Seven, An Aela & Ungarion Prequel Options

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: Thanks again for picking out those nits. As usual, they are the kind of thing the spellchecker does not notice, and my eyes ignore after rereading the same thing five times.

The Evil Queen indeed! I wanted Aela's life absorbing to seem at least a bit nastier than the 'normal' ways of killing folks. Glad she comes across as Arch-Villain material!

Talun-Lei's javelin cast was my way of showing that he was not just a bystander after all, and could contribute something meaningful. Also I wanted to show that while Aela and Ungarion may be the heavy artillery of the team, they are still not infallible. As you noted, it was all about everyone working together and doing their part.


Acadian: I thought it was high time we saw Aela do some healing, after only hearing about her Restoration skillz for the entire story.

This next episode will be all about gathering that intelligence. I hope it will be interesting!

We are now going into the final stretch. The value of all of those preparations will begin to really tell in the coming posts.


King Coin: You hit the gargoyle right on the head. Now that the Seven have stopped the scouts, the rest of the bandits are unaware that the village is ready for them. That gives the Seven the initiative.

I did want Aela's life absorption to feel personal to her. It is sucking out someone's life force after all and devouring it.

And it as indeed on A&U that they never said they wanted one alive. They are so used to working together that they do not need to use words to convey that sort of thing. But now they have someone else they are not used to working with, and it shows.


Grits: As I was saying to h.e.r. I wanted to show that A&U were not Marty Sue's, and that for all of their magical prowess, they still are not perfect. I also wanted to show that even in a magical world, a guy with a pointy stick can still make a difference.

I expect that Aela (and Abiene), are sick and tired of those damned barbed heads on every arrow and javelin in the world, making their work all the more difficult. It struck me as a good, ordinary work life sort of observation.

If the bandit were an average mercenary, or even a bandit from an average band of thugs, you would probably be right about his willingness to cooperate. But as we shall see, nothing is ever simple.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode Talun-Lei led Aela and Ungarion into the forest surrounding the village, and found the Naga scouts. The two mages dispatched a bandit apeice, and the third was about the escape when Talun-Lei felled him with a javelin. Aela found the Naga was still barely alive, and healed his injuries. That gave them a prisoner they could question back in the village.


Chapter 3.4

"We are not going to get anything useful out of that Naga," Valens sighed as he stepped out of the stable. "He's been interrogated before. Probably by the Imperial Legion, or the Hwa-Rang."

"The Hwa-what?" Do'Sakhar scratched his head.

"Just as the smoothskins have their knights," Talun-Lei explained, "the Hwa-Rang are the elite warriors of Argonia."

Perhaps one day Talun-Lei would be counted among them, the young Argonian thought. There could be no greater honor for a warrior. He knew that for one of low birth like himself, it would be extraordinary. But it had been done before. All he really needed was to distinguish himself in battle, again and again, to prove his worth.

Except for Seridwe - who remained watching over the Naga prisoner within - Talun-Lei and the other mercenaries stood outside of the stable. Along with them were Agrigento's leaders, and a fair number of regular citizens.

"Give me a crack at him," Rullianus seethed. The Imperial's hands clenched and unclenched, as did the muscles of his jaw. "I'll make that fetcher talk!"

"Aye, torture him and he will talk," Ungarion said. "He will say whatever he thinks you want to hear."

"But unfortunately, not the truth," Aela frowned. "Torture's only good for intimidating people."

"Getting real, useful information is harder," Valens said. "We have to make him want to help us, because he thinks it is his best interest, and he feels dependent upon us. We just don't have time for that."

"I am also certain he knows that once he does talk, we will kill him," Nashira said.

"There's that too," Valens said. "We tried the 'Good Centurion/Bad Centurion' routine on him. Seridwe promised to free him if he cooperates, and I threatened to feed him to a voriplasm if he doesn't. It didn't work. I would put septims to sausages that he's spent time in an Imperial prison. He knows all the tricks."

"Perhaps these ones need to invent a new trick?" Talun-Lei ventured. All of this talk of torturing the Naga made his stomach feel queasy. He had not hesitated to cast his javelin at the brigand, nor had he felt any remorse when he had thought the blow had been fatal. But that had been a blow struck in honorable battle. The idea of carving a helpless person up set his scales on edge. It just was not right. That was the kind of thing a bandit would do after all.

"What did you have in mind?" the landstrider Aela lifted an eyebrow, and along with all the others, cast her gaze in his direction.

"Well Talun-Lei was thinking…" The Argonian was keenly aware of all those eyes focused upon him, and glanced down to his feet. He knew they all thought he was young and inexperienced, and not up to the task before them. He could not afford to say the wrong thing now, to say the stupid thing. That would only confirm their suspicions. He had to show them his true mettle.

"Valens says that we must gain his trust," Talun-Lei continued. "What better way to do that, than by actually freeing him?"

"What?" Ulpia gaped in amazement. "You want to just let him go!"

"No," Valens said. He smiled and rubbed his fingers through his goatee. "I think I know what he has in mind, and it just might work."

"Would someone care to enlighten the rest of these ones?" Hathei grumbled.

"One of these will help the prisoner escape," Talun-Lei explained. "They will make him think they are changing sides, and want to join the Nagas. Surely he will confide in his rescuer?"

"Or stab the poor sod in the back at the first opportunity," Ungarion remarked dryly.

"There is always that," Talun-Lei stared down at his feet again. Just as he feared, the other mercenaries now thought him a fool…

"A chance worth taking I say," the Breton Witch insisted. Talun-Lei looked back up, and did his best to hold his tail still, so as not to betray his surprise.

"Aye," the tiger-striped Khajiit joined in as well. "Seridwe and Do'Sakhar can shadow them. If the Naga does try anything, at least one should be able to get a bow shot in before it is too late."

"I agree," Valens clapped one hand on the Argonian's back. "It's a brilliant plan. Now who is going to be the rescuer?"

"It has to be whoever the Naga is most likely to believe would change sides." Ungarion rubbed one hand thoughtfully along the back of his neck. "He would never believe one of the villagers would do it. So it has to be one of us."

"Indeed," Valens agreed. "So who would be the least alien to him? Who would look like a friendly face?"

Suddenly Talun-Lei realized that all of the others were staring at him.

* * *

"Why should Arsum trust this one?" the captive Naga narrowed his orange eyes at Talun-Lei. "This is the one who speared him!"

"This is the one who kept him alive," Talun-Lei insisted. "That Breton Witch wanted to eat Arsum's life energy, as she did his companion's. That one is a two-spirit: twisted and cruel. It was Talun-Lei's javelin that saved this one, and his insistence that Arsum would be more valuable alive than dead."

"And why would Talun-Lei do this?"

"Because Talun-Lei is not going to die in this pesthole. He will join Arsum's friends, and be on the side of the winners." The Argonian warrior stood arms akimbo as he stared down at the Naga. The bandit's arms were splayed out above his head and tied to the wooden planks of the horse stall within which he was imprisoned. Talun-Lei drew his dagger from the leather belt at his waist and stepped closer to the prisoner. He prayed to the Hist that he looked menacing, and that the Naga would believe the ruse.

"If Talun-Lei has made a mistake, then he should finish the Naga right now."

"What of the guard outside?" The Naga's eyes darted in the direction of the large double doors across the building.

"Talun-Lei is the guard outside," the Argonian replied.

"Very well," the Naga sighed. "Arsum will take this one to the others, and speak on his behalf."

"Good," the Argonian declared. "These ones had best waste no time then."

With that Talun-Lei cut the bonds holding the bandit. The Naga collapsed, and he was obliged to catch the outlaw, lest Arsum fall onto his feet. His heart raced, wondering if it was a ploy, and he held his dagger ready to strike in case it was. But the Naga made no move to attack, and straightened himself on his thick tail a moment later.

"This one is still weary from his wound," Arsum looked down to the scar that marred his side.

"He had better be able to keep up," the Argonian insisted. "For Talun-Lei cannot stop to wait for him."

"Arsum will keep up," the Naga murmured. "Lead on… friend."

Talun-Lei sheathed his dagger and stepped out of the horse stall. He picked up his shield, spear, and javelins outside. Pointing the way down the row of stalls, he nodded to the small pedestrian door at its end.

"Down there," he said. "It opens out on the side of the building. They will never see these two."

He waited for the Naga to go first. The bandit might appear to be going along with the plot, but there was no way to be certain. Arsum slithered down the corridor. Most of the stalls were empty, but a few still held the handful of draft horses that the villagers still possessed. Meen-Sa had told him that the Nagas had killed and eaten two of their mounts the last time they had been in Agrigento, and the same the time before that. Soon they would have none of the beasts left at all.

