A New Sun Rises - Maxical's Adventures, The Truth Behind The Oblivion Crisis Options

[mALX]

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Chapter 157: Challenging Captain Renault



“Who are you? How did you get in here? You can’t be in here!” Captain Renault scrambled up and pretended to modestly cover what could easily be seen through the negligee.

“I am an emissary sent from Emperor Uriel Septim. You were given command orders for the Dunmer Gils. Emperor Uriel Septim demands an explanation for your refusal to obey his command.”

“You can’t come in here! Get out NOW!”

“I am here to escort Serjo Gils to the Palace. Uriel Septim gave you a direct command to send Gils to the Palace over a week ago. You may be facing court martial and immediate disassociation with the Blades for ignoring his orders.”

“I know who you are, how dare you come in here threatening me!”

“You admit that you know who I am, then you will explain to the Emperor why you let Gils believe his wife was dead. You may find your position at the Palace is no longer available when you return, Captain Renault.”

“He is needed here.”

“By whom.” It was all I could do to keep my hand at my side till the challenge was made.

“How dare you! You have no right to question me!”

Inside I felt like a volcano about to erupt, her daring my right was all the catalyst needed to put me there.

“I have the right of a wife to challenge the whores that throw themselves into my husband’s bed. You let Gils believe I was dead when you knew I was alive. Explain your actions to me now, and you will surely be explaining them to Uriel Septim tomorrow. Your mission as a Blade is to defend and obey him. As outpost commander for the Blades it is forbidden to force your advances on one under your command, as you have done. Witness statements have already been taken. I will also recommend to the Emperor that your position with the Blades and his Imperial Army be terminated, as your moral fiber is in absolute question. Your room at the Palace has already been searched, and many items confiscated to be brought to the Emperor‘s attention. You will be removed from the Palace in disgrace.”

I yanked my left gauntlet off and tossed it at her feet. “Answer your challenge for sleeping with my husband in a fair hand-to-hand fight. As the injured party I claim my right to first blood.”






***


“How dare you filthy beast! Come in here threatening me and acting like some emissary for morals when you have two husbands!”

I cut her off. “If I have ten husbands it matters not, you will sleep with none of them or face my challenge. If you are afraid to fight me, say it before the men you have commanded. I will still claim my right to strike once for the injury you‘ve caused me, but then end it.”

She looked around at the sea of faces, all the men had risen and were watching. The door to the bathing room had been pushed open and men from the outer area were starting to ease into the room.

“Why are you all just standing there? She’s threatening me, I command you take her into custody NOW!”

“They are all familiar with the rules of engagement, which obviously you are not. Odd that the men under you know the law better than you, Captain Renault. Is it possible you slept your way into the post you hold? I can see you did not achieve it through bravery.”

“How DARE you!” She started scrambling into her armor.

“I’ll suggest to the Emperor that how you obtained your position be looked into as well. The Blades are people he must entrust his life to. If you are afraid to fight a Khajiit girl half your size, I doubt he will feel safe in your care.”

She picked up my gauntlet and flung it at me. “I accept your challenge, cat. We’ll see who can fight. I‘m a Blade, we are the most skilled of any fighters.”

“I’d say Baurus is, I’ve seen his sword.” The raucous laugh that went up told me there were a lot of men in her command that didn’t respect her.

She stopped dressing, looking around the room. “You can’t challenge me without seconds, no one here will stand by your side if they know what‘s good for them.”

“Still trying to get out of it, I see. I will be sure to inform the Emperor that I witnessed you threaten your troops of ill treatment if they abided by the law. It will be added to the charges I am already bringing against you. However, as a matter of fact I have brought a second. Eyja?”

Eyja dispelled her chameleon and pounded her chest, glaring at Captain Renault.

“Second. I will verify Maxical is here in representation of an order Uriel Septim gave that Gils be sent immediately to the Palace, he was in a rage that his orders were not complied with. When I tell him that you had the knowledge Maxical lived and let Gils continue to think she was dead, Maxical is right, you will no longer have a position in the Palace. I‘ll see to that.”






***


Owyn pounded his chest. “Second. I’ll be damned if I let a [censored] like you threaten me, this is my Bloodworks.”

Captain Renault called Baurus and that obnoxious Glenroy. The spectators moved back against the wall and a rumbling of betting started.

Owyn called out loudly, “Put me down for 200 Septims on the Khajiit.”

Captain Renault got into position and put her hands up defensively.

Owyn yelled out, “Hands down for the first hit, you got it coming.”

She reluctantly lowered them. I glanced over to Eyja and she immediately started adjusting one of the garters holding up her stocking on one leg, raising the skirt of her cuirass so high it was easily seen that there was no panty under that garter belt. She had nothing on underneath it. My eyes bugged, I found my own self distracted by it. Owyn managed to jab me without tearing his eyes from Eyja.

“Huh? Where am I? Oh. Er…where were we? Oh yeah. By the way, Gils taught me hand-to-hand. So if you’ve seen what he can do, you’ll like this.” I laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound.

The magic shot my arm up in the uppercut and follow through. Captain Renault went flying backward.

KAPOW! CRUNCH! WHEEEEEEEW! SPLAT!

“What do you know, she has a glass jaw.” I shrugged, then waited to make sure her seconds didn’t accuse me of cheating.

