Alright, this is my next fan fic. Know that I don't have the whole storyline thought out yet, so it might become a bit messy.

Also, it takes place approximately 2 years after the events of Oasis.


The cursed blood.

Chapter 1: The Celebration.

Seas around Vvardenfell.

Slowly, the ship drifted amongst the waves. The only sign of life were the torches burning on the bow and stern. Or was that all? No. At the bow one man stood, gazing at the sky. He was old, with long flowing hair as white as snow. He stood there like a statue, only moving on his heels to compensate for the boat’s movements.

A High Elf opened the door and looked over the deck. There was the man he’d been looking for. He took a quick glance at the sky and sighed. Then, he moved over to join the old man.

,,In a few nights, the moons will be full again.” He said. The Old man remained silent. Finally, after two long minutes, he spoke.
,,You know I don’t fear the servants of the moon.”
The High Elf touched an amulet hanging around his neck, lost in deep thought. The amulet was beautifully crafted and looked just like the moon.

,,I know, how could I forget? I was merely speaking to myself.”
,,Yes, so I noticed. We should reach the island before the moon is full. It has been a long time. Perhaps you should join the hunt once more.” The old man said.

,,I will think about it. We are drinking a bottle of whine below deck. If you like you may join us.” With those words, the High Elf left.

The old man however, remained behind. He didn’t go downstairs and instead waited till he saw the land appear on the horizon. The land had called him and he realized he had much to do with only little time. He smiled at the thought. It had been many years since he had last worried about not having enough time at his disposal.
,,So we’ll meet again, old friend.” He muttered and finally joined the people below deck.

Venim Manor.
The room looked as if a tornado had passed through it. Actually, that was exactly what had happened, with the only difference that the tornado was made out of two people rather than wind. One of the two was a Redguard who wielded her sword with precision, making sure that not a single movement was wasted. Her opponent, was different. Much younger, the Dunmer girl fought with the enthusiasm and unlimited stamina of youth.

The two went back and forth as their swords clashed over and over. In the end, the Dunmer girl got the upper hand and forced the Redguard against the wall. She smiled as she prepared to land the final blow. Her sword hit the wall instead of the Redguard who had dove around the blade and was now behind the Dunmer. Instead of feeling her sword hit the Redguard, the Dunmer felt the tip of a sword on her own neck.

,,Not bad, mylady. For a moment, I really thought I had much work to do. Most mainland people aren’t very experienced.” The Redguard said and smiled.
,,Admit it, you were worried that you were going to lose for a moment.” The Dunmer replied.
,,Now don’t go too far with your pride. Your technique still needs a lot of work and it will take a while before I can truly call you a warrior.”
The Redguard took the two swords and returned them to their weaponrack, after putting the rack back in the position it stood in before it was knocked over.

There was a polite knock on the door and after a few seconds, a Dunmer entered the room.
,,Tsk, are you busy again.” The man said and shook his head.
,,I know I can’t stop you from doing this, Jana. But please, don’t go challenging people to duels in the middle of the night. You two are keeping everyone awake with all that noise.”
The man continued with a smile that took the sharpness out of his words. He then turned to the Redguard.

,,So Neminda, how is she?”
,,Not too bad, but not too good either.” The Redguard responded. She didn’t knew what to think. Maybe it was stupid for her to have gone along with the idea of the young Dunmer, but that enthusiasm was simply contagious.

Athus Mirhtri had recently arrived from the mainland and taken residence in Venim manor. He was a high-ranking member of House Redoran but also a man who didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the house. The biggest problem that most people had with him was the fact that despite being in a House that demanded of its members that they knew how to fight, he’d never held a weapon in his entire life.

,,I see. Could you, teach her a few tricks perhaps? That should keep her satisfied and out of trouble. But not before the sun rises.” Athus turned around to leave.
,,By the way, your dress for the celebration just arrived. You might try it on to see if it fits. But first, go take a bad.” He said and walked out.

Oh, so you're continuing that tale you started in Kell's short story thread? Good enough, I found the part on the boat interesting. The part with the Dunmer woman and the Redguard I didn't find that interesting. It was pretty confusing at some points to be honest.

Nice Mr Cloudy-man! This is very promising, I do like it and I read it even if I probably have no chance commenting after every post.....because you usually post too darn frequent, but that´s good...so please keep it coming!

Whohoo...thanks for starting up so soon again cloudy...I was afraid we had to wait a long time before you would honor us with another story...

So, the start is a very intriguing one, and it seems to be more than one plot here, so I will wait in anticipation for the next on...keep it up.

Thank you all. Since it is rather confusing to weave two different storylines through each other, I think I'll alternate updates between the two storylines. Anyway, time for the old man and the Altmer on the boat, part 2!



Seyda Neen

The ship docked shortly after the sun emerged over the horizon. The two men disembarked and headed down the docks to the nearest building. A sign told them that it had once been the Census and Excise office, but someone had scribbled something else over it.
,,Council hall of Seyda Neen. It surprises me that they need one in this dump. It would be a small council even if you had the whole population in it.” The Altmer commented.
,,People will never fail to surprise you, my friend. Let’s go inside.” The old man responded.

Inside, they found themselves in a well-decorated office that also seemed to serve as the home of the small Bosmer who nearly seemed to disappear in the large chair he was sitting in. The little guy looked at the two. First with curiosity, then with disgust.
,,An Imperial! I should call the guards, if we still had them! Oh, you meanies from the Empire always love to hurt me. And the last time I met someone from the empire, he blew up a treestump right in my face! And now he is seen as a hero! Do you know that there is an annual celebration to remember the defeat of Dagoth Ur?! And I am supposed to hold a speech! On top of that, these robbers are constantly shaking down my town!” The Bosmer yelled with a squeaky voice.

The two men looked at each other. The Altmer frowning, the old man looking amused.
,,We would like to visit the island, sir.” The old man said in a polite tone.
The Bosmer stared at him and looked rather surprised by the usage of the title.

,,Fargoth, mayor of Seyda Neen. I’ll need your names, hometown, reason for visit and some other things. Bribes are welcome.” The little guy said defiantly.
The Altmer’s hand went to the small crossbow he wore on his hip.
,,Why, you little fetcher. Do you really think that a big chair and a bigger mouth is going to…”

,,Calm down.” The old man interrupted his friend and pushed the crossbow away from Fargoth. He waved at the Bosmer with his other hand and enveloped the little Elf with Magicka.
,,You don’t need to ask us anything. You just want to be nice and help people.” He said with a smile.

,,Yes, yes. I want to be nice and help people. No need to ask any questions. Welcome to Vvardenfell. I hope you will have a pleasant stay. If you need any supplies, go to Arille’s Tradehouse and say that Fargoth sent you.” The Bosmer answered and happily began to stamp their papers.

,,Command Humanoid, it never lets you down. Anyway, welcome to Resdayn. Now then, let’s think of how to proceed.” The old man muttered once they were outside the office.
The Altmer didn’t listen, he had his crossbow up again. This time he was aiming at a huge flea.
,,What in the name of Oblivion is that?” He whispered.

The old man looked at the creature.
,,Ah, my guest back in Argonia told me about these. I believe he called them Silt Striders. They are used as the local transportation. They’re faster than a horse, but a bit harder to park.” He said and continued to point out some interesting features about the creature.

Behind them, Fargoth ran out of his house and looked around. He then ran towards the tradehouse to help a woman carry the supplies she just bought back to her house. A moment later, he climbed up the house to fix its roof.

,,Maybe you should have used other words when you used that spell. At this rate, the Elf is either going to get married or he’ll die from a heartattack with all this running around. Whichever comes first.” The Altmer commented as he watched how Fargoth ran to a pool to wash some clothes.

,,Ah, yes. I suppose I could’ve been more careful. Let’s do something to make up for my mistake. I suggest we search out those bandits he was talking about and persuade them to stop their actions.” The old man said and walked out of town with a frowning Altmer behind him.
,,Really, if I didn’t knew better, I would say that he was too old for this.” The Elf muttered and shook his head.


PS: I am now really thinking of making a third story. Maybe called "The revenge of Fargoth." I am really beginning to pity the poor guy. He is always the victim of us fan fic writers.

Ahhh Cloudy-man! Great work....very interesting story I´d say!

And the next part with the Dunmer girl. Umm, I am trying to connect the two story lines. Anyway, enjoy the update.



Venim Manor

Jana tapped on the floor with one of her feet while she impatiently stared at the door.
,,Well, where is he?!” She shouted when the maid finally returned.
,,Lord Mirhtri is in his office and made it clear to me that he does not wish to be disturbed by anyone. That includes you, mylady.”

This only made the girl even more angry.
,,What, my father does not want to see me after he did THIS?!” She bolted out of the door and fell flat on her face.
,,Damn dress.” She muttered, got up and stormed through the manor.

Her father was completely devoted to the letter he was reading and never noticed how his daughter nearly literally fell into the room. Jana tried to get his attention a few times, but the man seemed to have become deaf.
,,HELLO, ANYONE IN THERE?!” She finally screamed in frustration. At least it got her father’s attention. Maybe it was worth the sore throat.
,,What, oh it’s you. Look, I said that I didn’t want to be disturbed. I am busy.” He said at an annoyed tone and suddenly began laughing.

,,Sorry, but you just look ridiculous. Ah, I needed a good laugh. Where did you found that dress?” He managed to say between fits of laughter.
,,THAT is the dress you bought for the celebration! How could you?! Just because some guy killed this Dagoth Ur two years ago doesn’t mean I have to look like this! It’s horrible!”

Jana’s dress was colourful, to say the least. It had many different shades of yellow, blue, light green, pink and orange that created a stark contrast with her dark green skin. On top of that, there were little frills all over it. And finally, it was so long she kept tripping over it whenever she tried to walk.

,,I’m sorry. I only asked the clothier to give you something fashionable. Don’t worry, I’ll buy you something more traditional. Now please leave.” Athus said after he finally stopped laughing.

As his daughter left, so did his smile. His eyes went back to the letter and he read it one more time. With a sigh, he got up and walked over to the broadsword that hung on the wall. He lifted it off the wall and gripped it by the handle. Then, he pulled the sword free of its scabbard and admired the Ebony blade. It still looked just like the last time he’d used it, four hundred years ago.

