Corrupted heart. Options

[jack cloudy]

Ok, after our scene of breaking and entering. (little breaking, much entering.) It's time to switch to a scene with less action or tension.




The sight that greeted her was worthy of the Emperor himself. The room was the epitome of decadent luxury and decoration. Life-sized marble statues of past Emperors and heroes guarded the door leading to the bathroom as well as the door she came in through. Paintings and woven carpets showing scenes of Septim glory covered every bare part of the walls. A bed as large as her house back in Valenwood took up one side of the room, with small golden statues of Akatosh at each corner. Closets large enough to stand in were placed at either side of the bed. Finally, several chairs with soft pillows completed the interior.

Rajn looked at everything, both impressed and unnerved.
,,I don’t think I’ll get much sleep with all those eyes staring at me. Not to mention the heavy usage of wood. At least there is a window.” She concluded after her examination of the first room. With a slight hesitation, she turned the handle on the second door and looked into the bathroom. The exaggerated need for luxury was present here as well. The bath itself was a large bowl shaped out of blue glass, with a pair of copper tubes hanging over the edge. Rajn leaned over the edge and peered at her own reflection in the bowl. She also noticed a silver plug in the center.
,,Wow, I can swim in this thing. If there was any water in it.”

She stepped back and made a mental list of all the objects in the room, paying particular attention to those she could easily hide in her pockets. Before she had a chance to plan any thievery though, there was a polite knock at the door followed by said door opening. The Bosmer swiftly spun on her heels, her bow already out with an arrow on the string before she’d completed her turn. The servant dressed in his wide robe made a few trembling steps backwards till the wall prevented him from going any further. Clearly he’d never met a guest who was easily agitated. His eyes were wide with fear and he held up the greenish bundle in his hands as if it could protect him from the arrow.

Rajn held her bow out for a few more seconds just to show who was in charge before lowering it and easing her pressure on the string.
,,Next time, ask before you come in here.” She scolded him, showing delight in the power she held over the much taller person. The still shivering servant nodded a few times.
,,I had been charged with the duty of delivery.” He explained after his nerves had calmed down a bit. Rajn looked at the bundle in his hands and then picked it up. She unfolded it and found herself holding an incredibly light robe.

It was of a light green colour and while not transparent, it did allow some of the candlelight to pass through. In its design, it had some intricate weaving resembling various kinds of leaves and flowers.
,,Nice robe, but it’ll rip on the first treebranch.” She commented.

,,It’s a dress meant for indoors.” The servant corrected her and then looked over her shoulder at the bath.
,,Is there any way I can be of assistance during your endeavour into personal hygiene?” He asked humbly. Rajn blinked as she always did when she was confused. This time, there was no Lucius around to explain the weird choice of words. She had to look over her own shoulder before she knew what exactly he’d meant.
,,How about this? I would be most pleased……If you were willing…To move…..Ah, screw this! It’s like I’m trying to talk in a whole different language or something. Out, I want you to get out of here. It’s best to give a girl some privacy unless you want to gain a few holes in your body.”

The servant left faster than she’d expected, after putting a pair of shoes on the floor. Apparently, the language barrier only went one way. She turned to the bath again while still holding her new dress.
,,This is so annoying. It’s as if everyone wants to make sure I’m being watched all the time.” She frowned at her own remark. Half a second later, she had dropped underneath the sink, letting her fingers run over the wall.

Two hours later, she sat on the edge of the bowl and admired her handiwork. Half a dozen of tiny peepholes had been plugged with a towel she’d torn to pieces.
,,Finally, some privacy. Now for the next crisis. Where does the water come from?” Back in Valenwood, whenever she needed a bath, she would just empty a bucket over her head or jump into the nearest river, whatever was closer at the time. There were no buckets here and a river was slightly too big to fit in the room. After some long thinking, she concluded that the copper tubes had something to do with them. There was a little wheel on top of each tube.

She turned the left wheel out of curiosity. After a few seconds of burping sounds, a constant stream of water shot out of the tube and into the bath.
,,Wee! This is fun!” Rajn clapped her hands excitedly and then held a finger under the stream of water.
,,Ouch, hot!”

After some experimentation, she’d discovered that while the left tube spewed boiling water, the right tube brought cold water. From that point, it was a simple matter of mixing the two till she had the right temperature. While the bath was being filled with a steady stream of water, she had the time to give her dress a closer inspection.
,,Drat, I didn’t knew Lucius had been able to guess my size that accurately. It’s perfect. And just how did he manage to get the size of my feet right? Hmm, looks like he wants me to look like a noble now. That’s fine with me, makes it easier to blend in.” She reached out behind her head with a hand and pulled a clasp of bleached bone out of her hair.
,,Ok, then I guess I’ll wear the dress, put on those little shoes and maybe I should try to tie my hair into a ponytail or something. I should include my clasp though, I can’t live without it.”

Once the bath was filled, she played around for a while with the countless bottles of perfume she’d found during her hunt for the peepholes before finally stepping into the bowl.


