Seven, An Aela & Ungarion Prequel Options

[ThatSkyrimGuy]

ThatSkyrimGuy: It's good to see you back SkyGuy! Wow, 1.7 is a long time ago. So you are still sailing across the Niben and having your hair braided. I am surprised at how long this story has turned out to be. It will be about 68k words when I am done. So it's a novel.

You can leave comments here, it is no big deal. Just edit the same post with any new additions until the next week's episode.

Will do.

Chapter 1.8 - The Niben Queen...What an interesting idea for a vessel! It has an almost DeVincian quality to it. Where on earth did you come up with that drawing? Regardless, kudos on doing research.

I love it when reading makes me look things up...now I know what an undine is. A nifty idea having one help the ferry upstream.

Chapter 1.9 - A nice bit of "getting to know you" between Aela and Valens. It promises to be interesting when we find out a little more about the Nibenean. It's good to know that he considers Aela a friend.

Chapter 1.10 - A very instructive show of techniques from Valens and Seridwe. I liked how Aela picked up on how Valens dropped his brooding mood while he was teaching. Regarding the video, kudos again on your research.

[SubRosa]

Acadian: Dark-Eye was not originally going to be Namira's Champion. But I changed that when I realized it would take the story a step up from a simple tale of farmers vs. outlaws. Now it is also champion vs. champion.

You are right, there is not a chance of A&U bailing out on the villagers now. Not since the Agrigentans have played it straight with them. It is going to be one big fight!


ghastley: You are right. Dark-Eye is not commanding the beast. That is why he is standing behind it, where (he hopes) it won't notice him!

That entire paragraph you mentioned was about Dark-Eye and his eye. I am not sure why you and Haute thought some of its sentences were referring to the monster. So I went back and edited it to make it more clear that it was all about the Naga.


haute ecole rider: That banner remark by Aela really wasn't meant to be a jab at the way the games work. I never even thought of that to be honest. But you are quite right. IRL there is no compass with red dots showing you who the bad guy is, or a name that pops up in your hud when you cursor over the people you meet.


Grits: I went through several different ideas for the monster before settling upon the centipede form. The first was a really rare D&D undead thing, then I went with something based on an alien I saw in a fictional documentary about life on an alien world, and finally I went with the creepy crawly we all sometimes encounter in the backyard. I guess it goes to show that sometimes what you are looking for is right under your nose!

I don't often get the use the word tenebrous. So I could not resist working it into the description of the Scuttling Void.

Ungarion will definitely agree with your assessment of his awesomeness!


ThatSkyrimGuy: I found that horse-powered boat here. Though further research turned up that the Romans used a form of ox-powered boat as well.

You might be looking up dryad and salamander soon too...

The training session was a way to both show us a little more of who Valens is, as well as a way to get an action scene into the story after what had been a lot of talky bits. I did a lot of research to make it all come together, and I am very glad I did, because it all come together rather well.


Previously On Seven: Our last episode began the morning after the battle, with Valens ruminating upon Dark-Eye being Namira's Champion. Then they saw the bandits advancing upon the village from the east. But even as they mobilized to meet the attack, a gateway to Namira's Realm - The Scuttling Void - opened in the rice paddies to the north. Aela determined that it was Dark-Eye who created it, and traced the magic of the gate back to a Daedric Artifact under his eyepatch. A gargantuan centipide-like monster came out of the gateway, which closed behind it. Aela and Ungarion summoned salamanders and rushed to meet it, with the other Seven not far behind.


Chapter 3.11


"Fire doesn't seem to do much good!" Ungarion shouted from beside her. "Let's see how it likes a little frost?" A bolt of ice sprouted from the Altmer's hand and hissed through the air toward the behemoth. It struck the creature's underbelly soundly, only to shatter harmlessly upon the monster's hard shell.

Aela raced up the embankment and came to a halt beside Seridwe at the parapet. The high elf archer was winging one arrow after another into the monster, but to no apparent effect. Finally the Altmer paused and took careful aim at the infernal beast. After waiting long moments the archer loosed once more, and Aela saw her arrow drive home directly into one of the holes in the underside of the creature's skull.

Its head jerked back, as if in pain, and a shrill howl rent the air. The sound made Aela's ears hurt, like the screech of fingernails being drawn across a slate. The gargantua's head rocked down a moment later, and dark green glob spat out from its mouth. Out of reflex Aela lifted her left hand, and the glow of her ward sprang to life above herself and Seridwe. The viscous green substance hit her ward with the force of a mule's kick. Worse, as it crackled and sizzled Aela realized that it was acid. She was thankful for her Restoration training. For surely the creature's bile - for what else could it be - would surely have eaten its way through any physical shield.

The monster was now nearly upon the wall. Ungarion raised both hands and let loose a great wave of icy frost. It rolled over the leviathan like an arctic wind, blanketing it with snow and causing ice crystals to form across its legs. The monster's pace slowed noticeably under the chill, but it did not halt entirely.

Aela raised a fist to the sky and called upon a spirit of Nirn. A dryad formed in the air between the horror and the village. Towering nearly as high as the Daedric beast, the arboreal titan reached out with her boughs and grabbed hold of the monster's head. She leaned in, digging the tree-trunks of her legs into the ground to brace herself. Twisting this way and that, the tree spirit seemed to be trying to wrench the head from the creature's body.

One of the gargantua's legs snapped out, and impaled the trunk of the Dryad upon its leading spike. Wood splintered and cracked, and the leviathan's talon sheared completely through the Nirn spirit's body. The Daedra pushed forward and shoved the tree-spirit to the ground, crushing her under its many spiked feet.

Aela felt the dryad blank out of physical existence a moment later. Then it was Seridwe's turn to pull the Witch aside, as the leviathan swept relentlessly forward. One of its legs crashed through the timbers of the parapet that they had been sheltering behind as if they were kindling. Fragments of wood - some as large as Aela's arms and legs - went flying everywhere.

The monster rose up above her, and out of the corners of her eyes the Breton Witch saw the villagers abandon the wall and flee toward the town square. A glance in that direction showed that the other Seven were now pushing their way forward through the tide of refugees. Valens strode confidently, with both ebony blades unsheathed. Somehow Aela heard him shouting over the din, ordering Ulpia and retreating the Agrigentans to reinforce the eastern wall. Nashira darted before him, scimitar still undrawn. Do'Sakhar paused every few steps to fire an arrow from his sandcrawler bow. Talun-Lei openly gaped at the behemoth that rose up over the village. But even he gripped a javelin and let fly at the one of the monster's legs.

"Nothing can pierce its shell!" Seridwe shouted to the others. She had tucked her bow away, and now filled her hands with the golden steel of her elven greatsword. Rushing to one of the monster's legs, she let loose a great, horizontal chop. Aela knew that a blow like that would have sheared clean through a horse's skull. But even with its armor-destroying enchantment, the elvish steel merely bounded off the black chitin that sheathed the monster's body. In its wake Aela could see naught but a few tiny cracks running along the leviathan's armored hide.

Nashira followed a moment later with an attack upon another leg, drawing and cutting with the blinding speed that Aela had come to associate with the sword-saint. Yet she fared no better. Even Valens' twin ebony blades only chipped loose small fragments from another place in the behemoth's seemingly invulnerable shell.

Aela summoned forth an archaean next. The land spirit sank down into the ground before the behemoth, and a moment later one of its spiked legs slammed down into the soil where he had vanished. The Daedra staggered when its leg did not come forth when it tried to step away a moment later. Instead it seemed to be rooted to the spot.

"Seridwe, Nashira!" Ungarion shouted. "Let's see if we can set that one up for Valens!"

Seridwe began by chopping the trapped leg with all of her might, once again sending thin cracks running through the leviathan's armor. Then Ungarion loosed a bolt of fire into the same place, turning the chitin bright red from heat. Nashira followed with a cut from Barafu. While the enchanted scimitar did not penetrate the shell of the monster, it did wash a wave for icy frost over the same superheated area.

Then Valens came afterward. He had dropped one of his swords, and held the other ebony blade with one hand on the hilt, and the other gripped halfway along the blade. He stabbed the cracked, fried, and frozen shell of the monster, and the point of his blade sank deeply into the carapace of the behemoth.

The Nibenean twisted his sword this way and that. Even Nashira stepped up and grabbed hold of his blade to help as well. With a sickening crack, a large chunk of the leviathan's armored hide snapped out, along with a slab of the white and green flesh that lay underneath. Black blood spurted and oozed from the gaping wound, and the leviathan screeched overhead.

The beast screeched. Then Aela saw its head turn down to Valens and Nashira.

