Light through Darkness, You asked for it, so here you go. Options

[haute ecole rider]

Do I understand that last scene correctly??

Mehrunes Dagon and King of Worms are in cahoots???

Boy, this is starting to make me go hmmm!

[SubRosa]

who doesn’t give a cliffracer’s beak
An excellent phrase!

suggest I start dancing around the town square in a tutu
Yowie! Please do not do that! Save it for Vigge...

A nice, quiet episode that gives us a moment to take stock of Dere's situation. Not to mention some nice bits of world-building with the kwama egg. Yuck! Also another mention of the death of the Emperor, and the logical repercussions from that. Not just with Trayvon's dire predictions, but the more nirnly matters of secession (once a little more time goes by in the TF, we will see provinces begin to fall away there).

Finally, another intriguing bit of conspiracy at the end. Falcar taking the black soul gems with him was good. As was a bit of an explanation for why he killed Vidkun (that never made sense to me in the game). Unlike Schrodinger's Cat Rider, I do not think that Mannimarco has joined forces with Marooned Dragon. Rather I simply think he knows that the Lord of Destruction is on the move, and is trying to take advantage of the situation. Or he is simply playing chess with the Daedra Lord.


nits:
I did tell you not to jump the gun on him, you know,
I saw several modern colloquialisms, but this was the most blatant. You might want to rethink changing some to more setting-friendly terms, like the cliffracer's beak comment. It would make the entire piece more immersive.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 12 2011, 08:36 PM

[Thomas Kaira]

For clarification:

I am deviating from the game's questlines in here, mostly with the Mages Guild's quest. What you saw happen in the game is most definitely not what is going to happen here. Due to Julian's background presence being made known in 1-2, I'll be leaving the main quest alone so that we don't get any nasty conflicts between here and Old Habits, but everything else is fair game.

Don't expect things to play out as you think they might.

As for those slang terms, I've ironed a few of them out. That should make the piece feel a little more setting-friendly. The creative phrasing segment of my brain was a little out of tune this week, due to essay writing and a small modding stint. Thank Akatosh it's the weekend, now I can get my head on straight again.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 12 2011, 10:27 PM

[Captain Hammer]

Ooh, a mystery. How exciting!

Loved the part about feathering the ring to move it around, and reminding us all why arcane knowledge and common sense are not, in fact, inseparable. Deetsan continues to remain one of my absolute favorite Argonians, and you just reinforce that feeling.

Nit:

The cloaked man turned away from the Altmer scurrying away,

You repeat "away" in the same clause, and it comes off kind of clunky. I had to re-read that sentence three times to make sure I understood it, which I normally reserve for tricky logic-problems. Your choice, but I wanted to bring it to your attention.

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: Feb 12 2011, 08:56 PM

[mALX]

WOO HOO! Awesome foreshadowing in the segment of conversation between Trayvond and Eilonwy!

he had used a special knife with its point tapered forward to cut a small portion of the shell off. He then picked up a soup spoon and scrambled around whatever was inside. The result was… well… some kind of gelatinous, muted red soup. It looked utterly disgusting, but seeing the way he savored every bite, I thought I’d reserve judgment on those things

GAAAAAK !!!



The whole last segment was AWESOME !!! KOW playing chess with people's lives ... with DAGON - This ROCKS !!! What a creative mind you have, I can't wait to see you unfold it for us !!! WOO HOO !!!!!

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 12 2011, 10:02 PM

[TheOtherRick]

All caught up again now. This story has definitely got me hooked!

...Eilonwy slowly replied, helping herself to a bowl of cheddar grits...
Being a southerner, any line that mentions grits is worth noting And I do love my cheese grits!

“Giants, maybe?” Orintur chimed in... (insert kwama-goo eating here) “Or perhaps ogres?” He added, “if they lived in the wilderness, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
A nice segue to the balance of the Jemane quest?

Keep it coming TK....awesome!

[TheOtherRick]

Double post ... sorry ... internet issues from time to time here

This post has been edited by TheOtherRick: Feb 12 2011, 11:47 PM

[Acadian]

Nice development of the Cheydinhal guild. Good chow too (well, except for the eggoos).