,,I don’t know why they’ve come to the island but by Azura, if they even dare to step foot in my house, they shall meet my blade.” He said with a grim look. He then placed the sword behind his desk so that he could grab it at all times. Finally, he took an empty sheet of paper and began to write.

O_oh...this is interesting...an angry Dunmer girl who hate wearing the dress her father have bought her...and that end of yours....interesting... a Tellie to you.

So, dont let us wait long before we get to know who this mysterious man is....but I have my suspicions...(no I wont tell...perhaps I will...for a cookie or five...)

So please give us some more please Mr.Cloudy man...I am starting to love this story already...

Glad you like it. But, which of the three men is the mysterious one?

Anyway, just a short update with the old man and the Altmer.


Seyda Neen

,,Are you sure this is such a good idea?” The Altmer whispered when they entered a nearby cave. Outside the cave, there were many clues that told them it was inhabited, such as a campfire with the remains of a meal.
,,Oh, what could happen?” The old man casually responded and walked around a corner. There, he came face to face with at least half a dozen bandits who all reached for their weapons.
,,That could happen.” The Altmer said and raised his crossbow.

,,What, who are you?” An Orc who seemed to be their leader asked. He waved around his heavy club as a threat.
,,I sell. Advice, to be specific. I have some very good advice for you. I’d appreciate it if you took the time to listen.” The old man said and smiled. He didn’t seemed to be worried at all by the bandits.

,,Advice?! And what might that be, old man?” The Orc said amidst roaring laughter.
,,Simple, abandon your activities in the nearby town. If not, the consequences could be detrimental for your health.” The old man responded.
,,And who says that? An old man and his Elf. I think I’ll feed you to the Nix-Hounds.”
The Orc stormed towards the old man and swung his club downward.

To his surprise, the club stopped just before it reached the man’s face. He looked down and saw that the man had gripped his arm with one of his hands. Sweat appeared on the Orc’s face and he gasped as the man began to squeeze with his hand. Soon, the sound of snapping bone could be heard.

The other bandits stormed forward. One of them was met by a bolt in his throat and another by a Wakizashi between the ribs. The rest crashed into the walls when the old man raised his free hand.
,,It would really be a smart idea to take my advice. It would be a big waste of time if we had to end your lives. Time that’s better spent elsewhere. Am I clear?” The old man said and squeezed a bit more.
,,Alright. We’ll leave.” The Orc managed to whisper.

The old man threw the Orc against the wall before walking back to the entrance.
,,Was it really necessary to kill those two?” He asked his friend.
,,Unlike you, I don’t make a whole show out of things. I prefer to take out my enemies permanently.” The Altmer responded and wiped the blood of his Wakizashi.

The old man chuckled.
,,I suppose that you get a certain feel for theatrics with age. Now, what would our fearless Altmer say to a ride on one of those siltstriders?” He said and laughed softly.
,,On one of those big fleas?! No way, I’d rather walk!”

Ahh Cloudy. Starting anew much like myself. I really like the beginnings of this one and I knew I recognised the first part with the man on the boat. Nicely done as always.

Alright, things are heating up.



Ald’Rhun, in front of Skar

Jana was not having fun. Three days, he had three days and still he hadn’t bought her a decent dress. Now she was stuck with that ugly thing that hurt her eyes just when she looked at it. Worst of all, he didn’t even dare to face her. He just remained in his office all day long, like he was doing now. Everyone was celebrating the defeat of Dagoth Ur and he was sitting in his office, doing Azura knew what.

At least she wasn’t the only one in bright and colourful clothing. No one was laughing at her. Still, she hated it. She vowed she would never follow fashion again, nor would she let her father buy her clothes.
,,Excuse me, could you be so kind as to devote some time to me?”

Jana turned around to see who had spoken. If this was about her dress, she would start throwing punches, celebration or not. An old Imperial and a much younger looking Altmer stood before her.

The Imperial looked like he was somewhere in his late sixties and had long white hair. A blood red amulet hung around his neck that shimmered as if it was wet. He wore a deep blue shirt that had a beautifull picture of the sun rising over a green tree woven into the chest area. He had pants and a cape in the same colour. His gloves and boots were a dark green and he had a black belt bearing two Katanas in their scabbard on each side.

The Altmer looked much younger, though it was always hard to tell with Elves. Jana guessed that he was around three hundred years old, a few times as old as the Imperial. He wore a simple brown shirt and pants, with a black belt. The belt held a small crossbow and a sack filled with bolts on one side and a Wakizashi on the other side. This was odd, why would anyone carry around weapons during the celebration?

The old man smiled and bowed.
,,I humbly apologize, for I forgot to introduce ourselves. This is my old friend, Jalin of Erpath. I am known as Aureus Lucis from Argonia. Pleased to make your aquantaince. We are searching for Athus Mirhtri, perhaps you are aware of his whereabouts?”

The man’s language made her dizzy with all the polite stuff.
,,Uh, he’s in his office. He won’t be able to see any guests.” She stammered.
Aureus bowed again.
,,Very unfortunate. I thank you for your assistance. Farewell.” He said and left through the crowd, with Jalin close behind.

,,So, what are we going to do now?” The Altmer whispered once they were clear of the crowd.
,,We’ll see.”

Athus Mirhtri rubbed his eyes. He hadn’t slept well in days, and it was beginning to take its toll. On top of that, the stress of knowing what was out there was killing him. Of course, if it found him, he would be just as death. He began to read but looked up when he heard a sound.
He glanced around before concluding that it was coming from the back wall. Something was attempting to break through.

He got up and grabbed the Ebony Broadsword. The wall exploded inward and two masked men holding swords came through the hole. Athus shouted a battlecry and attacked.

,,While we were fighting for our lives on the slopes of Red Mountain, the Nerevarine entered the citadel and battled Dagoth Ur himself.” Athyn Sarethi had been holding his speech for half an hour now, and it didn’t look like he was about to stop. Jana yawned. This was so boring. There were only people who were talking about what they did that day. She couldn’t remember what she did, she never even heard of the Nerevarine and Dagoth Ur before coming to the island. It just didn’t interested her.

She went back to Venim manor. Bothering her father about his promise to buy her a better dress sounded like a much more fun idea. Besides, she might catch him sleeping on his desk. That would be amusing. At least it would be better than listening to that speech. The Nerevarine sounded like every average hero, a boring guy in shining armour on a horse who never did anything wrong.

,,What the heck is that noise?” She muttered when she got closer to the office. It didn’t sound like her father was sleeping, more like he was holding a private party. She opened the door to the office, stepped inside and froze.

Athus was clearly not holding a private party. He was fighting for his life against two masked men. Despite the urgency of the situation, Jana couldn’t help but be slightly amused. Everyone had told her that her father never even touched a sword in his entire life. Yet here he was, swinging one like a true master. He sure managed to fool people.

Moving so fast he was almost invisible, Athus jumped forward and buried his sword in one of the two men. The Ebony blade of the broadsword exploded with a flash as bright as the sun, leaving nothing but a few smoking remains where once a man stood. He spun around and attempted to decapitate the other one.

The remaining man moved just as fast as the Dunmer, if not faster. He parried the Ebony blade that erupted again in a blinding flash. A quick spin, and the hand holding the Ebony sword was severed at the wrist. The man then raised his hands and used Telekinesis to smash Athus into the wall.

Yes...another update...*celebrates...*

A wonderfull update indeed...but now I'm worried of what will happen to Athus...but I have a small hope that Jana, will save him...keep it up...but of course I know you will...

Ouch! getting smashed into the wall doesn´t sound very nice! But the story is on the other hand very nice

Hehe I´ve come to like Jana...hehe she sounds like a cocky lil´lady......great writing !

Sorry, but I've got a role laid out for the little girl and saving Athus is not one of them. Any way, here's an update with a nice Cliffracer. (Oops, I mean Cliffhanger. )



In the land of dreams.

She knew she was dreaming, but didn’t knew about what. She was standing in a frigid, snowcovered landscape with dark clouds in the sky and a mountain in the distance. The mountain was made of the purest silver and its sides flowed as if it was a slumbering creature of titanic proportions, rather than a mountain. As she was watching, the flowing became more intense till huge waves of silver washed over it.

Then, the whole mountain began to glow. It was an eerie sight, for there was not a single sound to give it a feel of reality. Suddenly, the mountain exploded till it filled the sky and blew away the clouds. The massive cloud of glowing silver began to shrink till it was nothing but a tiny pinprick that was too far away to be seen. Then, everything was the way it was before, only now the sun shone through a breach in the clouds on the spot where once the mountain stood.

,,Ah, you’ve finally awoken.” Jana opened her eyes and saw Athyn Sarethi looking down on her. He was still wearing his clothes from the celebration.
,,Quiet. Much has happened and much more shall happen. Please, follow me to a place where I can tell you what I have to say without any listeners.” He continued and motioned for her to get out of the bed and follow him.

Athyn walked straight to her father’s office and went through the door. The place had been left the way the Redorans found it, with the only change being a Guar skin that now covered the hole in the wall. The beautiful desk that once stood in the center of the room was reduced to a few scraps of wood. A piece of dark clothing covered with ash laid on the floor. The Ebony Broadsword that her father had used was still were it had fallen, lying next to a large pool of dried blood.

,,I have failed my duties to House Redoran. I am sorry. I just never expected anyone to carry weapons during the celebration and no one has breached the skin of Skar in history. What magicka is so potent that it can carve through the skin of the great crab as if through paper? I have to tell you this. Your father walks the land no more.”

Jana didn’t answer. She could barely remember what had happened. Two men had been fighting her father. One of those was killed and the other smashed Athus into the wall. But after that, what had happened? She scratched her itching neck in frustration. She did remember one thing. An Imperial and an Altmer had been asking for her father, and they both carried weapons with them. She came to the realization that she had caused the death of her own father and nearly dropped to the floor in shock.

,,All we found was his hand which we buried. We also found you, unconscious and on the ground. I’ve ordered the best healers to help you. In my own office, Athus recently left an envelope, to be given when he was gone. I don’t know how he knew that this would happen and why he didn’t run, but it is too late for that.” Athyn continued and handed over a small envelope.