Baurus was watching Eyja, but I couldn’t’ be sure if Glenroy had been or not. He was looking suspicious. I got the terrible feeling I should have had Baurus reveal his sword to distract Glenroy.

“No one your size can hit that hard, nor their arm move that fast without cheating.”

Eyja straightened up. “What are you saying? That the Emperor would send an emissary that would cheat? I‘ll make sure to speak to the Emperor about this, what did she say your name was?”

“She’s an Arena fighter, you idiot! I trained her myself!” Owyn’s cheeks reddened with what looked like anger.






***


I waved Eyja back to her position. “Are you accusing?”

Baurus looked at Eyja, then me…then at Captain Renault laying well over seven foot back from where she had been standing. “I decline.”

Glenroy’s face reddened. “Are you kidding? No one hits like that! Did you even see it?”

Baurus looked Glenroy right in the eye. “I saw everything you did.”

Glenroy’s sword hand brushed the hilt of his sword. “Witnesses! Call off!”

“I saw your sword hand brush the hilt! This is hand-to-hand only…whatever your name is. No weapons.” I called out, pointing at Glenroy.

“I did not!”

“Don’t give me that, Glenroy. I saw it too.” Owyn roared. “Witnesses!” Owyn pounded his chest. We heard several chest pounds. None had responded to Glenroys call for witnesses, but he was like a terrier with a rag and wouldn’t drop it.

“She used magic, or something. No one moves that fast.”

“I am Khajiit. I’m a highly trained athlete and ranked Arena fighter. If you accuse, you stand alone. You have no witnesses in agreement with you. Now if we are done here, I would like to find my husband. Does anyone know where Serjo Gils is?”

“I have not released you!” Glenroy fumed, his face starting to redden.

“Accuse or release. I haven’t seen my husband in almost two weeks because your commander lied that I was dead to keep him at her side, and deliberately disobeyed the Emperor’s direct orders of reassignment. I intend to speak to Jauffre about the caliber of Blade he is accepting. I carry only complaints against your Captain at this time, however I saw you reach for your blade in hand-to-hand and now you are refusing to release me with no witnesses backing an accuse. I wonder if your temper is the issue here, rather than my ability to put down your commander. I will have you know I have laid out the Gray Prince with the exact same uppercut. She has a glass jaw, just like he has. I cannot be faulted for her weaknesses.”

“She has a glass jaw all right, I heard it myself.” Owyn planted his feet. “You stand alone, your own comrades know she did nothing wrong. Accuse, release, or challenge!”

“Challenge. Swords.”

“Declare me the victor of the first fight then.“

“Declared.“

“Then your challenge is accepted. Idiot, my father is Alix Lencolia.”

Glenroy’s face went as white as me. ”Rule change. First strike or dropped weapon.”

“Agreed.”






***


I planted my feet, but didn’t make a move for my weapon. I would have to hold the sword in my right hand, but the steel knuckles in my gauntlet would make it impossible to hold the blade. Glenroy already had his blade at the ready. I raised my hand to pause the fight.

“My boots will slide on these tiles. I want to remove my boots.”

“Done.” He decided to remove his too.

I clasped my hand over the steel knuckles inside the right gauntlet and slid them both off together, handing them to Owyn with the ends up so they wouldn’t spill the knuckles and reveal my cheat. He slid them into the pocket of his robe.

When I had both my boots and socks off I stood up, nearly gaping at Glenroy. He’d kept his socks on, they’d slide on these polished tiles as badly as the boots would have!

I scratched my head with my tail and then curled it into a question mark hoping to get the men watching to start cheering me on. “Look at her tail! That’s the Khajiit Arena fighter with the tail, remember? The one that gored that guys crotch and then beheaded him!”

Glenroy paled even more than he had been. “Rule change! No mortal wounds.”

It was really hard to imagine Uriel Septim putting his faith in this bunch for security. No wonder Akatosh sought a Champion for him.

“Agreed. Can we get on with this? I haven‘t seen my husband in almost two weeks.” I put my tail into an ‘S’.

Glenroy drew his sword and raised it. I drew mine and weighted it in my hand first, then planted my feet before touching my sword to his. His first move was a hard drive lunge that was easily dodged, in fact it nearly got Eyja pinked since his socked feet slid on the tiles.

“Time.” I raised my hand. “Eyja, go to Owyn for safety. He can anticipate when you‘ll need to move and get you out of the way of Glenroy‘s blade. I don‘t want to lose a friend or a second from Glenroy’s sloppy swordsmanship.”

Owyn roared laughing, Glenroy’s face turned beet red. He came back with his sword arm too far forward, leaning with his weight forward of his hips. It would have been too easy to knock it out of his grip or pink him. Instead I sent him sprawling with a trip while he was off balance.

In retrospect, I should have ended it then and all would have been fine. Instead I looked at it as a chance to spar and practice my parries. Glenroy was a bull in a china shop in those socks, I lost count of the times I could have ended the fight. I was stifling a fake yawn when Glenroy took one hard lunge too many and skidded into Eyja and Owyn blade first.


*

[Acadian]

This was magnificent! I loved every word. Maxical kept her head pretty well. How dare they accuse her of cheating (as she managed to slip out of the steel knuckles).