It was refreshing to see Falcar not forget to take his incriminating black soul gems with him.

Like you, it seems, I like Deetsan as well.

Good to see that Derelas planted the seed to reunite the Jemanes.

“Well, then just don’t use your hocus-pocus to suggest I start dancing around the town square in a tutu and we won’t have any problems,” he informed me with a smirk.'
Oh noes! Don't turn me into a chicken!

"The magister there, Kud-Ei, is a good friend of mine, and very reasonable… well… so long as you don’t make life difficult for her girls.”


What a tantalizing mystery you tease with at the end! Hmm, it harkens to the first paragraphs of your very first chapter, methinks.

Nits?

'Guilbert Jemane greeted my warmly upon my approach.'
I suspect you want the first 'my' to be a 'me'?

'Without the dragonfires, it’s Mundus is just begging to become a hunting ground.'
This wording is not clear to me. I think dumping the 'it's' fixes it.

[Grits]

Well wasn’t that a waste of time, the drawers were completely bare inside, not even a speck of dust as far as I could tell. Falcar must’ve cleared them out before he left.
I like the hint that things will not go as we might expect.

“Very strange,” Eilonwy slowly replied, helping herself to a bowl of cheddar grits, “I wonder what might’ve happened to make him think that?”
My favorite!

[Thomas Kaira]

Before we continue, this statement:

I pride myself in noticing the little things others tend to miss.

I am retracting it. I appear to have picked up some bad juju with its utterance, so, begone!

@boxy kitty rider: I would comment on that... but that would be telling. All will be made clear in time. This is a mystery, after all, so it would seem I'm doing my job if you are indeed going "hmm."

@SubRosa: I always look for new and creative ways to grab my readers' interest. I originally wanted to work those gems into the plot, but discovered it would actually make more sense to my overarching plot if he took them with him. This also resolves the issue of adding my own unique twist on the quest, as well, so that would be two cliff-racers with one arrow.

@M.C. Hammer: Indeed an exciting mystery. I'm glad you took notice of Orintur's little slip-up, and glad you saw the tiny message between the lines.
Nit be picked.

@mALX: Foreign food can be quite strange until you get to know it a little better. Take Japanese for example. I used to not be able to even fathom why someone would even want to eat raw fish... and now its one of my absolute favorites. As we spend more time in Cheydinhal, Dere will eventually come to experience a few of these Dunmer delicacies himself... whether or not he's barfing down the well after that, we'll just have to wait and see.

@TheOtherRick:Not exactly the person I was baiting with that line... I'm glad you took such notice of it anyway. Thank you for your kind words.

@Acadian: Indeed, that scene refers back to my hook in the very first post. These shadowy figures are key to the plot, so I won't be forgetting them any time soon. How important are they? Well, that's all I can say right now. You'll just have to keep reading to find out.
Nits be picked.

@Grits: ...and as soon as your game fish takes the bait, 'tis important to give the line a sharp tug in order to set the hook, and then quickly reel it in.

@all: Thank you all for your support! Derelas appreciates it as much as I do, and your kind words keep him going. At 67 pages long now in my word processor, I think I can safely say this Fic has definitely become serious business for me.

next: Darkness takes hold....

Chapter 4-1: …Before the Flames

“I told you… I told you this would happen!”

“Please, Trayvond, now is not the time for gloating.”

“I’m not gloating, magister, I’m just bringing to light that I’ve said this was bound to occur all week…”

“…and now it has happened. Thank you very much, Trayvond, but I am in no mood to massage your ego any further. Please quiet your tongue.”

My eyes opened to a completely empty bedroom. A strangely familiar compression filled the air, compressing upon my chest and bringing with it the tension of unrest. The intense debate downstairs had given way to a silence so stiff that it might’ve broken if you dropped it. After quickly dressing, I made my way downstairs to discover the dining table empty… and given the morning light streaming through the windows, that certainly didn’t strike me as good. I then noticed that everyone was tightly knit around a table in the opposite room. There was a stack of newspapers upon that table, and everyone was reading so intently from them they didn’t even notice my approach. I took one of the papers from the pile, and noted a familiar insignia. My stomach plummeted; whatever I was about to read, it was probably bad news.

