I like the mixture of Maxical being thoughtful and analytic and totally scatter-brained in the same post. When she's thinking tactics for fighting, she knows her stuff, but on other topics, she remains delightfully uninformed.

I have a feeling that Maxical and her new spell are going to further her reputation for major accidents. At least this one probably doesn't cause "extensive property damage" when she gets it wrong.

I can imagine that when dealing with a baby razorback boar there are a few folks for whom the important word is “baby,” while the rest of us can only see a RAZORBACK BOAR!! Oh my goodness! What a sweet and hilarious story, thank you for sharing it!



That struck me as particularly funny! Maxical picked him a great present, he loves it!

It was fun to hear them talking about Janus. Maxical has a very humorous way of telling things.

Maxical is sharing a tub with the delicious Eyja?! And Gils is missing it!! Good grief, now she knows a spell to undress people and one to undress herself. I can’t wait to see how that works out for her!! What a fun episode, with the promise of mishaps to come!

Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the summary! I've had an unexpectedly busy week but once I've read the summary I will continue reading the story from where it was left off, that way I have a much better understanding of exactly what I'm reading, although I've pretty much understood enough already

Thank you mALX!!!!

I agree! Sylvester the 200 pound razorbaby!

I gaped at him, stunned. “How do you remember the tiniest details of a conversation over a week ago, when I could swear you didn’t listen at the time?”
Because he’s the Emperor! He sees things lesser men cannot. At least that’s what Baurus says.

“Well, first he insisted he was considered quite handsome by many. I think by many he means Hal-Liurz. She dotes on him, and has large enough breasts to be considered a multitude.”
Well it may be that Hal’s cups runneth over, but she can’t fit a sword, bottle of wine and bottle of brandy all in the front of her cuirass like our much more modestly mammoried magnificent Maxical manages to do! Between poor Hal and Eyja, poor Maxical was held captive between the Argonian’s sea swelling breasts and the threatening lungers of Eyja’s trying to leap from her skimpy outfit.

I loved Maxical’s comparative assessment of Janus and Malan.

Uriel is wise to divest the sisters for now, given the hold Malan has over them.

I confess that at first mention of the golden tub, my thoughts flew straight to Alix the Mouse; however, Maxical and Eyja put it to much better use. What a delight the interaction between them was! Poor Maxical – Eyja’s built for comfort and Maxical’s built for, well, massive unintentional destruction.

This was just such a fun read! I love how you are using Maxical to develop Eyja into such a fun character.

Aww, Uriel gets his birthday gift! A nice beautiful sword, too! So the "prostite Eyja" is teaching Maxical the ropes. Um, her nudity/undress spell is a nice touch! Did Sanguine teach her that? Haha. Nice touch between Janus' personality and Malan's one. One is a gentleman and the other is a..chaotic gentleman? I don't know why, but I loved the fact that Maxical heated the bath water with a fire spell! It was very creative and a nice touch! Maxical's over-use of oil was very predictable, it makes so much sense she would do such a thing. I found the comparison between Eyja and Max intruiging in a non-perverted sense. So Eyja strikes me as the large volumptous women we see in old Roman paintings and Maxical, erh, is the lithe girl with the mosquito bites on her chest? . Ending was great, so blood-selling is a quick way to make coin. A person willing to be cattle? I did recall something like that posted in another chapter, nice of you to refresh our memory.

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@ King Coin - ROFL !!! Not too creepy to loot, just explore? I think you are right, lol. Thank you so much KC !!!

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@ Ghastley - Thank you so much Ghastley !! I really appreciate your kind words !! Oh yeah, I see big trouble ahead with her having a spell like that, lol. Technically it is the “Basic Instincts” mod, which adds a spell that strips anyone’s clothing off. The first day I DL’d it I went all around Cyrodiil stirring havoc because they run after they become naked. Well, then I happened into the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary to strip down Vicente and caught Ocheeva with it - and discovered a WHOLE nother side to that spell that I didn’t know it had !! Thanks again Ghastley !!!

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@ Grits - You are right, too. A nine pound razorback is just a cute little piglet. At 200 pounds + and with tusks curving out it is a whole different story. They are hugely intelligent and a lot of fun to train because they will do anything for a potato chip or vanilla ice cream. But as adults they are really dangerous when mad, and they have terrible tempers. I used to dress him in baby clothes, then kid clothes, then adult clothes. When he got huge it was just a bandana and his leash when he went on walks. I used to tether him on a 30’ chain when camping, no one would dare come near the RV, lol.

I loved your comments, thank you so much for your kind words !!! PS - you get to see that pic I PM’d you in this upcoming chapter, lol. Thank you so very much Grits !!!

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@ Rihanae - Anytime, Rihanae !! It is a long story, and that summary should ease some of that (plus it has pictures!), lol. Thank you so much Rihanae !!!

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@ Acadian - First off, YEAH !!! You are back !!! Thank you so very much for your kind words, Acadian !! And you were missed !!!

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@ Darkness Eternal - I kind of was struck by the idea that a vampire using the services of a prostitute might want to also feed on them to hide their vampire features - and enjoy some warm (albeit tainted tasting) blood rather than feed on stagnant cattle blood - it just seemed so right to me that they would do it and pay well for the service.

Malan had been feeding off the Khajiit women to keep down his frenzy for Maxical’s virgin blood, but now that they are gone there could be trouble, lol.

Your whole comment absolutely made my day, Thank you so much Darkness !!!!


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Chapter 152: Bird Trouble



My curiosity overcame good manners. “Eyja, what is it like being with an ancient? Is it different than being with a man?”

“Oh Maxical, you’re not thinking about Janus are you?”

“Ew, no. It is just that you said he was your regular client, it just got me curious. I mean, I’ve seen his fangs and stuff.”

“You get used to that, after a while it doesn’t bother you anymore. If the price is right I could get used to looking at a mudcrab.”

“Bwaahaa. Is it any different though?”

“I don’t know how to explain it to you. If they live as a vampire, there is a vast difference. Hassildor doesn’t, so there was no difference there.”

“How can he not be living as a vampire? He has fangs and pink eyes, I‘ve seen them.” I soaped up one of the sponges and started washing up before the water chilled again.

“That is the vampire features, not the nature. The nature is the beast within them. Every now and then the Earl of Imbel hires my services, his nature is always out. He’s Breton, but he’d put a Dunmer to shame.” Eyja raised her eyebrows twice. “And he doesn‘t grumble afterwards how lacking your best efforts were like Dunmer do.” She rolled her eyes.

“I sometimes wonder if Dunmer don’t fake their pickiness. I mean, they bed everyone that asks, but then talk about how terrible it was later to anyone who will listen. Gils complained loudly to Owyn after every time he bred someone that he‘d have been better off using his hand. Almost like bragging, you know?”

“I know. They keep those damn mysteries like a sacred secret, I’ve tried to buy them before. Even Dunmer living in a hovel won’t sell that knowledge no matter how much you offer. You‘d think they‘d be happy to.”

“Sharing them with anyone but their first wife is breaking tenets, that’s death to both the man and the woman he taught them to.”

“But who would know they told?” She signaled me to hand her a sponge and soap cake.

“Anyone who bedded you afterward, I guess. Fathis could tell after just one kiss. Eyja, is there some kind of trick to pleasing ancients like the mysteries for Dunmer?”

“Not that I know of, I never asked.”






***


“Weren’t you curious?“

“Now that you’ve brought it up I am. Why would you want to know that?” She began soaping her breasts. I squinched my eyes trying to keep them from bugging out, but finally gave up the struggle to keep from ogling at the sight.

“Dear gods, I’ve bathed with women all my life…it just never looked like this before.”

“BWAAAHAAA! So tell me why you want to know.”

“Huh? Oh, no reason. Cats are curious about everything. Knowledge is power. If you know an enemy’s weaknesses you can exploit them.”

“You are smart to think that waaaay…what the hell is that?” Eyja pointed up at the glass domed ceiling above us.

“GAAAAH! It’s Malan or Jak! Dear gods, he’s coming right toward us!”

The bird was plummeting fast, too fast to stop in time when he reached the dome. He crashed into the glass directly above our bathtub. His tongue was hanging from a gaped open mouth and his eyes seemed to be bulging from his head at us right before he appeared to pass out in a dead faint.


Janus Hassildor in bird form spying Eyja bathing


Eyja jumped up, gasping. “What made him fly into the glass that way?”

“I think he fell out of the sky seeing you washing your breasts. I told you it was a sight.”

“Are you saying that bird is a vampire?”

“Yeah. It must be Jak, I think he is either sickly or a drunk. He staggered around clutching his stomach at the Arena, and again last night. I’ve never seen what he looks like as a vampire, but I’ve seen Malan. There is nothing puny about him. He is very healthy, and quite…er…built.”

“You’ve actually seen Malan face to face? Tell me about it.”

“When we get out of this tub. I feel like a fat worm when those birds are above me. In comparison you may look like a smorgasbord of them.”






***


“Yes, lets.” Eyja tried to help me up, but both of us had to clutch each other to keep from falling as we began slipping and sliding in the oily tub. “Good gods, it’s too slick to stand! You used too much bath oil!”

“Look, he is coming to. His eyes are bulging dreadfully and he looks ill, do you think he is burning from the sunlight?“

“Maybe, I didn’t even know they transformed to birds. Look, he’s fainted again. Let‘s get out of here quickly.” Eyja helped me out and we both grabbed towels from the stack.

“I need to go tell Uriel what is going on, are you coming with me?”

“I’m supposed to be resting, but I don’t know how Uriel expects me to sleep with a giant bird over my head. I may go down to Evangeline’s and sleep.”

“Maxical, if there are vampires nearby you’d better stay close to me. BWAAAAH! He’s gotten down on the ledge, he’s trying to come inside! Wha…what happened?“

“Nissy greased all the ledges so no one could access these windows. He slid off…oh look, he is trying to fly back up but his wings and feet are heavy with the grease.”

Eyja pointed. “Look, the bird nearly fell over the wall into the next district.”

“Elven Gardens. He must be going to Luther Broad’s for relief, he staffs hookers. We‘ll need to get a shade for the dome if you are going to be in here bathing.”

“BWAAAHAAA, oh you are bad. We are going to get along just fine, I can see that.”

“He’s gone now, and I’d sure like to practice this spell you taught me.”

“Better not, you’re in Uriel’s good graces right now after giving him that sword. He really loves it, you should have seen him with it after you left. His good mood won‘t last if you get into trouble.”

“Okay, I won’t since it‘s his birthday. I’m glad he liked the sword.”

“Besides, he’s working hard to get your man here for you. He’s learned the trick to getting along with you.”

“Baiting me because if I’m angry first it gives him control over his own temper?”

“Yes, how did you know? He is enjoying it hugely.”

“I know. And we have been getting along surprisingly well since he started doing it. Before that I wasn‘t sure if I should sleep soundly in case he chose to choke his Champion to death in her sleep.”






***


Eyja went back in with Uriel so I could sleep, as if I could. The day was passing too quickly, and no word had been sent about Gils. The more I thought about what Sir Damien had said earlier, the angrier I got and the more tense I was.

Eyja said Uriel was working hard to get Gils here, somehow I doubted that. Uriel didn’t care who bred me, as long as someone did. It didn’t matter to him that I cared who.

I cast chameleon immediately when Eyja left for Uriel’s quarters, and began checking around for Sir Damien. He was no where in sight, and a Life Detect spell didn’t show his tall form anywhere.

Evangeline wasn’t in her room, and the pram was gone as well. Dear gods, was she strolling around with a mouse in a pram out in public? She was. I didn’t need to catch the glimpse of her I did out the window to know, it was on the joking lips of the Palace Guards as I passed. I was really beginning to worry about Evangeline.

I hurried out of the Palace, keeping my eyes peeled for Sir Damien. I don’t know how he had seen me leaving Evangeline’s before, but I wasn’t taking any chances on him catching me again.

