The grasshopper waited patiently for her Master to return, struggling against the cold winds of early winter that heralded his departure. - you are greatly missed Master Po

Hearing the sound of someone seeking entrance, Angel opened the massive door of Benirus manor to the sight of a poorly groomed Dunmer man in disheveled cloths.

"I'm Dulver Fyr." the man announced. "May I come in?" Not waiting for a reply he drifted past Angel to stand in the middle of her front room, scratching himself and looking around."

Angel giggled at the though that he was searching for flea poison. She was no stranger to oddly behaving visitors. They came for one reason only; the Egg. Casting a spell, she waited as the golden aura surrounded the intruder confirming the command spell had taken. "Please tell me what your intentions are in coming here."

"I am a collector of Dwemer artifacts." The man's stance and arm gestures showed the pride he took in this simple declaration. As he spoke, Angel recognized the growling timber of his voice which clearly marked him as a native of Morrowind. Their tortured voices bore a legacy of the volcanic dust carried everywhere by the wind. "I have read a book which claims to be a true translation of an original Dwemer text. It describes an object of great power which can amplify illusion magic by thousands of times... er... actually the translator wasn't sure if it was thousands or hundreds."

"It's thousands." Angel said absently. "But you still haven't answered what you intend by coming here."

"Ah! Right. Originally I was only hoping to see this one-of-a-kind device but as I researched it's provenance, I learned of your parents' tragic disappearance, Sweet child, it breaks my heart now to think of your terrible loss. Perhaps my knowledge of the device's inner working could be of use in reversing this magic."

It had been Angel's dream to one day discover the secret of what had happened to her parents. She was temped to continue her control of the Dunmer but having assured herself that he was not a threat, her sense of right-and-wrong which was strong at any time, but absolute when using magic, stopped her and she waited until the aura faded.

"Would you really be willing to help me find out what happened to my parents?"

"What? Oh, I really hadn't meant to say that it just sort of popped out but, yes. I would certainly jump at a chance to work with this device in any capacity."

Moments later, Dulver Fyr softly moaned as he gazed at the gleaming Dwemer artifact which had come to be known as 'The Golden Egg'. He shifted and then shifted again clearly trying to find something and failing. "Where is the antenna?"

"If you mean the base, it was removed and sent to the Arcane University to disable the Egg." Angel answered.

"But.. but.. it doesn't work without the antenna." Dulver announced, a plaintive note in his voice.

"I know." Angel said. "It has been a point of contention between me and the guild for some time now. I'm not in a position to expect its willing return by the guild. Chancellor Ocatta and the Council has refused to even hear the matter claiming they have no jurisdiction over the Mages guild.

After a brief, thoughtful silence, she continued. "I have a friend who was once going to try to get the base back for me. We called it off because of the trouble the guild was having and the high security they were enforcing at the time. I could contact him and see if he would be willing to try again. In the meantime you can stay at the Count's Arms Inn. I'll walk you over since I was going there for dinner anyway." Assessing the Dunmer's cloths, Angel offered, "If you need money for the Inn I would be happy to pay you for helping me."

A kindly smile spread across Dulver Fyr's face. "Child, I have enough money to buy this entire town if I chose but thank you for your generous offer."

Angel turned to her new companion as they neared Mermaid park. "Wait here for just a moment. I will be right back."

Dulver watched as Angel trotted through the park heading straight to a beggar camped near the city wall. He could see her giving the beggar coins and clearly carrying on a conversation. "By the Nine," he thought, scratching himself, "she's going to catch fleas if she's not careful."

After arriving and a round of greetings and orders for food, Angel settled in at a table in the Count's Arms Inn. Before her was a hot platter of smoked boar with a buttery, sweet and pungent bergamot sauce. Green garnishments surrounded a pair of spiced apples. Addressing Dulver, Angel said "I like to talk while I eat. What would you prefer to discuss, magic or adventures?"

***

Hand in hand, Angel and Sarrah entered the Chironasium. Letting go, Sarrah said "I'll be right back." With a sudden sinking feeling, Angel turned to ask where she was going but Sarrah had already vanished. Delmar drew his hood up so that his face receded into shadow. Angel's growing sense of anxiety became panic as she realized she wasn't dressed. Delmar intoned, "Perform the spell." She had no idea what he was talking about.