KVATCH LAID TO WASTE IN THE NIGHT
Entire city destroyed in surprise attack

The city of Kvatch, the crown jewel of the Brena Lowlands, is no more. The city of the Wolf was, just last night, attacked and utterly devastated by a mysterious force. Many thousands of lives are feared to have been lost, and the city itself is now nothing more than a charred shell of the mountaintop paradise it used to represent.

“They came from Oblivion!” One citizen cried out to our interviewers, “There were glowing portals outside the walls! Daedra poured out of them! You wouldn’t believe the noise, the screams… by the Gods, I can still hear the clashing swords!” This citizen then dashed away before we could ask him anything more.

Yes, you read correctly. Kvatch, it would seem, was attacked by Daedra fresh from the jaws of Oblivion. How could this even be possible? Isn’t our world supposed to be protected from Oblivion by the power of the Nine?

“Without any question in my mind,” Temple primate Tandilwe replied to our question of whether or not this was related to the death of the Imperial bloodline a week ago. “It was the Emperor’s binding with the spirit of Akatosh that kept the Dragonfires lit, which, to put it bluntly, was the Emperor’s signature on the Aedric Compact. This Compact kept the forces of Oblivion from launching an all out assault on Mundus since St. Alessia cast the Amulet of Kings. She gave her soul in return for the protection of the Gods for all the people. Without the Dragonfires, the Compact has no sustenance, no conduit for the Gods to obtain the power needed to sustain these defenses. Because of this, the barriers they held against Oblivion have now begun to fade.”

But why would the Gods require a link to the Emperor to provide such barricades? Did they not create the earth we walk upon every day?

“The Eight before Talos gave up much of their power to create our world,” Tandilwe replied to this question. “They have not the strength to intervene on our behalf on their own any longer. It is through our faith that our prayers may be answered… and through the lineage of the Dragonborn that Akatosh may find the strength to keep our world sealed from the Daedra. Without an Emperor to channel his power, one of Septim blood, which is to say Dragon blood, he will not be able to sustain the barriers for much longer, I’m afraid.”

This is bad news; not just for the Empire, but for the entire world. Without an Emperor to sustain the Compact, the whole of Tamriel and beyond might soon become a killing field for the Daedra. The Elder Council refused to comment on the matter, but one must assume that they are now under extreme pressure to discover who is next to take the throne so the Compact may be reinstated, and the barriers restored.

But why Kvatch? Why not cut the head off the snake first and attack Cyrodiil City, removing the source of power and unity and utterly demoralizing Tamriel? Could this mean that there still exists one man who could reasonably end this, and they were trying to remove him? Could there still yet be an heir to the throne that lives? We may never know, and given the complete devastation of the mountaintop city, it is likely he didn’t survive. Let us extend our prayers to the survivors of Kvatch, to the Elder Council that they may soon find the man the Dragon Throne needs to sustain our society, and to the Nine for the strength and unity to overcome these days of darkness.

“Daedra? Oblivion? This can’t be possible,” I said to myself, my mind reeling. “They destroyed an entire city?!”

“Eilonwy was beside herself when she heard,” Orintur interceded, his expression somber. “She has family in Kvatch; she left the moment she set the paper down. I tried to talk her out of it, but… well, you should’ve seen her.” He then turned his gaze to the floor. “I’ve never seen her so upset in my life…” he finishes slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

“Oh, dear, this is horrible,” Deetsan added in a shaky voice while slowly folding her paper. “I can’t even begin to imagine what might be going through that poor girl’s mind right now.” She then leaned forward to match Orintur, her expression a confused mess of shock, horror, and sorrow.

“I really do hope her parents are safe,” Trayvond said after a brief silence, his head resting on folded hands, and his darkened eyes betraying the grief his voice attempted to mask. “She’s far too young to lose them now.”