Before pushing through the heavy gates to the Arena district I could hear the sounds of mages in battle and those horrible screams of vampires dying. Uriel was right they were battling day and night.

Beneath my feet the ground shook slightly with a low rumble. They had to be blasting the sewers, herding them to the Arena and into the sunlight. They could seal that heavy metal grate off nights to keep the vampires trapped below, and open it during the daytime so if they emerged into the Arena proper it would be to burn in the sunlight and be attacked by the army. They must have that tunnel entrance to the Bloodworks sealed off too, but what about Pork Chop? Were they leaving him out there as a meal for the vampires?

And Gils had no magic, I hoped he was ranged with a bow or Ocato was keeping him well supplied in Cure Disease potions if he was sending him out there with just a sword.

Ocato’s horse was standing outside the Bloodworks with his reins dropped to the ground, but as I approached Ocato himself emerged through the door and hurried to the horse. The Bloodworks door slammed shut before I could get past the horse, it blocked my way. Ocato tossed the reins lightly over the horse’s head and held up his leg for some underling to toss him into the saddle.

The temptation was too great. He reached down to check the girth and slide his foot into the stirrups and I slapped my hand down hard on the horse’s rump. Surprisingly, Ocato held his seat in spite of the horse’s sudden lunge headlong down the grassway.

A woman’s tinkling laugh sounded close by my ear. My first thought was, ‘AHA! Captain Renault!’, but I glanced around and there was no one there at all. A hand grasped firmly on my arm as if I wasn‘t in chameleon, but no one was there.

“GAAAAAH!”






***


“Shut-up, you idiot! We’ll get thrown out of here if they catch us!” A female voice hissed and the hand dragged me into the bushes.

To my shock it was not Sir Damien this time. “Eyja?”

“Yeah. I saw you creeping out of the Royal Quarters in chameleon, thought I’d see where you were going. Where are you going?”

“Er…nowhere? I mean here. But how did you see me in chameleon? I didn’t hear any magic being cast.”

“I wear a Detect Life ring at all times. You want one?”

“Sure! Thanks, that‘s a good idea.” Sir Damien must wear one too, that explains how he saw me in chameleon earlier.

She plopped a ring in my hand and I slid it on. Eyja appeared as two large round plump glowing pink blobs beside me.

“Dear gods, all I can see is your breasts in the magic detection!”

“I’m squatted, you idiot! So tell the truth, you sneaking down here to see a man?”

“Yeah, my husband. I haven’t seen him since the war started. Er…I was just seeing if he is okay.”

“You’re voice sounds pretty upset, are you okay?”

“I’ve been better, I guess.”

“Maxical, are you in some kind of trouble or just trying to stir some [censored]?“

“A bit of both.”

“Then tell me what’s going on here, are you trying to see if he’s cheating on you?” She stood up, so I did too.

“Yes. Please don’t tell Sir Damien about me being here. He said my husband was up Captain Renault’s butt so tight that Ocato needed a pry to get them apart to fight the vampires. I just was…er…verifying the truth.”

“Foxy said that?” Eyja’s voice sounded surprised.

“Maybe he worded it differently, but technically that was what he said.”

“Captain Renault is a [censored], a real [censored] [censored]. Not in a good way, either.”

“That’s what I think of her too.”

“I’m coming in with you. Maxical. I hope it’s not true, for your sake.”



*

Maxical and Eyja getting some girl talk in during the bath. That’s cute! And Maxical’s still ogling!

Eyja’s effect on Janus was hilarious!

“He’s gone now, and I’d sure like to practice this spell you taught me.”

“Better not, you’re in Uriel’s good graces right now after giving him that sword. He really loves it, you should have seen him with it after you left. His good mood won‘t last if you get into trouble.”
Good thinking Eyja. Looking out for Maxical already. Or just doesn’t want to deal with a grumpy emperor either.

Evangeline sounds like she’s gone a little insane.

Tinkling laugh? Did Eyja follow Maxical? She did. I’m pleased she’s with actually; she might help curb the inevitable chaos Maxical will create.

‘Eyja raised her eyebrows twice.’
This brings back such cherished memories form Maxical 1.0. Only this is better because I am imagining the mayhem that Eyja can cause with Maxical in tow!

“I wear a Detect Life ring at all times.”
Hee! I know someone else who sees her world as pink glows.

Very nicely done scene in the bath with the girl talk.

The picture and bird overhead were hilarious!

I love how you paired Maxical up with Eyja! If Maxical continues talking (and she will of course), I bet/hope Eyja will sort out the FauxFoxy in short order. There’s so much more goodness to Eyja than big boobs and a tinkling laugh.

I so hope Gils is not up Captain Renault’s butt! For the love of Akatosh, that wench doesn’t even have a tail!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record – um, not saying that you’re old enough to remember records, mind you – this continues to be just so much [censored] fun to read!

Great girl chat in the bath! Eyja soaping up reminds me of my voluptuous college roommate. It was hard to believe she could pack all that into a tennis dress. (And the fact that she could run at all surely broke some law of physics.) Three women and one tiny bathroom meant jockeying for position in there on a daily basis. The only way to feel good about yourself after a shower incident was to challenge her to a spelling contest.


Woo hoo, Janus the bug-eyed bird falls out of the sky!! I love it! That picture is hilarious, I laugh every time I think of it! The bath oil mishap was hysterical, and then Janus nearly battered himself to death before falling out of the sky. Very smooth!


Eyja knows Maxical already! These two are awesome together. I am loving their adventures! And I’m glad Eyja is with Maxical right now, with the threat of Gils having crawled up somewhere that he doesn’t belong.

Motto: "Knowledge is power. If you know an enemy’s weaknesses you can exploit them.”

The bird(owl?) and or Janus Hassildor oogling them was hilarious. I would of the done the same if two women were taking a bath . +10 for a peeping Tom Janus. Rona would be dissapointed.

"Dear gods, I’ve bathed with women all my life…it just never looked like this before.”
Haha..does Maxical feel intimidated by Eyja's large bewbs? They must indeed be a sight for her eyes to threaten to bug out like Hassildor's! This is so comical and I love it! Poor Janus. *Insert one-handed skill increase joke here*.

On a more serious note, I liked some lore in this: That is the vampire features, not the nature. The nature is the beast within them. Every now and then the Earl of Imbel hires my services, his nature is always out. He’s Breton, but he’d put a Dunmer to shame.”

Her services, eh?

Once again I can't help my self to picture the hilarious scene of Maxical and Eyja slipping and slidding as they tried to leave, and Janus trying desperately to fly.

A tiny concern, what is Captain Renalt exactly? The censors seemed to hide out the words, obviously, since they are vulgar. But you never tried to bypass the censor? Just a question I had. The mods don't seem to have a presence around here as I imagined.

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@ King Coin - Thank you so much KC !!! Setting Eyja over Maxical to keep her out of trouble is like letting a lit match guard the gasoline. Eyja's chaos is usually more deadly than Maxical's, but hers is precision and deliberate where Maxical's is accidental/incidental.

Uriel's way of not letting anyone know what anyone else is doing leaves Maxical not knowing Eyja is supposed to be guiding her, and Eyja's task is to do it without Maxical knowing she is. I don't see that going well, lol. Thanks again, KC !!!

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@ Acadian - Your comment had me rolling !!! First off, I am so glad you remember Eyja's own brand of havoc from Maxical's first story - she can turn a place upside down just as well as Maxical can, but in her case it is always deliberate, lol. Thank you so very much Acadian !!!

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@ Grits - ROFL on your college roomate !!! I am so glad everyone got as big a kick out of that picture as I did - I found that picture online and had to use it - that scene was written around it.

I know it didn't come out in that chapter (but it will in an upcoming chapter) - that bird could only be Janus Hassildor, he is the only vampire capable of making that face when in bird form, lol. As soon as I saw that picture I knew it had to be Janus ogling someone naked, and Maxical was just not enticing enough - it had to be Eyja (or just two women together naked in a tub), lol.

Thank you so much Grits !!!

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(and thank you Foxy for your Awesome email comment, you had me in hysterics !!!)

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@ Darkness Eternal - I just spewed Pepsi all over my monitor at your "one handed skill increase" joke. You were right about the Romanesque style of Eyja's build, and Maxical's intimidation by being in a side-by-side comparison with her.

Captain Renault = (in the very beginning of your Oblivion game doing that tutorial dungeon before Uriel Septim dies - Captain Renault is the bossy female Blade that is the first to die after you leave your jail cell.

I really appreciate your comments on the vampire lore/world building, Thank you so much Darkness!


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Chapter 153: Breaking Into The Bloodworks



“Sir Damien said they were having this torrid sleazy affair in the bathing room, that’s the second door on the right.” I squatted down to creep more quietly.

“Foxy said torrid sleazy affair?” Eyja sounded surprised.

“Not exactly in those words, but he may as well have.”

“Lead the way.” Eyja squatted down and wedged closer to me till her rounded breasts were brushing my arm.

“Geez, are those things going to be knocking against me the whole way? I’m trying to sneak here.“

“You want me a little further back?”

My pink form gaped at hers. “Yeah, a little. Er…if I find my husband, we may want to spend a little time being private.”

“Don’t worry about me, I never have trouble finding fun in a room full of men that have been away from their women for a week.”

“Oh. Well just stay away from any Dunmer till I make sure they aren’t Gils.”

“This Gils is someone you met at the Arena, right? He’s not the singer, is he?”

“Yeah, he‘s the singer.”

“Lucky you.”

“Not yet, I‘m hoping though.”

“But didn’t you say it was your husband?”

“Yeah well, we didn’t get around to it yet with the war on and all.”

“Wait a minute! Didn’t I read in the Courier that you and Fathis Aren were married?” Her pink form stood up.

“Yeah, I married them both by accident.”

“That’s some kind of accident! What are you, on some mission to get every Dunmer in Cyrodiil? So, how was it with Fathis? I‘ve heard women beat down his doors.” She squatted back down and nudged me.







***


“I don’t know, the war broke out before we could…you know.”

“Are you kidding me? Married to two Dunmer and didn’t have either?” The pink form stood back up.

“Tell me something, Maxical. How do you marry the two most eligible Dunmer in Cyrodiil and are still a virgin?”

“It’s a mystery to me.“

“BWAAHAA!” She squatted down and then flew straight back up. “Hey, wait a minute! Maxical, were you telling the truth? Are you really a virgin? I thought…I mean, some girls lie about it.”

“Can we just get in there? You‘re making me seasick going up and down that way!”

“You don’t understand, Maxical. You can’t be here if you are! These ancients will smell you, you’ll be in danger! Once you lose that you should be safe, but…”

“Why do you think I’m here? I mean, other than to use Captain Renault’s whip on her if she’s with my man.”

“You really have her whip? Oh, I’m going to enjoy getting to know you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think she’d miss it. She had a whole wall full of different ones in her bedroom, spiked dog collars and stuff. Oh, and since you like boots so much, hers have spurs on them and steel plating on the toe.”

“I may have to write that down…”

I stood up. “Eyja, they could have mated two or three times by now, can we just get in there?”

“I’m waiting for you.”

“Then let’s go!” I squatted back down and moved to the door. As soon as it opened from within I eased past whoever was walking out. I didn’t look to see if Eyja followed, just made my way into the bathing room.

The bathing room was packed with mattresses set up barracks style now. Many of them had men still in all their armor sleeping on them, as if they may be called up any time from a sound sleep.

My eyes went to the corner Gils and I had shared. There were two mattresses still pushed together there, but I hesitated to go smell them until I knew he hadn’t been with her on them.






***


We were barely halfway in when the door opened and a Redguard came in, the same one with the laughing eyes that had come here with Captain Renault when they first took over the Bloodworks.

He walked directly toward us as if he could see us and I froze in place, holding my breath tightly so he‘d not hear the sound of breathing. He stopped within feet of us and just stood there for a second before beginning to remove his armor and drop it on the floor. Thank goodness, this must just be his mat. Still, we’d have to wait till he was asleep to move.