The Naga opened the door, and slithered quietly into the night outside. Talun-Lei followed, and again pointed the way through the maze of little alleys between upraised buildings. They had not gotten more than twenty feet when they had to stop, and dive for cover behind the support beams of one of the homes.

A moment later Valens walked past with Nashira, both fully armed and armored. Neither mercenary appeared to notice Talun-Lei or his charge however. Instead they walked on and disappeared down one of the side alleys.

Talun-Lei silently motioned Arsum to move on. They avoided the streets whenever they could, creeping underneath the upraised homes instead, and stopping to take advantage of the deep shadows therein whenever someone walked by. Finally they reached the embankment that surrounded the village. A single Argonian paced its length, armed with a wooden shield and bamboo spear.

Talun-Lei waited breathlessly for her to walk past. Then he led Arsum up the gentle slope to the crown of the berm. They paused at the wooden timbers of the palisade, and Talun-Lei was obliged help the Naga slither over one of the lower points in the crenellated wall. He deftly followed a moment later.

The outer edge of the embankment was steep, and Talun-Lei found himself sliding down the loose dirt and toward the stake-filled moat below. He stopped himself by throwing out both arms and digging his webbed fingers and toes into the loose soil, just inches above the murky water. The Naga seemed to fare better, slithering down in a zig-zag, while hugging the wall of the ditch with his torso.

"Watch for the punji sticks," Talun-Lei cautioned Arsum as he cautiously dipped his toes into the moat. While normally the feel of water was a comfort to his scales, the thought of the spiky traps lurking below its innocent surface made the soles of his feet itch. Thankfully they were angled forward, to impale anyone trying to get into the village. This made it much easier going the other way, and Talun-Lei found that if he took his time he could feel for the shafts of the spikes, and easily circumvent them.

Once they had passed through the dangerous channel and climbed up its other side, there came the final dash through the open field. Talun-Lei had chosen the southern end of the village to escape from. That meant that rather than open rice paddies before them, they were faced by bamboo-studded hills. However, the first few hundred feet had been denuded of trees, and now lay studded with the jagged stumps that remained in their wake.

These too they silently navigated through. More than once Talun-Lei paused to look behind them, searching for any sign of Seridwe or Do'Sakhar. But if the archers were truly shadowing him, they gave no sign of their presence.

Secunda had risen in the east by the time they passed into the sheltering stalks of bamboo. The small moon cast its wan light through the tall, narrow stems that surrounded them. It was toward the Secunda's pale face that Arsum led them, and finally Talun-Lei broke the silence once more.

"How far away are the others?" he asked.

"Not far," Arsum glanced back at the Argonian behind him. "They are camped in the next valley, just a few miles distant."

"The villagers tell us there are forty of you," Talun-Lei said.

"Forty!" Arsum snorted. "We have many more fighters than that now!"

"Indeed?" Talun-Lei caught his breath. As if forty was not bad enough!

"A band of your own folk joined us not a week past," Arsum went on. "We now count at least seventy in number. More will join us in time, and we will command all of the roads between Stormhold and Gideon. Then the Imperial Governor will be forced to recognize Dark-Eye as Taejo, just as the leaders of the other nine Ju."

Talun-Lei had to fight to keep his tail still. Their leader was not content to remain a simple bandit, but aspired to become the equivalent of a Cyrodillic Count? Was he that powerful, or simply mad?

"Surely the Imperial Legion or the Hwa-Rang will have something to say about that," he finally said.

"Dark-Eye has powers." Arsum stopped and turned to face Talun-Lei. "That one has made a pact with the Daedra. It is said that no weapon can slay him. The dark things that crawl and slither and skitter beyond this realm obey his command. He is the darkness that devours all."

"Arsum makes that one sound like some kind of god," Talun-Lei said skeptically.

"Perhaps Dark-Eye is," Arsum murmured. "Or one day he will be. Talun-Lei is wise, to have chosen to serve him, rather than oppose him."

The Naga's head darted to one side, and he stared intently into the shadows that crept behind the tall stems of bamboo. "What is that?" he hissed.

Talun-Lei could not help but to turn his eyes in the same direction. Was it one of the landstriders? Had Arsum seen them? He felt something brush against his side, and was turning back to look when his ears were filled by the loud thump of a recurve bow being fired. The deep report of another bowshot rang out a bare instant afterward, and the hissing of arrows cut through the air.

Arsum jerked to one side as an arrow slammed home in his chest, pinning him to the bamboo stem beside him. Another missile sprouted from his neck, and likewise impaled him upon the same stalk of bamboo.

Talun-Lei felt as if his heart was ready to burst from his chest. His tail wanted to snap this way and that, and it took all of his willpower to keep it still, and retain a calm exterior. Or at least he tried to. Somehow he doubted that he succeeded in hiding his shock as Do'Sakhar and Seridwe rose like wraiths from the shadows around him.

He turned his eyes back to Arsum in time to see his own dagger fall from the Naga's lifeless fingers. Now his tail did begin to sway. By the Hist! Just one more second and it would have been his own lifeblood draining out into the dirt, rather than the bandit's. The realization came crashing down upon Talun-Lei like a falling banyan tree. His life - indeed all of their lives - hung by a thread.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 15 2013, 08:48 PM

[King Coin]

I’m sure there are ways of getting the little snake to talk…

The Argonian’s plan sounds risky. Those Naga’s are quick, and then there’s the actual break out. If someone sees them going, they could be in trouble.

The break out went better than expected, and the snake’s lips are loose already. Talun-Lei already has some precious information to share with the other. The enemy force is double!

That was very well done at the end! Just a moment from death! And now he can share the news.

[McBadgere]

Fair dues, I have been away too long...

I have to say though, I'm glad you stick to the one a week rule for posting... ...

I've absolutely adored this story from the start...And having gone through these last few posts...Well...Eight?...The sheer depth to the story is absolutely stunning, still...

I absolutely love all of it...It's funny, clever, sexy (*winks*)...I love all the training stuff...Any time Do'Sakhar or Ungarion turn up, there's usually a laugh-out-loud not far behind...

All of the characters are stunning...So brilliant...

I'm loving all of the Mag Seven/(presumably)Seven Samurai references...I say presumably 'cause I wondered if that scene with Nashira and Rullianus was lifted from T.S.S...

Although, I did a little sniffle at one scene which suggested which of the Seven they were...(Spoilers sweetie!)... ...Nevermind, it's not like I'm not expecting what comes later, is it?... ...

As I've managed to completely derail my train of thought, I've completely lost what I was going to say...*SQUIRREL!!*...

Um...It has been an absolute joy going through this story...Such an amazing job...It's a pleasure to be back once more...

You know, reading that back, it does look like I think your story is quite good, you know?... ...

Proper Awesome!!... ...

Nice one!!!...

*Applauds most heartily*...

[Acadian]

Playing good centurion/bad centurion. Betting septims to sausages. I love these familiar phrases adapted to your venue!

"Indeed," Valens agreed. "So who would be the least alien to him? Who would look like a friendly face?" - - It was great fun to gradually realize all signs were pointing to the young lizard man for this operation! You did a nice job of gently and effectively drawing out the logic here.

And the Great Escape out of the village and into the forest went well – initially.

‘Secunda had risen in the east when by the time they passed into the sheltering stalks of bamboo. The small moon cast its wan light through the tall, narrow stems that surrounded them. It was toward the Secunda's pale face that Arsum led them, and finally Talun-Lei broke the silence once more.’ - - Quoted simply because this is such a beautiful paragraph.

"What is that?" he hissed.’ - - The Naga pulled me in with this just as surely as he did his escort. Only after he lay dead sprouting two arrows and holding Talun-Lei’s dagger did I realize the Naga’s comment was only a distraction to take out the Argonian. A fabulous twist!

Now, was the info the Naga spilled about his band lies or the truth? Methinks that pride, ego and fully believing that Talun-Lei would never live to repeat it means the discouraging news is true.

Once again, we see the Seven working together. None of them are uber alone, but together they are quite a force.

[ghastley]

I got an impression of Arsum thinking he might have revealed too much, and that he'd better eliminate that mistake, just before the arrows struck. But it was hard to tell if he'd detected the following archers. Even if that wasn't an intentional ambiguity, it certainly worked nicely! Either way, sneaking Talun-Lei's dagger from him was brilliant!

Talun-Lei's getting involved in a lot. I hope the others are taking note of that.

[haute ecole rider]

First, I'm going to echo everyone else's comments so far.

Now the nit:

his fingers through is goatee

Talk about not seeing something after reading it five times! This jumped out at me on the first read-through, but I couldn't find it when I went back to quote it. I only found it after looking for other things to quote below!