"Get out of the way!" Seridwe screamed.

The pair of mercenaries leaped away just in time to avoid the great spit of acid that sizzled down upon the space where they once stood. Aela's summoned archaean below was not so lucky however, and the corrosive bile ate through the dirt and rock of his body in mere moments.

Once again Aela felt one of her spirits being banished to insubstantiality, and she set her lips to a hard line. While she knew that the bodies of her summonings were merely temporary formations - natural elements brought together that reflected the quintessence of the spirits - she still did not like to see those bodies destroyed. They were her friends after all.

The horror finally pulled its wounded leg free of the ground and took another step into the village proper. But when it set the same taloned foot down again, and put its weight upon it, the appendage snapped in two at the point of injury. Another sickening screech filled air. This time the monster lashed out with another leg, and smashed a nearby house into kindling underneath.

"Want to try for another leg?" Ungarion shouted across the street to where Valens and Nashira stood.

"It has too damn many of them." The Nibenean shook his head. "It will reach the sea before we can hack them all off. We need to find a weak spot!"

"I tried shooting arrows in those little holes in its head," Seridwe yelled back, "but that just made it mad!"

"Perhaps the mouth?" Nashira said.

Talun-Lei nodded, and planted his heavy battle spear butt-first into the ground and set his crescent-shaped shield down beside it. Taking his last javelin in his right hand, the Argonian took a moment to poison its barbed head with the black liquid from a potion bottle. Then he raised his javelin over his shoulder, lifted his shield with his left hand, and waited for his chance.

Aela rushed over to him with magically enhanced legs, and raised one hand to the monster. She felt for its lifeforce: a sickly, squirming energy that roiled and slithered deep within its hard flesh. Digging her fingers into its life, she ripped it forth with a blood red light and sucked it into herself. The feeling of the leviathan's power made her want to vomit. It was like drinking sewage. But the Breton Witch held down her gorge, and continued absorbing the monster's vitality. The gargantua was so powerful that she knew it was like trying to empty Lake Rumare with a teacup, but she hoped that it would at least get the horror's attention.

As she expected, the behemoth turned its head down to her and Talun-Lei and opened its mouth to spit. The Argonian needed no prompting, and let fly with his javelin. The slender, barbed shaft flew straight and true, embedding itself deeply within the roof of behemoth's mouth. It screeched in agony, and let loose a torrent of acid.

Aela raised her ward in time to deflect the shower of corrosive bile. Talun-Lei crouched close, practically hugging her, and Aela could not blame him. For just inches away the acid bubbled and hissed through the ground around them, dissolving it before their eyes and raising a cloud of noxious fumes.

When the torrent had passed, Aela looked up through the wavering light of her ward to see the gargantua towering overhead. There was no sign of the Talun-Lei's javelin. She imagined that the acid had completely destroyed the weapon. Then Aela felt the Argonian wrap one arm around her waist, and pull her aside. A moment later one of the beast's legs came pounding down into the ground where they had stood, spiked foot burrowing deeply into the soil.

Aela got her bearings, and briefly watched as Valens, Nashira, and Seridwe raced around the legs of the creature, hacking and slashing with their swords. Then she joined in with her absorb health spell, doing what she could to take away the creature's life energy one little bit at a time. Do'Sakhar sped arrow after arrow up into its head, and Ungarion now sent lightning crackling along the monster's belly. Yet all of their attacks did little more than raise the Daedra's ire.

The monster spat acid and clubbed here and there with its monstrous legs. But just as the Seven's weapons found no purchase in its hide, its own weaponry failed to strike home. The mercenaries were too quick, and were always there to pull one another out of danger, or distract the beast at some critical moment.

Aela found herself running through her magicka at a frightful rate, and was forced to down potion after potion to restore it just to keep up the pace. She knew that Ungarion was doing no better. In fact she imagined that he was burning through his energy even more quickly with his Destruction magic.

The battle reminded Aela of a swarm of bees harassing a bear. The behemoth could never hope to swat each individual bee, but neither could the swarm stop the bear from tearing apart their hive. For tear apart was exactly what the behemoth was doing. In its drive to blot the Seven from existence, it was steadily laying waste to Agrigento. It crushed the bamboo hedgehogs that blocked side streets, and smashed homes into splinters. Nothing could stop the relentless advance of the beast, and soon the Seven found themselves backed up to the edge of the town square.

The noise of the alarm bell rang out in Aela's ears, and the Breton Witch recognized the beat. It was the call to retreat to the brewery. She turned to see the villagers pouring down the streets from all directions. They piled up into a great mob at the doors of the distillery, as they all pushed and shoved to get into the final refuge.

"Who gave the order to retreat!" Valens roared. "Get back to the walls! The Nagas are still out there!"

"Meen-Sa gave the order," the water priestess appeared from the crowd, and shouted back at the Nibenean. "They have broken through the in the east, and these ones cannot hold them in the street."

"Use the blasted shield wall!" Valens shouted back, "like I trained you!"

"Shields are no use against magic!" Meen-Sa held her own against the mercenary. "They still have a fire mage, Agrigento's undines cannot hold that one back any longer!"

"Blast it!" Valens shook his head, and spat in the street. "Nashira, Seridwe, with me! We have to slow those Nagas down, and give the others time to get inside."

"What about this thing!" Ungarion cried as he loosed a wave of frost across the underside of the monster.

"Think of something damnit!" Valens yelled back over his shoulder as he sped off with the others. "It must have a vulnerability somewhere."

"These ones have hit the beast in every place that they can see!" Talun-Lei cried. "Where else is there?"

Where else indeed, Aela thought as she craned her neck up at the behemoth. Then she remembered, they had had not actually hit it everywhere. They had only struck its underside, which was covered in those hard plates. But when she had stood upon the roof of the brewery, she recalled that its back was not armored. Perhaps a blow there would strike true?

"Ungarion, I have an idea!" Aela raised a hand to the sky and loosed magicka from her fingers. A sylph formed in the air above her: a female form of shifting wind and blown grains of dust and dirt.

"What did you-" Ungarion's sentence was cut off when the air spirit grabbed hold of him and shot up into the air.

"Nyyarrrgh!" the Altmer ululated as the sylph effortlessly dodged around a spit of acid. Then the two were floating in the air above the leviathan, and Aela could see that Ungarion knew exactly what she had in mind.

The Altmer filled his hands with magic and turned a cascade of flames down upon the behemoth. The sylph sped down the length of the monster's body, allowing Ungarion to blast every inch of the black, gooey substance the comprised the monster's back. Aela could see tentacles whip out in what she imagined might be pain, only to be consumed by the flames as they washed across the Daedra's body.

The behemoth screeched and flailed about, shattering the homes all around it. A tentacle lashed out and wrapped itself around Ungarion's ankles. The high elf was yanked down toward the seething backside of the monster, and his fire went spraying wildly into the sky as the sylph struggled to hold him aloft.

No, Aela thought, it cannot end like this!

She saw Do'Sakhar raise his sandcrawler bow and take careful aim. The Khajiit loosed the string with a deep report, and the mithril-head of his arrow shot clear through the behemoth's tentacle, tearing away a large gobbet of flesh with it. The ropy appendage stretched thinner and thinner around the gaping wound, and finally snapped.

The sylph sped away with Ungarion, reorienting his body so that he faced down at the monster once more. She continued to skim along the creature's back, and again her passenger unleashed an inferno upon the otherworldly beast.

Her first pass complete, the sylph turned and went back over the monster again. This time Ungarion let loose an avalanche of frost upon the leviathan's back, covering its blazing flesh with glittering ice. Again it shrieked and lashed out with its legs, though Aela could see that this time its efforts lacked the same vigor as before. It was weakening…

With that in mind she moved in closer, and once again began to tear the lifeforce from the creature's hide. She saw Ungarion and the sylph turn back for a third pass, and this time the air was filled with the bright flashing and crackling of lighting. The magical energy tore along the back of the monster, and now huge gouts of blood and chunks of flesh went flying up into the air behind Ungarion. The entire back of the monster seemed to have been torn open, and its innards were being blasted out by the shock of the Altmer's lightning.

The beast wavered over Aela's head, and she felt its lifeforce wink from existence. Unlike her spirits, the monster did not vanish into thin air however. Rather it had brought its own flesh and blood from its home in Namira's realm, and now that ravaged body came crashing down to Nirn in a bloody, burned, and frozen pulp.