’Glenroy paled even more than he had been. “Rule change! No mortal wounds.”
It was really hard to imagine Uriel Septim putting his faith in this bunch for security. No wonder Akatosh sought a Champion for him.’

And our cat begins to toy with the mouse until. . . Uh Oh! You left us sliding off the edge of a cliff! I hope Owyn and Eyja are okay.

[Grits]

Glenroy had me in stitches. He is not having a good day. He’s right, and he can’t back down! The lines that Acadian quoted had me rolling. And now Glenroy has learned the lesson that there’s no graceful way to take your socks off once you’ve already unsheathed your sword. I enjoyed every minute of this chapter! But Glenroy is headed at Eyja and Owyn blade first? Yikes!

[TrisRed]

I'm back! Managed to catch up as much as possible, but here I am! Haha

This chapter was amazing! I love Owyn. He'd always been one of my favorite NPC'S; his insulting charming ways are captured by you perfectly.

Gotta love the opening line though! Had me in stitches already! Haha

I LOVE cliffhangers, and you leave us with a perfect one! Are Eyja and Owyn okay? or frightfully impaled? EEEEEEP!

This post has been edited by Rihanae: Jul 15 2012, 08:10 PM

[Darkness Eternal]

Yeah, I could see Owyn fitting in! You captured his personality perfectly. Smart-mouthed, funny jerk. "I heard a rumor that your an idiot." Haha.

Woah, how in the blue hell did you manage to write "whores" without a censorship? Anyways, we see a pissed off Maxical reigning her urges to knock out the captain. I love the start of the challenges and some chest-pounding action.

Oh and a tiny nit...Owyn blushed? . No, I am not racist. But I did chuckle when I read that. Clever uses of onomatopoeia! And leave it for a loser to blame Maxical for cheating...I loathe the claims! And that ending.... Someone is going to bite the dust sword.

This is an excellent read.

Edit: Seems the censorship is...fixed. In a good way!

This post has been edited by Darkness Eternal: Jul 16 2012, 03:01 AM

[ghastley]

I yanked my left gauntlet off and tossed it at her feet.
This is a whole new Maxical coming out here. The one we all know would have pulled off the wrong gauntlet!

KAPOW! CRUNCH! WHEEEEEEEW! SPLAT!
I know exactly what you mean.

[King Coin]

You can’t be in here!
What’s going on here? Hiding something, or is there something else? Maxical’s swinging around some authority that she doesn’t have.

The challenge is issued! I’m happy Eyja is backing up Maxical. She might actually have some influence where Maxical was all bluster.

What a fine mess this is turning out to be. Absolutely superb. Renault’s seconds are almost at blows! We probably won’t find out what Renault was talking about at the beginning. A second challenge to swords! I hope Malan isn’t in close attendance; else this could be a grand opportunity for him.

A barefoot swords kitty! Sounds familiar! I wonder what happens next? Sounds pretty bad.

[mALX]

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@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian !! You had me rolling laughing with your descriptions !!!

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@ Grits - Now you owe me a monitor for that sword/socks line !!! ROFL !!! Thank you so very much Grits !!

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@ Rihanae - Yeah, you're back! I've always loved Owyn too, he is gruff talking but you can tell he cares about his fighters (the player) in game. He is one of my fave characters in game. Thank you so much Rihanae !!

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@ Darkness Eternal - You had me rolling with your testing out censored words on here !! I think I learned that word could be used on Ghastley's thread, lol. Thank you so much Darkness !!!

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@ Ghastley - Lol, you have Maxical pegged, ROFL !! Thank goodness she didn't make that mistake before the fight, lol. Thank you so much Ghastley !!

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@ King Coin - No secrets, the Bloodworks was seized by the military for use as a base, no one allowed in except authorized military personnel (that's why Baurus told Eyja she couldn't be in there last chapter, and why Maxical got thrown out of there the day they seized it two weeks ago). Uriel told her she wasn't allowed to be there too, but he wanted her to go - he was testing her ability to infiltrate, ROFL !! She didn't pass that test.

You are right that Maxical was blowing smoke with her assumed authority, lol. She didn't have any except that of a wife that wasn't leaving there without her husband, lol. Thank you so very much KC !!!

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[mALX]

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Chapter 158: Rumble In The Bloodworks



Glenroy’s socked feet skidded across the tiles, his sword leading off the fully extended arm. Owyn leaped to the side pushing Eyja behind him, but it was too late. Glenroy’s blade pierced Oywn’s arm. Owyn jerked his arm up, gapping his robe open. The sack dangling off the rope tied to his waist was fully visible as he eyed his wound.

“SSSSST” I hissed at Owyn, but could already hear the rumble of dissent behind us. I grabbed my gauntlets from his pocket, pulling down hard on his arm to close his robe.

“Foul! He pinked my second.” I called quickly, getting ready to yank my gauntlet back on if they charged.

“What’s that under his robe?”

“Probably his lunch. It matters not, the seconds haven’t been called into play.”

“Maybe Glenroy was right, maybe they are cheaters.”

“I only brought Eyja with me as second. Anyone of you could have stood up and named yourself just as he did. I didn’t search him, that was Glenroy’s job. Anyway, seconds haven’t been called into play so what can anything he does matter? Glenroy pinked him in a fight with me, he has lost this challenge.”

“CHEATERS! ALL IN!”