Two floors lower and on the other side of the tower, Marsh sat in his own room, reading a book. There was a knock on his door and when he looked up, the servant he’d hired to do some spying stood in the doorway.
,,And?” The Argonian simply asked.
,,Lord, the Bosmer has retreated into a room. I lost sight of her then. She’s been quite thorough in blocking all the peepholes in the bathroom.” The servant reported, a bit annoyed at his inability to continue his observation. Marsh chuckled.
,,Well, I do suspect that she’s done her fair share of burglary in the past. It’s hard to sneak up on a thief. Well then, I guess I’ll just give you your payment then.” He spoke and brought out a pouch that rinkled heavily with coins. He slipped it into the servant’s hands who hid it under his robe.
,,Oh, and one more thing. Could you be so kind and slip this letter under the door leading to her room?”




(No, I'm not going to write a bathing scene. Apart from the fact that nothing interesting would happen, I'm trying to keep the PG-rating down here. Though with all the brutal murders Ra'trith did earlier, I don't think there's much I can do to keep the rating down. I should bring back the furry killer again somewhere. )

[canis216]

Yeah, Ra'Trith hasn't reared his head in a little while. Wonder where he could be?

[The Metal Mallet]

I really enjoyed reading the description of the rooms. I could easily picture it in my head. Good work!

[jack cloudy]

Ok, just a quickie with no real influence on the plot. I wanted to show what a certain character has been doing since the last time we saw him.





Far to the west of the Imperial city, a caravan slowly made its way across the path. The only wagon creaked and rumbled loudly and the horses looked like they’d seen their best days. The men and women who travelled with the caravan didn’t appear to be well off either. The clothes they wore were little more than rags and the weapons they carried for their own protection were little more than branches broken off trees.

They all stared into the darkness of the forest around them wearily. Bandits frequented this area of Tamriel and unlike most travellers, they had nothing with which to pay them off. If bandits chose to attack and managed to claim victory, they might very well slaughter everyone out of disappointment when they failed to find any loot.

A nearby branch snapped. All heads turned in the direction of the sound. As if the snapping branch had been a signal a trio of Orcs roared a battlecry and stormed out of the bushes, waving their axes. The travellers drew into a tight circle around the wagon. The Orcs stopped just outside the range of the simple clubs. They knew that they’d already won the battle before it had began.
,,Your stuff, or your lives.” The leader of the Orcs grumbled loudly. The travellers looked at each other, the wagon and then the bandits. Their eyes betrayed the fear yet for some reason, they still prepared themselves for battle.

What both the Orcs and the travellers didn’t know, was the fact that they weren’t alone in the woods. Another being was nearby, one who was sitting high up a tree. His golden eyes scanned the wagon below him. Suddenly, a loud crying could be heard. The eyes shot across the wagon till they gazed upon a squirming bundle of dirty rags. Amidst the rags, he could see a pair of deep brown eyes which were fixed upon his. The baby was the only one aware of the hidden watcher.

The Orcs gripped their axes tighter.
,,Your stuff, now. Or else we…..” The Orc cut himself off. He thought he’d seen something move, something which dropped out of a tree and landed on the wagon without a sound. He couldn’t be sure though, for it looked most like a shadow within a shadow. He looked at the wagon in silence for several long seconds, which caused everyone else present to look at him with confusion etched into their faces. Just when the Orc had convinced himself that he was imagining things, two gold spots of light appeared within the shadow.

,,You there. Your stuff or you life.” The Orc tried for the third time. Everyone followed his eyes till they also saw the Khajiit standing on the wagon. The Orc made a few threatening motions with his axe but did not attack. Something about the Khajiit was making him nervous. The furred creature had a certain feeling around him, a feeling of extreme deathliness.
,,All they have is a newborn child. You’ll find no stuff here, only death.” The Khajiit whispered.

The greenskinned Orc’s eyes blazed with fury.
,,Are you threatening us?” He bellowed. The Khajiit did not answer. His eyes closed, thereby robbing those around him of their only clue to his location. A moment later, one of the Orcs dropped heavily to the ground while letting out gurgling sounds. He grabbed for his throat, trying to seal the hole in his windpipe.

The Orc on the other side of the wagon knew he was next. Already, he swung his axe over the wagon, right where his invisible enemy should be. But the Khajiit wasn’t there. The Orc felt something hit his lower leg, snapping bone and throwing him to the floor. The last he saw were two golden eyes that looked at him with malicious glee.
,,Going under the wagon is an option you forgot.” The Khajiit gloated and hit the Orc on the forehead with an open palm. The Orc’s face pushed inwards as his skull cracked.

With one Orc death and the other slowly suffocating, the Khajiit calmly walked towards the last one, transfixing him with his stare.
,,I don’t threaten, I only tell the truth.” He hissed. His claws flashed out, into the Orc’s eyes and digging into his brains. He was death before his heart stopped beating.

As the last Orc fell on the muddy ground with a loud thud, the Khajiit turned towards the travellers. They all drew even tighter around the wagon, not knowing whether they should thank him or fear for their lives.
,,Don’t think I did this because I’m a hero. All I want are directions to Rihad. I could’ve let the Orcs kill you and then ask them but they would’ve likely attacked and forced me to do the same thing I just did. Either you answer me, or you die.” The Khajiit informed them.

The leader of the caravan, an old man who was barely capable of supporting his own weight, sat down heavily on the ground.
,,Go west till you reach a river. Follow it north and you’ll find Rihad. It’s two days away from here.” He explained, drawing a crude map in the mud. The Khajiit nodded and vanished into the darkness.
,,A final bit of advice. Take the equipment of those bandits. Either use it yourself or sell it.”