Like the others, Aela ran to avoid being crushed underneath the bulk. The ground shook, and a huge cloud of dust rose up in the air around the horror's corpse. Aela found herself coughing, and had to wipe the powder from her eyes. That is when she remembered her sylph. A spirit of air could easily take care of such annoyances. The sylph settled the cloud of dust in a moment, and they all looked up to see her majestically lower Ungarion to the ground.

"You may all worship me now…" the high elf grinned, arms crossed triumphantly.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 25 2014, 12:42 AM

[Acadian]

Wow, what an unstoppable leviathan! Bees vs bear was a good analogy. Clever of Aela to consider that for such a tall, ground-smashing creature, its back might be vulnerable.

It was neat to see great teamwork by the Seven as they all cycled through almost every possible way to harm the beast.

And finally, the Aelagarion Air Force comes to the rescue with death from above! Gotta love close air support. Woot!

Hmm, next target would be Dark-Eye’s. . . eye it seems. For I surely hope he can’t conjure another bug for the Seven to smash in the same day!

Speaking of bug smashing, I can’t help but be reminded by a line that I love from one of the ‘Aliens’ movies. One of the smart alec space Marines says before they drop in to the Alien-infested planet, “Is this going to be a real stand-up fight, or just another [bleeping] bug hunt?”


Nits:
‘Wood splintered and cracked, and moment later the leviathan's talon sheared completely through the Nirn spirit's body.’ - - I think you wanted either: ‘a moment later’ or perhaps, ‘moments later’.

"It's must have a vulnerability somewhere." - - I’m smiling as I imagine the changing edits that produced this, for I know all too well the pesky troubles they can cause. I’m sure that in this final version, you wanted simply ‘It’.

[King Coin]

I’ve been away from this story far too long.

3.8
I loved this section.

The plan to knock out the mages was successful, and nearly deadly! That was well done though, of course they would be targeted, and it was a great way to shift to Valens’ perspective.

Despite the terror, Valens drilled the village enough to fight well despite the fear. Without him, they certainly would have fallen.

And then the bandit chief! And he’s another Daedra’s champion, and seems to have some strong protections in place if that arrow only annoyed him. As capable as Valens is as a commander and warrior, the Redguard is a superior swords(wo)man. I am going to guess that she will be the one to kill the chief later.

[King Coin]

3.9

This was a great follow up to the previous section as well. I’m wondering if Talun-Lei had leave to go out, or if he did this without telling the others?

The killing of the rival was well written, and the aftermath tense. I am glad that none of the others spoke up about never seeing this Argonian before. He was lucky that everyone was as stunned as he was with the leader’s display of power. Now he just needs to find a way to sneak out and get back to the village!

[haute ecole rider]

Well, that was quite the rousing battle. You did not disappoint!

Every creature has a weak spot. This one just happens to be the opposite of those built closer to Nirn. I'm glad Aela had the opportunity to see it from above when it first appeared.

There's not much left for me to say except to echo what everyone (especially Acadian) has to say. Yes, it was both a stand-up fight and a [censored] bug hunt of the best caliber! And yes, I'm a fan of the Alien movies. The first three anyway. So I know the one our Paladin referred to! It was the second movie -- Aliens. My personal favorite. And not just because Michael Biehn is in that one.

[King Coin]

Ch 3.10

Back at the brewery. Sounds like despite how well they repelled the attackers, the bandits still managed to wreck a lot of their defensive structures. This second push is going to be more difficult.

I wasn’t sure if Talun-Lei made it out yet. Glad to hear he did.

What is that monster? How are they going to remove it from the field?

[King Coin]

Ch 3.11 I’m caught up!

Ahh excellent! Root it in place with the land spirit.

I was surprised that Aela would try to use absorb life from that beast. I don’t imagine that its life essence would be healthy for a person.

They’ve tried several things now, and none seem particularly effective. The bandits can’t be too far behind the creature either.

The temperature changes was clever. Glad they were able to take the beast down. Now for the rest!

[ghastley]

Now to hope that rift to Oblivion was a "once a day" power, and Dark-eye can't do it again!

And King Coin has a good point. What have the others been doing while the beast has occupied everyone?

[Grits]

I especially loved the opening sequence with Aela, Ungarion, and Seridwe throwing things at the beast and shielding/yanking one another out of harm’s way. Very exciting!

"Think of something damnit!" Valens yelled back over his shoulder as he sped off with the others.

What a vote of confidence in Ungarion! And it was Aela who thought of something!

The sylph settled the cloud of dust in a moment, and they all looked up to see her majestically lower Ungarion to the ground.

Beautiful! I was already imagining Ungarion striking a pose as he touched down. Yay!

[SubRosa]

Acadian: Teamwork is something I was really trying to illustrate in that leviathan battle. Glad it showed.

I thought you would like Aela summoning up an F-4 for Ungarion to hop into and lay down snake and nape on the beastie!

It is funny you mention Aliens, because there is a line in today's episode that I had to work so hard not to quote directly from that same movie. I am sure it will probably still be noticeable.


King Coin: Yay, you're back!

I wanted to make sure that while the bandits were not disciplined professionals, they are still tough, clever, and experienced at what they do. Hence their ability to pull off a plan to take both Aela and Ungarion out of the fight when they made their big push.

You called it on Valens vs. Nashira. He is first and foremost a military commander. He's the leader, the trainer, the planner, they guy who keeps everyone working together at their best. OTOH Nashira is a duelist. She is focused purely upon her mastery of the sword, and that has made her one of the best longsworders in the world. She is used to fighting alone, and only worrying about herself. Keep your eyes peeled for which one does in Dark-Eye...

You also called it on why none of the other Argonians in the bandit band noticed that Talun-Lei wasn't one of them. Everyone was just too stunned by Dark-Eye's lethal demonstration of power. Now we see how he keeps a guy as scary as Vishta-Zaw in line!

Aela did not like the idea of absorbing the life from that Scuttling Monster! But Absorb Health is the only truly offensive spell she knows. Aside from her Absorb Stamina. But she doubted that would even be noticed by the creature.

The extreme temperature changes were inspired in part by the 3rd Alien movie, where they finally killed the critter by alternately freezing and burning the Alien. But also just because those kinds of sudden thermal shocks can cause a great deal of damage to structures. Hannibal got through the Alps by dousing the boulders blocking his path with wine, setting them on fire, then sending guys rushing in with the hammers and picks while they were still hot.


haute ecole rider: I was inspired by wasps vs spiders when I made the leviathain's back its weak spot. Some wasps will land on top of spiders and lay their eggs in their backs, and in spite of how scary those arthropods are, there is nothing they can do about it. If Aela had not been standing on the roof and seen its back, she never would have guessed it.


ghastley: I did not have anywhere to put it, but Dark-Eye's Eye Gateway is definitely one of those things that he cannot use a great deal. Not to mention since he cannot control what comes out, he's not exactly anxious to try it in the first place! That is why the rest of the Nagas attacked a different part of the village from where he created the gate.


Grits: The teamwork in the Scuttling Leviathan battle was partly inspired by the battle against the dragon in Final Fantasy Advent Children. All of the old FF gang came together to take on the beastie.

Of course Ungarion had to have his majestic moment after finally slaying the monster!


Previously On Seven: In our last episode the Seven all came together to battle the monster from the Scuttling Void. In the meantime the Agrigentans withdrew from that section of wall, and went to the eastern wall to reinforce the fight against the Nagas there. The Seven made little headway against the monster, and soon got the news that the Nagas had broken through the villager's lines in the east. Valens, Nashira, and Seridwe had to leave to intercept the bandits. Afterward Aela had an idea, and summoned a sylph to lift Ungarion up in the air above the monster. That allowed him to use his destruction magic upon the unarmored back of the monster, alternating between fire, frost, and lightning attacks, killing the monster.


Chapter 3.12

"These ones will have to save their adulation for later," Do'Sakhar remarked dryly. "There are still the Nagas to deal with."

"Aye," Talun-Lei said. The Argonian leaned on his heavy spear for a moment and caught his breath. "This one has used his javelins, how does the Khajiit fare?"

"Do'Sakhar has likewise spent his arrows," the desert warrior frowned. He drew his dwarven axe in one hand, and readied his scorpion-emblazoned buckler in the other. "From now on it shall be the fearful work of the axe."

"I am afraid my magicka is quite depleted as well," Ungarion sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "and I am out of restoratives."

"The same here," Aela frowned. "That thing took it all out of me. I still have my sylph though." As if called by mention of her name, the wind spirit swirled beside Aela, kicking up a small whirlwind of dust for a moment before settling down once more.

"Well then, these ones had best get cracking," Talun-Lei said with a wink. Aela realized that he was repeating Ungarion's very same words from a few days before, when the three of them had set off to intercept the Naga scouts. "They don't want to keep their guests waiting do they?"

