for a few moments.” Telina states as Aeriandala began removing the Prisoner of Greed items from Taillus’ body. In an instant, Taillus was freed from his prison. If we were wrong and the evil Taillus still held strong, we would all be doomed but I gave Telina the benefit of the doubt and waited for Taillus to drink some spring water so he could speak.

I was not sure what to expect from him. Was he still going to hate me for trapping him in Oblivion, is he going to still want to kill me? Or was he going to understand why I had to do all of this and ask for forgiveness? I watched as he shakily got to his feet. Having been strapped to the pillar behind him for quite some time I was surprised that he could actually still stand. I watched as he eyed me carefully, seeing himself in me. I could tell he was confused and we would have to take it very slow in order for him to understand correctly.

Finally he approached me, clearly with a head full of questions. I decided to lead him to the upper level of the spire so that we could all explain to him what he had been through. It was going to be a very long day for all of us.

[The Metal Mallet]

Jeez, Taillus got his rear end thoroughly kicked! That was an epic display of a whoopin' I've even seen! And now we find out what the good Taillus thinks of the events that has happened with him.

I can't wait to see how that will go!

[mplantinga]

That was a spectacular fight. So satisfying, in fact, that I almost forgot that it occurred entirely within Taillus' mind. It was wonderful to see the "good" Taillus appear at the end of the fight; I'm glad that there was still good within him. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say to Xander in the wake of this internal struggle.