He was too close to us not to hear our breathing, so I kept holding my breath. My lungs were beginning to feel like they may burst if I didn’t take a breath soon, I knew when I finally did it would end up being loud from holding it so long. Maybe it would be better to take the chance on moving while he was taking off his greaves…

“PAAAAH! Dear gods, [censored] [censored]! Look at the size of that [censored] [censored] thing!” I gasped. A snort echoed from behind me, I assumed from Pork Chop‘s pen.

Eyja clamped her hand over my mouth, then bopped me hard on my head. “You idiot!”

“OW!”

“Who’s there?” Baurus moved cautiously toward us, the massive sword that had shocked me into outburst making jiggling movements and slapping his thighs as he moved.

“Holy [censored] crap, it‘s moving! [Censored]! Dear gods, [Censored] [censored]!“ Another snort sounded.

I saw Eyja’ pink form stand up, then she dispelled her chameleon. “Hey, ain’t you Baurus? It’s me, Eyja. Remember me? We met at Olav's Tap and Tack in Bruma? Sorry about that, my idiot friend here has never seen a Redguard naked before.” She raised her eyebrows twice at him before moving her eyes back down to his enormous appendage. “You must be quite…proud.”

“The horse probably was proud too before Baurus stole that from it, [censored]!.“ I was still gaping.

“BWAAAHAAA!” Eyja shrieked, dispelling my chameleon without any indication to me that she was going to.

I was caught gaping, and Eyja screamed in laughter. Another snort sounded behind me, Pork Chop must recognize my scent or voice since his pen was the only thing back there.

“SHHH! Eyja, how did you get in here? You can’t be in here at all! You and your friend…oh, hey, I know her! It’s that white cat that was naked in here when we took over the Bloodworks! Eyja, you’ve got to get out of here.”






***


Eyja silenced him by whispering something in his ear, signaling me to move away. I cast chameleon and made my way down to what used to be Gils’s mat and felt around while Eyja flirted outrageously with Baurus. Gils used to keep his things under his mattress or in the alcove behind the mirror. There was nothing under either his mattress or the one I used to sleep on beside him. I moved quietly over to the mirror and slid it aside.

Inside was Gils’ stack of dirty magazines. I pulled each out, tipping them upside down and shaking them. Sometimes Gils hid stuff in them that was important to him. There was flyers for all his special event fights, and several dated drawings he’d made of memories that were special to him.

There was a drawing from my first day at the Bloodworks, the day we met. Another was our first kiss on the banks of the Rumare. Behind the stack of dirty books was the rolled up deed for that mansion in Anvil he’d bought for us, and a drawing I’d never seen before.

It was Azura between the two moons, the light coming from her toe and shining on a white Khajiit with red hair kneeling on the lush green forest floor. He had captured the night he started me in the drawing, everything exactly as I’d described it to him. Surely he wouldn’t have done that if I meant as little to him as Sir Damien said?

There certainly wasn’t any mementos of anyone new in there. I pulled the dagger Uriel had supplied me from my waistband and cut a hunk off my hair at the bottom of my pony-tail, tucking it into the artwork and rolling it back up. I made sure to lay it differently than how I found it, so he’d know it had been tampered with.

Eyja was definitely keeping Baurus’s eyes busy. She kept scratching at her breasts…dear gods, I hope there weren’t fleas in here.

I tiptoed back to Gils’s mat and lay down on it, breathing in what should have been his familiar scent…but it wasn’t there. Maybe they had to share mats when shifting each other. The scent was of dirty armor, Gils never went to bed dirty. My mat smelled the same as Gils’ had, dirty armor and war.

I glanced around the room at the sleeping men, their closed eyes sunk in dark sockets…exhaustion. All sleeping in dirty armor. There were some packs set up beside the mats in use, none of them belonged to Gils either. Was he sleeping in another area? A search of the entire Bloodworks showed no sign of Gils anywhere, not his pack…no moonsugar on my tongue. He wasn’t here.

When no one was walking by the storage room I gapped the door slightly and squeezed in. It had the same high air vents bringing daylight in as the bathing room did, but was on the east side of the building. Once the sun was overhead or to the west it got very little light coming in.

The walls in the storage room were dark stone instead of the shiny light colored tiles of the bathing room, and none of the candles in the sconces were lit in here. I was hesitant to take the chance of being caught by lighting any. Even with my Khajiit night vision I could barely see in there till my eyes became accustomed to the dimness.






***


The storeroom was probably the only place left in the Bloodworks that had the same look and feel as it had before the war. The crates of equipment stacked just as they had been…no, not exactly the same. The stacks of unused mats in the back was gone. Every one of them must be in use in the outer rooms, it looked like a barracks the way they had the Bloodworks set up.

The familiar scent of the Bloodworks was gone since the army had taken over, but in here it smelled the same as it always had….musty old equipment, neatsfoot oil, steel and leather. I’d been in here many times before, and somehow just being able to touch something that symbolized a time when I was happy…it felt like home to me in a way the Palace never could.

I propped an old broken iron shield up under the door handle so no one could walk in on me and started glancing over the familiar, wishing this was all a bad nightmare that I could wake from…wishing when I left this storeroom everything would be back the way it was before all this started.

The spot where the unused mats had been was now a cleared space in the far end, blocked off except by a narrow path between stacks of crates as if someone had deliberately moved them to obscure that area from the sight of anyone in the doorway. That was odd. I turned sideways and slid between the blockade to see what was hidden there.

The first thing that caught my eye was my own glass armor, the one Fathis had bought me in Anvil. I nearly cried seeing it again. Part of me loved the armor, but I hated it too. It was a memory of everything that led up to me being here now.

Fathis was seeking Gils to kill him when he bought it. I wore it that morning the war started, wore it to tell Fathis I was ending it with him. Fathis was killed nearly in front of me while wearing it…and everything that passed since. I loved it because it was the last thing Fathis bought me…hated it for everything it stood for since. I pulled the cuirass out to see what was behind it and nearly cried again. It had been leaned against my pack. My sheath and sword were on the floor, pushed up against the wall behind that.

Just seeing my things together, here in the Bloodworks…it seemed so long ago that everything had been normal, and my worst worry was saying the wrong thing in an interview with Hassiri.



*

And Maxical discovers the ominous absence of Gils.

’The familiar scent of the Bloodworks was gone since the army had taken over, but in here it smelled the same as it always had….musty old equipment, neatsfoot oil, steel and leather. I’d been in here many times before, and somehow just being able to touch something that symbolized a time when I was happy…it felt like home to me in a way the Palace never could.’
I really liked this because of your rich use of smell to create the atmosphere and transition to Maxical’s rumination of what this place meant to her.

That's just funny right there that is... ...

Eyja makes me think of Christina Hendricks character in Firefly...Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking... ...

Love it!!...

Completely insane story this is... ...

Brilliant!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

As Acadian mentioned, I also really like how Maxical’s Khajiit sense of smell played into this chapter.


This part felt very true to returning to a place that used to be home (even under considerably less dramatic circumstances). It’s hard to face the things that have changed, but the things that are still familiar really tug the heart. Also, how Maxical to brace the door first.


Never mind about saying the wrong thing when confronted by a bare Blade. Perhaps all of the crouching was a bad idea. But really, it was touching to see Maxical grieving for what has been lost while still searching for Gils. Before she had too many husbands, and now she might not have even one.

Also, I was very tired the first time I read this chapter, so when I got to:

Her pink what did WHAT?! Oh right, they’re in Chameleon with Life Detect rings.

This was the first thing I saw coming over here to read!

“Tell me something, Maxical. How do you marry the two most eligible Dunmer in Cyrodiil and are still a virgin?”

“It’s a mystery to me.“
Lol! I thought of the Dunmer mysteries too. Was that intentional?

Baurus! Wait what’s he doing? MAXICAL!

That was sweet of Maxical to leave some of her hair for Gils. The drawings, especially the one of Azura, should ease her fears some.

Oh, I’m happy Maxical found her things again. Loved how you described her feelings for the armor, and the room. She deserves some small comfort in that.

*

@ Acadian - Thank you so much, Acadian! I thought of the smell of a stable tack room for that, lol. It is one of those scents I haven’t actually smelled in forever, but just thinking of it brings the scent back vividly (sort of like thinking of my grandmother’s house and how it always smelled on Thanksgiving day, lol). Thanks again, Acadian!

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@ McBadgere - Welcome back McB !!!! You have been missed! I modded Eyja in my game so she is beautiful, but since you brought up Christina Hendricks I will use her pic for Eyja instead - Awesome suggestion! Thanks so much, McB! (and so glad you are back!)

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@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! You caught everything I hoped would come across to the reader, that is as good as it gets! Lol on the “pink form” - I was going to cut that line because I wasn’t sure if it would be understood (by my Mom, who doesn’t play the game, ROFL !!) You had me rolling with that comment, (and your “Blade” one too) - so I’m glad I left it in, lol. Thank you so much again, Grits !!!

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@ King Coin - I am tickled you caught that “Mystery” line - yes! Maxical intentionally said that referring to the Dunmer Mysteries (trying to be funny), lol. Thank you so much for your kind words, KC !!


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** This chapter has a cameo mention of Mrs. Treydog, the famous artist. Thanks Trey dog & Mrs. Treydog!



Chapter 154: Memories And Malan


For a long time I sat in there, digging through my pack just to hold my things and know they were still there after everything that had happened. At the bottom of the pack was my wedding ring from Gils. I slid it on, moving Fathis’s to the opposite hand. No sense having Gils get mad at me right off by seeing Fathis’s ring where his should be.

My scrolls and the bottle of Cure Disease were gone from the pack, but they were the only things missing. I hoped Gils was using the scrolls to duplicate the Cure Disease, hoped he remembered seeing how I‘d done it that day the prisoners attacked me in here. But if he needed it, that meant he had been in close combat with the vampires.

I was not leaving here without my things. I changed right there in the storage room, leaving behind the Palace armor as a clue to Gils where he could find me if I didn’t find him first. The armor from Fathis had been repaired, even the scratches had been sanded with a fine paper and buffed. There was no doubt in my mind Gils had done it. I know his work, know him…that was something Gils would do.

Uriel had given me the sword I was carrying, I tied it to the outside of my pack and buckled on my own sheath and silver longsword that Alix had given me as a child. The Legion dagger I just tossed down, and tucked my silver dagger that had been found on my mother’s body into my waistband.

Everything I’d ever known, lived or breathed on Nirn had changed around me in the last almost two weeks. Having my familiar things back was the closest I’d felt to still holding onto a piece of my life through it.

There were only a few mats left in the storeroom, two were stretched out to air. The other mat was rolled up and tied in heavy twine as if it was to be used in the field. A makeshift tag dangled from the twine binding, I glanced at it and gasped. It was penned in Gils’ handwriting, and just like he always wrote on his dirty magazines it read ’Property of Gils’. Gils‘ mat! It was just like him to keep his mat separate, he wouldn’t want to sleep in someone else’s fleas or dirt.

I yanked the tie off and rolled it out, grabbing the pillow that fell out and burying my face into it to breathe in Gils’ scent…but it was my own scent I breathed in. This was my mat, the one I had slept on in the corner of the bathing room with Gils. Why was it rolled up in here? More importantly, why was another mat pulled up close to Gils’s in our corner of the bathing room?

My stomach twisted sickeningly. Gils may have moved mine in here so when the war was over I wouldn’t smell another woman on it. Sir Damien may have been telling the truth. Dear gods, I hope not.

In my heart I wanted to run, leave here and never learn the truth. The thought of Gils being with Captain Renault made me feel physically ill, but it would be mental torture to never know if he’d chosen another while I continued to wait for him.

Above all, the Emperor’s security was in my hands. The distraction of wondering about Gils could mean failing Uriel. I had come this far, painful or not I needed to finish this.






***


The thought hit me then, Gils may be sleeping in Owyn’s office. If there were fleas in the bathing room, he would. It was a risky move if the vampires were being driven out into the daylight in the Arena, but I was going.