"Now that is the spirit!" Ungarion grinned and clapped a hand on the young Argonian's shoulder. "You first."

With that the four mercenaries set off in a trot across the town square. A glance back showed Aela that the villagers were still streaming into the brewery. Even with its wide double doors, there was only so much space for people to pass through at once. They would need several more minutes at least for everyone to get inside.

Aela paused a moment to lift a discarded shield in one hand. Until her magicka regenerated, she would be unable to protect herself with her ward. While her clothing was enchanted to protect her from elemental and physical harm, she did not want to rely upon it alone. She knew from painful experience that it could be pierced by enchanted or simply strong metals such as elvish or dwarven steel.

She saw Ungarion do likewise, and even heft a spear that had been thrown aside. Aela could not help but think of how ridiculous he looked in his black mage robes, wooden shield, and bamboo spear. It was so unlike him. She knew that if they ever did survive all of this, Do'Sakhar would never let him live it down.

They did not have to go far to find the Nagas. Valens, Nashira, and Seridwe faced them in the street leading to the east wall, along with Ulpia and Rullianus. The ground where they stood was littered with blackened and burned detritus, including many more shields and spears. The homes to either side were blazing infernos, belching out thick black smoke into the sky.

Clearly the Agrigentan defense had been broken by Vishta-Zaw's fire magic. It was no wonder that they had fled. With shields on fire and spears incinerated, how could they have fought back? Undines could counter the magical attacks for some time, but there had only been so many scrolls Aela had been able to make. She also knew that while Meen-Sa could summon the water spirits herself, she did not possess a bottomless well of magicka. In fact, given that the mikumari was not even a University graduate - or belonging to a race naturally blessed with magic - Aela had no doubt that the priestess had used up her own energy long ago.

The three mercenaries were fighting at close-quarters with the bandits, while Ulpia and Rullianus stood back a few paces to blast the attackers with their borrowed staves. Aela could see that no matter how skillful Nashira was, or how invulnerable Valens' and Seridwe's armor made them, they stood no chance against the host of bandits. It was simply a matter of time before swarming Nagas and Argonians brought them down.

Then Talun-Lei and Do'Sakhar leapt into the fray, briefly stopping the bandits. Aela followed with Ungarion. She simply held her shield up with both hands and shoved hard against the nearest brigand. Ungarion did likewise, and after a few moments the attackers fell back to regroup several paces away.

"My staff is empty," Ulpia whispered in Aela's ear, "and I have no magicka gems left to recharge it."

The Breton Witch glanced at Rullianus, and saw the villager shake his head in unspoken reply. She was not surprised. They were all at the ends of their ropes. She could even see that Seridwe had used up all of her arrows as well.

"Get back to the brewery you two," Valens said. "Take charge of things there, and keep everyone moving to safety."

"What about the rest of you?" Ulpia frowned, looking from the Nibenean to the marauders opposite him.

"We'll be along shortly," he said. "Now go, we'll give you some more time."

Ulpia looked to Aela. The Breton could see the desperation in the Imperial's eyes, mixed in with all of the things they had left unsaid since Aela's vow to remain friends. But there was no time, as there never was, and all Aela could do was nod back at her.

With that Ulpia turned and sprinted for the square. Rullianus did not follow her however. Instead he dropped Ungarion's staff, and picked up a shield and bamboo spike from the wreckage littering the street.

Before Valens or anyone else could speak, the Nagas advanced once more. Aela's eyes were locked upon those of her opposite number: Vishta-Zaw. While the Naga wizard still gripped that devastating staff, instead he lifted his free hand and filled it with fire. Aela imagined that given the power of the staff, a single use must completely drain it. So it was probably not something he could use very often. Like her and Ungarion's staves, it must be a weapon of last resort, or one to make a grand demonstration.

Aela imagined her sylph descending upon the Naga mage, and a moment later the air spirit came out of nowhere and engulfed the wizard in a pillar of flying dust. Aela could see his arms and tail occasionally poke from the whirlwind, and a moment later his staff went flying. Unfortunately it winged back behind the bandits. Otherwise Aela would have been glad to turn it against its former owner.

Then the other brigands were upon them. Aela saw their leader Dark-Eye close with Valens. The two Daedric champions seemed to be drawn together like lodestones. She did not know of any rivalry between Azura and Namira. Not like that of say, Molag Bal and Boethiah. But of course that did not mean one did not exist. Or it might simply be that the two - both mortal agents of immortal powers - were called by those otherworldly energies within each other.

In any case, Aela had her hands full with her shield when a Naga came crashing into it. She held her own against the bandit, but only for a moment. Then his tail somehow came snaking around her ankle, and she went crashing down to the ground on her back. It was exactly what Valens had warned them about during his lessons on the riverboat, so long ago. She saw the snakeman lift a dagger over his head, point down like an icepick. She knew that he would strike an instant later, and tried to squirm aside. But her shield was trapped under the Naga's bulk, and she could not get either arm out from underneath it. All she could do was stare at the jagged piece of animal horn as it pointed directly at her face.

Then Talun-Lei's spear sank deeply into the Naga's armpit. The brigand's dagger fell from nerveless fingers, and his bulk began to fall forward, on top of the Breton mage. But Talun-Lei kicked out with one foot, and shoved the corpse back and out of the way. Aela climbed to her feet, and was about to congratulate the Argonian when an arrow sprouted from his face.

Talun-Lei was lucky, in that he had been turning his head toward Aela at the time. Because of that the missile did not sink directly through his eye and into his brain. Instead the reed arrow skittered across the bridge of his nose, tore out his eye, and ripped along one cheekbone, exposing the bone underneath. The Argonian fell to his knees. Dropping his shield and spear, he held his hands up to his face to cover the horrific wound. Blood gushed around his fingers, and Aela could see his tail thrashing in agony.

If only she had the full use of her magicka, Aela thought. She could have healed him in just a few moments. But while some of her power had returned, it was not nearly enough for the task. As it was, she knew that she had to carefully husband what little energy she did possess. She might have just one more good spell left. It would do no good to use it to partially heal Talun-Lei, if it meant they would both be killed a moment later for the want of her magic.

So she put her arms around the Argonian and pulled him back to his feet. Lifting her shield up over the two of them, she dragged him down the street, toward the town square and the brewery beyond. An arrow slammed into the cross-plied boards of her shield, and another followed moments later. Aela silently breathed a prayer of thanks to Zenithar - and the craftsmanship of whoever had built the shield - for neither missile pierced its wooden planks.

She could see little of the battle beyond the defensive armament however, mostly just legs, feet, and tails. So she had no idea who was shooting at her. Since there was nothing to be done about that, she concentrated upon what she could do, and continued hustling Talun-Lei to safety.

That is when she felt her sylph wink from existence. The roaring of flame followed, and she knew that Vishta-Zaw was back in the fight once more. This was it, Aela thought. She had to do something now or the others would be overwhelmed.

She paused and turned to face the Nagas. Raising one hand, she poured what little magicka she had left through her fingers. Another sylph formed in the air in front of her. This time the spirit lifted the wind around her, and sent a torrent of dust into the eyes of the approaching bandits. The mercenaries were buffeted by the gale as well, but since their backs were to it, they fared much better. The bandits were not so lucky however, and in an instant their attack was thrown back, as they were all forced to hold their hands up to cover their eyes, and brace themselves against the blast.

"We have to leave now!" Aela shouted. Now she saw that others were wounded as well. Seridwe came limping along with blood running down one of her legs. Yet she still was able to carry Ungarion slung over her shoulders. The Breton's heart sank at the sight, but leapt with relief when she saw the wizard's chest slowly rise and fall a moment later. Do'Sakhar's left arm hung limp, shield missing. Nashira was still fighting, and while bloody, she did not appear to be seriously injured. Neither was Valens, and he pulled the Redguard back with one arm around her waist.

"It's time to go!" Valens shouted loudly.

That left Rullianus, who gave no sign of budging from his position in the street.

"Get out of there!" Valens yelled to the Agrigentan. But either he did not hear, or the villager chose to ignore the mercenary's words. Instead he threw his makeshift spear to the ground, and lifted one of the bandit's more serviceable weapons in its place. Holding his shield up before him, Rullianus charged into the maelstrom of dust and wind.

That was the last Aela would see of the Agrigentan.

Her eyes were forced away from when Talun-Lei sagged heavily against her. His hands fell away from his face, which Aela could see was covered in blood, gobbets of eye, and chips of bone. He still moaned and thrashed weakly, but Aela could tell that he was almost completely unconscious from the shock and pain of his wound.