Now, on to certain things that jumped out for me:

Hey, the Flower Boys! My heart sang at the mention of this elite group. I'm happy to see you pulling on so many fascinating aspects of Korean culture. For those who aren't familiar, the Hwarang (or Hwa-rang, as SubRosa spelled it) was the warrior elite of ancient Shilla, one of the Three Kingdoms that made up Korea during the years between 57 AD and 668 AD. Reading about them in this fan fiction brings back memories of my first K-Drama, The Great Queen Seondoek, which, while fictional, plays a bright spotlight on the early, military Hwarang. Sage Rose, you may already know this, but one of the greatest warriors of Korean history, who has a Gate named after him in Seoul, is Kim Yushin.

I love that this whole chapter is from Talun-Lei's viewpoint. This is reinforced by certain descriptions, such as the landstrider Aela, did his best to hold his tail still, (though this is just as apt for the feline Khajiiti), and While normally the feel of water was a comfort to his scales, the thought of the spiky traps lurking below its innocent surface made the soles of his feet itch.

And the Taejo! The Great Ancestor! So Dark Eye is planning on founding a great dynasty? I loved this hint of soaring ambition on the part of one who initially appears as a bandit. Like you said, more than simple outlaws indeed!

While I have thoroughly enjoyed the Korean references scattered throughout this chapter, I must question the presence, both formerly and presently, of horses as the main beast of burden in this tale. Historically horses do not do well in swamps, rice paddies, etc. They do not thrive in the mud and persistent damp of such places--their hooves will fall off. Instead, oxen, or better yet, water buffalo, are the traditional beasts of burden in such villages--they are cheap to keep, move more easily through the mud due to their cloven feet, and much more resistant to the diseases and dampness of this type of environment. Horses were typically reserved for riding on dry (relatively speaking) roads, and often to keep horses in such an environment, one would have to create dry areas for them to rest and work in. More a stylistic opinion rather than an editorial nit, though. After all, this isn't our Earth, but rather Tamriel. If you choose to keep horses in this story, I will respect your choice.

[SubRosa]

King Coin: It was a risky plan indeed. It is based on many cop movies/shows where the police catch some minor criminal, and release them on a technicality. But it is all a ruse just so they can follow the smalltimer back to the big bad, and catch them all in the act. Naturally it did not go entirely as planned...


McBadgere: McB is back! I am glad I keep that once a week rule for posting as well. In the distant past I did it a lot more frequently. These days I could never write enough to keep up that pace! I guess it is true that you cannot keep it us as long when you get older...

That scene with Nashira and Rullianus was slightly inspired by Seven Samurai, but only in a very oblique way. There is a scene where Katsushiro (the Chico One ), says to the old swordmaster "You're incredible!" after a display of awesomeness. I took that idea and worked out the rest of the scene from it in order to show us a little more of Rullianus and what drives him.


Acadian: I have a lot of fun turning familiar phrases into setting appropriate ones. It makes the world stand out as different, yet at the same time gives us something as familiar as a phrase we might hear any day of our lives.

It was also fun spelling out all those conclusions about who should be the volunteer to break the Naga out of jail. You can bet Talun-Lei was not expecting it to be him when he came up with the idea!

I am glad that Arsum's little misdirection at the end worked. It was supposed to distract Talun-Lei while he nicked his dagger and killed him with it. I was hoping it might distract the readers as well!


ghastley: I think you are right about Arsum wanting to cover his tracks about blabbing so much. But also there is his ego to consider as well. Returning to camp after being rescued does not make him look to good. He comes off looking better saying that he escaped all on his own. Or that he was never captured to begin with.

Talun-Lei is indeed stepping up. He has a lot to prove, given his none to auspicious beginning with the group. While he may not be the most experienced, or skilled, he certainly does have something to bring to the table.


haute ecole rider: I knew you would like all the Korean references. I had to come up with some basic political units for Black Marsh - like whether they have Counties, or Holds, of if they have knights, etc... So I fell back to good old Korea, the Three Kingdoms, and the Hwarang. I put the dash in to more Argonianize it, since they have a lot of hyphenated names.

I added The Great Queen Seondoek to my Netflix instant queue, though I do not know when I will have time to start watching it. Probably once I am finished with Magnum PI.

I was actually a little worried that the pov character would not be clear in the last segment. So in my later edits I went looking for ways to make it more evident that we were seeing things through Talun-Lei's eyes. Hence I started working in things like the scale and tail references, and of course the landstrider.

You know what, I originally had water-buffalo. That is what I am used to seeing in South-East Asia, rather than horses, for the reasons you specify. I am not sure where I slipped up and changed it to horses. Maybe it was when I decided that the big building across the square from the brewery was a stable. Do people keep water buffalo in a stable? Hmmm, I did a quick google and it looks like they do, even on low-technology farms. I guess you would not want it wandering off into the forest and getting eaten by a tiger. Or stolen by another farmer. So when I get time I will go back and edit out those horse references and replace them with water buffalo. Thanks for noticing that and pointing it out! The new version I am working on will have neither, but a new critter I invented based upon hadrosaurs.


Previously On Seven: In our last episode Talun-Lei concocted a scheme to get the Naga prisoner Arsum to talk. He pretended to escape the village with Arsum, claiming he wanted to change sides and join the Nagas. He learned that a second group of Argonian bandits had joined the Nagas, increasing their number to seventy. Worse, they were camped in the next valley. Arsum them distracted Talun-Lei, and would have killed him with his own dagger if not for Do'Sakhar and Seridwe, who shot him with arrows from ambush.

The next scene is a little bigger than I would like, but I did not want to break it in the middle of the action.


Chapter 3.5

"Now we know what we face," Valens said after Talun-Lei had reported to the others gathered in the brewery. "Seventy Nagas and Argonians, with a leader who is doubtlessly some form of conjurer and Daedra worshipper."

"And they will be here tomorrow," Seridwe added, "perhaps sooner."

"We have to surrender!" Hathei cried. "Throw ourselves upon their mercy!"

"They have no mercy," Rullianus growled. "Remember what they did to my wife? That will be your daughter next." The Imperial's eyes cast about the others. "All of your daughters."

"These ones have little choice," Stalks-The-Marshes said. "They either die fighting an impossible battle, or we die groveling in the mud. They may as well fight."

"We fight," Ulpia declared firmly. "We all know there is no other option. We have known it since we went to Bravil in search of warriors."

"Aye," Meen-Sa agreed. "We fight. It is the will of the Hist. We mortals can only go where the river of their power carries us."

"There it is then," Valens said. "We go to war. From this moment on I want all four centuries posted on the walls at all times. Half their number will stand watch while the other half sleeps on the embankment behind them."

"Given what Talun-Lei has learned from the prisoner, we now have the initiative," Nashira said. "I say we use it, and attack."

"I agree," Aela nodded. "We know where they are, but they do not know about us."

"Aye," Ungarion added his approval. "If we can put down twenty or thirty of them in the night, we can even up the odds before they get here tomorrow."

Do'Sakhar folded his arms and frowned. "While Khajiit sees the wisdom in taking the fight to the foe, he fears leaving the village defenseless while the Seven are away. The prisoner may have lied about the location of his conspirators. Even if not, some of the bandits might reach Agrigento before the raiding party returns."

"He's right," Valens said. "We cannot all go. Besides, as I said before, we cannot get into a pitched battle against them in the open. It will have to be a small party making a quick raid, without a protracted engagement."

"Leave it to Ungarion and I," Aela insisted. "We aren't slowed down by that armor the rest of you wear, so we can move fast. We can both summon Aedra to double our number. Ungarion can strike with fireballs, while I defend us from magic or missiles. By the time they realize what is happening, we will melt away into the night."

"Indeed," Ungarion stood with hands on his hips. "This is exactly our kind of fight."

"You will need one more," Seridwe insisted, "in case some of the Nagas get in close in the dark."

"I will see to it then," Nashira said quietly. "No bandit will live to reach our mages."

"These ones will also need someone to lead them through the rainforest," Stalks-The-Marshes said. "Someone who knows the land, even in the dark. Someone who often goes hunting in the nearby valleys, and is skilled with bow and spear."

"Someone like you perhaps?" Ulpia smiled at the Argonian trader.

"If these ones feel he is worthy," the Argonian said with a modestly that even Aela could tell was false. "Stalks-The-Marshes will indeed volunteer for the task."

"Very well," Valens agreed. "You go with them, but strictly as a scout. Do not get into the fighting!"

"I swear it by the Hist," the Argonian held one hand over his heart. "This one has a mate and son to return to in his nest."

"And this one," Do'Sakhar said quietly to Aela, "Khajiit hopes she remembers the most important rule to being a mercenary. When the fighting is over, return alive."

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.

"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"

* * *

The moons had neared their zeniths by the time Stalks-The-Marshes guided the raiding party to the Naga encampment. The Argonian trader carried a self bow cut from a stalk of bamboo. Like Nashira, he wore one of the night eye-enchanted amulets that Ungarion had created in the weeks previous. Aela and the Altmer relied upon spells to see in the dark. All of them moved quickly and tirelessly, thanks to the spells that the Breton Witch had cast upon them to fortify their physical abilities.