After a short hesitation, Jana tore open the envelope and took out a letter as well as a finely crafted key of pure Ebony.

To my daughter, Jana Mirhtri.

When you read this, I shall be gone. How or when, I do not yet know. If I have died through disease or an accident, read no further. If however, I have died by the hands of the Silver Eye, words cannot express the danger you are in.

As such, it is my duty as your father to do the best I can to protect you. Therefore, I have done my best to attract the attention of my enemies, so that they may ignore you. Still, I dare not hope that my death shall be enough. Take the key that accompanies this letter. It fits on a small Ebony chest I keep within my desk. Take its contents, for I have created them so that they may protect you.

Likewise, I grant you my sword and the only weapon I ever used, the Feathered Sun. I shall use it in an attempt at saving my own life from the Eye, but I doubt that I shall succeed. However, it is unlikely that they would take the sword as a price, for its enchantment would destroy any of their kind the moment they touched its blade. This sword has served me well when I was young, and it shall be like a beacon for you during the darkest night.

Finally, I request that you leave Vvardenfell and House Redoran. Go to Argonia and find the sanctuary of Kalom. The lord of Kalom shall do anything he can to protect you for I have been of use to him in the past. Travel light and leave no traces. It is now up to you to forge your own path through life.

Your father, Athus Mirhtri.

,,There is one more thing I have to tell you, no matter how painful it might be. The Attacker was a vampire. You have been bitten and there was nothing our healers could do to take away the curse of your blood. I therefore have to ask you to leave House Redoran before the curse reveals itself.” Jana could see that Athyn had been crying, but there was nothing she felt herself. Everything that she had taken had made her numb and unable to feel anything.

She grabbed the small Ebony chest from the wreckage that was once the desk. She would open it later. She also picked up her father’s sword. It was surprisingly light for an Ebony blade. There were a few things she had to do, and fleeing to the swamps of Argonia wasn’t one of those things.

,,Have you seen an old Imperial accompanied by an Altmer?” She asked.
Athyn was a bit surprised by the question and needed a few seconds to get over the surprise.
,,Yes, they came to me this morning. I told them that the House was rather busy with something urgent and they left to the south.”

,,Thank you.” Jana interrupted the Dunmer and cut the Guar skin in front of the hole in the wall. Holding the small chest in one hand and the sword in the other, she stepped through the hole and headed south. It was then that her emotions finally hit her and tears streamed down her face. She would get those two, and avenge her father.

She tried to turn around upon hearing a sudden noise, but tripped over her dress and fell on her face again. She never even got the time to curse herself for not having taken the time to dress up properly before there was the sensation of something heavy hitting her head.

She was in a rather uncomfortable position when she awoke. Being tied to a tree wasn’t so pleasant in itself, and having a Redguard waving her own sword around in front of her face made things even worse.
,,Hello, girl. Now what would a frail little creature like you do here in the middle of the night, in those clothes?” He said with a rough voice. Jana wrinkled her nose when she caught the scent of the man’s breath.

A voice shouted something from behind her. It sounded Orcish, which was a language she didn’t understand. The Redguard did, for he cursed something and stood up.
,,Who are you?!” He shouted a little later from where Jana couldn’t see him.
,,Now that is some very undignified behaviour. May I suggest that you release the lady and return her possessions? An apology would also be very appreciated.” A somehow familiar voice answered.

The bandits laughed.
,,,What are you going to do, fall over and die?” The Redguard said before shouting a battelcry. The sound of clashing steel was followed by a scream.
,,No, I was more thinking about teaching you some manners.” The strange voice said.

For a few more seconds, Jana could hear shouting and clashing swords, then it went silent.
,,We meet again. I must say, I am surprised to see you here, mylady.” The man who had just fought the bandits stepped into her view. It was Aureus, the one who killed her father.

Oh my! This IS getting veeery thrilling, I love it! Mr Cloudy, I hereby grant you the great Serene-award for creating a most awesome story!

very good man, it's getting interesting, (very) i may just have to do something nice for you sometime (dunno what or when)

Agh, I diffused the whole situation too fast. Damn, well no way to help it. Please give me a warning if I reveal things too fast. Anyway, update.
(Darkhunter, just be nice to Flint in the rp, that would be very appreciated by the poor little fellow.)


Road between Ald’rhun and Balmora.

Aureus held one of his katanas loosely in his hand. The other one was sheathed. He slowly brought it closer to Jana who closed her eyes and awaited the blow that would inevitably come. The quick sound of steel slicing through rope, and she found that she could move her limbs again. He had cut the ropes that tied her to the tree.
,,I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that these people have caused. May I be of assistance?”

That was the last thing she would have expected for him to say. It was all so weird, that she was convinced that it was a trick. Besides, where had the Altmer gone? He had been reduced to a pile of dust by her father. It would be normal for the man to want revenge. Then why did he help her?
,,I am afraid I didn’t caught your name last night.” Aureus continued and wandered over to the things the bandits had stolen.

Maybe he didn’t knew that she was the daughter of the man he killed. Maybe he didn’t recognize her from that night. This thought gave Jana some hope again. He clearly wasn’t from around here, so she would be safe if she gave him a different name.
,,Jana…Sarethi.”

,,Well then, Jana Sarethi, what brings you out here on the middle of the night under the full moon?” Aureus asked and picked up the Ebony Broadsword. All of Jana’s hope was instantly destroyed. He would recognize her father’s blade and then she would be death. The man brought a finger to the flat of the blade with a questioning look on his face.

,,Touch it, touch it!” It was a vampire that had bitten her, he had bitten her and Athus said that a single touch of the blade would destroy vampires. She had seen it with her own eyes. If only he would touch the blade, then all her worries would be gone. The man touched the blade and the usual flash erupted.

,,Aha, an enchantment that harnesses the power of the sun as well as a feather spell to reduce its weight. A very rare and potent weapon, I dare say. Any vampire hunter would kill for something like this and any vampire would fear it. You are lucky to have one of these, mylady.” The flash hadn’t even hurt him, so he wasn’t a vampire. Jana suddenly realized that she had been chasing the wrong man. He had nothing to do with it.

,,Umm, where is your Altmer friend?” She asked.
,,Jalin? He is out hunting.” Aureus answered while he inspected his handiwork on the bandits. Every single one of them had a single cut across their throat. The only exception was the Redguard, who also had a very thin cut across the bridge of his nose. Most likely that cut was meant as a warning, a warning the Redguard had ignored.

Jana got up and tried to get her blood flowing again. A short inspection revealed that the chest she had been dragging along was still unopened. The small key solved that problem and she finally got to look inside. She was rather disappointed by what she found. It didn’t look like much, just a pair of gloves, an empty pouch, some Silver throwing stars, an amulet and a shattered vial whose contents had been spilled. How was this going to help? Still, if she would just pocket everything, then she could leave the heavy chest behind.

She put on one of the gloves which instantly began emitting a bright light. With a small shout of surprise, she tore it of her hand. The light dimmed. After some hesitation, she put it on again. The light was just a normal enchantment and nothing to fear. In fact, it was very handy as it acted like a torch which was one of the things she could use in the middle of the night. She focussed on the glove, and the light dimmed. Nice.

The other glove didn’t emit any light, but focussing on it caused a pitch black bolt of magicka to fly out. Knowing her father’s love for opposites, she bet that while one glove created light, the other created darkness, also known as blinding.

The amulet was also interesting. Slipping it on caused everything that was enchanted to glow, even through solid objects, like the spilled liquid glowing through the now closed chest. She could also see a pack of Nix-Hounds who where covered in a purple haze of in the distance. She looked at Aureus and put a hand in front of her eyes to keep out the light.

The Imperial’s entire suit appeared was covered in the purple haze she saw around the Nix-Hounds and so did one of his katanas. But the other one, the one she hadn’t seen yet, was glowing with an enchantment so bright, it made the sun seem pitch black. What enchantment could be so powerful to cause a reaction like this?

She focussed on the amulet till she no longer saw the light of the katana. She finally picked up her sword and walked further along the road. She had been chasing the wrong one and now there was no way to find the culprit before she had turned into a bloodsucking vampire. She just had no idea what to do.

,,Excuse me, mylady. I just happened to be going in that direction, perhaps you would permit me to accompany you?” Aureus caught up with her. For an old man, he was surprisingly fast. Then, everything about him was surprising.
,,Sure.” Jana answered and screamed when suddenly a loud howl echoed through the night.
,,Don’t worry, it’s just a werewolf. It won’t be interested in you.” The old man said in an attempt to reassure her. They travelled to Balmora in silence, but one thought kept getting back to Jana’s mind.
,,Just who are you, and what are you here for?”

Balmora

In Balmora, Aureus said goodbye and entered the local bookstore. This left Jana on her own who quickly decided that she would make her last days among civilization as pleasant as possible. In other words, new clothes.

The clothes were rather hard. There was so much to choose from. In the end, Jana managed to resist the urge to buy a nice dress and went for some practical adventurer’s clothing. Her old overwhelmingly colourful dress served as payment and even got her some spare money. Most of that money was used to buy a scabbard from the local armourer. Now at least she didn’t had to hold her sword all the time.

She then wandered through the city in search of the local pub. On the way, she happened to come across the mage guild which gave her an idea. People said that the hall in Tel Uvirith carried an extensive library on just about anything. Maybe they had a few clues to these Silver Eyes. She hopped inside and had the guild guide take her to Tel Uvirith.

,,What can Ajira do for Dunmer?” A khajit in a beautiful blue robe asked once she stepped of the platform. It was the first time Jana had been even close to a Telvanni mushroom, so she took a good look around the room before responding.
,,I’m looking for information. Silver Eyes, vampires?”

The library turned out to be less than impressive. While quite extensive on the Tribunal and Nerevarine prophecies, it was lacking in information on vampires and not a single thing about a Silver Eye. She did found out that there was a vampire lair called Galom Daeus nearby.
,,Well, I am about to become a vampire, so I might just as well go ask them.” She muttered to herself before heading out of the mushroom.