“Oh crap! FLANK!” I crammed my sword into the sheath and rammed my hand into the gauntlet with the steel knuckles in it, just dropping the left guantlet onto the nearby bed.

I pulled Eyja to my left flank. “Stay right there and give it all you got, Eyja. Just no killing.”

As long as we’d been named cheaters, may as well do it. I used my Eye of Khajiit to make the first wave run in fear. After that I used magic to boost my arm speed. With the steel knuckles, anyone I hit dropped.

Eyja thu’um’d toward the door and I was shocked to see a bunch of grown men go tumbling through it like a great wind had blown them. It was the first time I’d ever seen one in action.

Owyn was using the sack and dropping people one right after another with his right hand. Several times he grabbed people with his left hand and head-butted them and alternated that with healing himself.






***


Someone with a long reach caught me with a massive fist in the eye. My head felt like it snapped backwards and everything started looking black with flashing lights circling around.

“Gaaaaherown” I’m not even sure what I was trying to say, but I felt myself staggering backwards.

In slow motion I saw a fist connect with Eyja’s breasts and heard her scream in what sounded more like anger than pain. She jerked the gauntlet off my hand and grabbed the steel knuckles out, not even bothering to hide them. She looked like a windmill in a gale, and was also kicking crotches with those tall boots of hers. I had to push myself off the wall to get back into the fight. My claws unsheathed instinctively, but I was careful not to do any maiming. These were Uriel’s troops, after all.

Eyja didn’t stay in flank position. I caught sight of her cutting a pathway across the room just as her flank position got compromised and a powerful fist punched up under my ribcage at the diaphragm. It knocked the wind out of me. As I was going down I saw Captain Renault rising, her jaw hanging oddly.

Her eyes burned with hatred that flickered into aggression when she saw me falling down. She started toward me. Her jaw was broken, hitting it again would knock her out. My bare fist would break before her jaw would, but I couldn’t find where Eyja had thrown my gauntlet.

Captain Renault was coming at me fast, there was no time. I staggered back up quickly, barely making it to Owyn’s left flank before she was nearly on me. Fathis’s big square ring was on my right hand. I kissed it quickly before she got there and then ran the magic down my arm in another uppercut. The ring cut a jagged square gash into her jaw, but I heard the crunching of bones. I hadn’t lied, she did have a glass jaw.

Over the shouts and thuds I heard Eyja do another thu’um and the room was beginning to look a little clearer. Owyn had two black eyes and his right ear looked swollen to twice the size of the other. His forehead was split open and bleeding. He left my flank to chase down some others in the room.

My right eye was swollen shut, my left eye ached and the cheek below it felt crushed. It hurt every breath I took, I was pretty sure I had a fractured rib. My lips were swollen, split, and bleeding. My arms were purple and swollen from top to bottom, and my hands both felt like rags.

Eyja was bruised on her chest, her arms, and her mouth was swollen out of proportion. Her nose may have been broken as well, it looked odd. But her beautiful eyes were untouched.

POW! I spoke too soon.






***


I was about to draw my sword and use the hilt as a tool to uppercut some more jaws when the Bloodworks door slammed and the moonsugar came on my tongue for the first time since the day Gils started me.

“GILS! GILS!” I just screamed it over and over till the door to the bathing room opened and there he was. I don’t know if I would have recognized him if it hadn’t been for the moonsugar on my tongue.

Everybody just stopped fighting and stood staring at Gils. He looked terrible. His skin was almost as pale as me, his eyes were bloodshot and sunken in almost black sockets. He was thinner than I have ever seen him. I must not have looked the same to him either, blacked eyes and blood dripping down my chin from that split lip.

“Maxical? You’re alive?” Why did he just stand there?

“Gils, it’s me. Captain Renault knew I was alive all this time, and knew I was at the Palace. She refused to obey Uriel Septim’s orders and send you to the Palace to be with me. I came for you, Uriel wants to reassign you so we can be together. What is it, Serjo Gils? You don‘t come to your wife?”

Gils collapsed. I always fake a faint when caught in wrong doing, but I don’t think that was what Gils was doing. He didn’t look well at all.

“Owyn! Everyone stop fighting, Gils needs healing…we all do, but get him first. Why is he so thin?”

Owyn scooped up Gils and carried him to the healing fount. I grabbed my gauntlets and followed, cracking them hard across Captain Renault‘s face as I passed her inert form.

“That’s for the condition I find my husband in after your care of him. You’re no more fit at whoring than at commanding, [censored].”

They say everything goes full circle. Seeing Gils laying across that fount, that was the day I swore my life and my first child to Akatosh. And here it was again, Owyn carrying Gils to the fount just like he had that day. I had a sudden sickening feeling in my stomach.

Akatosh already had my promise, I was already working for him. Would he do it again? Should I pray to another god or maybe Clavicus Vile or something? Sell off some more of my children to save Gils again? Why had he just stood there?

Owyn was cranking the fount up and looking at Gils like he had looked that day, it seemed so long ago now. Everything was the same.






***



“I can’t run for Hannibal, Owyn. Not in the night with vampires out there.”

“No one can go, Maxical. It’s not safe out there.”

When I took Gils’ hand to pump the ring I’d given him, there was no ring. I pulled his cuirass open and looked, the necklace and gag ring were gone too. I checked his pockets for the Cure Disease potion and scrolls, there were none. The rings and necklace weren’t in his pockets either.