Indeed she is, I thought, there is never a good time to lose your parents…




----




“Where are you going, dad?”

“We’ve had a breakthrough on one of our digs,” a dark-haired Bosmer in traveling leathers responded, checking a short steel blade for nicks and testing its sharpness. “We’ve uncovered a new entrance to an ancient ruin. Your mother and I have been tasked with leading a small party to clear out any nasties that might have taken up residence inside and to recover any notable artifacts.”

“Dangerous work…” I concluded, looking to the floor with a sinking feeling in my chest, “Please be careful.”

“I always am, son,” My father responded. Noticing my edgy tone, he then placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “I would never leave you alone in this world.” Satisfied with the condition of his blade, he then slid it into its sheath. “Now, your mother and I really must leave, it’s a three day journey to the site. We shoul… will be back before next Sundas.”

“Take care of yourself, dad,” I called out to his retreating back.

“And you, Dere,” He responded, closing the door to our treetop home behind him with a wave good-bye.




----




“I have to go,” I suddenly voiced, dashing for the stairs and startling everyone out of their brooding reverie.

“Really, Derelas, you said you were going to have a day to yourself today!” Deetsan indignantly called out as I briskly made my way upstairs to pack. “Why do you have to leave now? Kvatch is on the other side of the province, for Mara’s sake!”

“I’m sorry Deetsan, I can’t stay any longer,” I replied, slinging my rucksack over my shoulder to cover my bow-staff. Deetsan then opened her mouth to protest further, but she must’ve seen the pain in my eyes, because she slowly closed it again before turning her head back to the floor and nodding. “Besides,” I added, making my way to the door, hoping it would at least make her feel more at ease with my parting, “I’m not going to Kvatch, but to Bravil.”

“But why leave now?” Deetsan repeated, looking back up at me with a mingled expression of relief and confusion, “That can wait until you’ve rested up, can’t it?”

“I’m afraid it can’t,” I replied somberly, “some things are just too important for me to ignore right now.”

“Very well,” Deetsan concluded, coming to grips that my mind was made up. “Do please be careful, though. If Kvatch fell so quickly to Daedra, I fear what could happen if they ambushed you on the road.”




----




The gray overcast grew to a light drizzle as the grand walls and rosewood-paneled spires of Cheydinhal disappeared from view behind a new wall of low trees and stacked rocks matching the dreary sky in color. The leaves did not dance for me on this day, but remained ever still in the stagnant air left over from today’s early morning fog. As the road wound its way through the rolling hills of the ever-expansive countryside, the rain intensified from a light, pleasant shower to something more akin to standing under a waterfall. My shirt was soon soaked through completely, and I found myself longing for the shelter that would be provided by the yew forest I could make out just south of me.

By Y’ffre, this rain is terrible, I thought to myself, twiddling with Aelwin’s ring. If it got any heavier, I would probably need this ring just to walk. It was then, without warning, that all of the water clinging to my skin and clothing decided it was no longer interested in keeping me company, and it fell into a giant puddle beneath my shoes with a huge splash barely audible in the pouring rain.

Well, that was odd… though certainly not unwelcome. I would guess this ring is also capable of instantly drying the user as well as allowing him to breathe underwater. Quite handy, if I might say so. Aelwin certainly was a generous man, I’ll need to pay him a visit sometime and thank him again for his wonderful gift.

Despite the fact that I could now walk without my shoes slogging, I still yearned for the protection of the ancient yews against the percussion being played upon my skull from the pouring heavens. It was now raining so thickly I could barely see my hand in front of my face… and it was starting to thunder. OK, that’s enough of this, I thought, I’m getting under that natural canopy. The trees would keep the rain off my head, and hopefully keep this humble Bosmer from being instantly crisped in a violent white flash… or at the very least avoid sending my hair skyward and turning it strange colors. I veered south off the stone walkway as I reached a small bridge leading across a now overflowing mountain stream.




----




Cacat! Where is he going?

The Dunmer brushed a sodden lock of raven-black hair from her forehead, her ruby eyes focused intently on the traveler who had just veered unexpectedly from the road.

