Legacy, Book II of the Corruption Trilogy Options

[Acadian]

Another companion!

Ashur and QS and Ri'Skar set off for Skyrim. I'm guessing Evangeline came with them? How about the Nordic shamen?

[Zalphon]

Of course they did!

[mALX]

You are great at ending your chapters with a powerful cliffie !!! Awesome write Zalphon !!!

[Zalphon]

Not even a single comment on J'skooma having a son. *Whimper*

[Zalphon]

I apologize for the lack of updates lately, I've just been so swamped with work that I've had no time. I'll try to get one up as soon as possible.

[Zalphon]

Chapter Two: Trials of the North (Part II)

The Shaman pointed out to a large, monstrous flame. The weather was in a blizzard so it was surprising we could even see five feet past our faces. We walked closer to the light. The closer I got, the clearer it looked. It was Bruma set ablaze. But who would commit such an atrocity to the Nordic Peoples?

Sar-Kura held me close and whispered, “Let me scout it out first. So that I know what exactly caused this.” The others seemed to have heard, because they stood motionless as he sprinted off into the soon-to-be ruins of Bruma. What felt like hours passed as I watched the Shaman whispering into the blizzard and a strange feeling of warmth filling me.

When he returned, the Argonian looked me in the eye and said, “Take off your armor. The only way into Skyrim from Cyrodiil is through the pass which a company of troops led by a Templar are in control of.”

“And I need to take off my armor, why?” I asked obliviously. “They won’t recognize me.”

“Draconis will.”

“Adamus is here?” Evangeline exclaimed in surprise. “I haven’t seen him since—Back when we were still with Kalian.”

“He’s changed, Necromancer. When Merrik Bryne carved out the Bryne Empire in the Imperial City, Draconis was one of the first to aid him.”

“I never did trust that vampire.”

“He’s the Lord-Templar of Cyrodiil and I heard his voice addressing orders to a Templar.” I followed the Argonian’s orders, albeit grudgingly. I took off my armor and he handed me a folded up, hooded black robe. Obediently, I put on the robe and tied the sash around with the hood pulled up.

As soon as I entered through the splintered city gate, I heard a cold voice intruding my mind, “I knew you’d bring yourself and Sar-Kura to me. Although I am pleased to see Evangeline again, watching her head roll will be most pleasing.” Everyone looked at everyone else and then at me. Sar-Kura gravely nodded. We were discovered.

This post has been edited by Zalphon: Sep 25 2011, 08:46 PM

[mALX]

Great stuff, Zalphon !!

[Zalphon]

Removed by Author.

This post has been edited by Zalphon: Oct 7 2011, 12:30 AM

[Acadian]

First blood. And Ashur is on a path to vengeance.

Nice job and welcome back, Z!

This post has been edited by Acadian: Sep 26 2011, 12:03 AM

[Grits]

Yay, an update! But oh no, Bruma! I’m rooting for vengeance.

[Zalphon]

I don't know if their is a stigma with this, but that part of the chapter without a doubt in my mind needs to be reworked. I don't want it to be so fast-paced. Don't worry, the overarching story will still be there just with more meat on the bones, so-to-speak.

[mALX]

ARGH !!

[Zalphon]

Chapter Two: Trials of the North (Part III)

The Templar would lead squads of Troopers into homes; I could hear the screams of agony. There she was, the fair-haired woman from the battle; with sword in hand, we locked eyes and time felt like it stopped. For some reason, we both knew the other was an enemy of the Templar.

She grabbed a broadsword a Trooper was using and shouted, “To Castle Bruma, Tharsk is dead. Now we don’t rest until we can drink mead from their hollowed out skulls.” Her voice was fierce and I saw some Nordic men come out of their homes fully armored in everything from furs to Nordic Steel. Most, if not all carried battle axes.

I looked at Cyril and the rest of my companions, “If we can save these people, when we return ready to declare war on Bryne, we’ll have a much stronger force.”

Sar-Kura nodded, “Ri’Skar, you’re a warrior. Cyril, these are your people. Evangeline, I know you’ll be staying with us.”

The old Nord looked around for a moment. He looked at us and said with a breath, “The spirits have guided us here. Now we must do their will by stopping the Templar.”

“Leave no Templar alive!” Ri’Skar shouted. His voice inspired a lot of Nords to come out and fight off the Templar. Even in the bitter cold, he was a beacon of warmth and hope.

About one-hundred Nords were all-together with us not counting Cyril or the woman. “We must fight back the Templar and the Troopers. We all come from different walks of life, but here we must unite or die,” I howled. “I want each of you to make sure not a single follower of Bryne is left alive. If they survive, you’ll die.”

“That’s an order from Kirsten the Immortal,” The woman added, “I will join these adventurers as they advance into the castle. It is the gods and the spirits on our side!” I saw a sea of battle-axes rise and fall in cheer. Then they scattered.

“Kirsten the Immortal, do you have any armor for me to use?”

“Listen,” The woman looked at me and pushed her hair back. “We may be fighting on the same side this time, but don’t think I’ll forget where your old loyalties were.” Her voice was bitter and sincere.