“Should I get a Cure Disease from the cabinet?”

“You can’t, we’re out of them.”

“In the morning I’ll run to the Palace and get some. How could you run out, wasn’t Ocato duplicating them?”

Owyn was busy healing Gils, so I shut up. I leaned over the fount to stroke his hair and face, gently kissing his eyes and cheeks. His lips were parched looking, cracked and dry. I gave just a soft kiss one would give a baby, not a wife’s kiss. Gils started screaming, the most horrible sounding scream. It was like he was in terrible pain.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you? Did I hurt him Owyn? What did I do? What is happening to him?” I dabbed off the bit of blood my cut lip had left on him.

Owyn had to give him a calming healing spell to stop the screaming. “Maxical, there are a lot of them coming back from the sewers this way. Like their mind snaps or something. What they face down there, you would not believe.”

“Was he like this when you saw him last?”

“No. He wasn’t good, but he was talking.”

“When you’re done healing him, I want him brought in with me in the storage room. I‘ll be right back.”

I wanted to be sure I hadn’t missed Gils’ rings and necklace I gave him when I looked in the alcove behind the mirror, but that could come later. There were too many injured to prepare for Owyn. Before I‘d start helping though, I wanted to be sure Captain Renault wasn’t wearing them. Had she been wearing them, someone may have had to pull me off of her. She wasn’t, thank goodness. Still, as I looked down at her the rage seethed in me.

Eyja grabbed my arm. “Hey! Maxical. Are you okay?”

“Not yet, Eyja. I still don’t know what is going on. Eyja, can you help me triage these guys?”

“Sure, just tell me what to do.“






***


“Line them up against that wall, worst injuries closest to Owyn. If you can heal, start with the worst first. I can’t heal, so I’m useless except for judging who needs care first. Salute each one, tell them what a good job they did. Not Captain Renault and Gilroy, no matter their injuries or rank do not salute or heal them and they are to be last in line for healing by Owyn if they seek it.”

“I don’t blame you. Besides, as Captain over all these she should be able to heal at least herself and another.“

“That’s what I’m thinking, but look at the condition of these troops…especially Gils. Something tells me she isn’t qualified to, like that healer down in Anvil. Those two are supposed to be Uriel’s Elite Guards, can you imagine? Sir Damien said it well, Akatosh had to send me because Uriel had no one. I’m tempted to drag her by the hair before Uriel and ask him why she can‘t heal herself when she is supposed to protect him.”

Eyja wasn’t good at judging injuries, but she could heal and was a fantastic morale booster with the men. She had them laughing and cheering in no time with her sallies. I didn’t flirt like she did, just rallied a bit as I inspected and lined them up in order.

“Uriel Septim should be proud of his Imperial Army, whoever trains you guys did well. I was proud to see you in action and know you‘re on the side of the throne.” I saluted each by pounding my chest twice in respect. A few saluted back.

Baurus was unscathed and helped out. I hadn’t seen him fight in the melee, didn’t know if he’d healed himself or what. I’d have to feel him out before making any judgment on whether he was like the rest, but knowing what I did now about the Blades I was sickened to think Uriel placed his trust in them. They lacked discipline entirely, and weren’t even nearly as well trained as his Imperial Army was.

As I was inspecting the men I was shocked that most carried unenchanted iron weapons.

“Why do none of you have silver or fire-enchanted weapons? You can’t fight vampires with iron! What was Ocato thinking?” I had a sickening feeling he was deliberately destroying Uriel’s defenses. Uriel knew he was a traitor, why had he left him over them?


*

This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 19 2012, 01:36 AM

[King Coin]

This went about as expected. Things were going too well in the previous chapter to be a Maxical operation. Getting stabbed in the arm didn’t seem to slow down Owyn at all!

Maxical kept her head when she went down and didn’t use her claws on anyone. I can’t believe the men punched Eyja! Why didn’t she distract them again?

GILS! I suppose we have to wait to find out exactly what caused his collapse, but I’m just guessing he was shocked to see her alive after believing her to be dead for two weeks.

she could heal and was a fantastic morale booster with the men.
I bet!

[Acadian]

Rumble in the Jungle Bloodworks! Great title!

‘She looked like a windmill in a gale, and was also kicking crotches with those tall boots of hers.’
What an image this conjured!

‘I always fake a faint when caught in wrong doing, but I don’t think that was what Gils was doing.’
How wonderfully Maxical this is!

‘Should I pray to another god or maybe Clavicus Vile or something? Sell off some more of my children to save Gils again?’
Oh noes! Maxical is running out of imp chips for divine bartering!

Wow, treachery at every turn! Malan impersonating Damien, Renault trying to screw Gils, and now Ocato equipping Legion vampire fighters with iron weaponry!

I’m on the edge of my seat to hear what Gils has to say if/when he becomes coherent.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 19 2012, 01:01 AM

[McBadgere]

Blimey!... ...I disappear for a while and look what I missed!!... ...

Fantastic stuff...Very intense with Maxical's search for Gils...

The confrontation with Renault was brilliant...As with many other versions of characters, it's cool to see how we all interpret the same NPCs differently...

Loved all the fighting talk... ...