"These ones must move!" Do'Sakhar growled. The Khajiit slid his good arm under one of Talun-Lei's shoulders. Aela dropped her shield, and took the Argonian by the other shoulder with both hands. Together the pair dragged the nearly unconscious Saxhleel to safety. Alongside them came Seridwe and Ungarion, with Valens and Nashira bringing up the rear.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 7 2014, 05:45 PM

[haute ecole rider]

For a second there I thought we had lost Talun-Lei! That is the hallmark of a good story, get us caring enough about a character that when something happens to said character, we panic at the thought of that person dying!

I really liked how you paint the despair and the desolation of the previous episode - how everyone had spent everything they had (All In) on one last desperate gamble. Now with nothing left, things are looking very bad for the Agrigentians. This is where a lesser writer would try to introduce a deus ex machina to save the day. But I think you're way beyond that level -- and I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Acadian]

"Now that is the spirit!" Ungarion grinned and clapped a hand on the young Argonian's shoulder. "You first." - - How very very Ungarion!

‘...a moment later the air spirit came out of nowhere and engulfed the wizard in a pillar of flying dust. Aela could see his arms and tail occasionally poke from the whirlwind, and a moment later his staff went flying.' - - Despite the deadly situation, I could not help but smile as I clearly visualized this.

‘Then his tail somehow came snaking around her ankle, and she went crashing down to the ground on her back. It was exactly what Valens had warned them about during his lessons on the riverboat, so long ago.’ - - What a brilliant display of ‘using what you’ve got’. Makes me wish I had a tail (almost).

You did a great job of showing the defenders running out of mojo, blood and ideas at a pace that exceeded the requirements of this pitched battle. This has really become a stellar nail-biter! Yikes!

[King Coin]

Now the true challenge begins, defeat the bandit horde. No arrows or other ranged attacks, this is going to be tense! The mages had to pitch in with shields! Aela is damn lucky Talun-Lei was there when she fell! And I thought Talun-Lei was going to die. I suppose he still could, missing an eye in a battle is no good.

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: Talun-Lei is not out of the wood yet! I am glad so many people mentioned their concern for him dying. As you said, it means I am getting something done right.

It won't be Deus Ex Machina, but rather Chekhov's Gun. We saw it back in episode 2.3. Now it is finally time to take that soju off the wall and put it to use.


Acadian: I am glad someone liked the "You first." line. Like you said, it is so Ungarion that I could not write anything else.

It is time those Nagas got some use from those tails! I wanted to show how accurate Valens' demonstration of Naga fighting back on the riverboat was. So I had one do exactly what he warned about. Aela not being a warrior by trade, was naturally completely overwhelmed by it.

As you said, that episode was supposed to be about the defenders running out of everything and not being able to hold the bandits back. After their victory against the big bad scuttling behemoth, I wanted to be sure the bandits themselves were still menacing. I am glad they came out that way, as now it is plain that our heroes have used up all their oomph.


King Coin: Like I said to Acadian, I am glad the bandits still feel like a threat. After losing the first big battle, and then the Seven defeating the giant centipede, I was worried they might seem like no problem at all. I suppose nearly killing Talun-Lei was a good way to do that! As you noted, he is not out of the woods yet though. None of them are really.


Previously On Seven: In our last episode Aela and the rest of the Seven raced to the eastern section of the village to reinforce Valens and company. They joined in the fight just in time to prevent the bandits from overwhelming the heroes. However with the archers out of arrows, the mages out of magicka, and even their staves drained of charges, the Seven were at the end of their ropes. Aela and Ungarion themselves had to pick up shields and join in the melee. Aela was nearly killed by a Naga, but was saved by Talun-Lei at the last moment. However, he was shot in the face with an arrow just an instant later, and critically wounded. The other Seven fared little better, and they were forced to retreat under the cover of one of Aela's sylph's.

Note: This is a big post, but it is so important that I did not want to break it up.


Chapter 3.13

Aela felt her connection to her sylph fade away to nothing as they rushed through the open doors of the brewery. That was it then, she thought. The last full measure of her power had gone into summoning the spirit. She had nothing left.

The Witch saw the last of the villagers climbing down through the trapdoor across the room from her, entering the safety of the tunnel that ran to the stable. Ulpia sealed it shut it behind them, then threw a reed mat over the hatch to conceal it from view.

The Breton spared a glance around the main chamber of the brewery. It was dominated by four huge, copper vats that rose high into the air. Tapering into slender pipes, each bent back downward to empty out into large collection pots. An iron walkway ringed the top of the vats, accessible by a single metal stair leading up to it from the ground floor. Finally a ladder at the far end of the walkway led up to a trapdoor in the roof overhead.

Aela saw that the raised walkway was lined with kimchi pots of Argonian manufacture. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the rounded clay vessels, and hoped that they were indeed filled with the village's soju. For Valens' idea to trap the Nagas was now the only card they had left to play.

Valens and Nashira slammed the wooden double doors behind them, throwing the timber bolt to seal them closed. But Aela knew that would not hold the bandits for long. She headed for the stairs - and along with Do'Sakhar - carried Talun-Lei up to the raised walkway. They laid the wounded Argonian down at its far end, and Aela found that he was now unconscious. Hold on, she thought as she stared down at the youthful warrior's bloody face. One way or another, this would all be over soon.

Seridwe laid Ungarion down next to the Argonian. Aela knelt down beside the high elf, and found that he was still awake. With one hand he gripped a wound in his chest. From the tiny bubbles of air in the blood that welled up from around his fingers, the Witch knew that one of his lungs had been pierced. Even now, the blood that filled the organ would be slowly drowning the Altmer. If only she had her magicka left, she could easily stop the flow of blood, and drain his air passages so he could breathe freely.

But her energy had been utterly spent in the battle, and all of her restorative potions used up. All she could do now was wait for her magicka to regenerate naturally, and hope that Ungarion could survive that long.

"Done in by a spear," the Altmer mage gasped through bloody lips. "A simple fetching spear of all things. It's no way for a wizard to die."

"You aren't going to die old friend," Aela insisted with a conviction that she did not truly feel. "I will have you fit as a Fir Bolg in no time at all."

"You don't have to lie to me," Ungarion wheezed. "I know when I am finished. Just promise me one thing…"

"Anything," Aela breathed.

"Don't tell anyone it was a spear," the Altmer gasped. "Say it was a Daedra that did me in. Something respectable, like a daedroth, or a clannfear. Or maybe an aureal. They have style, and golden skin. Yes, an aureal would do nicely."

Aela shook her head as a deep booming noise issued from the doorway below. A glance in that direction revealed that the twin portals shuddered under blow after blow from the other side. She looked back to Ungarion.

"You are not going to die," she insisted. She pulled the sash from her waist and stuffed it up into a ball. She pressed it down into his spear wound, which at least stopped the blood for the time being. Taking both of the mage's hands, she pressed them down hard upon the makeshift dressing. "Now press down on this, and don't let up."

Aela stood up, and turned to look at Do'Sakhar. She noted that the lamellar armor plates that protected his wounded arm were dented inward in a long line. "How is that arm?"

"Khajiit fears it is broken," he replied, tenderly raising his good hand to the injured spot on his upper arm. "One of those Nagas had an axe. While it did not penetrate Do'Sakhar's armor, it still felt like a desert mule had kicked him."

Before Aela could reply, the two wooden doors burst open with a blast of fire. Shards of wood flew across the brewery, and the Breton was forced to raise a hand to shield her face from the burning shrapnel. Slithering into the room a moment later were the bandits, led by none other than Dark-Eye himself.

"These ones cannot hide from…" the Naga leader's boastful words trailed off as he looked about the wide, empty chamber. Aela could not help but smile at the bandit's consternation. Obviously he had been expecting to burst in upon a room filled with cowering farmers. Valens' trap was working. But only if all of the marauders were drawn into it.

"Hide?" the Nibenean mercenary cried out. He strode to the stairs leading down to the distillery floor. "From what, your stench, you sodding fetcher?"

"Azura will not protect this one," the bandit chief growled. "No steel can fell Dark-Eye!"

"A bar of soap might!" Valens shot back.

The Nibenean's goading brought the Naga leader slithering directly to the stairway to meet him. The bandits spread out behind him, filling up the room below. The Breton Witch was thankful to note that their quivers were empty, just as Do'Sakhar's and Seridwe's were. At least the brigands appeared to be at the end of their ropes as well…

Dark-Eye cocked back his ebony spear, and hurled it at the Nibenean above. Valens must have been expecting the move however, and beat the missile aside with the blade of one of this ebony swords. Just as Talun-Lei had told them after returning from his spy mission in the Naga camp, Dark-Eye lifted one hand into the air, and a Daedric greatsword took shape beneath his fingers.