I looked at the dead Templar, Troopers and Nords as I marched towards Castle Bruma. A lot of pointless deaths that never needed to occur had happened. Evangeline rested her hand on my shoulder and whispered, “My magic’s not working. Someone has a ward against it here.”

The huge, wood-and-iron double doors of Castle Bruma were guarded by two dead Troopers. I pulled one open and walked in to see Templar standing with their swords drawn. “Bring no harm to him,” a raspy voice shouted from the throne. “Ashur, do you recognize me?”

I walked closer and then I heard his voice echo, “Come alone.” My companions looked at me and I simply nodded. As I stepped closer, I began to make out that the individual was a Dunmer.

I finally realized who it was. Someone I hadn’t seen in years since I was forced to join the Templar or watch my people die. “I do recognize one of my Gulakhans and my dear friend, Kaushad.”

“Templar-Lord Dralor is what I am now addressed by. Why have you betrayed your oath?” Kaushad questioned. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You need to die, ‘Templar Selos’.”

“Have you forgotten when we were of the Urshilaku Tribe? When I considered you my brother?”

“It was Kalian’s will that you, the other gulakhans and I be ascended into his service.”

“Kaushad, don’t make me kill you. We are of the same tribe, but I can’t allow you to do this. Bryne must be stopped.”

“You’re wrong, Ashur. It is through his will that we have law and order, instead of chaos.” He truly believed what he was saying. Kaushad had always been head-strong and thick-skulled, but not like this.

“Kaushad, I challenge you to a duel. No armor, no magic. Do you accept?”

He nodded and two Troopers came to help him take off his armor. I tossed my robes out of the way. The Troopers brought Kaushad an ebony long-sword and they offered me a weapon. I shook my head.

“Are you surrendering?” he questioned sincerely.

“No. I do not need a weapon to defeat you, Kaushad.”

“We will see.”

[Acadian]

So a battle at Bruma is joined. Kirsten the Immortal sounds cool! And Evangeline’s magic is cursed in this place. Old friends now meet as foes. Nice descriptions and build up. Interesting choice for Ashur to turn down a sword for this duel. Looking forward to more!

[Zalphon]

Chapter Two: Trials of the North (Part IV)

His sword performed a crescent moon strike, nearly striking me in the gut. “Do you remember, Kaushad? When we were just boys and we would act like the Nerevarine against Dagoth Ur from the stories?”

As the sword lunged towards me with a jump I evaded. “I do, Ashur. You were always stronger than me, so you’d be the Nerevarine.” As he spoke, the sword slashed at my torso leaving an incision an inch deep from my right shoulder to my left hip.

“I thought you could beat me?” he taunted. With a small whisper to my ancestors, I performed a snap kick to his face. In disorientation he fell back a few steps, leaving an opportunity for me to throw a blow to his jaw.

He groaned as my fist connected, but he looked me in the eye. His eyes were burning coals trying to intimidate me. Blood was dripping from his mouth. I could see the anguish on his face.

“You’re dead, Ashur.” I glanced at my companions who had swords to their throats to prevent them from intervening. My heart started to pump as I somersaulted towards him hoping that I could get an advantage.

The flat of his sword slapped my back sending echoes of pain reverberating throughout my body. I yelped in pain, “Kaushad, don’t do this. We’re friends. Or were…” The icy winds of Bruma made the open wound hurt worse than it already did, but I forced myself to jump up.

You could almost hear the air get bisected as his sword moved in a blur towards my face. Swoosh. Barely had it missed, likely due to an ancestor shoving it a mere tenth of an inch away from my face. His eyes were full of ferocity and rage.

I kicked at him again, but he grabbed my leg and flipped me off my balance. I fell to the cold, stone floor. “Ashur, this is where you die,” Kaushad hissed as his hand wrapped around my throat. “That voice you heard wasn’t Lord-Templar Draconis’, but my own.”

Kaushad released his grip a little so I could breathe and then he unleashed a powerful punch to my face. I whispered, “Killing me won’t change anything, Dralor. So go ahead, do it.”

He tightened his grip and held his sword over my throat. With the adrenaline surging throughout my body, I shoved him off of me. Kaushad dropped the weapon and I hastily grabbed it. “Please,” he begged. “Don’t kill me.”

He lay there riveted in fear. With the sword in hand, I plunged it into his heart. The life drifted out of his eyes, like watching a pond darken as the sun goes down. I pulled the blade out of his chest and knelt down beside him for a moment. After, I looked towards the Templar with my companions who released them.

One of the Templar looked at me. I hissed, “Recall your troops to the Imperial City, tell them that Ashur Selos killed Lord-Templar Dralor.”

Kirsten looked in my direction, “Thank you. You may have my spear as thanks for your actions here.”

“Thank you,” I responded as I firmly gripped the spear. When I held it, I felt full of vigor. Strangely it felt weightless in my hands. I swung it around a little bit and it felt familiar. The spear felt as if I had been using it my entire life.