Brilliant stuff...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[TrisRed]

Phew! Owyn and Eyja are alive! Although Owyn is hurt a bit. I'm sure he's had worse

The fight in the second part of the chapter was intense! It was AMAZING! very well worded. PERFECT!

Loved this bit though, made me laugh a little bit (the POW part, not the fact that she was hurt ):

Eyja was bruised on her chest, her arms, and her mouth was swollen out of proportion. Her nose may have been broken as well, it looked odd. But her beautiful eyes were untouched.

POW! I spoke too soon.

Another amazing chapter mALX! As always, can't wait for more

[Grits]

What a tremendous fight! I’m glad that the little arm wound didn’t slow Owyn down. Folks at the Bloodworks would be pretty used to such things, I guess. Good thing Maxical remembered not to maim anyone.

I was about to draw my sword and use the hilt as a tool to uppercut some more jaws when the Bloodworks door slammed and the moonsugar came on my tongue for the first time since the day Gils started me.

Gils!! At last!! Wow, he’s a mess.

Owyn scooped up Gils and carried him to the healing fount. I grabbed my gauntlets and followed, cracking them hard across Captain Renault‘s face as I passed her inert form.

Oh my gosh, this whole part with the bargaining was both delightfully Maxical and also quite touching. After all of the struggles and doubt, they’re right back at the fount.

Then to learn that at least some of the troops’ suffering was caused by sabotage, yikes! That could be an angry scene with Uriel.

I’m also very curious to hear what Gils has to say. I hope he’s not allergic to Maxical’s virgin blood! Although I’m sure Eyja would have an idea or two about how to overcome that. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Darkness Eternal]

Gaaaaherown!

Awesome! Just plain awesome fight scene and I have to say that you are talented at writing battles! Yikes, everyone seemed to get a beating. Maxical's kapow against the captain's face with that gauntlet was great!

In slow motion I saw a fist connect with Eyja’s breasts and heard her scream in what sounded more like anger than pain.

Never touch Eyja's big bewbs without permittion! Let alone punch them!

My right eye was swollen shut, my left eye ached and the cheek below it felt crushed. It hurt every breath I took, I was pretty sure I had a fractured rib. My lips were swollen, split, and bleeding. My arms were purple and swollen from top to bottom, and my hands both felt like rags.

Eyja was bruised on her chest, her arms, and her mouth was swollen out of proportion. Her nose may have been broken as well, it looked odd. But her beautiful eyes were untouched.

POW! I spoke too soon.

Helluva brawl we got here. Poor Max and Eyja, I guess its back to the oiled bath for them for a proper recovery. Ouch! They sure got a beating. It isn't called Bloodworks for nothing.

And the ending...Ocato that sneaky honoured user! I can see him smirking in his high chair for giving them iron weapons, haha. This was wonderfully written and now it seems there are twists at every turn!

[mALX]

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@ King Coin - Lol, you had me rolling with your comment! Thank you so much KC !!

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@ Acadian - Thank you so very much for those kind words, Acadian !! It means a lot when someone can get a visual from something I’ve said, thank you !!!

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@ McBadgere - WOO HOO !!! You are still around !!! Thank you so much McB !!!

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@ Rihanae - Your comment made my day !!! Thank you so much Rihanae !!! That meant a lot to hear, Awesome !!!

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@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! You caught the gist (I hoped would come across) of that scene at the fount. Maxical is getting her first taste of how the gods work. She’s at a loss of how to help Gils now. Thank you so very much Grits !!!

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@ Darkness Eternal - This comment made my day big time !!! You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to write a fight scene, your kind words meant tons to hear !!! Thank you so very much Darkness !!!!!


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[mALX]

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** There is a nod to dear Rachel the Breton (who I miss terribly) from her story “Edward the Imperial” in this chapter.

Edward the Imperial:


http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4502



Chapter 159: The Betrayal Of Gods



I’d lost count of the number of times I heard the magic being forced through the healing fount, lost track of how many times Owyn broke out cursing. Gils never moved after that screaming fit he’d had, lay like a corpse…looked like one, pallid and sickeningly cold to the touch.

Several times I lay my ear over his heart to be sure it still beat. Owyn never stopped working on him, instead he called for any mage that could heal to help Eyja in healing the troops. Captain Renault never showed her face to heal her own troops or even dispute Owyn’s authority, she stayed in the bathing room.

Inside me a rage was eating away at any sanity I may have left seeing this act play out again, Gils on the verge of dying and me standing by helpless with no resource but to bargain with the gods again.

I couldn’t bring myself to beg Akatosh again, in fact had he showed up I may have run him through with my sword. Was this Akatosh’s idea of keeping his end of the vow? Did he think I had given up my life to his service just to see Gils go to another woman and die anyway not a month later?

I’d done everything Uriel and Akatosh demanded of me, sworn myself even knowing I’d be squashed like a bug under Dagon’s feet within a year. How could Akatosh be so dirty as to take my service and still take Gils from me? I’d have been better off going to a Daedric Lord than the gods.

Akatosh would never have my prayers again, but I let loose plenty of curses on his head. The words never left my lips, but my mind screamed them.