If it was still out there, I wanted to get Fathis’s sword too. I had dropped it out in the Arena that day when I was climbing up to the mezzanine. If I ever lived long enough to own a house, Fathis’s sword would be on prominent display in it.

Eyja was busy enough with Baurus that neither took notice of me sliding the bolt on Pork Chop’s door. I emptied the stale food from my pack onto the bottom of his cage in case they hadn’t been feeding him. He raced over grunting loudly and was scarfing it up as I slid out into the Arena proper.

There was no way of knowing if Gils was among those fighting vampires in the Arena, they all looked alike with the armor and helmets. Invisible or not, the vampires smelled me. I saw the jerk of their heads toward my direction as I shot over to the Blue Thunder chute. I hurriedly climbed the footholds all the way to the rooftop, then crept across the angled boards to the Clubhouse mezzanine on the other side.

The breeze rolling across the top of the Arena was wafting my scent downward to the opposite side of the Arena, the side I was heading toward. The vampire’s heads turned and looked in my direction, the distraction costing them their lives. The Legion charged in while their attention was caught.

The Clubhouse mezzanine looked empty, but just in case I stayed on the roof till I was directly above the stairwell where I’d last seen Fathis two weeks ago. I lay on my stomach and craned my neck to scan the mezzanine before climbing down. That Detect Life ring Eyja gave me showed no pink life forms below. As quietly as I could in full armor, I clutched the roof support and slid down to the mezzanine below.

The huge double doors of the Mrs. Treydog exhibit room were standing wide open, the painting of my golden armor was gone. Malan probably took it using this war as a cover for his theft, the history books were filled with the treasures he had stolen.

A scrap of crumpled paper lay on the floor just inside the door. My curiosity got the best of me, I picked it up and spread it open. Dear gods, it listed mortality rates for his troops by each district in the Imperial City! I tucked it in my pack, Uriel could use that. On the desk was a parchment pad. The page of writing was gone, but the parchment below showed indentations. I took it as well, and glanced around for any more.






***


Reaching under one of the display tables to grab another wadded parchment something caught my eye, it was an odd bit of cloth. The air suffocated in my lungs and I nearly fainted. It was Fathis’s sheath, the one he had been wearing when he was taken down by Malan’s army. How did it get up here?

Malan had come down that stairwell when he was impersonating Fathis, he must have had Fathis in this room to undress him! I pushed the sheath, wedging and angling it inside my cuirass and shirt so it lay against my skin. Other than my wedding ring, it was all I had left of Fathis.

It didn’t take long to find the place Fathis had lain while Malan stripped him. Crusty brown drag marks led to a place on the inner wall, where dried blood had pooled.

...More blood…Fathis’s remains…

Any sound could draw the vampires but a scream was choking my throat to come out, I could hear it moaning inside me. I dropped my sword and pressed both hands tightly over my mouth as hard as I could, rocking back and forth over the stain I so badly wanted to touch because I knew it was his…to bury my face on it and let my tears bring the blood back to life.

I never heard footsteps, never saw the pink glows moving toward me. When I felt the hands touching me I never reached for my sword. I don’t think I cared at that point if they came to kill me, the pain could never equal what was already inside me.

A line of pink glows blocked the doorway, and someone lifted me from the floor. Without being able to see him I knew it was Malan. I was beyond caring at that point.

My screams were not from fear, or really even rage at these men that I knew had taken Fathis. Not right now, anyway. The grief was too raw for anything else, had been held in too long. All I could think of was the pain, that all left of my Fathis was that blood stain and that I would never see him again.

I felt Malan slipping Fathis’s ring off, felt calming spells being cast over me and welcomed the relief they brought. My mind felt like it was coming back from somewhere else, a place I may not have made it back from without help.

“Malan, make it stop like you did for my mother’s death. Sing the pain away, please Malan. I won’t survive it if you don’t.”

Malan answered in Khajiit. “Tch, don’t say those things. You speak that over yourself and it weakens you.”

He signaled his army out and locked the doors as they shut them, then sat down in the overstuffed executive chair behind the desk still carrying me.

Malan didn’t sing the ‘Jack be nimble’ song this time, instead it was a variety of old songs from his homeland. I don’t know how long he held me and sang before the crying stopped and my swollen eyelids felt so heavy they drooped in exhaustion.






***


It was different this time, no memories of trauma easing from my mind like when I was seven. Instead I think he used a spell of some sort carried on his voice as he sang, one that buffered the pain where it found it in my mind and heart. As if he’d heard my thoughts Malan spoke.

“Aye, ‘tis a spell. This won’t take it from you, Maxical. Just eases it while we’re here together. There is no cure for grief, if there was I’d have used it myself these hundred years. It never goes away. I don‘t have a Dagoth-Malan to ease it for me, but you do. I’m but a thought away if you need me.”

“Thank you, Malan.”

“What else is there?” Malan said the ages old Morrowind Dunmer traditional response.

I knew it so well from Fathis, he even said it that last day here...right after finding out Gils and I were married. Two weeks later, Fathis gone and the man that killed him saying it to me. What could that mean, the gods were mocking me? Or was Fathis giving a sign that he was somewhere still watching over me?

Part of me wanted to ram the words back down his throat for daring to talk like Fathis after killing him. Part of me wanted to close my eyes and hear them said again, but picturing Fathis saying them in a happier time…not in the pain I’d caused him.

“Why, Malan? How did you find me, and why does it feel like we‘re connected somehow?”

“Aye, there’s a connection between me and you. It started eleven years ago, then centuries before that. My nature sees things beyond your mortal realm’s capability. I can’t tell you why, not now. How I know, you just confirmed it with your own lips.”

“Malan…the memory of when I was seven, it was real, wasn’t it?”

“It was real.“

I wanted to ask what he had done with Fathis’s body, but couldn’t. Inside I was grateful Malan…or whoever…had removed his corpse so I didn’t find it here. That would have put me around the bend, no doubt I’d have fallen on my sword had I seen it. As it was, the sight of those bloodstains would haunt me the rest of my life.

“Maxical, are you listening? I need to talk to you about something now. You put yourself in danger coming here, you know it. Will you let me bring you somewhere safer?”

“No, I can’t. Uriel said you might try tricking me about your promise to give me free choice. If I come with you, you could say I made the choice.”

“And I would have.” He smiled down at me with mischief dancing in his bulging eyes.


*

Picture of Eyja - Thanks McB!


Eyja (thanks, McB!)


*

It must feel good to have her armor and weapons again, rather than borrowed stuff. Small comfort. I’m assuming that Gils moved her bed out so that should she return, she would have a clean bed that some stranger hasn’t used.

Oh god, Maxical has a total break down and is taken by Malan!:O Here’s the vampire that is causing all her grief and she doesn’t lift a finger against him, instead she seeks comfort from him! Arrgh!!

Again, you add the dimension of scent as Maxical unrolls and ponders the bed mat. She shares her concerns and jealousy so well in this scene.

When she discovers the blood stains left by Fathis, it broke her heart. Once again, no one captures raw emotion better than you, mALX.

A very well done scene with Malan. You really display the captivating vampire and the confused, vulnerable Maxical wrapped up in his soothing spell. What a knife edge you have us on as Maxical simultaneously hates Malan while seeking his comfort.

Hey, slow down!

The Bloodworks break in. Nice. Nothing like sneaking in with Chamelon spells and pink forms! Poor Maxical faced loads of vamps all turning their heads to virgin blood. Maxical must do something about that...trout or not! Eyja is a hottie! Mc-bee did a good work! Malan truly comes out as a charming badazz in the second chapter here. Same as always(good thing). And Fathis bloody stains left behind only worstens the situation. I loved his archaic vocabulary as well. Are you going to write more chapters on his point of view at all, or just Maxical's? Just a simple question, no hostility involved .

The armor from Fathis had been repaired, even the scratches had been sanded with a fine paper and buffed. There was no doubt in my mind Gils had done it. I know his work, know him…that was something Gils would do.

I found this to be really touching. It reminds me of holding the last shirt that was folded a certain way. Painfully real.

But then Maxical grieving over the bloodstain was just heartbreaking. Malan has my brain twisted up in knots, and I’m only reading the story! You convey the complications between them so well!

Glad I'm not the only one.

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@ King Coin - Thank you so much KC !! You are right, when everything around you has changed it means everything to have that one familiar thing you can look at and remember when things were good. And you are right again, Malan caught her at her most vulnerable point, she was beyond defending herself. Thanks again, KC !!

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@ Acadian - You made my day with this comment, Thank You so very much Acadian !! You brought up everything I was trying to get across in that chapter, and so hoped would! You ROCK !!

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@ Darkness Eternal - Lol, that was five days apart, but I think it took place while your laptop was AWOL, lol. No offense taken on your Malan question.

Malan is the Arch enemy of the story, but is just now appearing physically in it (not just having his exploits referred to) - so there will be plenty more about and from him as he moves into position to take over the Palace. Thanks so much Darkness !!

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@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! Your example reminded me of keeping a child's room untouched long after they've been gone from home - (things mothers do when husbands want a new pooltable room, lol).

Writing Malan's part is excrutiating. I want him to balance a hugely charismatic personality (while looking like a toad) and tender the evil he does with logical reasonings (why he does them) that Uriel may see through as BS, but Maxical may not. I hope all that is coming across.

Malan does nothing that doesn't benefit him. He has a reason he is messing with Maxical, she just hasn't figured that out yet.

Thank you again, Grits !!!


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Chapter 155: Escaping Malan


Malan picked up my wedding hand and started to slide Fathis’s ring back on me. He hesitated, staring at Gils‘s ring on my wedding finger.

“I wear it on this hand. You just removed it from here, remember?” I held up my other hand.

By the expression on his face he was clearly scanning his memory. “It has always been on your other hand before.” He spoke distractedly under his breath and continued staring steadily at Gils‘ ring.

He had only seen me once with Fathis’s ring on, how could he know which hand I always wore it on?

It suddenly struck me that he also had to have known Fathis’s ring would block magic spells, or why would he have removed it? How did he know that?

What ring is this? Pretty.” His voice held a note of curiosity that didn‘t reach his bulgy eyes. They looked almost suspicious, what was that about?

“That’s the Jewel of the Rumare, I can’t drown when wearing it.”

“Did you hear a bad weather prediction?”

“No, just…” I plucked Fathis’s ring back and slid it on the ring finger of my right hand.

“It’s just that my stuff has been here at the Arena since war broke out. I’m bringing it all back to the Palace with me. I’ve felt the need of my things around me there, something familiar from my life before all this happened.”

His eyes suddenly reflected a ludicrous degree of revelation as if he‘d just uncovered a deep mystery.

“Ah, this must be the ring of young Gils. You’ve put your safety at risk to come here, why?”

“You know why, I do what I must to protect myself. You’ve been in the Palace seeking the throne, I can’t have my blood blamed as the draw. And I want to know who is my friend and who just seeks a meal from me.”

“And which do you think Dagoth-Malan is? Did I not just bring you solace for hours and nary once take what was before me?”






***


“How did you do it?”

“Truth? Your grief. To take and not kill, I’d have to mate with you. Can’t very well do that when you’re grieving. The thought of you dead at my hands kept the nature at bay.”

He cupped his hand under my chin, raising my face to his. “I said if you came to me, it would be your own free choice. I never said I’d watch you go to another.”

What did he mean by that?

“What could it possibly be to you, Malan? Just one more drop of blood in a city full? He’s my husband, he has my mysteries. As a Chimer yourself, you know I have to go to him.”

“Fathis invalided that marriage by wedding you after it, now Gils faces Dunmer law for breaking tenets.”

“Gils taught me well in the laws, I know my marriage to him stands valid. Fathis didn’t attend our wedding night, and was killed without giving me even one of his mysteries. I fully intend to put the matter before Divayth Fyr when I inform him of Fathis‘s death so he can appoint another Arbiter.”

“What did you say?”