,,Hello, what do we have here? Are you here to become our cattle?” This welcome really creeped her out. And she really didn’t hope that she would become that ugly.
,,No, I want to talk to your boss.” The vampire seemed to be amused at that answer and brought her to a room with two other vampires.

The biggest vampire looked at his guest with a look of boredom.
,,What do you want?” He asked.
Jana stepped forward while already beginning to doubt if this was such a good idea.
,,I’m looking for a bunch of vampires called Silver Eyes. Do you know anything?”

The big vampire smiled.
,,What, do you really think I keep tabs on every vampire in the world? You are so foolish. Now since you have wasted some good time, I believe it would be more than fair for you to give us some small payment. How about your blood?”

Before Jana knew what had happened. The two vampires that were standing behind her had grabbed her. She could feel the tip of the teeth of one of those touching her neck.
,,What have I done?” She thought and closed her eyes.
Screaming, the vampire that was about to bit her smashed into the wall. He slumped down to the floor with every bone in his body crushed.
,,Vampires these days, so uncivilized.” Aureus said with his hands still raised.

The big vampire was fuming and stared the old man in the eyes. He blinked when he failed to see any sign of fear within the eyes of the Imperial.
,,Who are you?” The vampire snarled.
,,Aureus Lucis.” The Imperial calmly responded with a faint smile.
The look of utter fear in the face of the vampire was something Jana would never forget.

,,And you mylady, I hope you try to stay out of trouble from now on. Saving you is getting a bit inconvenient.” Aureus said to the girl.
,,Well, I never asked for your help. Now why did you follow me?” Jana snapped back and instantly felt sorry. She had no right to talk to him like that, not after he had just saved her from being sucked dry.

,,A good question, with a simple answer. The owner of the bookstore directed me to Tel Uvirith. There, I heard talk of a Dunmer girl who had wandered of in search of vampires. I figured I might be able to help for I do have some experience with vampires, as you can clearly see.” Aureus said and pointed at the cowering vampire.
,,Now may I inquire as to what you were hoping to achieve?” He continued, polite as always.

,,Oh, fine. I’m trying to ask that vampire what he knows of the men who killed my father, but he didn’t want to answer.” Before Jana could get any further, the big vampire interrupted them.
,,Wait, I do know! Please, let me speak! I am Raxle Berne, leader of the Berne clan. Two men came from Ald’Rhun recently. One of them was clearly a vampire. He wore a belt made from silver eyes. We provided shelter in exchange for blood that the vampire kept in a bottle. They left the next day. See, I told it. Now please let me live.”

Jana looked at the vampire with disgust. He had a big mouth when he had his people behind him, but he was a coward when the tables turned. She then looked at Aureus for guidance. It was strange cause she knew nothing beyond his name, but he did feel like the kind that could be trusted.

His appearance was shocking. Gone was the friendliness in his eyes and the smile that always was on his lips. He stared at the ground and clenched his fists in barely controlled rage. Raw magicka gathered around him, ready to strike out with devastating results. Jana instinctively held her breath. It was the first time she truly realized how far the power went that hid in the old man. Aureus sighed and seemed to relax, but trails of magicka continued to whirl around him.

,,Where did they go?” He asked, with not a single hint of his normal polite self. He would not take “no” for an answer.

Brilliant Mr Cloudy! Just sheer brilliant......Can´t wait to see what happens next!

As was said by the wise woman of the forum, excelent work! This story has really gotten me intrigued. At first it was rather lacking but now that I've taken a better look at it, I can clearly say that it has mistery and adventure. Quite everything. And I like vampires and werewolves alot so this story is one of my new favourites now. Keep up the great work! It was a pleasure following the adventures of Luper, it'll be great following the adventures of Jana now. And, on a last note, can you inform us why that old fart is so damn uber?

Sorry about not updating. I promise I'll work on the next one while at school. (Hey, you've got to use the time there for something. )

Sorry Griff, but I can't tell why the old fart is so Uber just yet. I would spoil what little there is of a plotline.

I'll wait, don't worry. Reading your story will make the time pass with great speed. And I also like how you spend your time at school, just my kind of person. Time well spent I say, well except when you come home wit low marks and the parents go mad. I've also updated my story and I'm sure you'd like it, you being my oldest fan of sorts.

Aureus really and truly kicks so much A$$. I loved it when he sent that first vampire flying. Great work on this new story, you've drawn us all in once again!

Nah, I still pay attention during classes. It is just that I sometimes have like 50 minutes between one class and the next. That is way too long to walk up two stairs. So I sit down and start writing. Besides, I never feel like having lunch, so i get an extra 45 minutes just from that.

This is the first update. I am still working on the next one that I already wrote down on bits of paper. (Lots of free time at school.)
I just realized something. If there was a list that ranked fan fiction characters on their Uberdness factor, Aureus would be pretty high on the list. It is not so apparent in this update, but it will be in the next.




Raxle Berne tried to swallow back his fear but failed miserably. Why was it his clan that the man decided to visit?
,,They went southwest, to Suran or Vivec. That is all I know, I swear. Now please let me live, I mean you no harm!”
Aureus looked at the vampire with cold eyes.
,,Don’t worry, for I shall not harm you. If however, you go too far with this wimpering behaviour, I might reconsider.” He said and the trails of magicka that whirled around him expanded in a thin mist that felt warm to the touch.

Raxle Berne looked at the dead vampire against the wall once the two had left. At least it wasn’t him who had been killed by the man. Odd, the corpse didn’t look like a vampire at all. He then looked at his own hands and realized what had happened. He had been cured.
,,NOOO!!!” He screamed.

Outside, they were greeted by the sight of a campfire with a few lumps of meat hanging above it. Next to the fire, an Altmer sat who was whistling a tune while cooking the meat.
,,Really, how am I supposed to keep up with you if you go running all over the island?” Jalin said and shook his head.

,,Something came up.” Aureus responded and turned around.
,,Now we will talk about you, girl. You will go straight back to Ald’rhun where you shall remain and forget about all this. This is my task and I can’t be bothered to look after another Mirhtri! You both have this horrible talent for getting into trouble.” Jana’s mouth fell wide open. She’d gotten so used to his polite manners that this blunt way of talking was simply shocking. And there was something else.
,,How did you know my name?”

,,I observe and draw my conclusions. You don’t look like your father, but you share the same spirit. And Athus wouldn’t just give his sword to anyone. Now get your feet on the road back to Ald’rhun, you have nothing to do with this and I would like to keep it that way. Jalin, pack that meat and put out the fire. We’re leaving.” Aureus said and began to walk to the south with the Altmer soon following.

Jana stood in front of the vampire’s lair for a while. As she thought of it, she got very angry with the whole situation.
,,Now wait a minute. It is my father who has been killed and not his. Besides, who in the name of Akatosh does he think he is?” She muttered and ran off in the direction the two men were headed.

,,Wait up!” The two men stopped and turned around when they heard the voice. Behind them, the Dunmer girl skidded to a halt and stood there gasping for breath.
,,I’m going with you, like it or not.” She said with a defiant tone.
Jalin frowned. He’d seen the first signs of vampirism. Why were it always the scary types that met up with the old man?
,,Just do it, Aureus. Your not going to get rid of her. Besides, she’s just your type.” He said with a chuckle. Aureus shrugged and began to walk again. He waved his hand to tell them to follow.

,,Jalin, go and look up on some clues. We’re looking for a Silver Eye and a Dunmer with one hand. Jana, you will need some better clothes, so follow me.” Aureus said once they’d barely put a foot within the city of Suran. He then pushed the girl into the nearest clothier.

,,Good morning, can I hel….Out! I don’t want vampires here! Out, or I’ll call the gua…” The clothier was cut off by a cloud of magicka that entered his mouth. When he next opened his mouth, no sound came out. Jana was looking unhappy. Was it already visible? She ran a finger across her teeth and noticed to her horror that they had grown.

Another cloud of magicka sailed towards the clothier.
,,You will help this girl with finding a hooded cloak of good quality. You won’t call the guards or try anything else. We’ll be gone here soon.” Aureus then pulled a large bag of gold out of nowhere and put it down on the counter. ,,Here’s a small compensation.”

The clothier was still silenced when he moved away from the counter and directed the girl to a rack filled with cloaks in all kinds of colours. Jana wandered across the racks like a small child at her birthday. Should she take the red one or the blue one?
,,Have you decided?” Aureus asked after at least an hour.
,,Umm, yes. I’ll take the ….black one.”

Jalin was sitting on a bench and was busy with cleaning his crossbow that was slightly bloodstained.
,,Finally done? I’ve figured out where our vampire went. Too bad I had to put a bolt into a drunkard from point-blank range. Anyway, our friend is headed towards Vivec.” The Altmer said without looking up.
Aureus looked in the direction of the city and noticed the first few rays of the sun looming over the mountains.

,,We’ll take a siltstrider after nightfall. In the meantime, I’ll find a place where we can get our guest out of the sun.” He said and pointed at Jana.
Jalin rolled his eyes. ,,Sorry, but I’ll pass on this one. No fleas for me. I’ll walk. See you there.” He said, got up and wandered out of the gate.

,,Now, I suggest you stay in your room. I’ll bring you some diner when it is time. Sorry about this, but I am going to put you on a bloodless diet. Your looks won’t improve, but it won’t hurt your conscience.” The old man told her when he shoved her into a room. The room had been paid for by a big bag of gold just like the one he gave to the clothier. Where did he get those from?

Jana looked around the room. It was small, dirty and there was nothing to do. She moved to the nearby mirror and recoiled in horror at the sight. Her vampirism had indeed progressed. Her skin had taken on a sickening light green and her eyes were now pink rather than red. Her teeth were longer and sharper and worst of all, she looked a few hundred years older than she actually was. She smashed the mirror with her sword in frustration. ,,I hate vampires!”

Aureus in the meantime was sitting in the tavern doing something he hadn’t done in a long time. He was getting drunk. ,,Why couldn’t the young fool tell me exactly what was going on in that letter instead of simply saying that there was big trouble. If he did, I wouldn’t have taken a nap in the inn right outside his house.” The man muttered and stared blankly ahead.