Ten minutes later and far away from the caravan, Ra’trith stopped running.
,,Why did I do that? I already knew where to find Rihad. Why?”

[canis216]

No real influence on the plot, eh? We'll just see about that...

Well done, again, Jack!

[Black Hand]

Not all evil is wholly evil. Not all good is wholly good.

[jack cloudy]

A short one. I want to write a bit more but it's already late so I don't know if I'll be able to finish a full length update tonight.






Back at the Imperial palace in Cyrodiil, after two hours of civilized decadence, the last few drops of now cool water gurgled through the unplugged hole in the center of the bath. Rajn was at the other side of the room, trying to do something new with her hair with one hand while performing another task with the other at the same time.
,,Five….six…..seven…….that makes eight bottles of hideously rare perfume. Now all I need is to find a way to smuggle them out and I’ll be quite a bit richer.” Her eyes sparkled with authentic Bosmeri excitement. If there was something that revealed her ancestry even better than her short stature or her skill with the bow, it was the enjoyment she got from thieving.

Her search for a smuggling method led her back to the first room where she found her bow, arrows and her boots all thrown haphazardly on the bed, drenching the royal silk with a large amount of mud.
,,Hmm, I could hide them within my quiver. If I rip up that pillow and use the feathers to dampen the sound of rinkling glass, no one will know a thing.” As she formed a plan, her eyes wandered across all the faces on the statues, the paintings and the weavings that looked down upon her with a variety of stern expressions. It was as if they already knew what she was going to do and showed their objections in the only way they could. By pure chance, her eyes also caught the neatly folded envelope that had been slipped under the door.

She fell to her knees and snatched the paper from the floor, unfolding it so fast she nearly ripped it in half.
,,Oh, a message. From who? Oh, it’s written in a riddle…………What?! He wants me to do what?!” She looked at the faces apologetically after her outburst.
,,Sorry about the noise. What are you looking at? Can’t you see that this is private?” She’d walked over to a statue of Tiber Septim and stuck out her tongue at it.
,,If you’re so interested in my business, I’ll just have to tell you, right? Too bad for you, cause I won’t. All I’m going to say is that it sure beats what I did back home.” She pinched the statue’s nose and then left the room, giggling.

She’d barely taken a step outside, or the servant from earlier was already in her way.
,,Any way I can help?” He spoke, somehow managing to remain within the limits of her vocabulary. Rajn’s annoyance at the man’s constant interference was washed away by her excitement about her plans. As such, she simply tapped him on the shoulder and brushed past him.
,,Yeah, the bed is dirty. Go clean it. But don’t you dare touch my stuff. And one more thing. Ignore Tiber, he likes to poke his nose in other people’s business. Like a little child.” She snickered. The dumbfounded expression on the servant’s face was priceless.
,,He’s so dumb, it’s hilarious. I wonder if they’re all that dumb. I hope he touches my bow. Then I’ll say he broke it and demand a new one. A better one.”

[jack cloudy]

She walked back to the entrance hall where she saw Alvuis running around with a long roll of parchment in one hand and a quill in the other. Apparently, the Altmer was making his daily report. Without a conscious decision to do so, Rajn’s own hand reached out and plucked the feather out of Alvuis’ delicate grip.
,,Thank you, that was just what I needed.” She said with a cold smile. The Altmer looked down upon her. His thoughts were pretty much written on his face. He was fighting an internal conflict that presented him with three choices. Taking the quill back, frying the annoying girl to a crisp or simply walk away and avoid any unpleasant consequencec. He picked the last option though he nearly came back on his decision as Rajn grinned victoriously when the Housemaster conceded defeat. He ran off to get himself a new quill, happier than he would ever admit with being away from the crowded hall.

With all her preparations set, she took out the letter she’d received earlier, turned it over to its blank side for her own scribbles and then looked straight up at the ceiling. Her grin was replaced with a thoughtful look which was soon replaced with an extremely angry expression. If looks carried physical power, the tower would have to be evacuated before it collapsed.
,,No way, you’ve got to be kidding me. Not that guy. Someone should feed him to the rats, alive.” She grumbled, seething with barely contained hate. If anyone in the hall had realized that she did not have the self-restraint of a noble, he or she would thank fate for making her leave her bow on the bed.

She was so caught up in herself that she didn’t notice Lucius till he was breathing down her neck.
,,Hmm, you smell nice. Let me guess, gold kanet, stonepetal and willow anther. The standard combination of those who think that more is always better. Can’t say I disagree.” He greeted her with a charming smile. Rajn responded a bit slow, still half-focussed on other things.
,,Oh, hi. It’s my first experience with perfume. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. How in the name of whatever deity you worship did you manage to get my size?” She asked him, quickly pulling her scribbling out of his sight.

The Breton wandered around slowly, subtly forcing her to follow him.
,,Ah, that. It’s a talent I kind of developed. You see, I steal clothes from my sister’s wardrobe all the time. She was about your size a few years back.” He explained casually.
,,Ok, that you steal clothes is fine with me. As we’ve agreed on earlier, I am a Bosmer. But stealing from your own sister? That’s just stupid.” Rajn objected. The young noble simply shrugged.
,,It’s not that big of a deal. I got caught doing it long ago and we put down a few rules. Any piece of clothing newer than two months is hers. You see, she loves buying clothes but never gets rid of the old ones. If I don’t clean out her wardrobe from time to time by giving her old clothes to those with less money, we’d end up filling two wagons.”