“Fathis died without bringing charges against Gils. He took his mysteries to the grave with him. The new Arbiter must decide to either give me Fathis’s mysteries and kill Gils or validate my marriage to him. Since Fathis was Arbiter it isn’t likely they will give me his mysteries, so my marriage to Gils will stand. Until the new Arbiter is appointed and decides, I will continue to treat my marriage to Gils as valid.“

“Another has already been appointed. The Arbiter from Vvardenfell sits beneath you.”

I felt a chill go down my spine. Dear gods, he held the power over Gils‘ life. No doubt his decision would rest on his wanting my blood. Till now he’d shown me kindness every time we met, my only hope would be an appeal. I sat up and turned to fully face him so he could see in my eyes the depth of how important this was to me.

“Malan, please. I am already sealed to Gils by Azura, I have to be with him. He has followed Dunmer law to the letter, taught me all his mysteries but the seven he couldn‘t. I want my husband to teach me, not someone who just craves my blood. Besides, I can‘t comfort with you when you‘re an enemy to the throne I‘m sworn to protect.”

“You mean consort. And you already have been. Who have you turned to for solace from pain thrice now? You‘ve learned Dunmer law well, then you know the decision on whether tenets were broken falls to me.”

“I know. Malan, please? I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, you know I do. Aye; you came to me in my grief thrice, but all three unbidden. And remember I saved your life. Please just let my blood go and let my husband have me, it can’t be worth the trouble I will bring on you.”






***


“Now what trouble could you bring on Dagoth-Malan?”

“You know well how the Khajiit seal works. I’m sealed to Gils, and any threats to him will invoke Azura’s wrath in me. Also, you killed the Arbiter you replaced and seek my blood. There has to be law that covers that. Everyone knows you seek Uriel’s throne, and I’m sworn by Akatosh to protect it. We know you’ve breeched the Palace. I’ll act against you if forced to.”

“You sit in my lap and thank me sweetly, then in the next breath tell me you’ll have to kill me? And don’t even stand up first? You’re fearless, Lass. You’ve challenged Dagoth-Malan now, thrown the gauntlet down. Battle is in my blood. I chose that line because battle excites them, they live for it. You don’t know what you do to me, Lass.”

He proceeded to show me. His eyes glowed fire and he tried to kiss me, bringing an onslaught of passion and moves that not even Gils could have matched. Two things were growing rapidly, one in his lap. The other was his fangs.

Malan’s strength was tremendous, there was no way to fight him off or stop him, not from this position. He was using his Chimer mysteries to try me, obviously going to mate me first then drink my blood; he‘d admitted as much not five minutes ago.

Malan’s fangs shot a rush of searing juices almost down my throat before I was able to stop them. All I could think of was that attack from Vicente, and then suddenly I remembered how quickly his own juices had ended Vicente’s lust.

Both Sir Damien and Malan himself said he didn‘t want to kill, ending his lust may stop the attack completely. Another thought struck me then, Hannibal said spells could be cast against him using his own juices as a catalyst.

His lips stayed on mine while I squirmed around till my face was over his. I let the juices drizzle back into his mouth, casting the Love Slave spell. He pulled back in surprise and I whispered “Malan, stop” while my mouth hovered closely over his.

The spell was cast, I felt it leave my fingers, felt the response in him. I just hoped it worked like it was supposed to. His reaction was the same as Vicente’s had been when my breath hit the juices in his mouth, and just as instantaneous. His lust was spent immediately. In his moment of shock I leaped off and raced across the room, grabbing up my sword and spinning to face him.

Dear gods, had I killed him? Malan lay there not moving, from where I stood I could see his heart pounding wildly like it may come out of his chest. I inched closer, my blade at the ready in case he moved. He didn’t.

He was completely vulnerable, the pulsing vein in his neck virtually unhindered by any cover. Should I plunge my blade into his neck? It would be so easy, end him now. He could have drank my blood and didn’t, instead he’d helped me in my grief. Dear gods, what should I do?






***


“Malan?” I whispered, but I don‘t think he could hear me. There was no reaction. I doubt he could see me either, by the glassy unfocused look in his eyes. Could he smell or think, read thoughts still? Dear gods, what should I do? His defenses were completely down, I should be killing him…but couldn’t. Not when he’d just helped me instead of killing me.

Just then he stirred, chewing an obviously thickened tongue and weakly flailing one heavily uncoordinated arm. I nearly jumped out of my fur when his hand weakly grabbed at my arm, but managed to pull myself from his grasp with ease.

His eyes were just as glassy, but now held a serene look of extreme pleasure. Well, that made perfect sense, since he‘d just cast his load within his loincloth…but how would I know if the spell worked that he couldn’t harm me? Should I stand like a dummy and wait to find out? Better not. I slid the bolt on one door, barely cracking it and instantly saw the pink outline of his army still standing at the ready across the doorway.

Would they let me pass? Probably not. I cast chameleon and jerked open the door, barreling through them, and leaping over the railing to the mezzanine below and then down to the Arena floor. I shot across through the battling army and Crimson Scars to Pork Chops’s cage and slid back in, bolting the gate behind me as the hissing vampires started charging behind me.

There was nothing quiet about my entry into the bathing area, I slammed the door shut and rammed the bolt across loudly, creating havoc amongst the soldiers in there. Thank goodness for my chameleon, they couldn’t see what to hit and I escaped with only minor damage. I ducked out and ran back to the storage room, ramming the shield in place to bar the door.







***


I didn’t know if I’d ever catch my breath, it came in heaving gasps from the panic that was just now releasing. I was safe now, but what about Gils?

Legally Malan could take Fathis’s stand against Gils if he was the new Arbiter. And the very last sign Fathis gave to Gils was that he would not stop till Gils was dead. Dear gods, why was Malan doing this? Just for my blood?

With the war on no couriers were carrying letters, but even if they were there was no time to send all the way to Morrowind for Divayth Fyr. Malan could act against Gils any minute, especially if I had enraged him by escaping.

I wished I’d never come here today, wished I’d never learned about Gils supposedly cheating with Captain Renault. It seemed so long ago since we were together last, the past two weeks felt like a lifetime. A lot had changed since then...everything had changed. But could Gils have forgotten us that quickly? All our plans for moving to Anvil, I know he loved me then. But Sir Damien was an information specialist, he wouldn’t have lied about it. And those two mats were pushed together.

The sound of the Bloodworks door slamming and a crowd of voices jarred me up quickly. Gils may be among them. I heard the female voice first, then a few minutes later heard Owyn’s beautiful familiar voice bellowing.

Dear gods I wished this was all a nightmare, that I’d step out the door to see Andronicus drunk and Gils laughing. I’d even be glad to see Horsky practicing in our Bloodworks again.

I didn’t cast chameleon, just kicked the shield from under the doorknob and charged out into the line of troops coming down the steps. I couldn’t see him for the mass of tall men coming down the steps and milling about in the room. They all looked the same armored and helmeted.

“Owyn!”

There was movement from the middle of the room, then a short stout armor was coming toward me fast. He pushed through two burly men and picked me up off the ground in spite of my armor and pack. We hugged for a long time.

“You’re alive!” Whether he’d admit it or not Owyn’s cheeks were damp, not just from my own tears.



*

“Now what trouble could you bring on Dagoth-Malan?”
He knoweth not of which he speaketh.

Yikes, Maxical barely escaped that one! Swapping juices with a vampire. Those alternative methods of losing her virginity via horkers, horses or trout to stop the madness are starting to sound better all the time!

Aww, how nice to see Owyn! Perhaps he will have news of Gils?

“It has always been on your other hand before.”
Whoa. He’s been watching you…

I expected him to not give the ring back to be honest. Didn’t Fathis enchant it? He did.

How did Malan become Arbiter? Yikes now he holds what is precious to Maxical. She’s not helping by showing him how important Gils is!

Amazing! I didn’t expect that she would be able to stop him once he decided to start!! I know what I’d like her to do now, but I have a feeling he’s still got a hold over her. Whooh, she got out of there. I feel such relief now. Lol.

Owyn! As much as I don’t like the arena, it’s so nice to see him again!

Hahahahaha.

So Malan is trying to get something out of Maxical, eh? Oh oh! Rape! This was a disturbing see, seeing Maxical squirm and try to get away from Malan's overpowering might. . That was a close call and to see she didn't have the courage to smite down Malan when she had the chance was most dissapointing and yet at the same time relieving! It shows Maxical is still unsure about herself and that means Malan is still alive!

How many times is Maxical going to notice things that Malan shouldn't know, before she adds them up and understands? I do notice that she only has these insights when there's nobody else to share them with, who might do better than she does.

I hope Owyn's a real one, and not Malan's next disguise!

Argh, so close!! But she may forget all about this after the vampire juice swapping incident.


You got me back for the coffee spew!! ROFL!!


Owyn’s appearance was so welcome after this sad thought! I hope he has some good news about Gils…

As seemingly unimportant as that last line is, I really liked it...

*

@ Acadian - Lol, you owe me a monitor for that comment, you had me rolling !! ROFL !!! Thank you so much, Acadian !!

*
@ King Coin - Thank you so much KC !!! Ooh, good thought! I never thought about Malan keeping the ring! Maxical made an even bigger mistake by telling Malan that Fathis had been Arbiter. Since he didn't know that about Fathis, he is probably lying - but Maxical doesn't know that. Thanks again, KC !!!!

*
@ Darkness Eternal - You are exactly right, she is used to only fighting enemies that are attacking. She isn't sure how to act when one is being nice. Thank you so very much Darkness!

*
@ Ghastley - Lol, Owyn is the real one! Maxical has never been a great thinker, but she has a bit too much on her mind to start thinking now, lol. Thank you so much Ghastley!

*
@ Grits - Thank you so very much Grits! I'm so glad you liked that 'weather prediction' line, I was afraid it went over like a lead balloon or something, lol. You ROCK !!!

*
@ Zalphon - Homesick for happier days, you are right! Thank you so much Zalphon!


*

*


Chapter 156: Confronting Captain Renault



It caused a bit of hooting, but I pulled Owyn into the storage room so we could talk privately.

“Owyn, why hasn’t Gils come for me?”

“Gils said you were dead, that the vampires got you! He saw one impersonating Fathis taking you down into the sewers. He volunteered for the sewers to search for you. It‘s bad out there, Maxical. I‘ve been working the Arena, but you don‘t want to know what‘s been going on in those sewers.”

“Captain Renault knew I was alive, she threw me out of here to set up this post! Baurus was with her, Itius Hayn and Hieronymus Lex all knew I was alive. Why did Gils still think I was in the sewers?”

“Those guys don’t work the sewers, he’d never run into them. Baurus and Captain Renault knew? Gils told me they got Fathis, Maxical. Poor [censored] didn’t have a chance. Gils tried to stop them from desecrating his body, but he said it was too late already to save him. I’m sorry, Maxical.”

“I…I know. I want to ask about everyone, but first I want to know about Gils. Owyn, is he cheating on me with Captain Renault?”

Owyn shifted uncomfortably before answering, he knew something. My stomach churned into a knot and felt like it burned with acid.

“How the hell would I know?”

“Because you know everything about your fighters. I need to know what’s going on, I heard they are sleeping together in the bathing room.”

“I won’t lie to you, Maxical. She’s been after him like you wouldn’t believe, worse than Horsky was. Whether she caught him or not, I don’t know. He worked extra shifts in the sewers to avoid her, I will tell you that. It‘s truth.”

“She knew I was alive, Owyn. Ocato knew I was staying at the Palace in the family quarters. Uriel Septim commanded Gils come to the Palace almost two weeks ago. He is livid his orders weren‘t obeyed. Uriel is transferring Gils to the Palace permanently now. Will you see he gets the message personally and not through Captain Renault?”

“I’ll tell him if I see him, but she may not let him leave. You know she’s his boss, right?”

“She can’t override the Emperor’s orders or she‘ll be court-martialed.”

“What the hell does Uriel have you doing for him?“

He was obviously trying to change the subject. Owyn knew more than he was telling. Dear gods, it was true.

“So far just security, but when the war ends I have to publicly execute several prisoners.”