A wounded Dunmer with a huge scar covering part of his face sat at the other side of the table. ,,Sorry, but there is no free table left. Mind if I sit here?” He asked and put a short sword on the floor.
,,No, go ahead.”

,,Thank you. Stupid Cliffracers. If they didn’t exist, I would be so much happier. And less wounded.” The Dunmer continued, oblivious to the fact that Aureus wasn’t in the mood to talk.
,,Sure, I know a way to get them off the island. I’ll write it down on a piece of paper for you.” Aureus responded.

The Dunmer looked at the piece of paper he got and let out a cry of joy.
,,Brilliant! I, Jiub, am in your debt. Now I can make those accursed Cliffracers leave Vvardenfell.” Jiub shouted and ran out of the door. It was then that Aureus realized what he’d done. But he couldn’t be worried about it, not now.
,,I wonder what will happen to the ecosystem without any Cliffracers. Every creature has its place. Oh well, it’s time to bring the girl some diner.” He muttered and emptied his cup.

Jana was having the same dream again. She was back in the snow with the silver mountain in the distance that explodes. This time, she could also hear a voice. ,,Come. Come and see the power of your lord with your eyes.”

,,Jana. Your meal.” Aureus woke her up and put a steaming bowl of fried Cliffracer under her nose. ,,You better enjoy it, for it might be the last time you get to eat a Cliffracer.” The man continued. Now what was that supposed to mean?
After she ate her meal, Aureus led her over to the silt strider port. The caravaner was a bit reluctant at first, but another command humanoid spell managed to persuade him. By now, Jana was really beginning to think that the old man was scary. Who was willing to invest in spells that allowed him to command people? She didn’t had much time to ponder the question, as the rapidly filling bucket was infinitely more interesting.

Vivec looked like a huge pyramid and was even weirder than those Telvanni mushrooms.
,,This is…” Jana had no idea what to say.
,,Interesting architecture.” Aureus finished the words for her.

,,Took your sweet time as usual. Well, no vampires here as I expected.” Jalin said as he crossed the bridge towards them.
,,Well, where did they went?” Jana responded impatiently. They really didn’t had time for all this.
,,Well, that over there is the Foreign Canton. I suggest you cross it to the south, past all the other cantons….”
,,You mean there are more than one of these things?!” Jana screamed in surprise.
,,Let me finish, girl. Anyway, keep walking till you hit the palace and ask Vivec. They say he is a god so he’ll probably know. And put that hood over your face, girl. You don’t want the guards here to notice the little detail called vampirism.”
Aureus smiled again for the first time since the vampire’s lair.
,,A god, you say? Now this will be interesting.” He said which caused Jalin to roll his eyes.
,,Oh no, what have I done? I think I’ll wait outside. I don’t want to see this.” The Altmer said.

The walk to the other side of Vivec was a long one. There, they found out that the doors to the palace was locked. Aureus used another spell and he walked inside with Jana behind him. Jalin decided to wait outside. The room inside was largely empty, with a low platform in the center. Above the platform floated Vivec, the mighty god of the Tribunal.

Vivec looked at the two guests. Ever since the Nerevarine destroyed the heart of Lorkhan, he had been losing his powers. That stung him and he’d never been in a good mood ever since. ,,I curse you, Luper Alkad.” He muttered. These words had become the usual thing he said when something annoyed him, which meant all the time.
,,Who are you and how did you get in?” Vivec said out loud with a voice that was used to giving orders. Aureus smiled.
,,Just a small trick. Didn’t you ever learn to respect the elderly, Vivec?” He responded.
,,Elderly?! I have lived ten times as long as you have, Imperial! It is you who should respect me! And I am a god! Now leave unless you want to face my wrath!” Vivec spat at him.

Aureus shook his head. Normally, he would have been amused by this and resorted to a subtle play with words. But this wasn’t the time for it.
,,I hope you don’t worship the Tribunal.” He said to Jana and raised his hands.
,,What?” The girl asked.
,,Nevermind. Vivec, sit down.”
,,What did you say, mortal?” The god whispered with increasing anger.
,,I said, sit down.” With a loud thud, Vivec hit the floor.

,,Foolish man, do you want to die?! Release me if you want to live!” Vivec screamed with his most threatening voice, but words were the only weapons he could fight with for as long as the old man kept him pinned to the floor.
,,I am a god! How dare you to defy me?!”
Aureus shook his head. This was getting annoying.
,,Jana, put your sword on his neck. He is as mortal as anyone and values his life over everything else.”

Once Vivec felt the Ebony blade resting on his neck, he instantly calmed down. Cold reasoning took the place of wild rage.
“Watch it, old man. You will have to release me sometime and when that happens, you will pay in blood.”

,,I don’t have much time, so I’ll keep it short. I am looking for a man who wore a belt that looks like it was made out of silver eyes. I have a feeling he came through here. Tell me where he went, god.” Aureus began his interrogation.
Vivec pretended to be broken. He would use the truth for now.
,,He took a boat to the mainland, to Mournhold.”

Aureus couldn’t help but flash a short smile. This was too easy.
,,Then you will prepare a boat so that we can follow him.”
Vivec closed his eyes and laughed inwardly. The man couldn’t possibly hear how he telepathically ordered all of his Ordinators to gather in front of the palace. There would be a nasty surprise when he came outside.
,,I asked for a boat, not an army.”
Vivec blinked. How did he manage to listen?
,,It is done.” The god muttered.

,,Good that was all.” Aureus said and turned around. Vivec saw the girl walk to the man’s side and felt the invisible force that kept him against the floor disappear. This was his chance. Now they would know the true power of a god. Vivec stood up and prepared a spell. With a casual wave of his hand, Aureus threw the god out through the wall. A splash told them that Vivec had landed in the lake that surrounded the city.
,,I hate it when people try to attack me from behind.” The Imperial muttered.

Jalin was impatiently pacing back and forth. Every single Ordinator in the city had gathered in front of the palace. This didn’t look good which made him worried. Those Ordinators might get hurt.
,,I hope we didn’t keep you waiting.”
Jalin turned around and saw that Aureus and Jana were standing behind him. How did they get out of the palace without being seen?
,,Recall?” He asked.
,,No, a convenient opening in the wall. Anyway, I doubt those Ordinators will stay there for long. Someone will have to fish Vivec out of the lake. Now, we have a boat waiting for us. Are you coming?” Aureus answered.

Jalin muttered a light curse under his breath. He could’ve known.
,,Not even a god is safe from you. Let’s get out of here before you hurt anyone else.” He said and walked to the harbour as fast as he could. Aureus followed with his usual smile and Jana came last. She couldn’t help but wonder just where Aureus learned to use magicka like that. Was there anything he couldn’t stop with a flick of his hands? She might even come to pity this Silver Eye vampire when they met him.

Wow! Now this guy is too damn invincible! He is almost like one of my Morrowind demigods. Seriously now, humiliating Vivec like he was a little child? I realise he is now mortal but he still has most of his powers so he isn't a weakling. Anyway, the update was great and there was alot of wit and humour in it, something which I notice in most of your stories. Keep up the great work and please, for realism's sake, at least tell us why that old fart is so 1337 or at least lower his powers. I wonder why he's even trying to stop the Silver Eye? Couldn't he just pop his head with telepathy after locating him with some uber spell?

Yeah, I think I just went a bit overboard there. What can I say, I love old guys who kick everyone's behind like it's nothing. Anyway, I tried to put a bit of a limit on his abilities. Basically, the Silver Eye knows how to handle him.



Chapter 2: Two paths.

The boat was waiting for them and set out as soon as they’d boarded. At least Vivec kept his word, though it was doubtful he liked it. Jana was now really getting curious to her companions and managed to drag Aureus into her cabin.
,,Alright, I want answers and I want them now.” She told him. Perhaps not the best way to talk to him, considering his powers, but he never tried to hurt her till now.
Aureus looked at her and realized that it was time for him to start talking. He would give her what she wanted, but he would keep the details to himself.
,,Alright, I have some time. So, what do you want to know?” He said and sat down in a chair.

,,Now, who are you and why are you in this? And one more thing. If you can treat a god like a child, then why can’t you blow up this vampire we’re after from the other side of the continent?”
Aureus smiled. Just the things Athus said, except for the god part. This was rather amusing.
,,I am just an old man who wants to help an old friend who is in trouble. Athus is still alive, in case you didn’t know. As I’ve said before, I observe and draw my conclusions. Now if Athus is death, why take the body and leave the hand? Surely, they would take all of his body, or not at all. They need him alive for something, and I intend to find out. And now about your other question.”

Aureus paused for a moment. Telling people of his limits had never been something he was comfortable with. Yes, he was powerful, but there was an end to how far he could go.
,,I am connected in a way to the Silver Eye clan of vampires. As such, they know how to handle me. The man we are chasing is not the oldest vampire himself, but that doesn’t stop him from being able to hide from me. I can’t see him if he doesn’t want to, and he definitely doesn’t want to be seen. Now I could blow up the whole continent in the hope that I hit him, but that would take more than a lifetime and it wouldn’t be worth it. I do have my weaknesses, and my inability to see this clan of vampires without being seen myself is one of them.”

Aureus smiled. It was his time to ask questions.
,,Now tell me, why are you in this chase? I don’t believe your father would like you to seek out danger.”
Jana shrugged.
,,I was actually supposed to go to the Lord of Kalom in Argonia somewhere. But I don’t want to go and hide like a scared child.”
Aureus chuckled. Now this was a surprise. The Lord of Kalom? Now the man he knew who was the closest thing to a lord in the sanctuary of Kalom wasn’t exactly a noble.
,,I know the lord, for as far as you can call him one. Unfortunately, he is not in Argonia at the moment. He tends to travel a lot.” He said and laughed softly.

Aureus suddenly fell silent and looked at the wall without seeing anything.
,,Aureus, what’s wrong?”
The old man shook his head.
,,There was a very powerful call. The vampire has been searching his path to look for anyone who might be following him and he found me. He now knows that we are following. I was hoping to avoid this and that’s why I didn’t look for him. The method being used to find people over long ranges like this can’t be hid from, but using it will also tell your target of your location. Since we’re already found out, there is no further need to hide.” He said.
,,Looks like our prey is about to dock at Mournhold.” He added a moment later.