Angel awoke and tried to scream but the scaly hand clutched to her mouth and nose prevented it. A breathy voice whispered in her ear, "You look like a pocket begging to be picked."

Relaxing, Angel waited until the hand was removed. "Is that a tail or are you just happy to see me?" she asked.

"Yes," Swims-On-Land chuckled as he answered, "I have heard this one before but it is always funny."

"Swims, I need the key. Remember, the Dwemer thing you were going to steal for me?"

With a grandiose bow, Swims answered. "For you my little sister mage I would steal the world but a thought occurs to me. Since the key was last seen in the Arch Mage's chamber, you wouldn't need to enter the grounds. If you wanted to, you could steal the key yourself."

"I've tried." Angel answered. "The portal to the tower simply doesn't work for me."

"Then it is settled. I will bring out your little metal key filled with greed."

"That's filigreed." Angel said, scratching vigorously.

And now, my new year's day is complete. (Well, actually completion would require an update from one or two other writers). But Angel's return is worth... It is beyond price.

The whole interaction between Angel and Swims was perfect- exactly the sort of banter one would expect from old friends.

I do not know Angel well enough to chaff her, so I will simply say:

Welcome back, dear. You have been missed.

When I saw your thread up at the top, I refused to get too excited. I knew I had not bumped it (although I have in the past). I wondered if perhaps mALX (she has in the past) or another of your many devotees had bumped it. Imagine my delight to not only see the post was by the master himself, but that it contained a new story! :celebration:

I eagerly devoured it of course, simply ravenous for literary morsals of Angel or Sarrah. :liplick:

Ahhh. Angel in her own home being, well, Angel. Then the wonderful interaction with the Dunmer and a delicious meal. Followed by her friend, Swims. Finally mention of my girl next door, Sarrah - Ahhh indeed. :twirl:

To imagine that Buffy was in the Chironasium within this very tenday and missed Angel - Arrrrggghhh! :banghead:

:whisper: I did happen to notice a few tiny typo/grammar things, but I sent them to you in a PM for your consideration.

Thank you so much for once again regaling us with your wonderful, diminutive, and precious mage. We have missed you so much. Please keep telling us your wonderful stories!

Yaay! Angel returns, and it is a continuation of the old storyline! :celebration:

Much fun. I am glad to see you are back to writing again.

Master Po is back with dear Angel! My 2010 will be the happiest year ever! Now this is why they call you "The Master!" You ROCK !!!

*creaks open door hesitantly*

The wolf headed into the studio. His coat was shaggy and bedraggled from the cold and rain. With furtive eyes he looked around.
The canvas, easels, brushes and books all had the look of much loved implements. But the artist was nowhere to be found.
Strange that somebody so talented should not choose to be here. Oh, well, time to go.
Wait, what is this. An open journal, with new writing, the pages crisp, the ink not yet dried, could it be...??

Master Po, thank you for the latest installment.

Judging by the storyline is it okay to assume this could be an ongoing essay in the works ?

Good to see you still writing.

treydog;
I could never match the lyric beauty of your writing style and I have at last learn to let go and do what I can do. The result is a (hopefully) fun romp to read as it once was a fun romp to write.

Acadian;
Thanks for the proof read. As I said in PM, the original RPG was rampant with misspelling and punctuation errors but I think if you asked anyone who participated they would have said it was a blast. No doubt, you will see punctuation mistakes in my future writing and I am grateful for your corrections but I am specifically re scanning all the 's' ending of words in the new installment to try to keep it to a minimum.

Angel's dream sequence visit to the Chironasium was indeed triggered by rumors about her future hero and role model; Buffy.

SubRosa;
I have finally reconciled myself to doing what's fun instead of trying to do what I (mistakenly) think might impress others.

I love you and Teresa, SubRosa.
Angel

mALX1;
Wonderful grasshopper,

You are a delight to write for and a delight to read.

Winter Wolf:
Art Journal; entry 01/03/2010

A magnificent creature has entered the studio through an apparently open door. The wondrous animal was part of this world and part of a creative and magical world into which I am occasionally privileged to peek. Such sightings are a wellspring of inspiration to me.

Nillocjames
Hello my old friend. Your portrayal of Rene Belland in the original 'Angel' RPG was a huge boost to the story and taught me a great deal about coloring outside the lines.


The story continues.

Angel entered the Count's Arms Inn to find a scene of angry shouting and arm waving.