The encampment had not been difficult to find. The Nagas had lit several campfires, making them easily visible from the valley rim. However, Stalks proved his worth by guiding them down the easiest path through the rainforest, avoiding bogs and thickets, and insuring their speedy arrival at the camp. He even seemed to know the places where voriplasms and other predators were most likely to lurk, and cautiously led them around such hidden dangers.

Looking over the camp, Aela could not help but to shake her head. The bandits were sprawled out across either side of a small stream. The Argonians stayed together in one corner of the camp, while the Nagas took up the rest of it. However, all were spread out with no order or organization. They had not even placed sentries on watch. They looked like they were on holiday. That someone - or something - might dare to attack them seemed to be the last thing on their minds.

"Sloppy," Nashira whispered. "They clearly have no inkling of what they face."

"Or they are putting on a very elaborate ruse," Ungarion cautioned. "Either way, let's not be as arrogant as they appear to be."

"Right," Aela said. She downed a potion to fortify her magicka for the upcoming fight, and another to increase how quickly she recovered it. She saw that Ungarion did likewise. Then she passed out more potions to the others to shield them from physical harm, and finally another set to ward off fire.

"Stalks," Aela looked to the Argonian villager. "Stay here and keep hidden. If things go well, the rest of us will fall back this way when it is time to leave. Then we'll all go back to Agrigento together. If things go sour, don't stay around and try to help us. Run for the village immediately."

"This one cannot just abandon his comrades." The Argonian shook his head. "Stalks-The-Marshes is not eager to fight, but he is no coward either."

"It's not cowardice," Ungarion said. "If we die, someone has to warn the others in the village."

"Besides, if we fall, you are not going to make a difference," Nashira said bluntly. "There is no glory in dying pointlessly. Return the village, that is where you will be most needed."

The Argonian nodded grimly, and remained behind as the other three moved forward. Ungarion brought them to a halt a hundred feet from the encampment. Aela nodded to him, and in tandem the two mages raised their fists to the moons. Blue light spilled from their fingers, and an instant later a pair of salamanders took form in the air before them. With mighty flicks of their tails, the fiery serpents seemed to swim through the air as they darted toward the bandits.

The Breton filled her left hand with her ward, ready to deflect any attack that came at the two of them. In her right hand she readied her spell to absorb the health of another. While she knew that the bandits were far beyond the limited range of the spell, she also knew that they would not remain that way for long...

Beside her Ungarion formed a ball of fire between his two hands, then threw it forward. It rolled and crackled as it sped through the night. It passed the two salamanders when it was half way to the camp. Aela saw several Argonians and Nagas stop what they were doing and turn to gape at the flames approaching them. Then Ungarion's fiery missile struck home on the ground at the nearer side of the bivouac, and it blossomed into an explosion of flame.

Nagas were engulfed in fire for a good five paces to either side of the point of impact. Aela had to shield her spell-enhanced eyes from the sudden brightness. The explosion burned out just a few seconds later. But now bandits slithered to and fro, covered in flames and screaming in high-pitched voices that nearly curdled Aela's blood.

Then the salamanders were into the bandit ranks. They snatched at Nagas with burning teeth, and dragged them along the ground even as they shook the luckless bandits to and fro. They moved on after tearing huge chunks of roasted flesh from the outlaw's hides, only to find new prey moments later.

Ungarion slung another fireball into the camp, and another. The great gouts of flame did nothing to deter the salamanders, being spirits of fire themselves. But Argonians and Nagas were roasted in the inferno. Those that were not killed in the first few moments slithered and ran in a frenzy, spreading out like glowbugs across the dark forest that surrounded them.

Now arrows began whizzing out of the darkness before them. Ungarion leaned in behind Aela, and she sheltered them both behind the shimmering energy of her ward. The Breton glanced back to see that Nashira simply knelt down behind the two. She was surprised that the Redguard had not even drawn her blade. Instead the sword master sat quiet and still, as if this were an ordinary night around a campfire.

But Aela had little time to ponder that, as now lightning crackled from the camp, seeking her out with glowing silver fingers. She had no trouble blocking the attack, but even still the hair on her head stood up in the aftermath. She was thankful that she had tied it down into a Daggerfall Braid before the raid. Otherwise she imagined that she would have looked quite frightful!

Ungarion continued to sling fire into the camp. But now it had grown difficult for him to catch more than two or three bandits in his blasts of fire. Aela could tell that he was draining his magicka at an alarming rate. She knew that as a high elf, and born under the stars of the Apprentice to boot, Ungarion was blessed with a prodigious reserve of magicka. Furthermore - just like herself - seven years at University had taught him to make the most of his power. But even he had his limits.

For Destruction magic was costly, and using it over large areas was even more draining. Mages had to lessen the power of their spells in order to spread them out over an area. For all of his University training, Ungarion was no exception. Aela knew that he could burn any one of the bandits dead in his tracks with a single bolt of fire. But his fiery explosions lacked the power to kill most of the Nagas instantly. Not that burning to death over several moments was any less lethal.

Aela's guess that the elf was nearly out of his magicka was confirmed when she saw him draw a phial from his belt and down it in a huge gulp. He had already used up all of his energy, and was down to potions to restore it quickly.

"Nashira, get close!" Aela shouted. A large ball of flames roared out of the night. She braced herself and held her ward up with both hands now, abandoning her absorb health spell to put all of her energy into their defense. The magical attack struck her ward and burst into a great explosion of fire. Her magical shield held however, and curbed the flames that licked out all around them.

"I have you now," she heard Ungarion murmur. As the flames died down, he flung a two-handed fireball back at the source of the attack. A moment later the forest lit up with another explosion of fire. Yet whether or not the Altmer had struck their attacker was unclear. There was just too much fire, smoke, and undergrowth to see.

Aela felt the unmistakable disturbance in the ether of a spirit taking form. One of the bandits was summoning a salamander of their own. A moment later he flared to bright life in the darkness before Aela's eyes. The Witch traced the slender cord of power that linked the Aedric spirit to his summoner. Reaching out with her right hand, she grasped that bond.

The bandit who had conjured him was strong. But he was not a Breton, nor University-trained, and certainly not an Ardhanari. With pure brute force Aela snapped the connection between the brigand and spirit. Pulling on the string of power, she bound the newly summoned spirit to herself instead. The salamander she had previously called up winked out of existence. But Aela did not care. Now she knew where one of their mages was, and she sent the very spirit he had summoned back to kill him.

"I think it is time to leave!" Nashira shouted behind them. Out of the corner of her eye, Aela saw the Redguard dart out to one side. Now Barafu finally leapt from its sheath. The gently curved blade trailed wisps of frost in the air behind it as it struck. A frozen head rolled by in the night. Screams followed, and two more Nagas collapsed to the ground in just as many seconds.

"She's right," Ungarion murmured, "we have outstayed our welcome."

With those words the high elf's long legs propelled him back toward the village. Aela followed, slowing enough so that Nashira could get in front of her. That allowed her to shield their backs with her ward. Within moments she saw another crackle lightning reaching out from the darkness, and knew that she had made the right decision to go last. As before, her defenses pushed the magical assault aside.

Aela ran on, keeping Nashira in sight before her. She felt an undine forming in the air behind them. As with the salamander, she reached out and snapped the cord of energy that bound the spirit to her summoner. But Aela had no intention of turning a water spirit upon amphibians. So rather than take control of her, she simply allowed the spirit to harmlessly dissipate into the ether.

Darting behind a thick banyan, an idea sprouted within the Breton's mind. Dispelling her stolen salamander, she raised her hand into the air to call forth a Dryad. Rather than the nubile young girls that bards sang of, the spirit that took shape before her was that of a towering tree. Aela sped on in the night, while behind her the tree spirit reached out to her mortal kin. The banyans and durians to either side stooped down with their boughs, completely blocking the game trail upon which she and the others fled.

Aela knew that the bandits could simply go around the impenetrable barrier of trees. But that would force them into the dense growth to either side of the trail, and slow them down considerably. Instead the bandits might simply try to burn the spirit and trees down. But that too would cost them time.

Time was all that she and the others needed of course. Thanks to the barrier, and their magically enhanced speed, they quickly outdistanced the bandits. Likewise thanks to her earlier spells, none of them became winded from their exertions. Soon they crested the rim of the valley, and paused to look back down at the carnage they had wrought behind them.

Flames still burned through the valley, and great pall of smoke hung over its center, obscuring it even from magically enhanced sight. Aela was thankful that it was a rainforest, and that the moisture in the air and soil kept the flames from spreading beyond control. If Ungarion had been throwing fireballs around the Colovian Highlands in summer, it would have created an inferno that would have engulfed miles of timber.