Then Valens was upon the Naga. His twin ebony arming swords slashed and cut, but the Naga leader was clearly no slouch when it came to longswording. Holding his infernal blade with one hand upon the hilt and the other halfway down the blade, he used the long weapon more like a staff than a sword. Each of its ends became a weapon in the Naga's hands, and he used them both to parry and counter the Nibenean's dual attacks.

Aela tore her eyes from the contest between Daedric Champions, and looked back to the floor below. The Naga and Argonian bandits were shouting and beating the hafts of their spears upon their shield rims. She looked to the door, and saw that the wizard Vishta-Zaw lurked there. The Naga mage was bruised, blackened, and bloody. That came as a relief to Aela, for his fire magic was the one thing they could no longer counter.

The Naga wizard did not seem eager to join in the fray however. Instead he hovered in the doorway, and simply watched the battle unfold between his leader and Valens. Aela wondered if he had used up all of his magicka as well. Or perhaps he was hoping that Dark-Eye might be killed in the fight. After all, that would probably leave him as the bandit's new leader…

"There is no more time," Ulpia cried. "We have to use the soju now!"

"We must get them deeper into the room," Seridwe shook her head. "Those by the door will escape."

Aela glanced back to Valens. For all of the drill instructor's skill with his blades, he was slowly being pushed up the stair by Dark-Eye. More Nagas crowded the steps behind their leader. It was only a matter of time before they gained the walkway itself, and made the trap superfluous.

"Ulpia's right," Aela insisted. She took hold of one of the kimchi pots with both hands and shoved it over the edge of the walkway. The large clay pot shattered as it struck the stone floor below, sending alcohol spraying in all directions. "It's now or never."

With that the others followed suit, sending the round terra cotta pots crashing to the floor in a rain of fired clay and soju. The bandits underneath leaped to and fro to avoid the missiles, and shook their fists back in reply. They still did not realize what was happening, Aela thought. They had no idea that they were standing within their own doom.

"Now who has a torch?" Ulpia cried.

Aela looked around, and her heart plummeted. The brewery was lit by beams of sunlight slanting in from clerestory windows set high in the walls overhead. There were torch sconces in the walls below and along the walkway, but they were all empty. There were not even lanterns, or a single candle. Turning her head down to the floor, she saw them all bundled up in one corner. In their haste, they had forgotten to bring them up on the balcony!

"Here," Aela and the others turned their heads at Ungarion's gasp. She stared in disbelief at the scroll the Altmer held forth in one hand, now stained with his own blood. Aela darted to the mage's side, and took the parchment in her hands. She unrolled it with trembling fingers, and smiled at the single word that was written there.

"Ungarion, you are amazing," she said.

"Well of course!" he replied with a wink.

The Breton turned to face the marauders below. Now she saw the panic blossom on their faces as they looked at the soju that bathed their scales. But it was too late. "Flare," Aela said, and the scroll fell to dust in her hands. A small, bright ball of flame took shape under the fingers of her right hand, and the Witch hurled it down to the floor below.

It was the most elementary spell in the destruction mage's arsenal. One that even she had learned in the required beginners course on the subject at the University. It was useful for little more than starting campfires, killing rats, and annoying teachers. Hardly a spell to fear. But when hundreds of gallons of highly flammable liquid were at the other end, it became a nightmare.

The distillery floor erupted into an inferno. Bandits screamed as they were wreathed in flames. They ran and slithered to and fro, but there was no escaping from the horrific blaze. The flames nearly shot up as high as the walkway, and heated the metal grating underfoot. Aela was thankful for the flame resistance potions she had drank at the beginning of the battle, and for her clothing's elemental resistances. But even she felt hot as the flames soared up beneath her.

The sound of clanging steel brought Aela's attention around to the head of the stairway. Valens and Dark-Eye still dueled there, barely above the flames. There was no sign of the bandits that had been behind their chieftain, and Aela imagined that they had been consumed in the blaze.

She watched as Dark-Eye jabbed at Valens with the point of his longsword. The Nibenean swept the blade aside with one of his own arming swords. Valens countered with the other, and this time the bandit did not try to block. Instead Dark-Eye let the ebony blade strike the white scales of his cuirass. Valens' sword pierced armor, and sank deeply into the Naga's chest.

But Dark Eye merely grunted, and otherwise paid no heed to the wound, which would have felled any other warrior. The bandit leader pulled back the point of his sword with one hand, and swept the hit forward with the other. The crossbar hooked around Valens' ankle, and the marauder jerked it back with a smile. The Nibenean fell on his back, and the Naga slithered in for the finishing blow.

"Dark-Eye will feast upon this one's heart!" the bandit leader boasted.

"Feast on this!' Nashira cried.

The Redguard's sword was sheathed at her hip, but she leaped out over Valens all the same. Gripping the rails to either side of the walkway, she kicked out with both feet. The soles of her armored boots hammered into the Naga's chest. Dark-Eye teetered, and fell back into the blazing inferno. The last Aela saw of him was his Daedric blade rising above the licking flames. Then he completely vanished into the blaze.

The fire did not last for long, as once the soju was exhausted, there was nothing left to burn. The floor, walls, and columns that supported the ceiling were made of stone. Thankfully the roof and its wooden beams were high enough overhead to escape the momentary blaze. However, the fire had lasted long enough to turn the bandits into blackened husks. Even through the dark smoke that had filled the building, it was clear that nothing down on the floor still lived.

Aela and the others found themselves forced up on the roof to escape the choking fumes. Those who were still fit lifted the wounded mercenaries. By the time they all tasted fresh air, Aela felt her magicka returning.

Aela wasted no time, and bent over Ungarion to send her power down into his broken chest. The first thing she did was seal his arteries shut with magicka, so they would not longer pour blood into his lung. Then she drew up the blood that already filled his air passages and turned it back into his veins. That however nearly exhausted what energy she had regained. She was forced to pause, and use her remaining power to simply hold his body that way, leaving him free to breathe once more. She glanced at Talun-Lei, and hoped he could hold on a little longer. Once Ungarion could breathe freely upon his own, the Argonian would be her first priority.

"Some of them are escaping!"

Aela followed Seridwe's pointed finger to the town square below. She saw three Nagas down there, slithering across the open space as fast as their tails could push them. One of them carried a staff, and Aela knew it had to be the wizard Vishta-Zaw.

He and the other two had been standing in the doorway, Aela thought. That must have been enough for them to escape the inferno. Damn it! Had they indeed used the soju too soon?

"What I would give for just one arrow right now," the Altmer archer fumed.

"There is nothing for it then," Nashira said calmly. A moment later she went sliding feet first down the angled roof of the brewery, kicking up red-glazed tiles as she went. She spun at the edge of the roof, and reached out with both hands to stop her descent. Then she let go, and plummeted to the square below.

Like the others, Aela stared in shock. Was the Redguard mad? But then Valens followed, and likewise slid down the roof to fall to the ground below.

"Those ones will be lucky not to break their legs," Do'Sakhar shook his head.

"Oh you would be doing it too, if not for your arm," Aela pointed out.

"But of course," the Khajiit grinned back.

Aela turned her eyes back to the square, and now Nashira came into view from beyond the edge of the roof. She had her scimitar in hand now, and raced across the open space with lightning speed. She caught up with the last bandit, and cut him down with a flash of her blade. The second brigand fell an instant later, leaving only Vishta-Zaw.

The bandit mage stopped at the wide double doors of the stable, and blasted them open with a bolt of fire from one hand. A cacophony of screams rose up from within, and Aela remembered that the noncombatants had been evacuated there, through the tunnel leading from it to the distillery. Blast it! she silently cursed. Now the Naga was free to take his vengeance upon those too old or young to fight back!

Vishta-Zaw turned in the doorway however, and lowered his staff. Nashira was just steps away. But it may as well have been miles. For a bolt of blinding fire leaped from the red crystal atop the staff. Nashira tried to dodge, but there was no time. The magical attack blazed directly into her chest, and blasted clear through her body. The sword master's charred remains flew backward as if she had been kicked by a mammoth, and fell into an ashen heap in the dirt before the stables.

Aela's heart was in her throat. She should have been there. She could have protected Nashira with her ward. If only she had the magicka. If only Ungarion and Talun-Lei had not been so badly wounded. If only…

She saw Vishta-Zaw vanish into the stable through bleary eyes. Then the black-clad form of Valens limped into view. Clearly, he had not taken the fall as well as the lithe Redguard. Holding both swords in his hands, he paused only briefly at Nashira's body, then hobbled to the open doorway of the stable.