"HOW DARE YOU IMPLY I HAVE INFESTED THIS INN?" Dulver shouted. "Oh, hello dear. I will be with you in a minute."

"I'VE NEVER HAD FLEAS IN MY INN BEFORE YOU CAME." Wilbur shouted over the Dunmer. "Good Morning Angel. I'll be with you in a minute."

The two verbal combatants stopped shouting in momentary confusion as each one ended their greeting matched to the other and spoken in unison.

"WAIT. I can solve this problem."

Both men turned to face Angel looking dumbfounded by her announcement. Angel shifted her weight and arms slightly to trigger the body memory which, coupled to her will, made spell casting practical. Magicka flowed from her fingertips to burst in a soft white cloud against Dulver Fyr. The small assortment of visitors to the Inn that morning would later tell and retell the story to gales of laughter.

For an instant, it appeared that Angel had managed to blow Dulver Fyr's hair off as a black cloud shot upward from the top of his head. Scattering into individual tiny specks, The cloud fell to the floor and began to disperse in all directions.

"I've already treated my mansion." Angel said. "It will take a day or two but they will eventually go back to the wild where they belong."

Dulver was the first to speak. "Oh, my goodness. I guess I simply hadn't noticed." Turning to Wilbur he apologized profusely and, with friendly relations re-established, he ordered breakfast for himself and Angel.

"That was a brilliant bit of magic my dear." Dulver gushed over imported kwama eggs and crispy smoked boar strips. "Of course I recognized the vectors and spectrals immediately but I would never have thought of that combination. You frightened those poor creatures of Mara right back to the woods."

Angel thought for a moment before responding. "Not many mages could have anolyzed that spell the way you just did. Are you a Mage?"

"Oh! no,no,no, my dear. I have no gift for the control of magicka. I do however have a longstanding love of all things Dwemer and it has lead me to go far beyond the average mage in studying magicka and its effects.

"Amazing." Angel said. "It seems our individual talents are a perfect compliment. We are just a pair of tech-weenies."

"We're what?"

***

Swims-On-land stood at the end of the Arch Mage's bed. He had spent a month surveiling each council member and the Arch Mage during his original attempt to steal the key. Now, with the twenty-four hour a day guard removed from the Arch Mages chamber, the deed was as good as done.

Swims placed the ring on his finger and scanned the area where the Key rested on a shelf. Angel had warned him there might be magical protections and gave him the ring to detect them. At last assured, Swims removed the artifact.

For a full minute the intricacy and beauty of the object held him hypnotized. Curving forms surrounded and flowed over the perfect, straight edges of borders which, in turn, surrounded even more curves. As he looked at it, it seemed he could make out objects within the intricate patterns. Argonians smiled and crouched; the shapes then fading and new ones forming while the object itself remained solid and unchanged. "A trick of the mind." Swims concluded at last. "I have seen such illusions in clouds also."

Swims stepped onto the portal pad and was preparing to invoke the transfer when he heard the Arch Mage speak.

"Please give my best regards to Angel and assure her that the Mages guild welcomes her back with open arms."

Swims-On-Land blinked twice then looked down, triggering the portal.

***

Dulver Fyr sighed as the Golden Egg separated in half along it's length. Angel leaned closer to peer inside. "Careful." Dulver warned. "We have now exposed the very heart of this wondrous device." Dulver lowered the two halves to the alter which had once born abomination but was now merely a relic of Anvil's history.

Dulver pointed to a dented rectangular box suspended by straps in one of the two halves. "When the Egg is together, This is positioned at the very center."

"What is it and why is it so dented?"

"It's you." Dulver answered. "It is the reason the Egg only responds to you." It is a resonating chamber. Within it is an essence, absorbed through the antenna over a period of years as it sat in your parents collection. Your sister's essence is stored here too and once dominated the Egg. The dents are what the Dwemer text refers to as ding tuning. By applying small dings in the box they could tune it for a maximum resonance"

"Could this be used to bring Sarrah back to life?"

"Perhaps." Dulver paused before continuing "That is, if you wanted a hate filled Lich for a sister."

"Ooh. Never mind."

"Yes indeed. Life is not something for mortals to play with child. See to your health and leave the Divines to deal with matters of the soul."

"But what about my parents?"

"Ah! Now that, I believe is a different matter."