“Security! What kind of security can he have knowing you’re over it?”

“I’m not over it, just part of it. Geez, Owyn.”

Owyn’s grin made me feel homesick, and from the look in his eyes I was pretty sure he’d missed the easy camaraderie of the Bloodworks in normal times as much as I did.







***


“Where is Andronicus? Have you heard anything about Alix and S’Jirra?”

“Andronicus was moved to some women’s refugee camp, then to one of the house shelters they set up. S’Jirra is in one of them too. Alix has been working the Arena, but when he’s shifted he goes to wherever S’Jirra is to sleep with her.”

“He and Ocato both go home every night, Gils should have been coming home to me. How could he think I was dead when Captain Renault knew I lived? She gave me her pants to leave in!”

“If she knew and didn’t tell him, you know why. This isn’t my Bloodworks right now, Maxical. Whatever you do, just make sure there aren’t any witnesses so you don’t end up in jail or worse.”

“I’ll be careful, but she’s going down. I’m not leaving here without Gils, I have orders from Uriel to bring him back with me.” I lied.

“You can’t go back now, it’s past curfew. It’s dark out there, the vampires are in the streets.”

“Dear gods, it’s after dark? I sure can’t leave, they’ll smell my virgin blood from a mile away.”

“Who you trying to kid with this virgin blood? Oh yeah, you’re too stupid to know that goes away when you [censored]. You ain’t no virgin anymore you idiot! What do you think you and Gils were doing in there all that time?” Owyn held up his hands and made a graphic gesture of a hole with one hand, running one finger from his other hand in and out of it.

“No we didn’t. Fathis held that promise over me so we couldn’t. I’m still a virgin.”

“You lying sack! Ain’t no way you can tell me you and Gils did nothing in there!”

“Just [censored] [censored] and [censored], stuff like that. We haven’t [censored].” I did Owyn’s graphic hand gesture.

“You have got to be kidding me! Man, Gils may be dumber than you, or smarter than any of us. I’ll have to think about it when I’m not so worn out.”






***


“Is Eyja still here?”

Owyn’s eyes lit up. “Eyja is here? Where?”

“She was in the bathing room talking to Baurus last I saw her.”

“Well there goes my chance. That guy‘s hung…”

“Don’t describe it to me. I saw the damn thing, and may have nightmares from it. Owyn, if it’s dark where is Gils? He can’t work the sewers at night, and only the Battlemages are working the streets nights.“

“He could be at the healers.”

“If you see him, tell him I‘m staying in this storage room tonight. And I want to know where Captain Renault sleeps.”

“She took your mat, said she needed Gils’ protection. Gils threw her off it and rolled up your mat, but she pushed another up to it.”

“So she has been sleeping in the mat pushed up next to his?”

Owyn shifted uncomfortably before answering again. “She has.”

“If Gils doesn’t return, will you stay in here with me and Eyja so we’re not alone? We need protection.”

Owyn liked that idea. His eyes lit up and he went off to bathe immediately.

I felt sick to my stomach, all but sure Gils had succumbed to Captain Renault’s pressure. But if he was staying in Owyn’s office as I suspected, maybe he really was avoiding her advances.

The best way to find out would be to stay in chameleon till I knew what was going on. Vampires or not, I was finding Gils tonight. Unless I found proof they had mated, I’d only hit her once as a warning.

I yanked the gauntlet off my right hand and dug in my waistband for the steel knuckles I’d brought with me, the ones I’d ‘borrowed’ from Captain Renault’s own bedroom.

As mad as I was right now I doubted I’d need a spell to speed my arm movement, but loaded it anyway before sliding the steel over my fingers. The gauntlet was hard to pull back on over them, but I finally got it tugged into place.

As badly as I would have liked to use a barb or spike this had to look like a clean fight to anyone watching, and the Bloodworks was filled with witnesses. Owyn would swear he saw nothing, but these others may take Captain Renault’s side.






***


When Owyn came back, I was shocked to see his fight robe on over his armor. “Owyn, I don’t need help taking her down.”

“No, but if these others jump you for it, I’ll be ready to stop them.” He showed me the door weight sack under his robe.

“Thanks, Owyn.”

“Ain’t you packing?” Owyn glanced over me.

“Just this, feel my gauntlet. Steel knuckles. It‘s got to look like a fair fight, so I’ll only claim my right to hit her once. I just want to make sure it‘s a good one.”

“I didn’t see Eyja in the bathing room, but Captain Renault is in there. Gils wasn‘t there.”

“Eyja’s in chameleon. I will be too till I see if she is in there mating with Gils. If she is, you may need to pull me off her.”

“I’ll stop you, don’t worry.”

“Flank me so we can take on any jumpy soldiers that take exception to their commander going down. When does Gils usually get in?”

“I haven’t seen him in several days, Maxical. Maybe he’s going home with Alix. It’s dark, he’d be here if he was coming.”

“What’s going on?” Eyja’s voice whispered in my ear.

“GAAAAH!”

“Shut up, you idiot!” She dispelled her chameleon to Owyn’s delight. His eyes bulged when he saw her outfit.

“Eyja, this is Owyn, BattleMaster for the Blue Thunder. Owyn, this is my friend Eyja.” I waited till they had greeted before continuing.






***


“From what Owyn says, Captain Renault has been putting pressure on Gils to mate with her regardless of her position as his commander. She hasn‘t been discreet about it, either. Owyn either doesn’t know if Gils succumbed or isn’t telling to spare my feelings. Did you learn anything from Baurus?”

“No more than you did. Baurus can’t stand her, but she ranks him.”

“Owyn is coming to stand ready in case anyone doesn’t like me knocking her out. If you can’t fight, best stay in a safe place.”

Eyja cuffed her lacy sleeves up to her elbows. “I’m in.”

“Won’t you need armor? There is plenty here.”

“I don’t need armor.”

Owyn’s eyes bugged. “You going to fight in that outfit? There goes my aim.” He grinned at her, looking like a goblin when he did. Dear gods, I’d missed him.

“Eyja, we can’t kill anyone. This is strictly a fight. No weapons unless a challenge is thrown, even if they draw first. Our dispute is with her, not them. If they jump, we knock them out…period. If no one jumps and she doesn‘t strike me back, it‘s all over. If she strikes me back, it is on. If I catch them mating, someone may have to pull me off her.”

“Someone may need to pull me off her too.” She looked up at Owyn with those sultry eyes of hers.

“Quit distracting my back up till the fight’s over. You and I will be in chameleon till we know something. Eyja, do you have any scrolls so I can duplicate this ring for Owyn? He has to know where we are at all times when we’re in chameleon.”

“I’ve got a spare.” She made a play of slipping it on and off his finger suggestively.

“Dear gods, he’ll never be able to fight if you keep this up! Now are we ready?”

Owyn and Eyja nodded.






***


“I’ll do the talking. Owyn, stay back five till it starts, then flank my right. Eyja, flank my left because I don‘t know how you fight and I‘m right handed. Stay in chameleon till I call your name. That will be right before I hit her, so as soon as you dispel do something to distract. Lift your skirt, adjust your breasts…anything that will get the men in the room looking at you and not me.“

Eyja grinned at me. “This is going to be fun! Just don’t get in front of me by accident. I can take down a roomful at once with my thu’um. They won‘t die, but they may wish they had.”

I looked at her in awe. “You are a woman of many talents!”

“You have no idea.” She winked at Owyn and raised her eyebrows twice.

Eyja and I cast chameleon and led the way, she stayed on my left. There was no moonsugar on my tongue, I already knew Gils would not be there.

We entered the bathing area and there she was in a filmy black nightgown and hugged over closely to Gils’ mattress even though it was empty, no doubt waiting for him. My hair felt on fire and my blood began boiling.

We got into position before dispelling the chameleon, Owyn stayed back five foot and tried to look nonchalant like he just happened to be standing there in a robe. Eyja moved so we were spread across the corner. I dispelled my chameleon and kicked Captain Renault’s foot. I was trying to sound official, but even I could hear the rage in my voice.

“Captain Renault.”


*

GAAAH! Owyn is truly well! So Fathis is...gone? .



This was comical, it brought out a few chuckles from me.

Another funny one:

And the search for Gils ensues with Maxical! Captain Renault is in deep trouble now after he little cheating scenario! I am truly stoked to see what Max is going to do with that gauntlet, and is she's truly going to smack away at the Captain! Good ol teamup with Owyn and Eyja and someone might just break those rules of engagement, I reckon.

I hope Maxical remembers this! Gils asked to go into the sewers for her, and worked extra shifts down there to stay away from the whip lady!

It was good to hear that Alix and S’Jirra are still living and able to see one another.

Owyn had me rolling with his delicate discussion of why Maxical can’t still be a virgin, and then she made me laugh even harder. It made me want to go back and read the early Arena parts again, when everyone was there and all talking at once. I’d like to quote all of the Owyn parts, I missed him too!

Finally, Maxical gets to DO something about the Gils situation! I can’t imagine that it all won’t end up sideways, but it’s so great to see her riled up and ready to pound Captain Renault!!

So good to see Owyn again, and you’ve lost none of your touch with his speech and mannerisms. Speaking of mannerisms:
“You have no idea.” She winked at Owyn and raised her eyebrows twice.
There’s Eyja’s trademark!

Renault is quite the piece of. . . work.

Maxical’s really drawn up a full assault plan! Fight’s on!

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! This is going to be kickas.s

Gils thought SHE was dead? Oh yeah, she was carried down by a vampire…

Owyn knows enough about Gils to be worried that he’s cheating, but Maxical is interpreting that worry into knowledge.

The pants comment made me wonder briefly if Maxical was fully clothed. Maxical and Owyn’s swearing and hand gestures had me rolling!

“If Gils doesn’t return, will you stay in here with me and Eyja so we’re not alone? We need protection.”

Owyn liked that idea. His eyes lit up and he went off to bathe immediately.
I’m sure!

His eyes bulged when he saw her outfit.
And I’m sure that’s not the only thing that bulged!

Renault’s going to get it! Uriel’s just going to love this. I’m already grinning in anticipation of Renault getting her assets kicked and then Uriel’s reaction to all of this!

*

@ Darkness Eternal - Thank you so much Darkness! Yeah, Owyn in my story would fit right into the Bloodworks in your Kraven story, lol. And you are right, it is on now, lol. Thanks again !!

*
@ Grits - I have really missed the Bloodworks too, there was a chemistry between (Owyn, Andronicus, Gils, and Maxical) that worked just right in there. Owyn stayed his raunchy self in spite of the war, lol. Thank you so very much, Grits !!!!!

*
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian !! Eyja's eyebrows: I never used to like her in the game till she took on the Dark Brotherhood in Maxical's first story. I was just using her exact game dialogue and suddenly realized how funny it was. She had me in hysterics, and took over the keyboard with her own personality. (then she took over the story when I turned her loose on the Cheydinhal crew of the DB, lol). I have been killing myself trying to find a way to bring her meeting with Vicente into this version of Maxical's story, lol.

I am so glad you felt Owyn in that write, that he didn't lose any of his personality through that gap of time since we'd seen him last. I had to go back and read all his lines in the early chapters to keep him just as he was - and I didn't want Owyn changed by this war. I wanted him to be like a rock, not even the destruction of the city able to shake who he is, that is exactly what I hoped would come across.

Thank you so much again, Acadian !!!



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@ King Coin - Thank you so much KC !!! Yeah, both things you predicted are def going to happen, lol. Thanks again KC !!


*

*


Chapter 157: Challenging Captain Renault



“Who are you? How did you get in here? You can’t be in here!” Captain Renault scrambled up and pretended to modestly cover what could easily be seen through the negligee.

“I am an emissary sent from Emperor Uriel Septim. You were given command orders for the Dunmer Gils. Emperor Uriel Septim demands an explanation for your refusal to obey his command.”

“You can’t come in here! Get out NOW!”