They’d left the hall and were now in an empty corner. In an instant, the expression on Lucius’ face changed from friendly into an emotionless calculating one. He wiggled with his fingers for a second and the piece of paper the Bosmer clung to flew out of her hands and into his.
,,Now let’s see why you’re really here.” He spoke.

For a few heartbeats, Rajn was speechless and unsure of what had happened. Once she did figure out, she began to jump up and down, trying to take back the paper he held up high.
,,Hey, give that back! You, cheater!” She yelled angrily. Lucius chuckled and held the letter even higher.
,,Now look who’s calling who a cheater. Did you really think that your amateurish technique would work on me. Hah, I bet you did. Sorry girl, but that’s not how it works in real life. Now let me read this.” His head craned upwards till he could see the barely readable scribbles. He frowned, able to read it but unable to comprehend.
,,2L, 3S, 4R….and it goes on like that for a while. What is this?” He looked down at Rajn but where she’d stood earlier was now empty space. The paper in his hands rustled when it was torn free from his hand. He looked up at his empty hand in surprise and then down the corridor. Rajn had just taken a decorative sword from the wall and now pointed it at his heart.

The Breton shook his head a few times.
,,Oh, just stop this nonsense and tell me already. Why are you here? I swear, if you plan to harm the Emperor in any way, I’ll just have to stop you.” He threatened above the crackle of a fireball forming above his head.
,,I didn’t tell you, but I’m also a battlemage in training.”

[The Metal Mallet]

Ahhh the sneaky battlemage, just when you think you've disarmed a simple warrior, they huck a fireball at you and take back their sword. They then proceed to hack and slash you up... Battlemages!

Anyways, wonderful updates jack. You're developing Rajn really well.

[Black Hand]

Battlemage?! BATTLEMAGE?!

I freaking hate Battlemages! I hate them as much I love this story! Please..keep the good stuff up Jack! (Where is Aran? Go Urshilaku!)

[jack cloudy]

In a swirling cloud of Magicka, two forms wavered into view, solidifying like mist turning to water and water turning to ice. Marsh-Speaker looked both ways of the corridor they’d appeared in before nodding to himself.
,,And here we are. Now remember that you’re not supposed to be here. So please hold your breath for a moment, this might itch.” He whispered and raised a scaly hand to touch the Dunmer’s forehead.
,,Ocsdros, Jike bei.” He chanted and the familiar green mist enveloped Aran before it vanished, along with the man. Still, Marsh saw an involuntary shudder before the Dunmer had turned completely invisible.

,,You don’t like Magicka? That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Now don’t try to speak, for you might weaken the spell. Just follow me silently. We’ll meet up with Rajn in the main hall.” He explained to his invisible companion and set off on the short trip. Upon reaching the main hall, the first thing he did was to dip his hands into a potted plant, searching around its roots. His search proved to be fruitless, which was the first sign of trouble.
,,Probably hasn’t finished yet.” He concluded and his eyes proceeded to scan the hall.

Again, he failed to find what he was looking for. Now, he felt a tinge of worry. He stood there, analyzing the clues he’d received. An invisible finger tapped his shoulder. Marsh nodded and retreated behind a pillar.
,,Think that Breton had something to do with it?” Aran whispered, becoming vaguely visible as he did so. Marsh forced himself not to bare his teeth and instead recast the spell of invisibility.
,,Of course. That fanatic battlemage in training must have caught on. Knowing him, he’ll go to his favourite empty spot before asking whatever he wants to know this time. The kid can be so paranoid at times which is not good for us, or her. Come on, I know where to look. He’s down that corridor over there.”

The Argonian crossed the hall at a casual pace, exchanging some pointless gossip with whoever he came across. Inwardly, he felt a need to hurry but he forced himself to go slow. Raising suspicion now would be worse than stalling. He instinctively felt that Aran had gone ahead, as his current state of invisibility conveniently allowed him to move as fast as he needed.

As Marsh had guessed, Aran had already passed the hall. With no one in sight, he broke into a run. His feet echoed softly on the marble floor. After a seemingly endless dash through empty corridors, past stairways and doors, he finally saw someone. The sight did not please him. He ran even faster, his steps now sounding like approaching thunder. Which was exactly the comparison Lucius drew as he turned around. An invisible boot caught him square on the chest and sent him tumbling on the floor. A loud snap indicated damage to his ribs.
,,As long as she’s under my protection, no one may harm her!” He shouted, placing the tip of his spear on the Breton’s throat.
,,Now you see what happens when you make your own plans. Stick to the plans drawn out for you in the future.” He told Rajn, not letting the battlemage out of his sight.

With a loud clatter, the purely decorative sword fell on the floor.
,,Well, sorry. I just thought it could make getting inside easier, that’s all.” The Bosmer spoke in her defence.
,,Marsh had it all figured out. I got in here through teleportation. Something about mark and recall.”