“One more thing, Hero,” Kirsten requested. “May I join you in your quest to the Caves of Fjalding?”

Sar-Kura looked at me and nodded. Evangeline soon did after. Cyril looked at me and coughed, “Ashur. I can’t make it any further. I can feel my time coming. You have to stop Bryne without me.”

“What do you mean, Shaman?”

“My time is coming. It is time for my spirit to join the rest.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s time for me to rest. I’ve lived a long life and fought a great many battles. My saga has come to an end, whereas yours is just beginning.”

“Farewell,” Kirsten the Immortal saluted, “It’s been an honor, Cyril.”

Cyril walked out into the cold streets of Bruma. I wished him one thing: peace. He was one of the people I owed everything to for opening my eyes. Cyril was my friend. And he always would be, no matter where he walked.

Ri’Skar commented, “We should probably make haste for the Caves of Fjalding, Ashur. The Templar may return in stronger numbers.”

“How did you know I was going to the Caves of Fjalding?” I asked Kirsten.

She responded after choosing her words carefully, “Cyril is a Shaman of Skaal. It is where men became heroes in Skaal culture.”

Sar-Kura pointed to the doors, “Let’s go.” I walked outside, followed by my companions. Kirsten knelt down and took the Nordic-Steel Chainmail from a corpse and told me to don it. Surprisingly, it fit well.

The fires were extinguished and the one Templar spread word to the others and retreat occurred. The snow had stopped, but the fires were extinguished. Kirsten shouted, “To Ashur Selos, Slayer of the Lord-Templar!” Throughout the broken city, mourning could be seen, but so could celebration. The Templar were finally expelled from Bruma.

“Dunmer, I’m impressed, but this is just the beginning,” Kirsten smiled momentarily, then frowned. “Hopefully Bryne’s men won’t follow us into Skyrim.” She was right. I knew this was only the beginning. However, I knew I had to keep hope or Merrik had already won.

I marched north with my companions: Sar-Kura, Ri’Skar, Evangeline and Kirsten the Immortal. The question was simple: Would we be enough to make it to Solstheim or would we crumble along the way?

[Acadian]

A tense duel, and victory for Ashur. And a new companion! I like Kirsten.

That’s gonna be a long cold hike from Bruma to Solstheim.

[Grits]

Ashur had a tough fight, and even though he won, he has to be upset about killing his old friend. Now he has some new gear and a new companion. And they’re marching north. Brr.

[mALX]

Holy Cow, Zalphon! This is some riveting stuff you have here! I am intrigued by the spear feeling familiar in his hands, there has to be a story to the past or a use in the future for that spear - very intriguing !! Also, your attention to detail rocked this chapter, even more than the improvements you made on the chapter before it! Awesome Write !!!

This post has been edited by mALX: Oct 10 2011, 09:45 PM

[Zalphon]

Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear the good news. Lately, I've been unable to get on (due to Power-Supply issues with my computer). I'm using my dad's computer at the moment (before he wakes up) to check out responses and I'm glad to see everyone liked it.

[Zalphon]

Chapter Two: Trials of the North (Final Part)

Time passed slowly as we traversed the mountainous boundary. The cold bit into my flesh like a snake. Sar-Kura advised, “The sun shall be setting soon, we need to find shelter.” He was right. It would be far colder at night than now. Within a few minutes, we found a cave to sleep in.

“You killed your friend, Templar. A sacrifice that had to be made,” Kirsten consoled. “That action freed a lot of people. You’re a hero.”

“Death is never something to be celebrated, Kirsten,” I replied. “I’ve always been taught that slaying ‘heretics’ was a great deed. That wasn’t a great deed, it was murder. Just like it was back there.”

“I disagree, Ashur.”

“Do I look like I care?” I hissed. “I had to put down my friend like an animal. He deserved more than that. Leave me be.” The Nordic woman nodded and walked to another part of the cave as I took off my armor. The sound of the metal rings in her armor colliding scratched at my eardrums. The cacophony reminded me of the sword piercing Kaushad’s cuirass.

I sat down against the rough, stone walls of the cave. Eventually my body shifted into a position where I laid on my back. The cold ground made it hard to sleep, but I drifted into the realm of Vaermina. An uneasy, dreamless sleep consumed my mind.

An uneasy feeling awoke me. The cold winds blew to my back. My eyes scanned the terrain, we were in a forest and in front of me was a cave opening. The Sun was just beginning to rise and most of my companions were asleep. Sar-Kura stood up looking at the rising orb of light.

When I finished pulling the Nordic armor on, I walked over to him. “This is where your trials begin, Ashur. We are at the Caves of Fjalding,” he whispered. “You realize that with this, there is no going back.”

Our eyes met for what was only a second, but it was if we had an entire conversation. We knew exactly what the other thought. He smiled which was something that I never thought I’d see an Argonian do. “How did we get here?” I blurted.

“We got here because of a gift from an old friend.” Ra’Kyre. With a bobbing of my head, I walked into the mouth of the cave with the Ebony Long Sword drawn. This was my test.