"Now they will think twice about attacking Agrigento!" Stalks-The-Marshes jubilantly declared.

Nashira simply shook her head. "Now they know they face more than farmers. They will be cautious from here on out. It's not over yet."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 25 2013, 06:55 PM

[haute ecole rider]

What a great way to start off the confrontation! Now the Nagas know what they are going up against - Nashira is so right. I really enjoyed reading the description of magic attacks and counter-attacks, especially the cost of throwing so much magic around. As one of my favorite characters Mr. Gold always said, "Magic always comes with a price. Thing is, are you willing to pay?" And I loved how Aela used the summoner's own salamander against him by following the spiritual connection between the two. Cool!

You are right, water buffalo were kept in barns, like horses. In Merrie Olde England, they were called byres. In Korea, I don't know! But yes, livestock were always kept under shelter, for reasons including those you listed. It was easier to keep them fed and healthy when they were housed under a roof/behind walls at night. And yes, they can be quite large buildings, often the largest in a farming village (except maybe for any religious buildings).

I quite like the hadrosaur idea for the Black Marsh setting. Minimal hair/no hair is more suitable for the damp and the wet. But be careful not to make them too large. The most successful dinosaur species were actually quite small (think velociraptors in Jurassic Park), and would be cheap for agricultural peasants to keep.

Oh, and another movie reference!

When the fighting is over, return alive.

puts me in mind of Sean Connery telling a despondent Kevin Costner "- and when your shift is over, make sure you go home alive. Here endeth the lesson." (The Untouchables, 1987--one of my favorites for Andy Garcia at the bottom of the stairway -- "Yeah, I got him.")

I really liked Nashira -- she conserved her energy for when her sword would really count. Smart woman in more ways than one!

[Acadian]

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.
"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"
- - By Kynareth’s wings, you know I have smile as I think of you dreaming up the TES translation to common phrases.

Once in position for the ambush, Ungarion and Nashira did a great job of pulling the right strings with Stalks to preclude him from jumping into death’s way if things went badly.

Clever of the magical duo to use fireballs in support of their (no doubt) flame-immune salasummons. Sort of like how necrodudes throw iceballs at you that won’t harm their frost-immune minions.

‘She was thankful that she had tied it down into a Daggerfall Braid before the raid. Otherwise she imagined that she would have looked quite frightful!’
- - So much to love here! Showing us the effects of shock magic in action, a TESified hairstyle, and Aela’s adorable concern about her appearance in a pitched firefight. Clearly, she has been paying attention to Seridwe about ‘If something is worth doing, it’s worth looking good while doing it.’

As Rider said, it was neat how Aela snagged the enemy mage’s summon and turned it to her purpose.

Wow, things are really heating up now! *groan*


Nit? ‘In her right hand she readied her spell to absorb the health of other.’ - - Just guessing here that you intended an ‘s’ at the end of other?

[King Coin]

I like where this is going. Send the spell casters to even up the odds. With surprise, they could do a lot of damage, especially with summons!

If they have night eye enchantments, I would expect the enemy to as well. They best tread carefully. Yikes, campfires? Perhaps no night for them then. Glad they are still fat and happy!

I would have liked to see Aela’s earth elemental in this attack! I am just imagining it pulling snakes into the ground and burying them alive.

And with that massive fireball dropped on them, I would say it’s time to leave. Aela turning the summon against its master was a great move. Her use of magic is quite different from Ungarion’s.

[Grits]

Last episode:

I was spellbound throughout the entire escape right through the surprise at the end. Talun-Lei’s cultural perspective and limited world experience gave great flavor to this whole episode. I felt that I was in the thick of it right along with him.

Somehow he doubted that he succeeded in hiding his shock as Do'Sakhar and Seridwe rose like wraiths from the shadows around him.

That was just beautiful!

I was surprised when Arsum turned on Talun-Lei and also wondering if he actually heard something, but it made perfect sense for him to do so. Talun-Lei represented too much risk to the Naga for the small reward of one more fighter, and Arsum already got an eyeful of the defenses on his way out. Plus, ego. You pulled that off flawlessly!


This week:

"Given what Talun-Lei has learned from the prisoner, we now have the initiative," Nashira said. "I say we use it, and attack."

That’s what the Nord who’s reading over my head (and dropping crumbs, thanks a lot) suggests. He’s quite a fan of this story. If he makes his own account and starts commenting in person, someone please PM me. I may need to adjust my meds.

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.

"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"

Those two.

Those that were not killed in the first few moments slithered and ran like burning ants, spreading out like glowbugs across the dark forest that surrounded them.

What a vivid image! How funny about Aela’s Daggerfall braid. Such a practical thought amid the battle underscored her and Ungarion’s previous experience in these situations.

Aela’s focus with the bandits’ summonings was a delight to see, and I remembered all of the time she spends with her head in the spirit world giving her such familiarity. Really neat. I also shuddered to think of the undine casually filling their lungs with water.

[McBadgere]

Excellent fight!!...

I do love your fight scenes...So amazingly well detailed...

I loved that Nashira just sat there until she caught them bandits sneaking up behind her...

Aela's just proper awesome really...I absolutely love her as a character...

"And this one," Do'Sakhar said quietly to Aela, "Khajiit hopes she remembers the most important rule to being a mercenary. When the fighting is over, return alive."

"Hey, what am I, chopped mud crab?" Ungarion cried indignantly.

"Of course not," the tiger-striped Khajiit winked. "Chopped kwama at least…"

...

Amazing story...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: That is an excellent saying by Mr. Gold! Of course we know what Aela can do to summonings and their summoners from the last chapter of the Teresa Fic. I was debating whether or not she was capable of doing so in this story, as she was younger, and not as experienced. But I realized that in spite of that, she still has the brute magical power to do so. Especially against mages who lack the kind of formal training she received at the Arcane U. Even as relatively new kids on the block, Aela and Ungarion are quite formidable.

I could not resist the nod to The Untouchables. It seems like just the sort of creedo that mercenaries would adhere to. After all, they are not fighting for a cause, or a king, or even a country. In the end, the only thing they really do have to fight for is one another.

Nashira held back because she is a master of the iai draw. She is actually more dangerous with her sword in its sheath than out in her hand! As one of the original iai masters said: "The essence of our tradition, and the attainment of an unassailable position, comes from cutting down our opponents while the sword is still in the scabbard, stifling our opponent’s actions and achieving victory through not drawing the sword."


Acadian: I actually had to work on the chopped mud crab/kwama line. I went digging through the UESP Wiki for likely candidates for chopping!

Just like Teresa with Carandil in Anutwyl, the Terrific Trio did not want Stalks getting mixed up in the fighting, and being killed. So talking him down was important. Ungarion with reason, and of course Nashira with her characteristic bluntness.

You hit the Naga right on the head with the reason for the dual salamanders. No need to worry about friendly fire with them!

I could not resist the thought of how electricity makes your hair stand on end, combined with Aela's long locks. Good thing for Seridwe's training!


King Coin: Those Nagas were fat and happy indeed. That was the advantage of preventing their scouts from returning. They were also arrogant of course, not believing that the village in the next valley could pose any real threat to them. To them, this was just an ordinary night.

The salamander won out because as Acadian pointed out, he is immune to Ungarion's fireballs. We will be seeing an archaean very soon however, next week Friday in fact, he will make an impression upon the bandits.

With Aela and Ungarion being the only two mages in the group, I wanted to make sure they were both unique in their use of magic. I am glad it worked out, as now we know if we see a fireball it was Ungarion, and if spirits are involved, you can put septims to sausages that it was Aela.


Grits: To be honest, Talun-Lei has been one of the most enjoyable characters to write in this story. I think it is for the same reason that Horst Bucholz got the spotlight in The Magnificent Seven (he gets more screentime than anyone else). As the inexperienced kid, he has the most opportunity for character growth. He is also the one that is easiest for folks like us - who do not kill people for a living - to identify with. So I think we can all put ourselves in his scales.

If there is any belching or farting in your posts, I think we will know to call the men in white coats!

Of course I could not resist a little fun between Ungarion and Do'Sakhar. They are like Stan and Ollie.

I am glad you pointed out that glowbug line, because it made me see a nit in it and go back and fix it. Describing the bandits as burning ants and then as glowbugs in the same sentence was redundant. So I trimmed that down.

As you noted, Aela spending all of her time with the spirits is one reason she is so powerful with them. As h.e.r.'s Mr. Gold said, magic always comes with a price. That is one of the prices she pays. While other people are having fun drinking, playing cards, or just having fun, she's got her head in the spirit world. This was actually partly inspired by Jennifer Leitham, a jazz bass virtuoso who is also trans. When she was young, spending all of her time practicing her double bass was a form of escapism, a place to get away from the bigotry of the real world, and the confusing issues of figuring out one's identity. Aela has exactly the same reasons for spending most of her waking hours with the spirits. It has made both of them exceptional at what they do.