Lucius let out a very unnoblelish curse, still with the spear pressed against his throat.
,,That lizard! I knew he was up to something.” He spat, and pressed a hand against the spear’s bladed tip, apparently to ease the pressure on his throat. Instead though, the spear’s tip vaporised into a silvery smoke. Using the obvious confusion of the Dunmer, he crawled back to his feet and formed a new fireball. Not one, but two this time.
,,Now where were we?” He asked himself, grinning devilishly.

With another snapping sound, this time from his jaw being broken, he was sent to the floor for the second time.
,,A blunt weapon in the right hands is as lethal as a sharp one!” Aran shouted at him, raising the tipless spear above his head. He was frozen in place before he could complete his strike. With a slight flare around the affected areas, Lucius’ wounds healed.
,,But magicka can beat any weapon, sharp or blunt.” He replied.

,,Heyat!” The noble crossed his arms in front of him, conjuring a barrier of magicka to stop the orb of light that sped across the hallway. A ripple spread over the barrier as the bolt exploded. Lucius lowered his arms and launched a fireball back in retaliation at Marsh who’d finally arrived. Now it was the Argonian’s turn to protect himself, though he had other ideas about a proper defence. As his instructor once told him, the best defence was a good offence.
,,Heyat!” Another orb of light shot out of his hands. The two spells met each other between the two spellcasters and the fireball exploded. The orb of light continued along its path, bearing down upon the Breton who had to raise a new barrier to stop it.

Before he could though, something hit him between the legs. Apart from being rather painful, it also distracted him long enough for the spell to hit him in the face.
,,Gah! Damn you, Marsh! Do you have any idea how much that burns?!” He yelled, lying on the floor once again and clutching his face. The Argonian shrugged.
,,Of course I know. That’s why I call it Heyat. It’s your own fault for not knowing the Argonian dialect I speak.” He replied as if talking about the weather.
,,Well, this is definitely your own fault! I’d just decided not to kick you but then you had to turn out to be as bad as that damn fake who pretends to be the emperor!” Rajn added to the verbal barrage.

Everyone fell silent, even Aran who’d recovered from his paralyzation by now.
,,You know?” Marsh finally asked.
,,Duh. Don’t forget what I am. I saw him when I looked up through the ceiling. I know that guy, he’s my last escort job back home at Valenwood. He owns me like a hundred shiny coins. But instead of paying me, the rotten rat threw me in jail on the charge of aiding a conspiracy against the emperor!” Rajn’s voice became increasingly higher during her rant.
,,He always had a way with words. Aiding a conspiracy, that’s so like him.” Marsh replied using a neutral tone. With Aran’s help, he proceeded to tie up Lucius. After locking him inside a closet, they continued with their plan.

,,Did you get the directions to the library on paper?” Marsh asked, holding out his hand. Without a word, the girl pressed the piece of paper into it. Marsh brought it in front of his eyes and began to read.
,,2L, 3s, 4R…..second passage to the left, third stair, fourth passage to the right.” His words declined into a soft mumbling. Aran inspected the now blunt tip of his spear as he walked along. His annoyance was etched into his face. He’d just received the spear and already he’d managed to damage it. Still, the damage could be repaired easily enough by attaching a new blade at the end. His examination concluded, he lowered the weapon and quickened his pace to catch up with the Argonian.

,,I don’t like magicka but it could be vital to know. I noticed something during your duel back there. The boy didn’t utter a word yet you always say something when casting your spells. Does that mean your form of magicka is different than his?” He asked. Marsh looked up from the paper and blinked once.
,,While the spells we use are unique and therefore different, the magicka we use to form these spells is the same. It’s all a matter of concentration. I’ve found that actually chanting the name of the spell helps me focus. Most mages I know are opposed to my point of view and call it the sign of an amateur. That’s why Lucius always has to show that he’s a true mage by casting spells silently and as quick as possible. This need to show off weakens his concentration and therefore, it weakens his spells.”



Note: It's funny how a story changes while writing. Originally I had Lucius planned as a good guy who kinda helped the heroes by causing a distraction and stuff. Now, he's turned into a fanatic emperor-lover. Not a bad change though, it gives me reason to bring the glory back to the two males in the party. I loved writing that duel between the mages just then.

[Black Hand]

Well I hope you enjoy writing this, as much as I do reading it Jack! Please keep it up~!

[jack cloudy]

I'll try to get the Elder scroll part done tonight though I can't make any promises. Till then though, enjoy this little update.





Most of their walk through the palace was done in silence. Aran didn’t feel like talking, Marsh was too focussed on the paper and the preparation of his spells in case something went wrong and Rajn, she soon stopped talking when no one replied. That was till she suddenly held up her hand to stop the two men. It had been ten minutes since they last saw someone else walking the corridors.
,,Just beyond the corner is the door you need. There are two guards……..not human.” She whispered nervously. She still remembered their encounter with the demons in the sewers. She did not feel good at the thought of having to meet them again.

Marsh leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. It appeared that he’d fallen asleep while in reality, he was thinking. He knew a spell that could take them out but as he’d found out before, it would mean his death and alert everything else about their presence. There had to be another way.
,,Their disguised form is smaller than their true form. As such, it is more than just an optical illusion. This is more like…….shapeshifting. There is a very good possibility that while disguised as a human, they have all of a human’s weaknesses. That makes them killable.” He mumbled, more to himself than to the others. His eyes opened and he looked up.
,,Rajn goes in and distracts them. Then while they’re distracted, Aran and I take them out before they can revert to their true form.” He explained and focussed his gaze upon the Dunmer.
,,Or do you object to the danger I’m putting her in?” He asked. Aran frowned heavily but in the end, he nodded.
,,Fine, that’s how we do it.”