The Dulver line had me rolling! And Tech-weenies made a comeback!! This is the greatest beginning for 2010 I could ever think of; Master Po and Angel weaving a tapestry for us all to find ourselves lost in its intricate design! You are the Master and always will be!

Cool! I loved your description of the Angel casting the spell, of falling into the familiar stance, the magic flowing to her fingertips, etc... Likewise Dulver's description of how the energy acted to chase off the bugs.

I also very much like the little touch of the kwama eggs. I would never think of adding something like that because as I am new to the Elder Scrolls, I have no idea what a kwama is!

Wow, just wow. I'm impressed by the addition of fleas, something I'm unfortunately very familiar with (my line of work). As a matter of fact, when you first introduced Dulver, I thought, "get that man some Frontline!" That scene with Wilbur was well-crafted and quite humorous. I also liked the Arch-Mage having the last word as Swims' was leaving with the Key.

You're keeping me guessing where this is going, and I'm learning to just sit back and go with the flow. This is a wonderful story line, and I'm falling in love with little Angel. Oh, and Sarrah reminds me a little bit of my favorite character in her salad days.

Ahhh! This so bobgAngelyummygood!

I loved every bit of it! Oddly enough, one of my favorite parts was when you had Dulver and Wilbur shouting and suddenly each realizing they had finished by saying the same thing in unison - then both turning their attention to little Angel. Not only neat, but well described.

Oooh! Crispy smoked boar strips. Gotta try that! :liplick:

Your description of the artifact that Swims picked up was amazing. So tantalizingly and mysteriously vague as to allow the reader to conjure without limitation.

I'm still delerious that you're back and posting your magic. :twirl:

The comment you made with SubRosa is spot on. If you write to impress people then the writing will always be forced and muddled.
When you let go of that the true creative force can arc off in any direction. And in the end that is what keeps your readers guessing more, anyway.....

I loved the lastest installment. Like Angel I am impatiently hopping from foot to foot.


Wow, that line is good. Poetry and wisdom merged together. :twirl:

Artistry, humor, vivid descriptive power... there is so much to love here. As SubRosa said, the idea of muscle memory as an aid to spell-casting makes perfect sense- now that you have explained it.

As to writing style- I heard a quote I really liked the other day- it is a Chinese proverb-

"Read 100 poets, and you will write like 100 poets. Read 1000 poets, and you will write like yourself."

The hardest part of being a writer is finding that inner voice and trusting it. You write like yourself, and it soars in ways I can only admire. Continue to bring your artist's eye and your humor to your work, and you will never lack for an attentive and devoted audience.

mALX1;
I'm so glad you enjoyed the new installment. As for masters, Every one of the current fan-fictions are skillfily entertaining. Obviously not every style or subject will appeal to every reader but they are all great.

SubRosa;
I've seen several very creative ways of describing spell casting. I just wanted to describe Angel's technique while being consistent with the game. It's a little like Acadians description of an archer's technique. Kwama eggs are reported in Morrowind as the traditional export. Ebony and Dwemer artifacts being the modern (Imperial era) exports.

hauteecole rider;
The shortest poem on record is titled Fleas;
Adam had'em.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where this is going either but this has happened so often that I no longer worry about it. I typically have to finish the current chapter before a new chapter begins to coalesce.

Acadian;
Thank you my friend. To Angel, you, who rescued her literally from oblivion, are now Uncle Acadian.

Winter Wolf;
Your continued support of my storytelling is worth more to me than gold. Thank you.

treydog;
WOW! I am blown away by your kind words. Thank you and Winter Wolf for sharing your understanding of the author's process,

Story continues;
Dark soil gave off its special scent, bearing a sacred promise that green living things would flourish here in Angel's garden. Around her, the potato vines faintly rustled their approval of a vagrant sea breeze. The sensation of warm sun overhead and the cold water around her bare feet was robbing her of her senses and inviting her to remain here forever and simply be.

"May the Divines pee on your garden."

Angel looked up from hoeing to see a grinning Swims-On-Land approaching. Turning to face him she raised an arm above her head, palm forward and slightly ahead mimicking a priest she had once seen giving a blessing. "May Akatosh poop in your swamp." She intoned in as deep a voice as she could muster.

Although the mock blessing held no magic, it stopped Swims in his tracks; convulsing with laughter and desperately trying to avoid tromping Angel's potatoes as he staggered to keep from falling.