McBadgere: That was sort of a new fight scene for me, as it was almost all magic, and on a scale I have never done before. It was rather fun to finally give Ungarion free rein with his fireballs. Not to mention to really show Aela's mastery of spirits. Plus of course, when it comes to the sword, no one can compare to Nashira.

And another vote for Ungarion and Do'Sakhar. I am so glad I followed my instincts back in the Chapter 1, when I started making them snipe at one another.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode it was decided to send a small group to attack the Naga camp in the night. Ungarion, Aela, and Nashira were chosen for the task, with Stalks-The-Marshes guiding them through the nighttime rainforest. The Argonian stayed back out of the fight while the three mercenaries sprang the ambush. The two mages sent salamanders into the camp, followed by Ungarion's fireballs. Aela defended them all from bandit counter-attacks with her ward. When a bandits tried summoning a salamander of his own, Aela took control of it and sent it back at the summoner. Likewise, she dispelled any other spirit that the Nagas tried to use against them. When the bandits finally came near enough for Nashira to start lopping heads off, they all retreated, with Aela using a summoned tree spirit to block the path behind them.


Chapter 3.6

The clanging of the alarm bell jerked Aela from a sound sleep. Like Ungarion and Valens, she had spent the night in the brewery. She leapt to her feet and took only a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes. She noticed that while the high elf was likewise jumping to his feet, there was no sign of the Nibenean. She imagined that he was already up and about, and quickly drew her pack onto her shoulders. That way she would have not only all of her potions, but also her healing tools with her as well.

Ungarion beat her to the balcony that ringed the copper distillation vats. She followed him up the ladder to the roof, and they found Valens there, gazing to the east. He pointed as they darted across the wide wooden beam that crowned the slanted roof of the building. Aela followed his gesture, and saw a small army of Nagas and Argonians making their way down the grassy hill to the east. They wove into and out of view through the tall grass, and the waving and shaking of other fronds betrayed the presence of even more of their number.

"The same place Talun-Lei first saw their scouts," Ungarion noted.

"Can you get some fireballs in there?" Valens asked.

"Too far," the high elf shook his head. "Oh I could hit the hillside. But they will have plenty of time to get out of the way. I would just be wasting my magicka."

"It looks like they are spreading out too," Aela observed. "It seems they learned their lesson last night."

Aela looked down from her high perch, and scanned the village below. She saw that each century of villagers already stood at their posts around the walls. Her eyes easily picked out Seridwe in her golden elven armor at the front gate. More difficult to spot were the others: Nashira to the east, Talun-Lei to the west, and Do'Sakhar to the south.

"That they have I'd wager," Valens murmured. "I'd say at least fifty bandits, perhaps more. It's hard to tell in the grass. If they were smart, they'd circle back through the forest and come down the grassy hill again, to make their numbers appear larger."

"Now that would be a clever trick," Ungarion said.

"Handril did it at Lindai," Valens said off-handedly. "He made the Imperial garrison there think he had sixty thousand men, when he really only had twenty. They surrendered rather than fight it out."

"Is that why you had the villagers stuffing sacks with straw and putting helmets on them?" Aela wondered aloud.

"Look down at the battlements," the Nibenean smiled. "You will see our numbers have grown."

Aela looked back down, and now she did note that many of the villagers standing guard at the parapets were motionless. Upon closer inspection she realized that they were not villagers at all, but the straw dummies she had mentioned.

The bandits swung north, and spread out into the rice paddies. Now that they were out in the open, they made easy targets. But as Ungarion noted before, they were so far away that they could easily dodge magical attacks. Even if they had not been, they were separated enough that a fireball would be lucky to engulf more than two of them in any case. They were indeed being cautious. The brigands continued to move in this manner until they reached the western slopes of the valley. This left the entire northern face of the village blockaded.

Four of the Nagas broke away from the others and slowly approached the front gate. One held a spear up over his head in both hands.

"It appears they would like to parley," Ungarion noted, "shall we oblige them?"

"It would be rude not to meet our guests," Valens smiled.

Since Aela had been last up onto the roof, she was now the first down into the belly of the distillery. She led the other two across the balcony and to the stone floor below. There the others quickly outdistanced her with their longer legs, and she had to race to keep up. Soon they came to the front gate, and climbed to the top of the embankment and stood at the parapet.

Now that they were closer, Aela had a better look at the approaching bandits. She saw that only three were Nagas. The fourth was an Argonian wearing a triple-disc cuirass made of what appeared to be dwarven steel. He carried a shield of golden elven manufacture, and what looked to be a mithril-hilted sword at his hip. The rest of his frame glittered with gold and silver jewelry. Whoever he was, he must be important, the Breton Witch imagined.

Of the Nagas, the one that stood out most was also the tallest. He wore a helmet made of what appeared to be boar tusks laid side by side in a conical pattern. His chest was covered by a corselet of white scales. Aela could tell they were not made of leather or metal, and wondered if they were taken from an actual animal. If the latter, the beast they had come from must have been gigantic, given the size of the individual scales. He wore a black leather patch over one eye, and the green scales of his arms and tail were faded with age. He clutched a long spear in one hand, tipped with a leaf-shaped point of what could only be ebony. Like the Argonian, he too was adorned with rings, necklaces, and armlets of gold and precious gems.

Boar's Tusk Helmet

Beside him slithered a slender Naga with orange-brown scales. This one wore no armor, but rather was dressed in animal skins festooned with feathers. A belt of human skulls hung from his waist, and smaller animal skulls were draped about his torso and arms. Unlike the others, he did not carry a spear. Rather he clutched a staff in one hand that was tipped with red crystal. Even in the distance, Aela could feel the power emanating from the weapon, and from the wizard. This was clearly not one to trifle with.

The last Naga was thoroughly unnotable. He carried a short spear tipped with some kind of animal fang over his head. Otherwise he wore little more than a loincloth and belt holding a pouch at one hip. Aela imagined he was literally just a spear-carrier. Perhaps because none of the other three - clearly leaders - would reduce themselves to making the symbol to parley.

"That one with the eye patch is Dark-Eye, their leader," Ulpia said. Like the other villagers, she wore a simple bamboo cuirass and wicker helmet, and carried a round shield of sturdy durian wood. Unlike them, she carried Aela's white staff Hrive Amaurea rather than a bamboo spear. "The one with the staff is his lieutenant, Vishta-Zaw. The other two I don't know."

"The Argonian must be the leader of the other band that just joined Dark-Eye's Nagas," Valens observed.

The bandits came to a halt within earshot of the walls, except for Dark-Eye. He moved a few more paces forward, and spread out his arms. "What is this?" he cried. "Why are there new walls around Dark-Eye's village?"

"We've been landscaping," Ungarion barked out in reply.

Many of the villagers chuckled at the jibe, and it was only then that Aela realized how tense they had all been. She found herself thankful for the Altmer's sense of humor. The sight of the bandits spread out across the fields was enough to make her heart race and mouth go dry, and she was experienced at this sort of thing! She could only imagine how frightened the villagers must be.

"Why is there a moat?" the Naga leader went on, as if he had not heard the high elf's joke.

"For swimming in!" Aela cried out in imitation of her friend.

That brought more subdued chuckles around the wall.

Dark-Eye grounded his spear, and looked across the mercenaries and villagers near the gate. "Where is Dark-Eye's soju?" he shouted.

"There's nothing here for you," Valens now shouted back, "except more of what you had last night."

"And who are these?" Dark-Eye shouted back. "Sellswords? Hired thugs? Where are Dark-Eye's beloved friends of Agrigento? Where are his good, and dear friends? Where is Ulpia, and Hathei, and Stalks-The-Marshes?"

"We're here," Ulpia shouted back, "and you aren't welcome!"

"Oh yes this one is!" Dark-Eye roared back. "Dark-Eye is coming into that mudhole, and he and his men will take what they want. This one promises that whoever stands against him will die on a spit. But he is not a cruel Naga. He understands that the people of Agrigento have been led astray by the smoothskin Ulpia and her cronies. Dark-Eye will be merciful to any who throw down their arms and beg for forgiveness."

"That includes the sellswords too," the Naga leader went on. "These farmers lied to them. They led them to believe that they could fight a battle they could win. But there is no victory against Dark-Eye. He will make a deal with them. Dark-Eye will let all of them walk out the gates now, and give them free passage through the valley."

"We deal in steel," Valens growled. To add emphasis to his words, he slowly drew first one, then the second of his ebony swords.