Marsh nodded as well.
,,Good, now get going.” He ordered, forming his hands into a cup and beginning his spell. Rajn sputtered for a bit, claiming she had no idea how to distract them but a grey hand shoved her into the guard’s sight. Instantly, two pairs of eyes were levelled upon her. Taking a deep breath, the Bosmer walked up to them.
,,Hi, is this the way to the bathroom?” She asked with the most innocent voice she could muster. The two guards looked at each other in a confused way and then turned their heads back to her.
,,No, it’s not. Now go away, you’re not supposed to be here.” One of them barked.

,,Ah, but I really need a bathroom now! Can’t you at least tell me where to find one?” Rajn squeeled. By now, the two demons were feeling rather awkward. Under normal circumstances, they’d simply kill the Bosmer and forget about it but these were not normal circumstances. They’d been ordered not to kill unless there was absolutely no other way to protect the door they guarded. Showing a great deal of reluctance, the guard who’d spoken lowered himself down to her height.
,,Look, you go back the way you came till you reach the stairs going down. Go down one floor and take the first passage on…..”

Marsh and the Dunmer nodded to each other. Both leaped out from behind the corner.
,,Heyat!” One of the Argonian’s scorching light spells flashed across the distance, curving around the Bosmer before plunging into the crouching guard’s face. He was thrown back by the impact and clawed at the steaming mass. His body began to shift, growing and losing all signs of humanity. When the shapeshifting had ended, he was in his demonic form, minus the head which had already been burned away by the spell before the transformation could be completed.

Even as Marsh’s spell struck the first guard, Aran had thrown his spear at the other. This guard brought up his shield to protect himself from the shaft which was quite lethal if it hit him with that speed. The spear bounced off the shield and the guard brought his hand down to the hilt of his sword. Before he had a chance to draw though, Aran was already on top of him. The Dunmer lodged the nose of his boot under his foe’s chin while his hand picked up the spear. As the guard’s head snapped back from the hit, the blunt end of the spear slammed down on his now exposed windpipe, crushing this vital supply line of fresh air. He too shifted back to his demonic form during his death throes.

Far away, in the Imperial throne room, the Emperor looked up from the report he’d been reading. He looked towards the guard standing next to his throne and nodded. Without a word, the Blade left the throne room, moving towards a destination only the Emperor and he knew. The Emperor returned to his report, though his face was now etched with worry.
,,The Elder scrolls. They’re trying to get the Elder scrolls. But how, how did they manage to defeat the guards?” His frown grew deeper.
,,It must be that mage who destroyed one of my minions in the sewers. He might turn out to be a threat of great priority.”

Looking down on the two corpses, Marsh brushed a speck of dust from his robe.
,,It appears that my theory was correct.” He spoke as if he’d never doubted it.
,,But how do we open the door? They don’t have a key.” He continued, his illusion of confidence fading. He still had the key Ria Silmane gave him, but that one was too big to fit in the keyhole.
,,I’ve got a key! Snatched it from that guard outside the building.” Rajn spoke up and proudly presented her treasure.
,,That won’t work. Only a fool would give the key to this place to a simple guard standing outside. Do you have any better ideas?” Marsh answered.

,,You’re the mage here. Don’t you know a spell to open the door?” Aran raised his voice slightly to catch all attention.
,,No, unfortunately I don’t have a spell for every situation. I usually talk my way inside.” The Argonian replied, leaning against the door as he thought over their situation.
,,Move aside.” Marsh stumbled when Rajn pushed him away from the door and peered into the lock. He looked at the Dunmer who simply shrugged. Aran also had no idea of what her latest plan would be. They both looked on in silence as the girl removed the clasp out of her hair and flipped it upside down. Stacked into neat row, a dozen metal straws became visible, embedded into several grooves that had been carved into the clasp.

,,It’s a Bosmeri thing. Any article of clothing must have at least one pick stored somewhere.” Rajn explained to her public and choose one of the picks.
,,This one should fit.” For a few long minutes, she moved the pick around inside the lock which made faint clicking sounds. Finally, there was a click louder than the others and the door opened on its well-oiled hinges.
,,Gentleman, lady, I present to you, the Imperial library.” Marsh whispered and was the first to enter.

[The Metal Mallet]

Creative explanation for defeating the "humanoid" demons. I thought that concept to be quite interesting. I look forward to seeing what'll happen in the Imperial Library.

[Black Hand]

SGM!!

[jack cloudy]

Wee, I got the next one!





The first thing that caught their eye were the countless racks filled with books that spread in all directions, seemingly into infinity. Next were the blindfolded monks who sat in a circle, singing something in an unknown language. At the center of the circle stood a crystal, shaped like a flower whose leaves had yet to open. A monk who stood nearby looked up when the three entered.
,,The red scale. We’ve been expecting you.” He whispered so he wouldn’t disturb whatever ritual the other monks were involved with.