In time, as the laughter died and new thoughts, triggered by the appearance of Swims, caught Angel's attention, her expression became serious. "Let's go inside." She said.

Passing straight through the first floor of Benirus Manor, Angel lead Swims down two flights to the sub-basemant and the arcane chamber at its end. Entering, she saw that the Egg was still disassembled and Dulver Fyr was busily taking notes and measuring with a tenscale.

Dulver was the first to speak. "Ah. So, is this the famous Gray Fox?"

"Yes I am," Swims responded, "and I presume I am addressing Vivec."

"What?" came Dulvers bewildered response.

"Swims." Taking his hand to draw him to her, Angel whispered in an aside to her friend, "Dulver doesn't know about your humorous greetings." With a wink to Swims she turned back to Dulver. "The Gray Fox is a legend. This is my friend Swims-On-Land. Swims, this is Dulver Fyr."

"I meant no offense but I understood that Angel's friend was a thief by trade." Dulver said, taking the proffered hand.

"Not at all." Swims responded. "And to prove my honesty, I will return the purse you just dropped." With that, Swims held out Dulver's coin purse.

"Ah! Oh. Thank you." Dulver tucked the purse back under his belt absentmindedly. Turning back to the Egg, he said, "There isn't much more to be learned from the internals. I am just recording information for posterity in case anything should ever happen. I am at a point where we could put it back together if you wish. In fact, I would like to try some tests. We don't need the antenna for these. In fact it would be safer ... if... we.."

As Dulver spoke, Swims had reached into his pack and brought out a golden filigreed rectangle.

***

The trio sat around the large fireplace in Angel's front room. Angel sipped at a watered down version of mead, warmed to relieve the remnant of chill from the basemant. Dulver had a glass of Tamika's finest which sat untouched beside him and Swims' glass held a cloudy brown concoction he referred to as 'Swamp Jack'.

Dulver sat leaning forward revealing his tension. "I have to admit I have some concerns about enabling the Egg. I keep thinking about what the Egg is, what it does and the issue of ethics. With this device you could literally take control of whole armies."

Angel had heard all of this before. "All I want is to know what happened to Mother and Pappa." she answered. "After that, I would gladly throw the thing into an Oblivion lava flow as a tribute to Sarrah."

"Yes, yes, child but you need to understand that there are evil people that would happily torture you to force you to use the device for their own purposes. Don't think that you cannot be forced. History has proven time and again that no one can resist such horrors forever."

Angel shivered as she recalled the dark days after the first discovery that she might be the subject of an ancient prophesy concerning a golden child. She quickly became the target of two assassination attempts and several abduction plans. Her reported death had curbed the danger for a while and as she emerged back into the public they learned that her artifact was just a collector's relic with no power.

"There is one more thing and I don't want to press this point too much but... Right now, all you want is to know if your parents are still alive or not but as we get into this thing and you realize the power you possess, it's possible you might think it could be used for a good cause. I tell you now that no good could ever come from its use."

Angel sat silent and reflective for what seemed to the other two like a long time. At last she responded. "Sarrah used to use the Egg to tame the animals living in the forest when we were at our summer place. After a while we found some of them dead. They had simply been calmed to a point where they didn't hunt. They starved to death. We solved the problem by using a different type of illusion but I know what you are saying is true."

"I have an idea." Swims entered the discussion. Indicating Dulver with a hand gesture, he continued. "You keep the greedy part and Angel, you keep the Egg part. That way, at least it will take two people to agree before the Egg can be used."

"Good." Angel said briskly standing. "Now that that is settled, I need some help with fixing dinner and, Swims, I think I have an apron that would fit you."

Yay! A new chapter! :twirl:

You continue to fascinate me.

I share a common peeve with Acadian, however. It has to do with the use of the apostrophe with the pronoun it.

It's is contrary to the general rule, it is not possessive, it is a contraction of "it is."

The possessive form is correctly spelled its.

It's a common mistake everywhere, so I post here to reinforce Acadian's repeated posts for everyone's benefit.

Could it be I actually beat Acadian to this?

Anyway, great writing, and fascinating people! I loved the greetings (blessings?) between Angel and Swims' in the beginning! My kind of humor!

Dang! I meant to check that before posting and forgot. Fixed (hopefully).

Thanks for the correction and the encouragement.

I really liked this quite a bit. Swims is such a fun character, and I have really warmed to Dulver as well. I like the trio they make when they are with Angel.