Mournhold

The shrouded man watched how the streets of Mournhold came closer. Finally, he would leave this forsaken land. He waited till the boat gently bumped into the dock and hopped off. A gesture of his hand later, and another man walked off the boat like a zombie. One of his hands was missing and the end of the remaining arm had been burned. The two set of through the night towards the nearest gate.

,,What’s wrong with your friend?” The shrouded man turned around and looked at the Redguard who stood behind him. He noticed the heavy armour covered in mud and the big Claymore on his back. A warrior.
,,Leave us alone.” The shrouded man answered.
,,Wait a minute. I know a command humanoid spell when I see one. I am not a braindead swordswinger like most Redguards. Now who are you?” The shrouded man’s eyes burned with anger. This mortal was getting annoying.
,,Leave us…or die.”

The Redguard had his Claymore out and on the man’s neck within a blink of the eye.
,,I’ll ask you one last time, pal. Who are you? And you better hurry up, cause I still want to get drunk before renting a room at an inn.”
The shrouded man didn’t respond. The man had surprised him, interesting.
,,We might meet again, Redguard. Think before you act, next time.” He finally said and hit the Redguard with a paralyzing spell. As the Redguard slumped to the ground, the shrouded man moved on with the commanded Dunmer behind him.

Once out of the city, he was met by the vampires he left behind on the mainland, each of which was wearing a silver belt that gleamed in the light of the moon.
They presented him with the blood he’d been lacking during his journey and he gladly drank it. He felt the rejuvenating power course through his veins. Now he could walk in the sun again and travel during the day without burning. This would surely speed up his journey.

He then focussed and followed his steps back to Vvardenfell with his mind. His attention was drawn by a familiar scent on a boat not too far from Mournhold. He stepped back in surprise and anger. He knew the man who was on that boat and there was only one reason why the man might be there. He knew he was being followed. If so, then he would provide an adequate distraction.
,,I am being followed by the traitor. Go to his home and destroy it. I shall present him with two paths to follow, each with a great price. It is time for him to die and he shall, after having lost everything he worked for. Now go.” He told the vampires with a vicious snarl.

Great update Jack, interesting way to end that last part. Leaves me wondering what will happen next...well don't leave me waiting...give me an update.

This is a very nice fan fiction
But seriusly,the Vivec part?
Oh please........

Other that everything is really intresting,and i'm looking forward to next update

Mournhold! City of Light City of Magic.....yeah right! I´d say City of horror! I´ll be so worried about the whole thing.......great update Mr Cloudy

You really are a master writer! I hope you write some more battles in the Clash of the Titans since I've missed your masterful way of writing from the first battle. In which Arthago unfortunately lost. I really liked the fact that you were inspired by my questions and I'm also glad to see the origin of Aureus' powers. So it seems he is a vampire himself? Anyway, I won't keep you from writing.

Last time I checked it seemed as if all the battles were already taken. Maybe with the next clash.

Also, sorry for not updating sooner, I had a bit of writer's block. And then my other hobby (3d modelling) seemed to absorb me. From 15000 poly's down to 6000 and it even looks better, yay!
Anyway, time to introduce a not so new character.



Mournhold, next day.

The boat hit the dock with a barely noticeable bump. While the captain and his crew weren’t very friendly, they knew their job. Jana was eager to get off. She always felt a bit sick when on a boat. The sooner she felt solid ground under her feet again, the better. She pulled her hood deep over her head to protect herself from the sun before heading up to the deck. Being a vampire had some massive disadvantages, the fact that the sun could kill her being one of them. After this was all over, she would go looking for a cure.

She went off the ship and instantly tripped over a small rock, causing her to fall against a Redguard who was walking past.
,,Watch where you’re going, cutie!” The Redguard said as he pulled her back on her feet in a rather rough way. No sense for subtlety with this one.
,,Yuck. Where have you been, in a swamp?” Jana said in disgust when she noticed that her clothes were covered in mud, dirt and bits of plant, most of it came from the Redguard’s dirty armour.
,,Hey, how did you know? I just came from Argonia.”

,,Ah, good to see that you two are getting acquainted.” Aureus stepped off the boat without any embarrassing incidents.
The Redguard looked at Aureus, then at Jana and then at Aureus again.
,,Hey, you didn’t wrote you picked up a vampie girl in the inn.” He complained while waving what could’ve been a letter, before it was brought in the man’s care.

,,A vampie girl?! Now who in the name of Akatosh do you think you are?! Don’t you have any manners?! Does it look like I like it?!” The Redguard smiled and didn’t seems to be in the least offended by Dunmer’s tirade.
,,Repul Dakla. Manners are something that I’ve never really liked and you’d better calm down before the whole city knows. Some people here are quite fanatic. Now who might you be, sweet nose?”

,,Calm down, mylady. This man may be a bit rough around the edges, but he is quite capable.” Aureus said before Jana could grab her sword. He wasn’t worried that the Redguard got hurt, or that he would hurt Jana. But the girl was a vampire, and even an accidental touch of her own sword’s blade would destroy her completely.
,,Perhaps you should give her your ring for the moment, sir. Jana, whatever you do, keep the Feathered Sun sheathed. It could destroy you by accident.”

Repul took off the complex gauntlet of Dwemer steel that covered his right hand and then took a small ring of his finger.
,,There you go. One Daedric sword and improved muscles in a small package. Be careful with it, it cost me a fortune.” Repul said as he handed it over.

,,I gave the captain his pay.” Jalin said and smoothly hopped off the ship. He then noticed Repul.
,,So the reinforcements have arrived. I do hope you’re not drunk.” He commented.
,,Nah, they only sell crap nowadays. It wasn’t worth the trouble of drinking.” Repul answered.
,,I’ll give you the grand tour while we go to the gate. Follow me.” The Redguard continued and walked away.

,,The scaly khajitt tavern is on your right, the place with the best alcohol in town. To your left you can see a smith, but he isn’t that great, just Iron crap. Further ahead you can see the temple. Those freaks still won’t believe that Almalexia lost her head, literally.” Repul was more acting like the guide of a tourist rather than a mercenary who had been hired.
,,What’s over there?”
,,That, girl, is the castle of King Helseth. You want to stay away though…Hey, come back here!”

Repul easily caught up with her and managed to make her stop.
,,Stupid Dark Elf! The Royal guards aren’t a nice bunch! Now come along before they see me.” He said and began to drag Jana away from the castle.
,,There he is! He has returned! For glory!” A Royal guard shouted and stormed towards them with a few other guards behind him.
,,Not again, don’t they ever learn? Now just head through that street and keep following it till you reach the gates. I’ll meet you there once I’ve got rid of these pests.” Repul said and disappeared in thin air.

While Jana, Aureus and Jalin walked towards the gates, the Royal guards were being embarrassed by the invisible Repul who laughed while he used some Telekinesis on them.
,,Hey, does that armour of yours have a drain intelligence enchantment perhaps? You are the dumbest guards I’ve ever met. Well, I’ve got to be going. See ya!” He shouted when he became visible again and walked away, leaving a bunch of dizzy guards behind.

Repul Dakla? It isn't quite an original name isn't it? Luper Alkad spelt backwards or is it just me? Anyway, this update was great and you introduced the Redguard in a grand way. Keep up the great work!

Well actually, I used quite a long time while thinking of a good name. In the end I decided for this one. It is good enough for its purpose. Anyway, an update with a lot of talking.



Argonia

The waters of the swamp were as peaceful as always. The plants bent slightly under a gentle breeze and the fish swum through the water looking for food. An Argonian put the remains of his meal in a bag and headed out of the small hut he lived in. He passed people of all races as he walked through the town and went past a beautifully decorated platform.

A couple of hours later, the Argonian fed the fish with the contents of his bag as he swum around through the swamp.
,,Hmm, Luminous Copricus. This shall be good for tonight’s meal.” The Argonian muttered and put a bit of the mushroom in his bag. A sudden vibration in the water made him look up and he noticed a group of shrouded men on a nearby bank. He swum over to them. Once closer, he noticed that each and every one of them was a vampire and they all wore a silver belt.

,,Greetings. I am Green-Root, monk. Have you come in search of the sanctuary?”
The vampires had been watching the approach of the Argonian. Now one of them stepped towards him.
,,As a matter of fact, yes. Could you please tell us where to find it?”
The Argonian nodded.
,,Yes, certainly. Go to that black tree over there and then move in the direction of the sun. Follow the trees marked with the symbol of the sun rising over a green tree. It is a walk of a few hours. There aren’t many vampires at the shrine. You shall be welcome.”

The vampire smiled and bared his teeth.
,,Thank you, fool.” He said and drew his sword.
The Argonian went into a defensive stance, with his hands slightly bent. This was a fight he couldn’t win. He began the gestures of a spell when the sword of the vampire swung down and carved through his shoulder. Still, the Argonian managed to finish the spell and disappeared in a cloud of magicka before he could be killed.

He reappeared on the platform at the edge of the town where he collapsed on the ground.
,,Bad men are coming. Vampires.” He whispered to the people who came running towards him before embracing the darkness.

West of Mournhold.

The two men were riding on horses when the one at the front stopped and gazed towards the south.
,,So it shall begin. Let’s see which path you shall choose, traitor. Will you save your friend who you’ve sworn to save, or the people you have sworn to protect?” After looking around for a few seconds, the man put his horse back into motion and continued on his path, with the other man following like a zombie.

Slightly west of Mournhold.

The small group walked along the path in total silence. After the little scene with the guards, nothing had happened, which was probably for the best.
,,So, why are you travelling with a Daedra?” Jana asked when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer.

,,What?” Repul muttered.
,,I asked why you were travelling with a Daedra. Don’t think I am too stupid to figure out that this Aureus is a Daedra. I just don’t know if he is Sheogorath or Molag Bal.”
The Redguard laughed.
,,Aureus, a Daedra! Nice try, girl.” He answered.
,,Hey, I’ve got a name, you know!”

Repul stopped and looked at her.
,,Really, well I hope you don’t expect me to simply know your name. I am good, but not that good.”
Jana sighed. This guy sure was annoying.
,,My name is Jana Mirhtri. And it is a much better name than yours.”
,,Hey, I worked long to find a name I could remember! So don’t go telling me that it is a bad name. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is easy to remember.” The Redguard responded with an angry tone.