“You listen well, you dirty lying sack of [censored] [censored] Akatosh! This is the last vow you’ll ever hear from me. If I lose Gils to the grave, or even to another woman…you’d best be looking for a new Champion! I’ll be of service to your enemies before I’ll ever help you again, you piece of [censored] [censored] cow [censored] [censored]! I‘ll curse your name till I die, you [censored] [censored]!“

I did pray to Azura, since my marriage to Gils was blessed by her both through my Khajiit seal and Gils’ Dunmer mysteries. I vowed my soul to Clavicus Vile since Akatosh only owned my life. I even called on Fathis’s soul, wherever it may be. I have no idea if I promised any more of my children away, but I know it wasn’t to Akatosh.

SMACK!

“OW! What did you hit me for?” I looked stunned at Eyja.

“It looked like you’d gone into shock. You need to hear some of the [censored] that’s been going on at this outpost.” Eyja dragged me to the group of healed men.






***


Camaraderie was established already with the Imperial Army and Eyja. They had begun to open up, telling some of the treatment they had endured at this outpost. I was livid, hearing what they’d suffered.

The soldiers slept in their armor and were called up night and day instead of shifted. Over half of them were in broken armor and their weapons were in desperate need of repair. They all had dark eye sockets from exhaustion. Soldiers with no magic were being sent into the sewers.

The “Feed Bag” had been commandeered to cater food in for the troops because there was no kitchen in the Bloodworks, but what came was scanty and barely edible. Ocato and Captain Renault had all their meals at the Palace, coming back belching like sows afterward in front of men whose stomachs groaned for decent food.

Worse, they were fighting vampires with improper and inadequate supplies. Ocato gave the supplies daily to Captain Renault, who guarded them as if they were her personal possession. The men had to come to her to get Cure Disease potions, she doled it out by the tablespoonful instead of giving full potions.

All these troops should have been given one full dose of the Cure Disease daily when they were fighting vampires. The Arcane had given clearance for duplications to be used in wartime, why wasn’t it being done?

Did Captain Renault not know how to duplicate? She couldn‘t heal, or would have fixed her own jaw by now. I suspected she had stunted magic. She couldn’t have admitted it, or would never have been promoted to a position over troops in Uriel‘s Elite Guard.

But how did she reach that rank without proving she could perform basic Arcane arts? My guess is she performed another act to get those promotions, but who signed for her rank increases? They needed to be dishonorably discharged with her.

The only things missing from my pack had been scrolls and that Cure Disease potion. Gils or someone had tried to save themselves, and maybe others. Looking at the many feverishly flushed faces and dullness in the eyes of these young men, I doubted whoever took the scrolls knew how to use them.

With a sickening twisting in my stomach I listened as they described several other sewer workers that had come back like Gils was tonight, screaming and ranting…then stopped coming back. No bodies were ever found, they just weren‘t seen again.

They said Captain Renault pronounced those that came back like Gils and anyone that had nightmares or night sweats as ’turned to vampires’. They were sent to the front lines in the sewers, the section directly below the Arena.

She sacrificed troops rather than give them the medicine they needed. The men had become afraid to admit to any symptoms, because instead of healing of the disease they were dispensed with. The men that disappeared were never listed on the casualty lists, their families would never be notified of their loss.

And neither Ocato or Captain Renault had ever even entered the sewers themselves, the troops weren’t led into battle. I was strongly reminded of Uriel battling vampires alongside average citizens that first day. He would never send his troops somewhere he wouldn’t go himself.






***


Every now and then as they talked, I’d hear Owyn curse or shout in confirmation of what they’d said. There was no doubt in my mind it was all truth.

They liked Eyja better than me, so I signaled her to speak to each man individually and write down every suggestion they had for improving conditions. Other than a few suggesting Eyja come frequently as a moral booster, the list was all valid requests. I added a few suggestions of my own at the end, things I‘d noticed. Then I held the list up to get the men’s attention.

“Listen, Uriel Septim is a warrior himself. I know how he cares for his troops; he wouldn’t tolerate the conditions you’ve suffered here if he was aware of it, that much I know of him. You have my vow that the Emperor will be given this list. My personal promise to you is that beginning tomorrow I will ensure you are each given one full potion daily of Cure Disease and every man will carry an enchanted weapon if I have to duplicate them myself. I will request enforced shifting and that each man have at least one meal per day at the Palace so their armor and weapons can be repaired while they eat. I give you my word personally that there will be changes to the conditions here.”

A half hearted cheer went up till I started making promises. They doubted my ability to bring change, and no wonder. A Khajiit they didn’t know other than a cheater in a fight, they couldn’t believe any promise would be delivered on. I felt ashamed of taking these men down on a cheat. Captain Renault was one thing, these men were totally different.

“You stood up well to our dirty fight tactics. They are filthy tricks when used against an army of good men like yourselves, but you’ve been fighting creatures that don’t follow any rules out there. What you saw here is how three normal people can take down an army in a couple hours. Simplicia the Slow knocked out the Gray Prince using these same moves not two months ago. Owyn here knows every one of the filthiest street fighting tricks, the same these vampires have been using against you. You can kill a Daedroth in one hit with them. With the Emperor’s permission, I’d like to see you men trained in them. They would end this war in half the time and with minimal losses of men, and we don’t want to lose any more of you valued troops.”

I pounded my chest twice. “My hat is off to every one of you for putting up the best sparring I’ve had in a long time.”