“I am here to escort Serjo Gils to the Palace. Uriel Septim gave you a direct command to send Gils to the Palace over a week ago. You may be facing court martial and immediate disassociation with the Blades for ignoring his orders.”

“I know who you are, how dare you come in here threatening me!”

“You admit that you know who I am, then you will explain to the Emperor why you let Gils believe his wife was dead. You may find your position at the Palace is no longer available when you return, Captain Renault.”

“He is needed here.”

“By whom.” It was all I could do to keep my hand at my side till the challenge was made.

“How dare you! You have no right to question me!”

Inside I felt like a volcano about to erupt, her daring my right was all the catalyst needed to put me there.

“I have the right of a wife to challenge the whores that throw themselves into my husband’s bed. You let Gils believe I was dead when you knew I was alive. Explain your actions to me now, and you will surely be explaining them to Uriel Septim tomorrow. Your mission as a Blade is to defend and obey him. As outpost commander for the Blades it is forbidden to force your advances on one under your command, as you have done. Witness statements have already been taken. I will also recommend to the Emperor that your position with the Blades and his Imperial Army be terminated, as your moral fiber is in absolute question. Your room at the Palace has already been searched, and many items confiscated to be brought to the Emperor‘s attention. You will be removed from the Palace in disgrace.”

I yanked my left gauntlet off and tossed it at her feet. “Answer your challenge for sleeping with my husband in a fair hand-to-hand fight. As the injured party I claim my right to first blood.”






***


“How dare you filthy beast! Come in here threatening me and acting like some emissary for morals when you have two husbands!”

I cut her off. “If I have ten husbands it matters not, you will sleep with none of them or face my challenge. If you are afraid to fight me, say it before the men you have commanded. I will still claim my right to strike once for the injury you‘ve caused me, but then end it.”

She looked around at the sea of faces, all the men had risen and were watching. The door to the bathing room had been pushed open and men from the outer area were starting to ease into the room.

“Why are you all just standing there? She’s threatening me, I command you take her into custody NOW!”

“They are all familiar with the rules of engagement, which obviously you are not. Odd that the men under you know the law better than you, Captain Renault. Is it possible you slept your way into the post you hold? I can see you did not achieve it through bravery.”

“How DARE you!” She started scrambling into her armor.

“I’ll suggest to the Emperor that how you obtained your position be looked into as well. The Blades are people he must entrust his life to. If you are afraid to fight a Khajiit girl half your size, I doubt he will feel safe in your care.”

She picked up my gauntlet and flung it at me. “I accept your challenge, cat. We’ll see who can fight. I‘m a Blade, we are the most skilled of any fighters.”

“I’d say Baurus is, I’ve seen his sword.” The raucous laugh that went up told me there were a lot of men in her command that didn’t respect her.

She stopped dressing, looking around the room. “You can’t challenge me without seconds, no one here will stand by your side if they know what‘s good for them.”

“Still trying to get out of it, I see. I will be sure to inform the Emperor that I witnessed you threaten your troops of ill treatment if they abided by the law. It will be added to the charges I am already bringing against you. However, as a matter of fact I have brought a second. Eyja?”

Eyja dispelled her chameleon and pounded her chest, glaring at Captain Renault.

“Second. I will verify Maxical is here in representation of an order Uriel Septim gave that Gils be sent immediately to the Palace, he was in a rage that his orders were not complied with. When I tell him that you had the knowledge Maxical lived and let Gils continue to think she was dead, Maxical is right, you will no longer have a position in the Palace. I‘ll see to that.”






***


Owyn pounded his chest. “Second. I’ll be damned if I let a [censored] like you threaten me, this is my Bloodworks.”

Captain Renault called Baurus and that obnoxious Glenroy. The spectators moved back against the wall and a rumbling of betting started.

Owyn called out loudly, “Put me down for 200 Septims on the Khajiit.”

Captain Renault got into position and put her hands up defensively.

Owyn yelled out, “Hands down for the first hit, you got it coming.”

She reluctantly lowered them. I glanced over to Eyja and she immediately started adjusting one of the garters holding up her stocking on one leg, raising the skirt of her cuirass so high it was easily seen that there was no panty under that garter belt. She had nothing on underneath it. My eyes bugged, I found my own self distracted by it. Owyn managed to jab me without tearing his eyes from Eyja.

“Huh? Where am I? Oh. Er…where were we? Oh yeah. By the way, Gils taught me hand-to-hand. So if you’ve seen what he can do, you’ll like this.” I laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound.

The magic shot my arm up in the uppercut and follow through. Captain Renault went flying backward.

KAPOW! CRUNCH! WHEEEEEEEW! SPLAT!

“What do you know, she has a glass jaw.” I shrugged, then waited to make sure her seconds didn’t accuse me of cheating.

Baurus was watching Eyja, but I couldn’t’ be sure if Glenroy had been or not. He was looking suspicious. I got the terrible feeling I should have had Baurus reveal his sword to distract Glenroy.

“No one your size can hit that hard, nor their arm move that fast without cheating.”

Eyja straightened up. “What are you saying? That the Emperor would send an emissary that would cheat? I‘ll make sure to speak to the Emperor about this, what did she say your name was?”

“She’s an Arena fighter, you idiot! I trained her myself!” Owyn’s cheeks reddened with what looked like anger.






***


I waved Eyja back to her position. “Are you accusing?”

Baurus looked at Eyja, then me…then at Captain Renault laying well over seven foot back from where she had been standing. “I decline.”

Glenroy’s face reddened. “Are you kidding? No one hits like that! Did you even see it?”

Baurus looked Glenroy right in the eye. “I saw everything you did.”

Glenroy’s sword hand brushed the hilt of his sword. “Witnesses! Call off!”

“I saw your sword hand brush the hilt! This is hand-to-hand only…whatever your name is. No weapons.” I called out, pointing at Glenroy.

“I did not!”

“Don’t give me that, Glenroy. I saw it too.” Owyn roared. “Witnesses!” Owyn pounded his chest. We heard several chest pounds. None had responded to Glenroys call for witnesses, but he was like a terrier with a rag and wouldn’t drop it.

“She used magic, or something. No one moves that fast.”

“I am Khajiit. I’m a highly trained athlete and ranked Arena fighter. If you accuse, you stand alone. You have no witnesses in agreement with you. Now if we are done here, I would like to find my husband. Does anyone know where Serjo Gils is?”

“I have not released you!” Glenroy fumed, his face starting to redden.

“Accuse or release. I haven’t seen my husband in almost two weeks because your commander lied that I was dead to keep him at her side, and deliberately disobeyed the Emperor’s direct orders of reassignment. I intend to speak to Jauffre about the caliber of Blade he is accepting. I carry only complaints against your Captain at this time, however I saw you reach for your blade in hand-to-hand and now you are refusing to release me with no witnesses backing an accuse. I wonder if your temper is the issue here, rather than my ability to put down your commander. I will have you know I have laid out the Gray Prince with the exact same uppercut. She has a glass jaw, just like he has. I cannot be faulted for her weaknesses.”

“She has a glass jaw all right, I heard it myself.” Owyn planted his feet. “You stand alone, your own comrades know she did nothing wrong. Accuse, release, or challenge!”

“Challenge. Swords.”

“Declare me the victor of the first fight then.“

“Declared.“

“Then your challenge is accepted. Idiot, my father is Alix Lencolia.”

Glenroy’s face went as white as me. ”Rule change. First strike or dropped weapon.”

“Agreed.”






***


I planted my feet, but didn’t make a move for my weapon. I would have to hold the sword in my right hand, but the steel knuckles in my gauntlet would make it impossible to hold the blade. Glenroy already had his blade at the ready. I raised my hand to pause the fight.

“My boots will slide on these tiles. I want to remove my boots.”

“Done.” He decided to remove his too.

I clasped my hand over the steel knuckles inside the right gauntlet and slid them both off together, handing them to Owyn with the ends up so they wouldn’t spill the knuckles and reveal my cheat. He slid them into the pocket of his robe.

When I had both my boots and socks off I stood up, nearly gaping at Glenroy. He’d kept his socks on, they’d slide on these polished tiles as badly as the boots would have!

I scratched my head with my tail and then curled it into a question mark hoping to get the men watching to start cheering me on. “Look at her tail! That’s the Khajiit Arena fighter with the tail, remember? The one that gored that guys crotch and then beheaded him!”

Glenroy paled even more than he had been. “Rule change! No mortal wounds.”

It was really hard to imagine Uriel Septim putting his faith in this bunch for security. No wonder Akatosh sought a Champion for him.

“Agreed. Can we get on with this? I haven‘t seen my husband in almost two weeks.” I put my tail into an ‘S’.

Glenroy drew his sword and raised it. I drew mine and weighted it in my hand first, then planted my feet before touching my sword to his. His first move was a hard drive lunge that was easily dodged, in fact it nearly got Eyja pinked since his socked feet slid on the tiles.

“Time.” I raised my hand. “Eyja, go to Owyn for safety. He can anticipate when you‘ll need to move and get you out of the way of Glenroy‘s blade. I don‘t want to lose a friend or a second from Glenroy’s sloppy swordsmanship.”

Owyn roared laughing, Glenroy’s face turned beet red. He came back with his sword arm too far forward, leaning with his weight forward of his hips. It would have been too easy to knock it out of his grip or pink him. Instead I sent him sprawling with a trip while he was off balance.

In retrospect, I should have ended it then and all would have been fine. Instead I looked at it as a chance to spar and practice my parries. Glenroy was a bull in a china shop in those socks, I lost count of the times I could have ended the fight. I was stifling a fake yawn when Glenroy took one hard lunge too many and skidded into Eyja and Owyn blade first.


*

This was magnificent! I loved every word. Maxical kept her head pretty well. How dare they accuse her of cheating (as she managed to slip out of the steel knuckles).

’Glenroy paled even more than he had been. “Rule change! No mortal wounds.”
It was really hard to imagine Uriel Septim putting his faith in this bunch for security. No wonder Akatosh sought a Champion for him.’

And our cat begins to toy with the mouse until. . . Uh Oh! You left us sliding off the edge of a cliff! I hope Owyn and Eyja are okay.

Glenroy had me in stitches. He is not having a good day. He’s right, and he can’t back down! The lines that Acadian quoted had me rolling. And now Glenroy has learned the lesson that there’s no graceful way to take your socks off once you’ve already unsheathed your sword. I enjoyed every minute of this chapter! But Glenroy is headed at Eyja and Owyn blade first? Yikes!

I'm back! Managed to catch up as much as possible, but here I am! Haha

This chapter was amazing! I love Owyn. He'd always been one of my favorite NPC'S; his insulting charming ways are captured by you perfectly.

Gotta love the opening line though! Had me in stitches already! Haha

I LOVE cliffhangers, and you leave us with a perfect one! Are Eyja and Owyn okay? or frightfully impaled? EEEEEEP!

Yeah, I could see Owyn fitting in! You captured his personality perfectly. Smart-mouthed, funny jerk. "I heard a rumor that your an idiot." Haha.

Woah, how in the blue hell did you manage to write "whores" without a censorship? Anyways, we see a pissed off Maxical reigning her urges to knock out the captain. I love the start of the challenges and some chest-pounding action.

Oh and a tiny nit...Owyn blushed? . No, I am not racist. But I did chuckle when I read that. Clever uses of onomatopoeia! And leave it for a loser to blame Maxical for cheating...I loathe the claims! And that ending.... Someone is going to bite the dust sword.

This is an excellent read.

Edit: Seems the censorship is...fixed. In a good way!

I yanked my left gauntlet off and tossed it at her feet.
This is a whole new Maxical coming out here. The one we all know would have pulled off the wrong gauntlet!

KAPOW! CRUNCH! WHEEEEEEEW! SPLAT!
I know exactly what you mean.

You can’t be in here!
What’s going on here? Hiding something, or is there something else? Maxical’s swinging around some authority that she doesn’t have.

The challenge is issued! I’m happy Eyja is backing up Maxical. She might actually have some influence where Maxical was all bluster.