Another brilliant bolt of flame sprouted from the depths of the stable, and just like Nashira, took Valens directly in the chest. The Nibenean staggered under the force of the blow. But he did not fall. Instead a star flared into searing light at his hip, momentarily blinding Aela. When her vision returned, she saw that Valens still stood firm in the doorway. His ebony-clad body was wreathed in light, and wisps of flame trailed harmlessly away from him into the air.

Then he launched himself forward, and vanished into the stable. Screams followed. Long moments later one of the side doors to the building crashed open. Vishta-Zaw came staggering out, clutching the broken shards of his staff in his hands. The Naga wizard tottered in the street for a moment, then pitched face first into the dust. One of Valens' ebony swords rose from his back. A second later the Nibenean stepped into view, grasping its bloody twin in hand.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 18 2014, 09:19 PM

[Acadian]

An emotional roller coaster you served up!

The fight between Daedric Champions, then flooding the trap with soju, then. . . what? No fire?!? Whew, a flare scroll (how rich!). Then before we can cheer, Nashira is blasted down – predictably placing poor Aela into a would’a-should’a second guessing emotional ride of her own.

But finally, battered and bloody, a victorious Valens emerges.

The price has been high though. Seven is now Six and the count may not be final yet as several of the mercenaries carry grievous wounds.

[haute ecole rider]

Wow! Nashira was AWESOME in this episode, right up to the moment of her death!

"Done in by a spear," the Altmer mage gasped through bloody lips. "A simple fetching spear of all things. It's no way for a wizard to die." *snip* "Don't tell anyone it was a spear," the Altmer gasped. "Say it was a Daedra that did me in. Something respectable, like a daedroth, or a clannfear. Or maybe an aureal. They have style, and golden skin. Yes, an aureal would do nicely."

This whole exchange between Ungarian and Aela had me chuckling even as I held my breath. Though I know both survive due to their appearance years later in Teresa's story, I still felt the uncertainty of the moment.

"Azura will not protect this one," the bandit chief growled. "No steel can fell Dark-Eye!"

"A bar of soap might!" Valens shot back.

Especially in the prison shower!

Instead Dark-Eye let the ebony blade strike the white scales of his cuirass. Valens' sword pierced armor, and sank deeply into the Naga's chest.

But Dark Eye merely grunted, and otherwise paid no heed to the wound, which would have felled any other warrior.

Wait, what? What? WHAT???

Altogether a totally heart-pounding episode, much more so than the previous one with the gigantua! How can that be possible? I bow down to the great writer SubRosa!

[King Coin]

This is perhaps more tense than when the monster appeared, at least then they had their powers. What use is a mage without magicka?

I forgot they were planning on burning the building. Bringing it down on top of them!

Whoa, I thought they were going to leave before the bandits got in. They are going to have to drag the wounded out while the fires burn!

Wow, it worked. I was expecting the entire building to go up though.

Ah, I knew Valens should have been the one to get the wizard with his protection from magic.

[SubRosa]

Acadian: Naturally it could not be as easy and just dropping over the jugs of soju and chasing it with a torch. That would have been too easy. So I wanted to create a little more excitement, even if it was probably a rather obvious writing ploy. I could not resist the ultimate fire starter being a flare scroll of all things. The last thing anyone would really fear.

Nashira's triumph, and ultimate demise, was something I had intended from the first words I had put on the screen. Partly to show that it is not always about individual skill. Partly because I thought that her end of all people would have the most dramatic impact. (Plus I was already locked into not killing off anyone else but possibly Talun-Lei, thanks to what I have already written about Aela's old adventuring gang in the TF )


haute ecole rider: Thanks on the vote of Nashira's awesomeness. I really enjoyed writing her.

Dark-Eye's shrugging of Valens' sword thrust was partly inspired by an episode of Sharpes Rifles (if you have never seen them, I highly recommend them. I think you would really like the series). Early on Sharpe is at a party filled with the local gentry, and a young dandy challenges him to a fencing match - with blunted foils so no one gets hurt. Sharpe is totally outclassed. Then in the big climax later on they square off for real. The dandy stabs Sharpe in the shoulder with his rapier. Sharpe grabs the blade and holds it in place. "When it's for real, you take the pain," he growls through clenched teeth. Then Sharpe raises his claymore and puts it against the dandy's throat.

The other part it is inspired by is the rather common trope of the guy who cannot be harmed by mortal steel/slain by a man. Like the Witch King of Angmar, or Macbeth: who could not be killed by any man born of woman. The captured Naga said that no weapon could slay Dark-Eye, and naturally Dark-Eye touted it as well. But it was not just PR. In the end of course, it was not a weapon that killed him, but plain old fire (and Nashira's bootheels in his face).


King Coin: They had to stay inside to draw the bandits into the trap. As well as to actually light the fire. Besides, it is more dramatic with the Seven in the building! I went back and made it a little more clear why the building didn't burn down. It is all stone, except the roof, which is high enough not to catch fire. Have you ever seen Seven Samurai? Valens' killing of Vishta-Zaw is taken directly from it (as is Nashira's death).


Previously On Seven: In the last episode the battered and beaten Seven retreated to the brewery and climbed the metal walkway ringing the soju vats. The bandits burst in, surprised to see only the Seven, and no one else. Valens taunted them to attack him on the steps of the walkway, distracting them so that Aela and the others could hurl the pots filled with soju onto the floor, soaking the bandits with it. After some difficulty finding something to start a fire, a wounded Ungarion produced a Flare scroll. Aela used it to set the soju ablaze, and incinerate the bandits. In the meantime Dark-Eye was fighting Valens above the fire, and was about to finish the Nibenean off when Nashira leapt in and knocked Dark-Eye down into the flames. The Seven climbed to the roof to escape the smoke, and saw Vishta-Zaw escaping with two other Nagas. Nashira, and then Valens, slid off the roof to intercept them. Nashira killed the two henchmen, but was slain by Vishta-Zaw's staff. Valens was shot by the same, but absorbed its magicka. He then killed the Naga wizard, and with him the last of the bandits.


Epilogue

22nd Sun's Height, 3E425

"You and the others will be leaving today then?" Ulpia asked.

"Aye," Aela replied. As always since their abortive lovemaking a month earlier, the Breton felt like she was walking on eggshells around the other woman. "Later today in fact."

As the Seven had promised, all had remained to help rebuild Agrigento. Though as it turned out, most of that work had fallen upon Aela. Or upon her spirits at least. After all, nothing could shape wood like a dryad, or dig like an archaean.

The Witch glanced across the town square. The corpse of the behemoth was gone, its shell long since stripped off and the rest of the carcass hacked apart and buried in the rainforest. Brand new homes now rose up along the path the monster had taken through the village. Aela knew that to the east - where the Nagas had broken through - there were many more new constructions as well. Even the outer walls had not only been restored, but also reinforced by the nearly impregnable chitin of the great beast that had nearly laid waste to the settlement.

"There is something I would like to give you before you go," Ulpia breathed. Aela was not sure, but she wondered if the Imperial was blushing? There seemed to be more color in her cheeks than normal. Indeed, her entire visage seemed to bear a healthy glow which it had previously lacked.

Aela followed the other woman to her home, and recognized the scent of jasmine and bergamot that wafted gently from Ulpia's skin. She was wearing perfume. Aela was not certain what to think, except that it was doubtlessly something the Imperial had created from local flowers, as no one had traveled to or from the village in the two weeks since the fighting had.

Aela followed the taller woman inside. She found that the interior was decorated with flowers. There were purple orchids, yellow allamandas, the aforementioned white jasmines, red ginger lilies, and more. The single room home burst with color, and was filled with the sweet aroma of the blossoms.

"I wanted to say I am sorry, for how I acted before." Ulpia took Aela by the hand, and gently wrapped her fingers around the Breton's. Lifting her two hands to her chest, she stared deeply into the Witch's eyes. "I wasn't ready then. But now…"

Ulpia looked away. Aela was not sure if it was out of shyness, or guilt, or just fear of her reaction. Aela herself was not sure how to feel: resentful? or relieved? She did know that Ulpia's fingers were soft and warm within her own. Her body was vibrant and flushed with life, and beckoned to her like the bright flowers that surrounded them.

There was something about Ulpia's body that distracted Aela. But not in the usual way a beautiful woman did. Rather it was the healer within Aela whose interest was piqued. Unable to hold her curiosity at bay, Aela reached out with her magicka. A warm white glow sprang from her fingers and sank into Ulpia's flesh. What she discovered caused her eyes to widen in surprise.