Dark-Eye shook his head, and turned from the gates to face his men. "Generosity, that was my first mistake!" he soliloquized. "I left these people with too much, too much money, too much rice, and too much soju. Now they have used that wealth to buy mercenaries. It just goes to show, you must answer for every good deed!"

The bandit leader glanced at Vishta-Zaw. Without another word the Naga mage lowered his staff. A bolt of white hot flame roared from the red crystal at its tip and sped for Valens. Out of reflex Aela threw out her left hand and poured her magicka into her ward. The magical shield blossomed to life just an instant before the magical bolt could strike. Aela had never felt such power, and threw everything she had into her defense. Still her mystical shield buckled, then shattered. Thankfully her ward had absorbed the last of the firebolt's energy in its death throes however, and all that remained of Vishta-Zaw's attack was a few wisps of smoke. Aela staggered, and fell to one knee. She marveled at the power in the staff. It was more than enough to reduce any mortal to ash in just an instant!

"You didn't have to do that," Valens said quietly as he helped Aela back to her feet. "I could have absorbed the entire thing."

"I know Azura's Star is powerful," Aela breathed as she stepped behind one of the high wooden merlons for cover. "But I did not think even it was that strong."

"It isn't," the Nibenean shook his head. "But I was also born under the Atronach. Between the two I absorb all the magicka sent at me."

Aela glanced back around the parapet to see that Dark-Eye and the others were beating a hasty retreat. Seridwe sent an arrow chasing after them. The Naga leader must have seen her out of the corner of his eye, for he grabbed the lowly spearman and held him up in front of him. The high elf's arrow drilled home in the spearman's chest, and the Naga slid motionless into the mud. Vishta-Zaw threw up a ward of his own as more arrows winged their way, and the magical shield deflected them all as he and the remaining brigands made their escape

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 28 2013, 06:26 PM

[Elisabeth Hollow]

AUGH! I'm caught up!!

Okay, okay, first things first: Love it! Though I already messaged you a few days ago and told you that.

Second, I was sort of hoping that Dark Eye was lying about his powers and ties to the Daedra. But it looks like his wizard friend would zap anyone who objected.

And so it begins, the fight we've been waiting for!

[Acadian]

Both sides are fully loaded for the mind games that pervaded this introduction.

Great job of painting an intimidating and colorful picture of the NagArgonian negotiating party -

Testimony to training received by the Sellsword Seven, I don’t figure any of the villagers will take up Dark-Eye on his most ‘merciful’ offer. Good thing - for the bandits’ true nature is vividly shown as one of them readily sacrifices a comrade to save his own scales from Aela’s {Oops} Seridwe's arrow during the return to their lines.

The staff-delivered fire bolt gives up and reveals some of the bandits’ abilities, in return for discovering some of the capability of those who defend the village. The bandits also reveal a couple weaknesses: overconfidence and a penchant for taunting - both of which can be exploited by cunning foes.

Like you, I very much like the idea of ward spells. I’m glad we have the whole collection of TES resources from the various games to draw from as we see fit. I quite like both ward and mark & recall effects for example.

Please refresh me. Does Azura’s Star (in your story) bestow spell absorption upon the Star Bearer? I can see where that could easily be related to an ability to absorb the dying magicka of others – can it do that as well? Can it be used to recharge weapons by those not able (like Aela and Ungarion) to do so with their own magicka?

This isn’t going to be an easy fight – for either side it seems.


Nit: ‘Without a another word the Naga mage lowered his staff.’ - - A stray ‘a’ in front of another.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Dec 30 2013, 02:26 PM

[McBadgere]

And so it begins, the fight we've been waiting for!

*Shakes head a tiny amount*...Wait for it... ...


Aaaamywho...

Awesome!!...

That was brilliant...Loved the whole build up to the parlay with Eli...Um...Dark-Eli...Bollocks...Dark-Eye's bunch!!!... ..

Loved the whole speech with that...Did make me smile... ...

Thoroughly loved the way you brought out the tension in the approach, and then that last bit with Aela vs spell was amazing!!...

Brilliant episode...Loved it hugely...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[haute ecole rider]

Like many of the Agrigentians, I quite enjoyed the banter between Dark Eye and Ungarion. We see more of his sardonic humor in this small exchange, and it is just what we have come to expect of him. I could just hear Eli Wallach's voice thundering out Dark-Eye's words as he asked for his 'friends' and feigned offense at the resistance from the villagers as evidenced by the renewed ramparts and the new moat.

This story is making me want to pull out the "Seven Samurai" from the Netflix queue and watch it again.

[Grits]

Oh, this was such a great episode! The mental image of the approaching army was vivid enough to male me nervous along with Aela. I particularly liked the detail that she carries her pack into battle, and the reminder that Ulpia has her staff.

Dark-Eye lives up to his promise from the very beginning. What a character! Vishta-Zaw is just as fascinating. I loved to hear Valens’ confidence even after Vishta-Zaw demonstrated the power of his staff. Yay, Atronachs!

This is very exciting!

[ghastley]

If Valens really does have 100% spell absorption, it's perhaps better that their enemies don't know yet. It could be very demoralizing at the right time for someone to find his offense is completely nullified.

I'm almost picturing Dark-eye as an armored Jabba the Hutt. How close is that?

[SubRosa]

Elisabeth Hollow: Thanks for joining the story. Vishta-Zaw will zap anyone that Dark-Eye looks crossly at. But as we will discover in a few more posts, Dark-Eye is definitely the more dangerous of the two.


Acadian: There were a lot of mind games going on between the two sides, as each tries to figure out what the other can do. We will be seeing more of that in today's episode as well.

Waaay back in the misty dawn of time Chapter 1.5 I changed Azura's Star from soul trapping to spell absorption. I never really thought of it doing anything else. I want it to seem powerful, but I don't want it to seem overpowered either.


McBadgere: I could not help but to think of Dark-Eli when I was doing my edits on that part too! Did you notice I slipped in a "My good, and dear friend Mr. Garibaldi" in as well?

Aela has finally met her match with Vishta-Zaw. That won't be the last time those two square off.


haute ecole rider: Ungarion is always a treat to write of course, thanks to his sense of humor.

I have been tempted to rewatch the movies again too, even though I did back in the summer before I started writing.


Grits: Aela grabbing her pack was written in as an afterthought. I thought of it because when she was treating the Naga prisoner she did not have any tools to dig out the bits of scale in his wound. So it struck me that she would want those with her the next time.

After so long, it is good to finally get the villains back in the story. This is kind of an oddly structured tale, in that they appear briefly at the very start, and then are absent for over half the story. I am glad they make an impression. It helps make up for that lack of page time.


ghastley: Valens' spell absorption will become a very important factor at the very end. So you are right that not revealing it now is a good thing.

Dark-Eye is not as corpulent as Jabba. He's getting old, but is still physically in his prime, and a more than capable fighter. But he is definitely as ruthless, if not moreso. So maybe think a younger Jabba.


Previously on Seven: In our last episode the bandit horde arrived and appeared before the village. Their leader Dark-Eye, Vishta-Zaw, and two other bandits approached the gate to parley. He demanded that the village surrender, and even promised the Seven safe passage out of the valley. Naturally the Seven and villagers refused. With a nod from Dark-Eye, Vishta-Zaw shot a firebolt from his staff at Valens. Aela intercepted it with her ward. The attack was so powerful that it shattered her ward, but absorbed the last of the the firebolt in doing so.


Chapter 3.7

The bandits spent the rest of the morning circling the village. Aela and Ungarion tagged along with Valens as they followed their opposite numbers in the marauder band. The brigands remained just out of bowshot, and seemed to be surveying the village. Aela imagined that as Nashira had said the night before, their raid had taught the marauders caution. Now the bandits were bound to be wondering just what they were truly facing.

When they finished their rounds, the bandits faded back into the bamboo covered hills to the south. Valens called a brief council of the Seven and leading Agrigentans in the village square afterward.

"They have had a look at us," the Nibenean said. "Now they are making their plans. Unless they are fools, they will probe us tonight. They still don't know what to expect, so I doubt they will throw everything in. I expect the real attack will come tomorrow."

"So do we throw everything in when they come tonight?" Aela asked.

"Only if we have to," Valens frowned. "We don't want to show them our full potential. But there is no point in holding back if it means losing the walls tonight."

"We'll stick to the original plan." Seridwe looked to Aela. "We want to force them to commit their mages. If they put them in tonight, then we have to use everything we have to stop them, including you and Ungarion."

"Right, so if they summon spirits, you banish them and point out the summoners to the archers." Valens said. "If they try to burn the walls down with destruction magic, then its Ungarion's turn to step up. But don't commit yourself before then. Let their mules come in and fight it out on the walls. We can hold them there with our spears."

"Until then, I suggest we all get some rest," Nashira said. "We are going to have a busy night."