Eyja blew kisses and promised every one of them something I won’t even begin to mention, but it got a bigger cheer than anything I’d said.

“For the Empire!” I raised my sword in tribute to the men, coming after Eyja’s promise it got a hearty response and cheer.






***


Eyja pulled me aside. “You think Uriel will stand by all those promises you just made?”

“What I know of him, he wouldn’t have let any of that go on if he knew. Uriel is too disconnected from this war, relying too much on Ocato. I understand why he keeps him alive, but why is he still allowing Ocato the power over his defenses?”

“You don’t think he knows what goes on here?”

“I would stake my life on it he doesn’t. He relies on everyone doing what they should without checking up on them. It‘s exactly like Sir Damien said, Uriel is trusting people he always did in the past but they’ve stopped earning that trust. Those Blades are supposed to be Uriel’s Elite Guard. They’re completely undisciplined, don’t know the law, and their blade skills are terrible. If he ever personally inspected them he’d know that. Whoever is training them needs to be canned, didn’t they say his name was Jauffre? Isn’t he that maniac that killed his cook and piked heads around his yard?”

“I thought that was just rumor.”

“Rumors like that don’t start from nothing. Uriel needs to disband the Blades or do a complete shakedown of them starting at the top. The Imperial Army was good though, Uriel should be proud of them.”

“Maxical, it’s almost morning. Uriel is going to wonder where we spent the night. We just beat up his Blades and half his Army.”

“Not Baurus, he came out unscathed somehow.”

“You’re not getting what I’m saying. He is going to be in a rage when he finds out what you’ve done.”

“Hey, I only came here to take her down, and had every right to. Glenroy caused all this. He has some kind of issue with letting things drop, I noticed that the day they threw me out of here to take over the Bloodworks. Besides, you are looking at this all wrong. The point is that a sixty year old man, a girl in a garter belt and low cut top, and a tiny Khajiit were able to take down all his Blades and half his Imperial Army in just hours.”

“Oh! That sounded good!”

“It’s all in the perspective you put on it, I learned that eavesdropping through the wall when Sir Damien talks to Uriel.”

“You did what? Foxy would blow his top if he knew you did that, Maxical! What do you think Uriel will say?”

“When something like this happens Uriel calls it ‘incidental damages‘, at least I think I have that right. I was eavesdropping when I heard that too. Anyway, the best defense is a good offensive attack.”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of waiting for him to yell at me, I’ll walk in and rip up at him for the conditions his troops are in and these Blades he is relying on for protection. The Imperial Army was really good, boy did they hit hard! They know the law well, too. I didn’t see Baurus fight, but his sword looked like it could do some serious damage.”

“BWAAHAA!”



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This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 22 2012, 11:22 PM

[King Coin]

Holy crap! Maxical’s swearing her soul to Vile? She needed that smack from Eyja. Too bad it didn’t come before she swore everything away to some deity or other.

Sounds to me that Renault is Ocato’s woman. Or perhaps she’s under the influence of a vampire? Perhaps we will find out. I’m leery of Maxical’s promises too, I’m sure she’ll try to do what she said, but again, she doesn’t have any authority to do any of those things. This is all relying on Uriel believing her and acting on what she says. And he is going to be pissed at what she’s done in the Bloodworks. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s jailed!

[Darkness Eternal]

Fighting scenes comes with practice, haha. Just watch sword movies or brawl scenes . It helps somewhat.

Oh no, this is the second time I see Maxical make a reference to C.V in a dangerous way. Pledging her soul to him? . Danger! I guess Akatosh and all the Nine don't do compassion that Maxical might convert to Daedric worship. In a way. I see where she comes from. Gil's sure fate brought out the slumbering animosity in Maxical that her perception may be altered throughout. This is an interesting scenario that can be a turning point for our young albino lass.

You listen well, you dirty lying sack of [censored] [censored] Akatosh! This is the last vow you’ll ever hear from me. If I lose Gils to the grave, or even to another woman…you’d best be looking for a new Champion! I’ll be of service to your enemies before I’ll ever help you again, you piece of [censored] [censored] cow [censored] [censored]! I‘ll curse your name till I die, you [censored] [censored]!“

Woah! Maxical is truly peeved! This was so strong that I could picture the scene in my head, the palpable aura of rage. Excellent part...before Eyja smacked her from her paganistic Daedric worship .

That Glenroy is something, huh? Uriel is going to lose his hair when he finds out that Maxical and company just brought out a can of whooping some Blade booty.

[Grits]

Uh oh, I’m pretty sure Clavicus Vile is going to take that offer seriously. Although staying yourself after death in his realm sounds like a pretty good deal compared to having your identity stripped away in the Dreamsleeve, maybe to experience an afterlife or maybe not.

Whoever is training them needs to be canned, didn’t they say his name was Jauffre? Isn’t he that maniac that killed his cook and piked heads around his yard?”

ROFL! Well, that explains a lot about the Blades. I have to go back and re-read that story, just remembering it made me laugh!

Wow, there is quite a confrontation with Uriel building. Knowing how things often get twisted sideways, I can’t begin to guess if Maxical will be able to keep those promises.

Whatever's wrong with Gils and the other soldiers who have been sent off by Captain Renault to conveniently die, I hope it can be fixed! Maxical has a lot to deal with right now!