I don’t think he has any idea how dangerous that forest can be, she thought to herself, closely examining his progress. It’s not just monsters in there… you would be fighting with the land itself to venture within; all the more perilous from the dense foliage covering soil and sky. There are cliff faces you would never notice until you’ve already fallen in, obviously much too late.

A bright flash cracked through the sky, lighting the entire hillside in a dazzling and frightening display, soon after the very air exploded, causing the Dunmer to jump and lose her gaze. Gritting her teeth at the distraction, she turned her eyes back to the stream… but the Bosmer was gone.

Dammit! This just keeps getting worse! She then leapt out of the sheltering cave mouth into the pouring rain after the Bosmer who was now unknowingly venturing into the inhospitality and treachery of the Ancient Yews.

[haute ecole rider]

And while Derelas has not yet participated fully in the MQ, but instead is pursuing his own path, the BHC provides us with a useful reference to events going on in Nirn. The destruction of Kvatch roots the reader firmly in the events of the game, and provides us with some kind of familiarity. I for one, appreciate it.

And we see a little more of his past. I get the feeling that his flashback is the last time he spoke to his father. If I'm right, then that's not the first time I'm saddened by being right.

I liked what you did with the different mages in Cheydinhal. Your development of their characters really brings them further to life.

S.G.M.

[TheOtherRick]

I really like the use of the paper to keep us abreast of the Oblivion crisis.

Looks like Faith is tagging along still, and she has me curious about the yews.

Another great write!

[Acadian]

I echo the fabulous use of the Black Horse Courier, both in content and layout/appearance. Your indirect coverage of the Oblivion Crisis is very neat.

When reading, I tend to focus on the character, the journey and the moment, not the destination (or plot, if you will). There are wonderful word images, rich descriptions and endearing characters here. I quite like Derelas' journey.

How cool that he was raised in a treehouse!

You imparted a wonderfully foreboding feeling regarding Derelas' stormy entrance into the forest, highlighted by the most welcome appearance of his Dunmeri guardian.

[SubRosa]

Another good episode. As the others have said, the Black Horse Courier was excellent. As were Derelas' memories of his lost parents. What I imagine was the last time he ever saw them.

or at the very least avoid sending my hair skyward and turning it strange colors.
And so was born the Adoring Fan!

[Captain Hammer]

Wow. Talk about getting proved right. I wonder if Trayvond will get more appreciation for his accurate predictions, or less. Should be interesting.

Though I wonder who will end up needing help through these dangerous ancient yews. After all, on the one hand, we do have on our hands a skilled Dunmer with obvious experience in handling dangerous opponents. And on the other, we have a Valenwood native that's at home in the trees, and not without his own resourcefulness.

PM me to find out odds! Losers have to write installments for the winners' assorted works. But hey, at least the house isn't taking a cut this time!

[Grits]

The leaves did not dance for me on this day, but remained ever still in the stagnant air left over from today’s early morning fog.

What a moody, rainy walk through the hills. Aelwin’s ring is handy indeed! I wonder what’s in those yew trees.

[mALX]

Hugely powerful impact in this chapter! The use of the Black Horse Courier was well done !! Awesome Write !!!

[Thomas Kaira]

@rider: High praise indeed from you. I wasn't expecting to be S.G.M'd this early on. Thank you for that.

@Rick: Thank you for your kind words, You'll find out more about the yews, and what they hide, very soon.

@Acadian: I, too, recognize the importance of a good main character. When it comes to the plot, I enter each chapter, act, and full story with a beginning and an end in mind, but nothing else. I don't bother to outline the individual chapters, since this story is that of my character's. I want his voice to come through, and his experiences, not mine, or how I felt it should play out. Just having that start point and end point does do a lot, though, and allows me to build towards an ultimate goal. I have a very good memory, so although I may not have penned all my ideas, my musings for this story go all the way to the final climax at this point. Rest assured I will see it through to the end.

@SubRosa: Indeed, that was the last time he saw them.

@Hammerzeit: Ask Trayvond! The new hit carnival show! As for your little game, I'd place a wager, but I'm afraid I would have to be disqualified for obvious bias... and may perhaps with my omnipotence, I might just already know the outcome.