Now Jana was surprised.
,,You mean it is not your real name?”
,,No, and I’m not telling you my real name. It is much too well known. I am not using my real name till I’ve ended my vacation!” Repul walked to the front of the group and left the girl behind.

,,She’s a curious one.” Aureus said with a chuckle.
,,Yeah, I noticed. And don’t you dare to tell her my name. Demi-god or not, I will still punch you if you do.” Repul responded.
Aureus didn’t answer. His eyes shot to the south.
,,No, it can’t be happening.” He muttered with disbelief.

He then turned around.
,,There is a change of plan. You shall all head for Skyrim. I am going back home. I shall meet you again by morning.” He said before walking off the path.
,,What’s happening?” Jalin asked.
,,The Silver Eyes are attacking the sanctuary.” Aureus whispered.
,,Then we shall all go!”

,,No, Jalin! It is a trap! They have put me before a choice, and I have chosen! I shall go and deal with them at the Sanctuary, you shall continue your chase.”
Jalin stepped towards the old man with his crossbow in his hand.
,,I will have to ignore your request. The sanctuary is also my home. I shall not allow anyone to harm my people.” He said with a grim voice.

Aureus looked at his old friend and then at the other two people in their group.
,,I suppose you two also want to come?” He said.
,,Hey, I don’t want to miss the fun!” Repul answered and dragged Jana with him as he moved towards the old man.
,,And that also means we’ll have to take miss vamp with us. We can’t leave her alone like this.” He continued with a big grin.

Aureus smiled. It felt good to know that he would have some help.
,,Fine. Take my hands and I shall transport us to the sanctuary. We shall spring the trap and make them regret what they’ve done.”

OMG!
More,More,More!
This is just becoming very intresting....

Oh, I think I know what this Repul's real name is. Anyway, I'm anxious to see what will happen at the sanctuary. Keep up the excellent work.

This is an amazing story Jack! Far better then my Xander story Just one thing...promise me you wont enter Aureus into the next Clash of the Titans. Anyone who can manhandle Vivec like he did would mop the floor with anyone.

It is always pleasing to hear that people like it.

Oh come on, Taillus. Please let me enter him. Nah, just joking. I've played with the idea myself but decided not to. For one, it wouldn't be fair for the other competitors. And the other thing is his personality. Knowing him, Aureus would smile and go straight for Hircine. And knowing his powers, Hircine doesn't stand a chance.

And your Xander story isn't bad at all.





Argonia

The town was empty when Aureus teleported them to the platform. Most of the huts had been burned down to the ground. The place was filled with an eerie silence.
,,No!” Jalin shouted and ran towards one of the few huts that were still standing. He’d never looked so angry. Inside, he came to a halt in front of the bodies of two death Altmer and fell on his knees.

No one said a word. They all just looked at the carnage. Whatever had happened, the two Altmer hadn’t died peacefully. Repul walked over to a basket that stood in one corner and lifted its cover. He then reached inside and pulled out a sobbing Breton girl of about six years old. ,,Well, looks like your hide and seek games paid off. You alright, Amarie?” The man said in a surprisingly friendly tone, like everyone’s favourite uncle.

,,Lup? You came back? Bad people came. I got scared and hid.” The girl managed to say between the sobbing. Repul cast a quick glance at Jana who was openly staring at him. She knew it wasn’t the time to worry about that, but there just was something familiar with that name.
,,Don’t worry. Everything is alright. I’m here now and I’ll have a small chat with these people in a language they understand. A language that includes the business-end of Chrysamere.” The Redguard said with a grim voice and put the Breton down next to where Jalin sat.
,,Why don’t you take care of your sister for now. You’re not in the mood for fighting.” He told the Altmer before walking outside.

,,Now come on out and play, you bloody cowards!” He shouted a second later. Aureus shook his head and walked out of the hut.
,,They’re not going to come if you shout, my friend. They want me, not you. Now that means they’re likely at my tower.” The old man said before walking away to the edge of town. The tip of a large tower could be seen over the treetops.

The vampires were indeed at the tower. There were five of them and they were all camping in front of the locked gates. They were feasting on the corpses of the people they killed while the surviving townspeople had apparently fled to the tower. Several of the survivors were now standing on top of the wall. Jana couldn’t believe what she saw. Was that a zombie with a bow up there?

The zombie nocked an arrow and fired it at one of the vampires below. The vampire caught the arrow and then threw it back at the zombie. Several arrows that were embedded in the zombie’s flesh showed that this had already happened before. The arrow flew straight at the zombie who made no attempt at avoiding it. Just before the arrow hit its target, it sailed to the left and bounced of the wall. The vampire looked at the arrow and the zombie without knowing what had happened before looking behind him and seeing what caused the arrow to change its course.
,,You have invaded the sanctuary that I’ve built and now you shall face the consequences. I have chosen your fate!” Aureus said while he stepped towards them with one of his katanas in his hand. Jana and Repul followed him.

Jana’s hand went to the broadsword on her back but she remembered what Aureus had told her and used Repul’s ring instead. A mighty Daedric Longsword formed in her hand which she looked at in amazement. It was the first time she saw anything made of Daedric. She shook her head and focussed her eyes on the approaching vampires. This wasn’t the time to admire a weapon. It was three against five, not exactly nice odds.

One vampire decided to pick the Dunmer as his target and he raised his sword above his head. It appeared to be a simple and easily avoided chop, but the vampire changed the angle of his attack with lightning speed and got under her sword. Jana felt blood flowing down her arm.
The pain caused her to panic and she wildly swung at the vampire who stepped back before stabbing at her leg. The second wound shook her awake and she went into a defensive stance.

Jana managed to cast a quick glance at her surroundings before returning her attention back to her opponent. Both Repul and Aureus were both fighting two vampires at the same time. Multiple magical shields were coming from the Redguard’s gauntlets and pauldrons, which made his defence nearly impenetrable. She saw how one vampire managed to pass the man’s sword and two shields, but his weapon bounced of the third, causing the vampire to lose his balance. Before he got his balance back, he’d already been cut in three different pieces.

Aureus didn’t had any shielding spells, but he didn’t need them as he moved just as fast as the two vampires he was fighting. He parried the attacks of one vampire with his katana while avoiding the attacks of the other. He then used a large wave of ice to make the vampires step back.

Jana didn’t had time to see more as her own opponent went into the offensive. Only the improved reflexes she’d received from her own vampirism allowed her to avoid the first attack. She fell on her back and the vampire stepped forward for the finishing blow, when a bolt of magicka shot from her glove. She rolled out of sword’s path and stood up. Blinded, the vampire never noticed how she got behind him.
,,Burn in Oblivion.” She said when she drove the Daedric blade through the vampire’s spine.

When she looked up, it was all over. Repul was standing near two piles of Vampire parts. The two vampires Aureus had been fighting with where nowhere to be found.
,,Where did yours go?” She asked and looked around warily.
Aureus smiled and pointed at the ground.
,,I buried them. They shall suffocate in the soil they wanted to drench with blood.” He said.

As I commented on Mr Oven´s story...what can i say......it´s just awesome....a rerally good and fascinating story......can´t wait for the next part!

Alright a small update with a small surprise. (Or not, you can't exactly say that I've been subtle about it as Griff already pointed out. ) What can I say, He's back!



Inside the tower.

That night, all the villagers had diner in Aureus’s tower. Since most of the food in the village had been stepped on or worse by the vampires, it was up to Aureus to provide a meal which he did, with a lot of Magicka. He sure seemed to have a spell for everything. Despite the carnage, everyone seemed surprisingly happy. That was most likely cause no one wanted to be remembered right now. There would be time to grieve the next day.

Jana looked around carefully while trying to enjoy her meal. Being a vampire had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were simple, faster reflexes and more strength. The disadvantages where not very pleasant though, sensitivity to the sun, fire and she looked like an old hag. Worst of all, the longer she spent without feeding, the more she thirsted for blood. Just the idea of biting someone made her want to vomit. Resisting the urge to feed was terribly difficult.

She was helped by the fact that not all the people triggered her lust for blood. Repul smelled like he had some kind of a disease while Jalin and his Breton sister didn’t seem tasty at all. She noticed that both the Altmer and the Breton had similar amulets hanging around their neck that looked like a small moon.

,,So what happened underneath the volcano, Lup?” Amarie asked as she climbed out of her chair and walked over the table towards the Redguard. Repul looked at Jana for a moment and then sighed.
,,Oh what the heck, you were bound to find out anyway. My real name is Luper Alkad. The one and only.” He told the Dunmer.
Jana’s mouth fell open in surprise.
,,Luper Alkad? You mean the Luper Alkad? The Nerevarine?” She stammered.

Luper rolled his eyes.
,,No, I’m his evil twin. Well, of course I am the Luper Alkad. Never heard of anyone else with the name, though they might have gotten around to naming children after me. And don’t you dare to act like a fan. I already got half the Vvardenfell population praising my name and I really don’t need any more fans.” He said in an annoyed tone before turning to the little Breton and telling her the story about the end of Dagoth Ur.

Somewhere during the meal, Aureus stood up and walked out of the door. He went up to the top of his tower and looked at the burned huts below.
,,My life’s work, so fragile.” He muttered and shook his head.
He then went to his bedroom where he put on his travelling clothes and strapped his two katanas to his belt. He then went back to the top of his tower and jumped.
Within seconds, he was high above the clouds and headed north.
,,It is time to end this.”

Thats suicide... both what you did to Vivic and what you did in Mournhold you'd never get away with being a Vamp there (I know I've tried)

I knew Repul was bound to be Luper from the moment I saw that the name was spelled backwards. Anyway, keep on with this excelent story, I will try to update mine meanwhile but school is eating me ALIVE! And don't forget, you still haven't told us why Aureus is so uber. Did he max out his skills with the console or something because it sure looks like it.

I definately have my suspicions that Aureus used the "~" key lol. He is way too strong! I would love to see him get into it with Taillus. I bet they would both give each other a good challenge.