Aela remained in the town square with Ungarion and Valens while the others returned to their assigned posts on the walls. Aela took the Redguard's advice, and went back to sleep inside the brewery. Valens did likewise, but Ungarion remained awake. Aela knew that he never could sleep the night before a battle. Even on an ordinary day, the high elf was filled with pent up energy. But get him worked up, and he might not sleep for days.

Aela woke to find the Altmer playing a game of solitaire with his deck of cards. Valens was already awake and gone, and the high elf told her that he had gone to inspect the troops on the walls. She joined Ungarion for a simple dinner consisting of a bowl of rice washed down with a cup of soju. As night closed in the pair ascended to the roof of the brewery, where they were soon joined by their Nibenean war leader.

Long hours dragged by as they waited. Ungarion fidgeted. Valens seemed calm and patient. Aela took the time to reach out with her magical senses and commune with the nearby spirits. They were restless, as if they sensed the upcoming battle, and the part they might play within it. They did little to ease Aela's own apprehensions, but in the very least they were good company.

Secunda had long been up in the eastern sky, and Masser was just making his entrance when Aela felt an archaean taking form beyond the walls. She opened her eyes and leaped to her feet. After casting a night eye spell upon herself in order to see in the dark, she easily picked out the land spirit. It was making its way slowly but surely across the open field west of the village.

"Archaean!" Aela cried. "He's too far away for me to banish, I'll have to go down there."

"Then go," Valens nodded.

"Just be careful," Ungarion added.

Aela said nothing in reply. She merely nodded and raced for the ladder down into the guts of the brewery. She had heard many bard's tales of heroes sliding down the rails of ladders. But she knew better than to try that herself. She would probably break her legs! So with feet taking the rungs as fast as they could, the Breton made her way down to the catwalk that overlooked the distillery floor.

She paused a moment there to cast a spell to fortify her quickness and endurance - just as she had done the night before. Thanks to her magical fortification, the trip down the stair to the brewery floor was faster. But by the time she had darted across the village to the western wall, the archaean was nearly upon the defenses. If that was not bad enough, she saw that the field was teeming with Argonian bandits. Some raced for the walls. Others hung back and fired their powerful recurved bows at the defenders on the walls. All were spread out enough that they would not make an easy target for a fireball.

"Nothing stops this one!" Stalks-The-Marshes shook his head as Aela approached. The Argonian trader carried his self bow, and already had a reed arrow nocked on the string. He stepped out from behind cover and into the open crenel between merlons. He quickly pulled his string back to his ear and fired. But his arrow merely bounced off the spirit of stone and soil that relentlessly approached.

"Leave it to me," Aela said. Stalks-The-Marshes stepped back to cover, and Aela moved up to the gap in the battlement where he had stood a moment before. She raised her left hand and brought up her ward to defend herself. She was thankful for her caution when a bandit arrow crashed against its glowing surface a moment later, only to harmlessly snap in two upon the magical shield.

By now the archaean was wading through the moat, leaving snapped punji stakes in his wake. Aela reached out for the Nirn spirit with her right hand. He stopped dead in his tracks as her magical fingers softly laid down upon the cord of power that connected him to his conjurer. She tugged upon it, and felt the Argonian mage fighting her for control of the spirit. Like the other mages the previous night, he was no match for her power. The chain of magicka snapped, and Aela effortlessly bound it to herself instead.

The archaean began his march once more. With just a few giant strides he mounted the steep slopes of the ditch. Agrigentans scurried away to either side, and Aela shouted to them that it was safe. To prove her point, she raced to the archaean's side, and gently laid a hand upon one of his massive legs.

She heard Talun-Lei shouting at the villagers to retake their places on the battlement. A moment later she found the young Argonian on the opposite side of the archaean from her, flinging one of his javelins down into the moat. Then the Argonian warrior turned back to the Agrigentans, and again waved them forward.

Aela turned her attention back to her newly won spirit. At her direction he reached out with both of his massive paws and grabbed hold of one of the timbers that made up the parapet. Twisting it this way and that, he drew the wide tree trunk up from the ground, and held it overhand like a spear. A moment later he hurled it out into the field, where it crashed into the bandit who had originally summoned him. The hedge wizard was instantly crushed, his body ground down into the mud underneath the massive timber.

That was one fewer conjurer, Aela thought with satisfaction. She stepped back to cover behind the nearest merlon, and directed the archaean down into the moat. There it set upon the nearby bandits. They were too quick for the ponderous spirit to catch with his mighty fists, but he did force them back, keeping his section of wall free from invaders.

A glance up and down the wall revealed that the Argonians had now come up to the battlements to either side of the spirit. The Agrigentans met them at the walls, thrusting their spears through the crenels at the bandits. The marauders jabbed back with their own weapons. But whenever one tried to climb over the waist-high gaps, they were shoved back by the shields of the villagers.

Very few of the bandits were killed outright in this fashion. Few were even wounded in fact, and most of those seemed to only receive flesh wounds to the arms or legs. For many wore cuirasses of bone or rattan, and some even of the metal triple-disc style favored by many in the Black Marsh. Some also carried shields, albeit smaller ones than the Agrigentans used.

However, the brigands gave no better to the defenders, and few of their own attacks did more than slide harmlessly off the villager's shields. Clearly Valens had taught the Agrigentans well, Aela thought as she witnessed the standoff. For people who had been simple farmers just a month before, it was amazing.

Talun-Lei was like a hurricane, racing up and down the wall, shouting encouragement to the Agrigentans and getting in a jab or two with his own spear while he was at it. Like the others, he did not appear to slay any of the attackers. But he did keep the villagers in the fight, and he was always there when the bandits looked to push through, and threw them back by putting his own shield into the press.

Still, some of the bandits' spears did find their way into human and Argonian flesh. Since the villagers appeared to be holding their own in the defense, Aela decided to forgo using her magic to attack, and instead moved from one injured man or woman to the next. Her healing magic mended their torn flesh, and within moments they were back into the fight.

She knew that her health absorption spells could kill many of the bandits straight out, as they had little means of defense against such an assault. But she also knew that if this was indeed just a probe, the bandits wanted her to reveal herself with such flashy, blatant uses of magic. Just as she had been able to trace the Argonian summoner through his connection to the archaean and kill him, they doubtlessly had other mages - or even archers with poisoned arrows - waiting for her to reveal herself. After all, it was the same thing they planned for the bandits.

In time the brigands retreated from the walls. The defenders cheered, and sent a few arrows, javelins, and even stones after them. Aela noted that a few of the marauders went down in the withdrawal. But rather than being abandoned by their comrades, they were carried back by the other bandits to the cover of the forest.

Aela returned to her healing duties, and by the time she was finished, she felt ready to sleep for a week. She sat down and leaned back against the battlements and rested. All around her the Agrigentans cheered and celebrated. A jug of soju was passed around, which she politely declined. She had just closed her eyes when the voice of Valens jerked them open again.

"So how did it go?" the Nibenean asked.

"Valens can see for himself." The pride in Talun-Lei's voice was unmistakable. With one hand the Argonian gestured toward the parapet. "These ones have held the walls, and lost no one."

"Enemy casualties?"

"Those ones took their dead and wounded with them," Stalks-The-Marshes explained. "So it is difficult to tell. Probably only handful killed outright."

"I saw several seriously wounded, and without proper healing they will die in a few days." Aela rose to her feet and joined the conversation. "But if they have a healer, or potions, we will see them again tomorrow. They are without one conjurer though, and he won't be coming back."

"Outstanding!" Valens grinned. The Nibenean clapped a black-mailed hand upon Aela's shoulder. "It went much the same across the village. They made a probe against the east wall too, and burned down some of it before Ungarion could finish the mage. The south wall only got a few arrows to keep their heads down. They never touched the north wall."

"And Ungarion?" Aela held her breath waiting for the Nibenean's answer.

"He's fine," Valens replied. "Casualties have been minor, we only lost one Agrigentan in Nashira's Century, burned with the wall. Meen-Sa was able to heal all the other injuries."

Aela nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She hated fighting without Ungarion. It felt like going for a walk with only one shoe. Worse, she loathed the idea of him fighting without her there to protect him.

"I suppose you want me to go and rebuild the east wall?" Aela could not keep the exhaustion from her voice.

"No," Valens shook his head. "They won't attack there again. We'll just put some frises up and maybe tip a few wagons over there. You get some sleep. Tomorrow is when they'll make their real push, and it will be at the north wall, and the gate."

"This one is certain?" Stalks-The-Marshes wondered aloud.

"It's what I would do," Valens replied. "The gate is our weakest point. There is no moat in front of it, and once they burn it down they have an open road into the village. They've attacked us everywhere else, because they want us to reinforce everywhere else. They will make their push tomorrow, and it will be in the north."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 6 2014, 05:53 AM