@Grits: Yes, what is in those yews? Trolls? Giants? Flesh-eating tomatoes? You'll find out soon enough.

@mALX: Your kind words are always appreciated. Let me reiterate my happiness for your good news with Dixie here. I hope she enjoyed her doggie-treat from Simone!

@all: I see I've gathered a lot of praise for my usage of Black Horse Courier. One of the trademarks of this story is the fact that Dere has very little interest in the Main Quest, and thus we learn about its effects indirectly. This is quite a departure from the nature of the game, so I'm glad to here it's working out so well. Expect to see more from Hassiri as we progress.

next: Our travels within the Ancient Yews begin...

Chapter 4-2: The Ancient Yews

The world had ended. My eyes were staring across a vast, rocky rift in the landscape all but concealed by the dense forest undergrowth. Thank the Gods I didn’t fall in, that would’ve been a nasty plummet. The stream I had been relying on to guide me now tumbled over the cliff with a roar rivaling the deluge I had fled from outside. The ledge was far too high to jump from, and even then, there was no telling how deep the tiny pond below would be. I had no choice in the matter, I would have to find a way around.

Lightning flashed violently overhead as I made my way across the top of the cliff face, and the thunderclap that followed not long after sent chills down my spine, not because it was so loud, but because of how unnirnly quiet it was. Despite the torrent overhead, the entire forest was utterly still and completely silent. It was like the towering yews had stolen the voice of the heavens, and all that existed now was within their gnarled branches and broad trunks. The longer I spent within, the more I felt I was venturing not into the unknown of the wilderness… but into the iron shackles of a prison. I briefly paused to string my bow and load the quiver at my hip.

Time itself had become a nonexistent entity, and so it escaped me exactly when I finally met the stream again. It was still swollen from the deluge above that still had yet to abate, but now the sound of its babbling had become mixed with another… a faint shrieking wail. Was this some new undiscovered sound of the storm above? Was it some strange new forest sound? The light wail then slowly rose in crescendo to a screaming shriek, dispelling any idea that it was a sound of the storm. Not long after, the swirling black cloud of a new storm, one of bats, came surging through the still shadow.

I threw myself to the ground with a yell as the swarm of bats passed overhead, shrieking themselves hoarse and their wings a such furious flutter they might have knocked each other out of the air with a touch. Every so often, one would brush against the exposed skin of my arms, greeting me with the bone-chilling brush of their furry bodies and the occasional pinpricks of needle-sharp teeth. By the time they were finally gone, my entire body was covered in their souvenir nibbles.

Before I could rise, however, a new sound greeted my ears… that of footsteps in the grass. My eyes rose to meet a familiar raven-haired, ashen-skinned face. I felt my face beginning to burn, this was not how I would’ve wanted her to find me, sprawled on the ground after having just become bat-food.

“What in the name of Kynareth are you doing in here?” Faith’s disapproving voice came sharply through the brambles as she returned her bow to her back. Not even an echo resounded through the trees. “What are you doing down there?” she then added as I got to my unsteady feet.

“Having an early dinner with some new friends,” I retorted snidely, coaxing a small healing spell to my fingertips. The open nibble marks on my arms promptly vanished, though an itchy feeling remained behind. It wasn’t all that powerful a spell. My parents taught it to me when I was a child so I could ease my pain if I got hurt until I got back home so they could see to the wound properly. Apart from that, it wasn’t much to speak of.

“Aren’t you the party boy,” she returned, her voice heavy with that same disapproval as she moved in to grab the arm I just healed, “come on, I’m taking you out of this place.”

“What’s to run from?” I asked rather aggressively, pulling my arm out of her reach, “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“Like you did with those bats?” Faith argued back, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Brilliant, inspired, I’m sure General Phillida will be most astounded by your hereto unknown tactical genius.”

“Slaughterfish bite your butt?” I scathed back to her, stung, “Perhaps you might wait and see for yourself before you make any judgement?”