,,If they’re all blindfolded, then how do they know that Marsh’s scales are red?” Rajn whispered to Aran.
,,They must’ve foreseen his arrival with the scrolls.” He whispered back.

Marsh bowed before the monk.
,,I’ve come to seek your counsel. Silmane, the battlemage’s apprentice has sent me here.” He spoke with his hissing voice.
,,Did you bring the key?” The monk asked in return. Marsh revealed the key he’d clung to all this time.
,,I have.”

He stood back as the monk entered the circle. With a slow, gentle movement, he pressed the key into the crystal’s side. Like the flower it represented, the crystal split open into several leaves, revealing a weathered scroll.
,,The last scroll, the only one that hasn’t been stolen from us. I’ll decipher its meaning for you. Then, you must leave this place.” He spoke solemnly. He placed one hand on the scroll while gripping a quill with the other. Still blindfolded, he began to write on a blank parchment, his movements following the rhythm of the song which brought about a feeling of peace.

In the heavy atmosphere, no one dared to speak. The only sound that filled the library was the scratching of the quill and the song. Even as he continued to write and the monks continued to sing, the blindfolded man began to speak.
,,To the end you must go, up the stairs. At the altar of Akatosh you shall find, the waters of your future.” He whispered. With one last swift stroke of the quill, he finished his interpretation of the scroll. His hands went up to the blindfold and removed the rough piece of fabric. Where his eyes had been, only pale skin remained. There was no eyelid or any other sign that he’d once possessed eyes.
,,I’ve seen the depths of time and for that, I shall never see again. Take this parchment and hold on to it.”

The moment Marsh-Speaker took the parchment and rolled it up into a scroll, the other monks stood up and positioned themselves at the door. As if someone had given a signal, the door exploded into countless fragments. A demon strode in, flames flickering at its clawed feet and burning around his teeth. Simultaneously, the monks raised their hands and began a new song, one that left a feeling of despair in the hearts of anyone who would listen. Lightning sparked among them and shot out at the demon, hurling it backwards in a cloud of smoke.

,,Now go!” The Eyeless monk shouted as he joined his peers. Marsh nodded and took off, heading for the heart of the library with the scroll clenched in his fist. Aran followed, with Rajn only a few steps behind.
,,What’s going on?! Why don’t we help?!” Aran shouted over the loud thunder that echoed all around them.
,,They’re fulfilling their part of the prophecy! To guard the holder of the land, the keepers of time must perish! That’s the prophecy I received the first time I came here! Now I understand its meaning! On the scroll I carry, the future of Tamriel is written! To enable our escape, they’ll fight till their death!” The Argonian shouted back. In the distance, he could make out the stairs leading up.

Taking three steps at a time, he ran up as fast as he could, despite the protest of his legs which were still weakened from his death earlier. At the top, he found a door which he rammed through with brute force. He skidded to a halt, his legs trembling from his exertion. The chamber he was in contained only two things. A low altar made of stone and a statue of Akatosh, the Aedric dragon of time.

Water dripped from the altar constantly. Warily, the Argonian drew closer, followed by his companions. To his surprise, where there should have been a flat stone surface, he saw a pool of water whose depth he could not perceive.
,,The waters of our future.” He whispered in awe, touching the liquid surface with a finger.
,,A shiftgate.” He concluded.

The thunder ceased. The silence that followed was somehow more frightening than the noise earlier. It meant only one thing. The last monk had fallen. Shaking off his scholarly interest in the portal, Marsh waved the Dunmer and the Bosmer over.
,,It’s a portal, leading to somewhere. Jump into it.” He hissed. Aran went first, obviously struggling with his dislike for Magicka.
,,And don’t forget to hold your breath! No one can breath this water, not even I can!” Marsh warned. The Dunmer nodded and stepped in. Within the blink of an eye, he’d sunk below the surface and out of sight. Rajn followed a lot quicker. Then, it was Marsh’ turn. He dove in headfirst, narrowly dodging a fireball thrown at him.

The demon that had thrown the fireball rushed towards the shiftgate but it was already too late. The pool of water had evaporated into a thin mist. The grotesque monster trembled in fear. Reporting his failure would not be pleasant.

[The Metal Mallet]

Ooooo exciting, this is really picking up in the suspense jack. I'm digging it! I've really been admiring your storytelling for this particular tale. Keep it up ya hear!?

[canis216]

This is really thrilling stuff. Keep up the good work Jack!

[jack cloudy]

*Creeperlike voice* ,,I'm postmachining!"



Aran felt solid ground under his feet and more important, air. Instinctively, he jumped to the side though this action turned out to be unnecessary. Rajn appeared a few steps to his left.
,,Eww! I’m soaked! And it was such a nice dress. Given by a jerk, but still a nice dress.” She complained. The shiftgate had resembled a pool of water much closer than she’d expected. Marsh was the last to arrive, once again appearing several steps further towards the left. Somehow, the portal had flipped him over again so he landed on his feet rather than on his head. A cascade of water followed their arrival. Normal water.

,,Marsh-Speaker, what an unexpected surprise.” A voice spoke from somewhere behind them. They all turned as one, Aran gripping his spear tightly and Rajn still fuzzing over her dress. The owner of the voice revealed himself as an elderly Breton dressed in an expensive garb and with a small crown on his head. There was a woman at his side, a Dunmer who looked much younger than the king. Though as with all elves, it was hard to judge age on mere appearance.
,,King Eadwyre. Queen Barenziah. I see that you’ve made it to Wayrest safely.” The Argonian replied and bowed.