"You're pregnant!" Aela exclaimed.

"I am?" Ulpia's eyes grew as well. "Oh thank Mara! I was so hoping…"

The Imperial threw her arms around the shorter woman, and they held one another tightly. When they finally drew apart once more, Aela had to ask the obvious question.

"But how, and with who?"

"I think you know how!" Ulpia laughed, and Aela could not help but to smile and shake her head.

"It was Valens," the Imperial went on in a quiet voice. "The battle made me think about a great many things. About myself, my future, and my duty to my father. It's time I started my own family, to carry on his legacy. I cannot let everything he worked so hard for - and what I fought to keep - slip away. So I prayed to Mara for a child, and went to him."

"Does he know?" Aela raised one eyebrow ever so slightly.

"No," Ulpia said, "and I don't want him to. I don't know what he would think, or what he would do. But I do know that I don't want a man in my life. I don't need a man in my life. The only thing I did need is what he gave me a week ago."

"What will people say?" Aela had to broach the next obvious subject.

"It will be a scandal, to be certain," Ulpia said, "but I can live with that. I am finding that I can do much more than I ever imagined possible."

"How much more?" Aela smiled. She drew the Imperial closer, and pointedly leaned her lips closer to the other woman's.

"This much more." Ulpia leaned in to meet Aela's lips, and kissed her softly. Her hands were gentle as they caressed Aela's body, and the Breton responded by cupping the taller woman's head in her hands, and softly stroking her ears. They spent long moments just standing there kissing, until Ulpia finally walked her over to the sleeping area, where her reed sleeping mat had already been rolled out across the floor.

Aela was not certain how long they lay there together. It could have been hours for all that she knew, or cared. By the time they both rose once more, liberal use of her Bloom spell was necessary to cleanse them from the sweat of their encounter. Ulpia fastened a white jasmine flower in Aela's hair, and led her to the door.

Aela let go of the Imperial's hand as she stepped from the house and climbed down the steps to the square below. Ulpia followed, and once again took her hand. Aela raised one eyebrow, knowing that nearly everyone in the village was looking. Ulpia said nothing, and smiled back at her. She walked hand in hand with Aela, across the square and down the main street.

"I will have to think of a name now," Ulpia said quietly as they walked. "I was thinking perhaps Severus, after my father, if he is a boy. And maybe Aela if she is a girl."

Aela could not help but to blush. "You will need both names," she said. "You are having twins, a boy and a girl."

"Oh Divines bless you!" Ulpia threw her arms around Aela and hugged her right in the middle of street, and kissed her forehead. Aela could not help but to smile along with the Imperial brewmaster. She did pull away before too much of a crowd gathered however, and led the grinning Imperial into the home that had once belonged to Rullianus.

There they found the other members of the Seven, gathering up their things and preparing to leave. Aela found that Ungarion had already packed her own gear for her. All that remained was for her to sling her feather-enchanted pack over her shoulder, and gather up her white staff in one hand. Soon she and the others made their way back into the street, only to find it empty of inhabitants.

"This one is reminded of how the Seven arrived," Do'Sakhar noted half-jokingly. Like the others, the desert warrior's wounds had long-since been healed, and he stood tall and fit under the summer sky.

"Perhaps, but not quite," Ulpia said secretively. They soon found out the reason for lack of villagers, and her cryptic remark. The entire village was waiting for them at the front gate, dressed in their finest. Even the water buffalo were adorned with garlands of flowers tied around their horns. A great cheer rose up, and the Agrigentans pushed in close to personally congratulate the mercenaries.

It took a long time to move through the crowd of celebrants. It reminded Aela of Saturalia, and briefly she wondered if they might have just created a new holiday for the Agrigentans. It was certainly the most cheerful end of a contract she had ever experienced as a hired spell!

In time the celebration died down. There were a few short speeches by Ulpia and Meen-Sa, and finally even by Valens, who thanked the Agrigentans on all of the Seven's behalf. At least until Ungarion pushed him aside and loosed a magical display of fireworks. By the time they finally did leave the town proper, Magnus was sliding down from his perch high in the sky.

They paused at the edge of the rice paddies, where the village graveyard lay bracketed by banyan trees. There were several new graves there, including one from which a scimitar rose, hilt toward the sky. Aela stood there in silence, and like the others, she remembered Nashira. She had never gotten to know the Redguard very well. She doubted that anyone had. The sword master seemed to hold everyone around her at a carefully measured distance. Was that to protect her from the pain of loss? Now Aela would never know.

Aela's eyes moved to the grave beside the Redguard's, which was likewise decorated with a spear and shield. She had never gotten to know Rullianus either. Stalks-The-Marshes had once confided in her that the Imperial's wife had been tortured and killed by the bandits the last time they had been at the village. It was clear that he had been driven to avenge her. Aela wondered if his spirit rested any easier now that he had his vengeance? Or were the dead beyond caring about such things?

"Well, at least these ones won," Talun-Lei finally broke the silence. The young Argonian wore a patch over one eye. For what must have been the hundredth time, Aela wished she had been able to save it. But she had just not had the magicka after the battle, and there were too many wounded, and there was just no way to gather up the pieces torn from his eye to weave them back into place. She could mend anything broken, and even recreate whole new swaths of simple flesh like muscle and fat. But not even she could conjure something as delicate and intricate as a new eye from the aether. No Restoration mage could.

"We won a bowl of rice and a cup of soju," Valens muttered, "nothing more." The Nibenean turned to face the village, whose inhabitants were now streaming out into the rice paddies to begin planting.

"They are the only winners."

With that, the ebony-clad Imperial hitched up his pack, and strode down the road into the rainforest. Seridwe followed, and then Aela and the others. After a few moments the Witch paused, when she realized that not everyone was following along after all. Looking back, she found that Talun-Lei was staring back at the rice paddies surrounding the village. Following his gaze, Aela noted that there was a particular green-scaled water-priestess whom his eye was fixed upon.

She walked back to the young warrior. "Follow your bliss," she said, "wherever that takes you."

The Argonian nodded. "Talun-Lei bids this one well, and wishes a safe journey unto her and the other landstriders."

With that he set down his shield and spear beside Nashira's grave. His pack followed a moment later. Then Talun-Lei went splashing across the rice paddies, toward what Aela could see was his bliss.

Aela took one last look at Agrigento, and Ulpia, then turned back to the road. She had lagged far behind the others, and had to jog to catch up. She found them waiting not too far ahead, in the depths of the forest.

"Our Argonian friend?" Seridwe asked.

"He's gone home," Aela said with a smile.

"Good for him," Valens declared.

"Clearly that one is smarter than the rest of us," Do'Sakhar nodded with approval.

Ungarion cleared his throat. "Speaking of the rest of us," he began. "I had an idea-"

"This cannot be good," the Khajiit murmured under his breath.

"I was thinking of those vampire caves Captain Lidell pointed out on the way here." The Altmer continued, as if Do'Sakhar had not said a word. "Perhaps the fabulous five mercenaries from Bravil might do some fang hunting?"

"The jewelry and other things we looted from the Nagas came to a good sum, even after the villagers took back their own belongings," Aela said. "Still, some of us have debts to pay."

"Not to mention hair products to purchase," Seridwe smiled. "I think it is a brilliant idea!"

"Khajiit has grown fond of the company of these ones," Do'Sakhar said, "perhaps even that of the butter elf. He shall walk the same path."

"And you Valens?" Aela asked. The Nibenean turned his head to the east, and stared for long moments. Once again, the Breton Witch wondered what doom awaited him there?

Finally, Valens looked back with a sigh. "The east can wait a little longer I think."




****

Well, that is it folks. 8 months and 68,460 words after starting Seven, it is finally over. Phew. That was a lot of fun - and a lot of work! But I loved every minute of it.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 21 2014, 03:01 AM

[Acadian]

What a magnificent job you did throughout this wonderful story! The epilogue tied up many loose ends while leaving many aspects of the future open to tantalizing our imaginations.

I was pleased to see Talun-Lei made it. I wonder if his new resemblance to Dark-Eye (eye patch) was intentional irony? I think he made a good choice for him.

Oh noes! The Fab Five is off for more mercenarial loot! After all, gotta keep Seridwe flush with shampoo and conditioner!

Again, what a joy this story has been to follow. I’ve learned a great deal from you over the years. By the time I finished Buffy’s first book, I learned the lessons you so professionally displayed in this story: Draft a full storyline before beginning to post it, and treat bigger storylines as their own thread/book/chapter.