Our increasingly heated argument was then cut short by a rumbling growl, followed by a throaty bark that broke the stagnant air like a whipcrack. A huge, black-furred wolf pounced from the nearby bushes right for Faith. Caught unawares, it threw her to the floor, its toothy maw a vice upon her arm as she yelled in shock and surprise.

My right hand dove to my quiver as I filled my lungs with the forest air. Slowly, I let half of it go as I nocked a steel-headed arrow and drew the string back. I quickly tensed my muscles, listening to the creaking wood as the bow staff followed, my eyes deeply focused upon the dark creature savaging the elf. Then, satisfied I would strike true, my fingers upon the flaxen string loosed.

A fleshy thud greeted my ears as the arrow buried itself deep in the wolf’s torso. This was immediately followed by a loud yelp, and then the body went limp. After several seconds, Faith pushed the creature off of her, a vicious curved dagger in her uninjured hand dyed red by the creature’s blood. Replacing my bow onto my back, I moved over to help Faith up.

“I did tell you I knew what I was doing,” I stated simply, holding out my hand to her.

“Well, aren’t you my glowing hero,” Faith replied, voice heavy with irony. She quickly got to her feet, refusing my hand, and quickly checked over her arm. The bite had gone deep, straight through the hardened leather clad upon her skin, and the wound was bleeding freely. She quickly reached into a side-pocket of her own rucksack, removed a small vial filled with swirling red liquid, bit off the stopper, and drained it.

“I hope you see why we can’t stay here, now,” Faith continued, tossing the empty bottle to the ground and examining her now uninjured hand, “Shadow Wolves aren’t even close to the most vicious creatures you’ll find in these woods.”

“Point taken,” I replied icily, “right back the way we came in, I presume?”

“Naturally,” Faith answered, wiping her dagger on the wolf’s dark fur before sheathing it and grabbing her bow off the ground. “We’d better get moving before it gets… wait, what was that?”

A dull thudding noise was now making its way towards our little grove. The sounds were synchronized, which indicated more footsteps. Something very large indeed was approaching; probably because it had heard the racket that enormous wolf made, or perhaps it could smell the fresh blood.

I turned my gaze back in the direction Faith had proposed, but the undergrowth was so dense and the tiny trail so confused it was impossible to see anything within a few feet away. Nevertheless, my ears told me the creature was coming from there.

“Whatever it was, it’s coming from the way you want to go,” I repeated aloud, though at not much more than a whisper. *THUD* “And it’s getting closer,” I added not long after, nocking a second arrow and tensing my bow’s flaxen string.

“And you’re going to fight it?” Faith whispered back in bemused disbelief, “What are you going to do, stub his toes?”

“I’m going to be prepared, unless you have a better idea,” I retorted sternly. *THUD* Why did she find it so hard to just bite her tongue and trust in me right now? Didn’t this wretched place make it obvious enough we would need to work together to get out of here?

*CRASH*

An enormous, furry, three-eyed monstrosity smashed his way through the bramble thicket we were staring at so intently. He took one glance at us, then opened his maw filled with glistening sharp teeth and let out a throaty howl, beating his long, clawed arms to his chest.

“How about run!” Faith cried out. I didn’t need telling twice, quickly returning my arrow to quiver, I turned tail and dashed away as quick as I could in the opposite direction of the creature, Faith not far on my heels.

Our feet took us through bramble thickets with treetops so thick no rain could even hope to penetrate their suffocating, tangled branches and tiny clearings. Saplings had mysteriously managed to take hold in what little light they provided, and their roots were drowning in the torrent from above. Every so often, one of us would glance back, but the sight was always the same. The giant creature in hot pursuit remained ever present upon our eyes. The noise he made in his pursuit was deafening, be it crashing through overgrown hedges or tearing his way through the tangled mesh of low-hanging branches. Despite the racket, it still amazed me how none of our sounds seemed to echo. It was like the shadows within this forest were feeding off of them.