He then looked at the scroll in his hands. While he was soaked just like everyone else, the scroll had miraculously remained dry.
,,I sought counsel at the blind monks. They deciphered the words on an Elder Scroll before……before they gave their life to ensure our survival.” Upon hearing that, Eadwyre and Barenziah lowered their heads, a silent gesture of respect to the monks who’d fulfilled their task till the very end.
,,We see, that is terrible news. We’ll hold a meeting to discuss the contents of your scroll, after you’ve dried up together with this mess.” Eadwyre spoke and ordered a few servants to take care of the guests.

Three hours later, they’d come together again, seated at a table.
,,Now Marsh-Speaker, bring us the news we’ve asked for. What happened to the Champion?” The elderly king asked straight to the point.
,,As with the monks, he died. Ria Silmane died as well, her final death. Only this scroll knows if their sacrifice was worth it.” Marsh answered and laid eyes on the monk’s words for the first time.

Eight defiled under cold earth
Scorching light signals era’s end
Threads severed, vessel cast adrift
Heart corrupt, dragon’s blood in land with no name
Through water, the fire is lit

He who lives by the life of someone else
Unbound eye
Tooth of chaos
Ten suns of darkness
Mask of shame
Father of time’s flame
Wandering soul
Corrupted heart

Eight lands, eight destinies
Land of sand
Land guided by the moons
Land of roots
Land separated from all
Land at world’s end
Land of ice
Land uncharted
Land of curses

All come together, in the land of dragons
Divine chaos united
From lowest depth to highest top
Unnamed land given name

Marsh looked up from the parchment and his gaze travelled across those who were seated at the table. Rajn blinked, Aran frowned, Barenziah tapped on the table with a finger, Eadwyre played with the rings on his hands. In short, no one had a clue what he’d just said.
,,I believe we can safely assume that the message is a riddle.” Marsh spoke with a shrug. He pushed the scroll across the table so the king could see it for himself.
,,Yes, that’s quite a safe assumption. Now most is beyond our grasp, as I’m ashamed to admit, though it does seem to us that the section of the lands is a list of locations.” Eadwyre spoke as he unrolled the scroll and read it.

Rajn poked Aran who was sitting next to him.
,,The guy must be wacko. He keeps talking as if he’s two persons.” She snickered which gave her a stern look from ‘the guy’ and everyone else.
,,What?” She asked with feigned innocence.
,, Land of sand, Land guided by the moons, Land of roots, Land separated from all, Land at world’s end, Land of ice, Land uncharted, Land of curses. Eight in total. Nine if you count the unnamed land. All nice, but what do they refer to? What does the word ‘land’ refer to in this case?” Marsh repeated, ignoring the Bosmer.

,,Oh, I know. I know!” Once again everyone looked at Rajn.
,,If this is about our manner of speech, we would request that you remove yourself from this meeting at once.” King Eadwyre spoke with a sour expression.
,,That’s Valenwood!” Rajn said, not even bothering to try and translate what the old man had said.
,,Valenwood, how?” Barenziah joined the conversation, her curiosity triggered.
,,Simple. Land of roots. Valenwood is one big forest. Lots of plants not to mention big trees. Plants have roots, simple.”

Marsh gestured towards the king who gave back the scroll. The Argonian’s eyes flitted across the cryptic words.
,,Land of roots, Valenwood. That seems to fit. Each land refers to a province. It’s like a puzzle. Land of Ice, Skyrim. Land uncharted, that must be Argonia where no road survives long enough to be charted. Land of sands, Hammerfell or Elsweyr. All the others I don’t understand right now.” He spoke, drawing the link between the words and their meaning.

His eyes had now reached the paragraph above.
,, He who lives by the life of someone else, Unbound eye, Tooth of chaos, Ten suns of darkness, Mask of shame, Father of time’s flame, Wandering soul, Corrupted heart.” He mumbled. This paragraph was easier for him.
,,He who lives by the life of someone else. That’s me.” He revealed, closing his eyes.
,,Ria, I’m sorry. It should’ve been me who paid the price, not you.”

,,So, this is a list of the people involved? Too bad that there’s no ‘weird mumbler’.” Rajn said out loud.
,,That’s enough! Remove yourself, at once!” Eadwyre shouted, his patience had worn out. When the girl stood up, Aran reached out with his hand and pushed her back into her seat.
,,No, she stays.” He said, opening his mouth for the first time.
,,I know that she is hard to bear for you, king. That is intentional. She is bored and wants to leave. However, I think that she has a role to play here.” He continued, allowing no argument.
,,What, how? Let me go.” Rajn asked him, trying to break free from his iron grip. On the other side of the table, Marsh nodded.
,,Unbound eye.” He hissed.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Feb 24 2007, 09:22 PM

[The Metal Mallet]

Wow, things are getting more and more interesting. This "prophecy" you've written is amazing as it gives me a lot to think about. I feel like deciphering it myself! That's some excellent work if I say so.

I also have a good idea who "Corrupted Heart" is

Great work, jack. Post machine it up if you wish!