A good chalenge? With his 1337 skills Aureus would mop the floor with Taillus! No matter how much Molag Bal helps Taillus. Heck, if Aureus getts mad he might even go after Molag Bal himself!

Tsk, young people just haven't seen true wisdom.
It isn't the size of the muscles that counts, it is the knowledge.
As they say, brains beat brawn. And mister Aureus has had plenty of time to stock up on knowledge and uber spells of doom. So, Taillus is pretty much toast unless Molag Bal comes along with all his daedra. And even then it will be pretty close.
Anyway, an update.


Argonia, next day

,,The same dream as always, won’t I ever get a different dream? Silvery mountains are getting old.” Jana muttered next day while she stood in front of the mirror. Her attempts at using make-up to make her look younger had turned out to be a disaster.
,,Now you’re up early.”
Jana turned around to see Luper standing in the doorway with an irritating big grin on his face.
,,Never heard of knocking?” She snapped back.

Surprisingly, the man’s grin could actually become even bigger, which it now did.
,,Nah, after nearly getting killed for knocking several times, I learned to just barge in with a sword in one hand and a fireball in the other. Besides, I wanted to test out your response. Well, you’re pathetic.”
,,Hey! That’s not nice, you know!” Jana was really frustrated. For a hero, Luper sure knew how to annoy people.
,,Come outside when you’re finished with the paint.” Luper was gone before she could respond with a particularly nasty insult.

Skyrim

The snow muffled the sound of his landing, but he had no doubts that he was already spotted. In front of him, the flanks of a silver mountain ascended up into the clouds that had blocked the sun for as long as he could remember. It was the first time he had seen the mountain outside his dreams since many years. He cast a life detection spell and saw the familiar purple hue enveloping the flanks of flowing silver. He frowned and drew one of his katanas. The same flowing material and the same response to the detection spell graced the blade of his sword.

,,Living steel. That I haven’t realized this sooner.” He muttered in amazement, without bothering to remember the official name of the material, which was much longer and more descriptive. He shook his head. This was no time to wonder why a mountain made of a material that wasn’t supposed to even exist on Nirn could be found in Skyrim.
Two vampires appeared in the opening with large spears in their hands.
,,I have returned. You shall either let me pass, or you shall try to resist me and seal your fate. Either way, I shall speak with your master.” The old man told them.

The man looked up when a vampire entered his room, followed by several more.
,,Aureus. So, you’ve come back. How long has it been?” He said with an evil smile.
,,Roughly 2500 years. I am not here to talk about the old days. I come here for more important matters.” Aureus responded with a dead serious face.
The man waved at one of his servants who came forward with a glass filled with a red substance.
,,I suppose this is because my men wrecked your lovely sanctuary? Are you thirsty, some wine?”

,,Don’t play the fool with me, Gerinj. I may have grown old, but I have not become rusty. If you believe that you can feed me blood without me noticing, you are mistaken. Besides, I am already well fed. Your men have attacked my sanctuary and have slain its inhabitants. We had an agreement. You wouldn’t bother me and I would let your people live.”
Gerinj laughed.
,,I believe it is you who broke our little agreement. Didn’t you help a little Dunmer slay part of my clan 400 years back?”
,,I only created his sword. I had no knowledge at the time that Athus would hunt down you. Speaking of Athus, what have you done with him?”

Gerinj laughed again.
,,Just some poetic justice. He’s still under the command of my first lieutenant. I’ll wait till the blessing of my blood has fully manifested itself before releasing his mind. The vampire hunter who becomes that which he hunts. Amusing, isn’t it?”
Aureus wasn’t laughing.
,,Your sense of humour is as horrible as ever. So you have cursed him with the blood. I agreed that I wouldn’t attack your men, but I never spoke of you.” Aureus said as his face stretched across his skull and his eyes turned white.

Gerinj bared his teeth.
,,Oh, you had to purge your blood. So you believe you need all of the abilities I gave you as a vampire to win? I granted you immortality, I deserve some gratitude. You are foolish, Aureus. With every passing day, we’ve grown stronger. Yes, you are more powerful than any mortal man, but I am the oldest. Every day I have worked to transcend my limits. You are nothing but a miserable bug and I shall crush you as one. Making the most skilled mage on the continent the first member of my clan has been a mistake.” He said and laughed again.

,,Tell me something, Areus. I see that you bear two katanas. Then why did I hear that you only use one?” He continued, calmer now.
,,I prefer to save that one for special occasions. Like now.” Aureus responded as he drew his weapon.
,,You are the oldest, but I have travelled the most.” He said and raised his blade.

The smile had disappeared on Gerinj’s face. He didn’t like to be confronted with something he didn’t recognize. Aureus’ katana was the strangest weapon he’d ever seen. It didn’t even look real. It seemed as if light itself had decided to become solid to form a ghostly blade.
,,What is that thing?” He muttered to himself and shut up when he noticed that he’d shown a weakness.
,,This sword is me. So it is two against one. Are you still so sure about your self?” Aureus responded with a thin smile.

Oh la la Mr Cloudy! very interesting.....It´s a pleasure to read this one!

I present you with a and a

Brilliant writing Jack! I just loved the discussion between Aureus and Gerinj, very epic. I also liked the cliffhanger ending. I expect a well written battle as the one you wrote between Arthago and Taillus. Keep up the great work!

*Bows humbly in front of the audience.*
Thank you, thank you.
Now an epic battle is going to be hard. I mean, what can I do to make it interesting when I have two guys with enough power to blow up Balmora in one big bang? I can't let them snipe at each other with little 1pt for 1 sec destruction spells, that would be silly. Anyway, update time.



Argonia

When she came out of the tower half an hour later, she was ready for anything. But she hadn’t expected what she saw right in front of her eyes. A werewolf was using its inhuman strength to knock over trees which would then be dragged away and chopped in usable pieces by the villagers for later use in rebuilding the village. A bit further, a couple of children, including Jalin’s sister were playing hide and seek with the zombie. Jana shook her head. This was one weird place.

,,Catch!” Jana turned around just in time to have a wooden stick smack into her face.
,,Ouch! What was that good for?!” She yelled in frustration and promptly hurled the piece of wood back.
Luper easily caught it and threw it back to her, a bit slower this time.
,,Well sorry, I didn’t know your reflexes are that pathetic. You’re a vampire, for Daedra’s sake. I hate to think how slow you were before you got infected.” He said with one of his grins.

,,Now I prefer to keep my job as simple as possible. So to make sure that I won’t have to watch you all the time, I decided to turn you into something more useful. Swing it.” He continued in a serious tone. Jana was in quite a bad mood. For some reason, the man constantly got on her nerves. Still, she swung the stick.
The Redguard shook his head.
,,No no, you’re doing it all wrong. You’re too slow. Even my grandma is faster, and she never even existed. You freeze at the end of each swing. Don’t try to stop the stick, you’ve got to use the weight and momentum of it to help power your next swing. Like this.”

For the next few hours, Jana embarrassed herself in front of the village as she got sword-lessons from the Nerevarine. She wasn’t all that bad, but next to the Redguard she was just horrible. Redguards truly were the best swordfighters in all of Tamriel.

,,The idea that Redguards are simply born to be swordfighters is just a fantasy. Redguard kids just get sticks to play with and a bunch of parents who are usually quite proud on whatever sword-skills they might have. It is cultural, not natural. Besides, I only look like a Redguard. I’m really just Azura’s latest toy. I’m a Daedra. So who said that only Redguards are good with a sword? Now go try that spin again.” Was everything Luper was willing to say about the subject.

Skyrim

Aureus lunged forward with a quick thrust and then backed away to look at the vampire’s response. He hadn’t seen the man for about 2500 years and he had never fought him before. Rushing in without thinking would be suicide.
The vampire dodged the thrust and took a Daedric Claymore of a rack that stood against the wall. The weapon glowed with a deadly enchantment.
,,Your sword may be nice as a torch, but mine is made from the most powerful material found on Nirn!” He shouted and swung the mighty blade down with enough force to shatter a rock the size of a man.

Aureus blocked the blade and then performed a quick spin that caused his own ghostly blade to flow through the Daedric Claymore as if it was a mere illusion. The sight and sound of the Daedric blade falling onto the ground however proved that Aureus’ sword was very real. The vampire looked at the hilt and the small bit of the blade that he still held in his hands. His expression was that of utter shock.
,,The smith who has created my sword is not from Nirn, nor is the sword itself.” Aureus calmly said.

Nearly simultaneously, both men raised there hands and conjured two waves of Magicka that crashed into each other in a devastating explosion. They both raised a magical shield to deal with the Magicka that washed over them.

The man who stood near the entrance looked at it all, with jealousy. So this was the power that Lucis had. He was furious to know that he would never be as powerful as the man whose place he had taken 2000 years ago. The outer edge of the massive explosion caused his skin to burn. He decided that it would be best to let the Imperial get killed without watching the fight. It would be much safer if he went to check on their captive.

The Dunmer was where he’d left him, with Daedric shackles around his limbs that tied him to the floor instead of the wall as would be the usual method. That was one of the things the man found annoying about this place. Every single time they tried to cut a hole in the strange silvery walls, the material would fill up the hole before they could do anything useful with it. Only the natural rock underneath the ground made normal construction possible.

An evil smile took hold of the man’s face when he finally released the spell. Athus came to his sense and noticed soon enough that he was securely pinned to the floor. Resistance was futile.
,,Why didn’t you just kill me, abomination?” He whispered and stared at his captive.
,,Trust me, that would have been easy and my preferred course of action. But my master decided otherwise. No, he has something much more painful and infinitely more satisfying in mind. Enjoy your last free moments, for they are all you shall have before facing eternity as our slave.”

Strange village that is. Anyway, some things were a little confusing, for example, who is Lucis? The guy that took Athus captive? I thought Aureus was fighting Gerinj but anyway. And btw, is that "My grandma is faster than you!" bit borrowed from the Redguard in the Arena or is it just me? I liked that guy. Well, keep up the great work!

I do agree that it is wisdom that is true power. Taillus is really nothing... He got whooped by Xander who is definately not into the brawn department as much as most... anyway nice update for sure. You definately deserve some awards for the cursed blood story because it is world class. You should be proud!