My clothes were being torn to shreds by the constant diving through the leafy thickets and thorny brush, and I was using my bow more than I would have liked to shield my face from lashing branches, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was to keep that thing from killing me right now. I danced my way through the city of trunks, gently hopping the many exposed roots. If my foot were to be caught in one, I knew it would be over. I don’t know how long I ran, but I soon reached another clearing. This one much larger than the tiny holes in the canopy we passed last. There was but one problem, the world had ended… again.

I barely brought myself to a skidding halt upon the slick, water-smoothed rocks of the brand new cliff face, fighting for balance. If it weren’t for Faith quickly grabbing hold of the scruff of my shirt and pulling me back, I might have gone over. I noticed her make a quick motion with one of her hands, a small trail was on the other side of the stream, winding its way uphill. Wasting no time, we quickly leapt across the swollen, roaring stream and dashed our way along.

A deafening howl sounded from behind, telling us we still had not managed to shake the beast. Ignoring the protests of my heart and lungs, I pushed myself to just continue running as fast as I could. It wasn’t hard to find motivation, not with death hot on my heels.

“There, get in that cave!” Faith shouted back to me, indicating a small hole in a nearby rock face big enough to admit us, but not our assailant. As quick as we could, we sprinted to the entrance, and dove inside.

“Stay there!” Faith commanded me, conjuring a small flame into her hand to light a torch as she made her way back to the mouth of the cavern.

“Are… you… insane?!” I shouted after her, panting deeply, “what on Nirn… do you think… you’re doing?”

The three-eyed beast had rumbled his way to the entrance. He took one look inside, then let out another low howl before pounding a gigantic clawed fist against the rock, sending vast thickets of dust tumbling from the ceiling. After quickly stepping back to avoid being possibly crushed, Faith then continued forward until she was as close to the creature as she dared, and waved her torch violently.

“GET AWAY!” She screamed, brandishing the torch as if it were a sword, “BACK! BACK!”

The creature gave another low howl, but flinched violently away from the flaming stick held by the Dunmer. She swung at it again, and he staggered back, staring intently at the flickering fire with an unmistakable fear in his three eyes. One more swing, and he stampeded away.

Breathing deeply, and clutching a stitch at her side, Faith then tossed the torch down on the cave floor at the mouth and returned inside.

“Troll,” she replied to my quizzical expression, “quite strong, but they come with a mortal fear of fire.”

“And a voracious appetite,” I added, wind and voice slowly returning to me, “fast, too.”

“Okay… well, looks like we don’t have much choice anymore,” Faith began thinking aloud, wiping her brow clean of sweat and rain, “We’re too deep into this forest now, and that troll will be waiting for us to go back the way we came. We’re just going to have to go south and hope for the best.”

She sighed deeply, then turned to look to me. Though I expected hatred and dislike in her eyes for the predicament we now found ourselves in, what I saw instead surprised me. Concern filled her gaze, as well as a relentless determination. I found myself silently thanking her for having sense enough to not toss blame around and spread discourse and hatred when lives most obviously depended on cooperation. It may have been a ludicrous thought, but perhaps she was genuinely worried for my safety?

“Looks like you got your wish,” she then said flatly. “I hope you kept your wits about you in our little jog, you’re going to need them. We’ve got two days of this nightmarish woodland in front of us now.”

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 19 2011, 06:28 AM

[haute ecole rider]

And so an entirely new adventure begins!

I'm looking forward to where this takes us. Out of the usual, that's for certain!

[mALX]

Lightning flashed violently overhead as I made my way across the top of the cliff face, and the thunderclap that followed not long after sent chills down my spine, not because it was so loud, but because of how unearthly quiet it was. Despite the torrent overhead, the entire forest was utterly still and completely silent. It was like the towering yews had stolen the voice of the heavens, and all that existed now was within their gnarled branches and broad trunks. The longer I spent in within, the more I felt I was venturing not into the unknown of the wilderness… but into the iron shackles of a prison. I briefly paused to string my bow and load the quiver at my hip.

What a scene !! This paragraph surpasses reading and brings us into experiencing it with the character - Awesome detail and description !!!

The whole chapter is filled with these moments that lift us into the story that we can experience it firsthand - HUGE WRITE !!!!!