What a fine mess this is turning out to be. Absolutely superb. Renault’s seconds are almost at blows! We probably won’t find out what Renault was talking about at the beginning. A second challenge to swords! I hope Malan isn’t in close attendance; else this could be a grand opportunity for him.

A barefoot swords kitty! Sounds familiar! I wonder what happens next? Sounds pretty bad.

*

@ Acadian - Thank you so very much Acadian !! You had me rolling laughing with your descriptions !!!

*
@ Grits - Now you owe me a monitor for that sword/socks line !!! ROFL !!! Thank you so very much Grits !!

*
@ Rihanae - Yeah, you're back! I've always loved Owyn too, he is gruff talking but you can tell he cares about his fighters (the player) in game. He is one of my fave characters in game. Thank you so much Rihanae !!

*
@ Darkness Eternal - You had me rolling with your testing out censored words on here !! I think I learned that word could be used on Ghastley's thread, lol. Thank you so much Darkness !!!

*
@ Ghastley - Lol, you have Maxical pegged, ROFL !! Thank goodness she didn't make that mistake before the fight, lol. Thank you so much Ghastley !!

*
@ King Coin - No secrets, the Bloodworks was seized by the military for use as a base, no one allowed in except authorized military personnel (that's why Baurus told Eyja she couldn't be in there last chapter, and why Maxical got thrown out of there the day they seized it two weeks ago). Uriel told her she wasn't allowed to be there too, but he wanted her to go - he was testing her ability to infiltrate, ROFL !! She didn't pass that test.

You are right that Maxical was blowing smoke with her assumed authority, lol. She didn't have any except that of a wife that wasn't leaving there without her husband, lol. Thank you so very much KC !!!

*

*


Chapter 158: Rumble In The Bloodworks



Glenroy’s socked feet skidded across the tiles, his sword leading off the fully extended arm. Owyn leaped to the side pushing Eyja behind him, but it was too late. Glenroy’s blade pierced Oywn’s arm. Owyn jerked his arm up, gapping his robe open. The sack dangling off the rope tied to his waist was fully visible as he eyed his wound.

“SSSSST” I hissed at Owyn, but could already hear the rumble of dissent behind us. I grabbed my gauntlets from his pocket, pulling down hard on his arm to close his robe.

“Foul! He pinked my second.” I called quickly, getting ready to yank my gauntlet back on if they charged.

“What’s that under his robe?”

“Probably his lunch. It matters not, the seconds haven’t been called into play.”

“Maybe Glenroy was right, maybe they are cheaters.”

“I only brought Eyja with me as second. Anyone of you could have stood up and named yourself just as he did. I didn’t search him, that was Glenroy’s job. Anyway, seconds haven’t been called into play so what can anything he does matter? Glenroy pinked him in a fight with me, he has lost this challenge.”

“CHEATERS! ALL IN!”

“Oh crap! FLANK!” I crammed my sword into the sheath and rammed my hand into the gauntlet with the steel knuckles in it, just dropping the left guantlet onto the nearby bed.

I pulled Eyja to my left flank. “Stay right there and give it all you got, Eyja. Just no killing.”

As long as we’d been named cheaters, may as well do it. I used my Eye of Khajiit to make the first wave run in fear. After that I used magic to boost my arm speed. With the steel knuckles, anyone I hit dropped.

Eyja thu’um’d toward the door and I was shocked to see a bunch of grown men go tumbling through it like a great wind had blown them. It was the first time I’d ever seen one in action.

Owyn was using the sack and dropping people one right after another with his right hand. Several times he grabbed people with his left hand and head-butted them and alternated that with healing himself.






***


Someone with a long reach caught me with a massive fist in the eye. My head felt like it snapped backwards and everything started looking black with flashing lights circling around.

“Gaaaaherown” I’m not even sure what I was trying to say, but I felt myself staggering backwards.

In slow motion I saw a fist connect with Eyja’s breasts and heard her scream in what sounded more like anger than pain. She jerked the gauntlet off my hand and grabbed the steel knuckles out, not even bothering to hide them. She looked like a windmill in a gale, and was also kicking crotches with those tall boots of hers. I had to push myself off the wall to get back into the fight. My claws unsheathed instinctively, but I was careful not to do any maiming. These were Uriel’s troops, after all.

Eyja didn’t stay in flank position. I caught sight of her cutting a pathway across the room just as her flank position got compromised and a powerful fist punched up under my ribcage at the diaphragm. It knocked the wind out of me. As I was going down I saw Captain Renault rising, her jaw hanging oddly.

Her eyes burned with hatred that flickered into aggression when she saw me falling down. She started toward me. Her jaw was broken, hitting it again would knock her out. My bare fist would break before her jaw would, but I couldn’t find where Eyja had thrown my gauntlet.

Captain Renault was coming at me fast, there was no time. I staggered back up quickly, barely making it to Owyn’s left flank before she was nearly on me. Fathis’s big square ring was on my right hand. I kissed it quickly before she got there and then ran the magic down my arm in another uppercut. The ring cut a jagged square gash into her jaw, but I heard the crunching of bones. I hadn’t lied, she did have a glass jaw.

Over the shouts and thuds I heard Eyja do another thu’um and the room was beginning to look a little clearer. Owyn had two black eyes and his right ear looked swollen to twice the size of the other. His forehead was split open and bleeding. He left my flank to chase down some others in the room.

My right eye was swollen shut, my left eye ached and the cheek below it felt crushed. It hurt every breath I took, I was pretty sure I had a fractured rib. My lips were swollen, split, and bleeding. My arms were purple and swollen from top to bottom, and my hands both felt like rags.

Eyja was bruised on her chest, her arms, and her mouth was swollen out of proportion. Her nose may have been broken as well, it looked odd. But her beautiful eyes were untouched.

POW! I spoke too soon.






***


I was about to draw my sword and use the hilt as a tool to uppercut some more jaws when the Bloodworks door slammed and the moonsugar came on my tongue for the first time since the day Gils started me.

“GILS! GILS!” I just screamed it over and over till the door to the bathing room opened and there he was. I don’t know if I would have recognized him if it hadn’t been for the moonsugar on my tongue.

Everybody just stopped fighting and stood staring at Gils. He looked terrible. His skin was almost as pale as me, his eyes were bloodshot and sunken in almost black sockets. He was thinner than I have ever seen him. I must not have looked the same to him either, blacked eyes and blood dripping down my chin from that split lip.

“Maxical? You’re alive?” Why did he just stand there?

“Gils, it’s me. Captain Renault knew I was alive all this time, and knew I was at the Palace. She refused to obey Uriel Septim’s orders and send you to the Palace to be with me. I came for you, Uriel wants to reassign you so we can be together. What is it, Serjo Gils? You don‘t come to your wife?”

Gils collapsed. I always fake a faint when caught in wrong doing, but I don’t think that was what Gils was doing. He didn’t look well at all.

“Owyn! Everyone stop fighting, Gils needs healing…we all do, but get him first. Why is he so thin?”

Owyn scooped up Gils and carried him to the healing fount. I grabbed my gauntlets and followed, cracking them hard across Captain Renault‘s face as I passed her inert form.

“That’s for the condition I find my husband in after your care of him. You’re no more fit at whoring than at commanding, [censored].”

They say everything goes full circle. Seeing Gils laying across that fount, that was the day I swore my life and my first child to Akatosh. And here it was again, Owyn carrying Gils to the fount just like he had that day. I had a sudden sickening feeling in my stomach.

Akatosh already had my promise, I was already working for him. Would he do it again? Should I pray to another god or maybe Clavicus Vile or something? Sell off some more of my children to save Gils again? Why had he just stood there?

Owyn was cranking the fount up and looking at Gils like he had looked that day, it seemed so long ago now. Everything was the same.






***



“I can’t run for Hannibal, Owyn. Not in the night with vampires out there.”

“No one can go, Maxical. It’s not safe out there.”

When I took Gils’ hand to pump the ring I’d given him, there was no ring. I pulled his cuirass open and looked, the necklace and gag ring were gone too. I checked his pockets for the Cure Disease potion and scrolls, there were none. The rings and necklace weren’t in his pockets either.

“Should I get a Cure Disease from the cabinet?”

“You can’t, we’re out of them.”

“In the morning I’ll run to the Palace and get some. How could you run out, wasn’t Ocato duplicating them?”

Owyn was busy healing Gils, so I shut up. I leaned over the fount to stroke his hair and face, gently kissing his eyes and cheeks. His lips were parched looking, cracked and dry. I gave just a soft kiss one would give a baby, not a wife’s kiss. Gils started screaming, the most horrible sounding scream. It was like he was in terrible pain.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you? Did I hurt him Owyn? What did I do? What is happening to him?” I dabbed off the bit of blood my cut lip had left on him.

Owyn had to give him a calming healing spell to stop the screaming. “Maxical, there are a lot of them coming back from the sewers this way. Like their mind snaps or something. What they face down there, you would not believe.”

“Was he like this when you saw him last?”

“No. He wasn’t good, but he was talking.”

“When you’re done healing him, I want him brought in with me in the storage room. I‘ll be right back.”

I wanted to be sure I hadn’t missed Gils’ rings and necklace I gave him when I looked in the alcove behind the mirror, but that could come later. There were too many injured to prepare for Owyn. Before I‘d start helping though, I wanted to be sure Captain Renault wasn’t wearing them. Had she been wearing them, someone may have had to pull me off of her. She wasn’t, thank goodness. Still, as I looked down at her the rage seethed in me.

Eyja grabbed my arm. “Hey! Maxical. Are you okay?”

“Not yet, Eyja. I still don’t know what is going on. Eyja, can you help me triage these guys?”

“Sure, just tell me what to do.“






***


“Line them up against that wall, worst injuries closest to Owyn. If you can heal, start with the worst first. I can’t heal, so I’m useless except for judging who needs care first. Salute each one, tell them what a good job they did. Not Captain Renault and Gilroy, no matter their injuries or rank do not salute or heal them and they are to be last in line for healing by Owyn if they seek it.”

“I don’t blame you. Besides, as Captain over all these she should be able to heal at least herself and another.“

“That’s what I’m thinking, but look at the condition of these troops…especially Gils. Something tells me she isn’t qualified to, like that healer down in Anvil. Those two are supposed to be Uriel’s Elite Guards, can you imagine? Sir Damien said it well, Akatosh had to send me because Uriel had no one. I’m tempted to drag her by the hair before Uriel and ask him why she can‘t heal herself when she is supposed to protect him.”

Eyja wasn’t good at judging injuries, but she could heal and was a fantastic morale booster with the men. She had them laughing and cheering in no time with her sallies. I didn’t flirt like she did, just rallied a bit as I inspected and lined them up in order.

“Uriel Septim should be proud of his Imperial Army, whoever trains you guys did well. I was proud to see you in action and know you‘re on the side of the throne.” I saluted each by pounding my chest twice in respect. A few saluted back.

Baurus was unscathed and helped out. I hadn’t seen him fight in the melee, didn’t know if he’d healed himself or what. I’d have to feel him out before making any judgment on whether he was like the rest, but knowing what I did now about the Blades I was sickened to think Uriel placed his trust in them. They lacked discipline entirely, and weren’t even nearly as well trained as his Imperial Army was.

As I was inspecting the men I was shocked that most carried unenchanted iron weapons.

“Why do none of you have silver or fire-enchanted weapons? You can’t fight vampires with iron! What was Ocato thinking?” I had a sickening feeling he was deliberately destroying Uriel’s defenses. Uriel knew he was a traitor, why had he left him over them?


*

This went about as expected. Things were going too well in the previous chapter to be a Maxical operation. Getting stabbed in the arm didn’t seem to slow down Owyn at all!

Maxical kept her head when she went down and didn’t use her claws on anyone. I can’t believe the men punched Eyja! Why didn’t she distract them again?

GILS! I suppose we have to wait to find out exactly what caused his collapse, but I’m just guessing he was shocked to see her alive after believing her to be dead for two weeks.

she could heal and was a fantastic morale booster with the men.
I bet!