I really loved this description, it is literally like reading art:
Around her, the potato vines faintly rustled their approval of a vagrant sea breeze.

Swims was delicious. I loved his greetings, both to Angel and the other to Dulver.


One grammar nit I noticed, you missed the apostrophe here:
The trio sat around the large fireplace in Angel's front room.

Okay, I lied, there is a second thing I saw in the last sentence. It looks like a few quotation marks got leftover after a previous edit:
"Good." Angel said briskly standing. "Now that that is settled,{" "}I need some help with fixing dinner and, Swims, I think I have an apron that would fit you."

Angel's personality shines in everything she does anyway, but when she is with others it shows triplefold! Swims IS delicious, SubRosa said it perfectly! The three of them together are Awesome! There are so many little places that could be pulled out and quoted that touch, inspire, warm, tickle - these things are why I love experiencing your writing; it is much more than a read.

Ditto!

Ah, so many memories. Trapsing through Benrus Manor. Even the treat of a reference to precious Sarrah. Recollections of Angel's faked death - I believe I still have the special edition of the Black Horse Courier. The greetings between Angel and Swims reminds me of when Angel once offered someone a potion. When questioned as to why the potion was green, Angel replied with a straight face, "It's snot."

You are a master of touching upon something so lightly as to let the reader's imagination run wild.

What a fun romp! You have not lost your uniquely wonderful touch. Thank you so much for bringing Angel to us!

Yes indeed. The stories this trio could tell while sitting around a fire place. :whisper:

Master Po, your work is subtle, the personalities magnificent. Please keep them coming !!


The perfect come back! :rofl:

SubRosa, mALX1, Acadian, Winter Wolf;
Time to pay for the soup. In every life a little tragedy must fall.

Story continues;
"I must leave." Swims had said. "It is almost hatching time and I am far from Black Marsh." With that brief explanation, he had simply walked out the door and was gone. Angel had needed to run outside to shout a hope for safe travel to the departing Argonian.

Dulver's attention was now fully absorbed in the intricate patterns of the filigreed rectangle. At last Angel's love of the outdoors had drawn her to the stable and the Unicorn she had taken from its meadow in the wild.

Idle time was never better spent than on an inviting road. Angel was aware of the sight she presented. Her mount was a magnificent beast and one-of-a-kind. She reveled in the turning of heads by other riders and pedestrians. Pride and the joy of sun and wind kept her on the road until well after dark had settle.

At the stables, Angel carefully hobbled the Unicorn and made sure the gate was secured before hurrying to Benirus Manor and the long overdue dinner. As she passed through the living room, she called out "DULVER?"

Getting no response, Angel proceeded down the stairs to the first level basemant before an old familiar scent triggered caution and a sense of foreboding.

She remembered the first bandit to fall to her poisoned dagger. The stench of fear-sweat mixed with the loss of bladder and bowel control in death had left her sick for days. It was not the last time. Angel had put such violence behind her through the use of illusion magic. Now the scent hung in the air of her home with all its dark promise.

***


***

Carahil reached out as Angel slid onto the bench beside her. It had become a ritual now that Angel sat with the guild mages during their meal despite eating little or nothing. Carahil would hold her close as she sat looking stunned and lost.

As the days passed the light of intelligence and awareness returned. "I'm going home tomorrow morning." Angel announced.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Carahil asked. "They still don't know who did that murder."

"Dulver's grave will need fresh flowers. Besides, I need to see about certain things."

"Well don't go trying to look for who did this. They are almost certainly professional assassins."

"I won't."

Carahil's relief turned to ice as Angel finished the thought "They will come to me."

***

Angel patiently sat on the edge of her bed as the small telltale sounds came closer. At last, a figure dressed head to toe in black, glided into the room. As he grabbed the front of Angel's robe in a bunch and started to lift her from the bed, a golden aura swept up his arm and then washed across his body.

In Angel's mind, master Pheng Yun once more performed the ritual that could send her into a waking sleep. While she was still aware, he controlled every thought. It was now Angel's turn to perform this ritual. It would replace the short term command spell with control that could last for hours.

"Your hand is very strong. So strong that you can not let go. Try but you can not let go. The harder you try......."

In the minutes that followed, Angel's voice became seductive and authoritative in turn. At last the assassin's eyes closed in a deep trance state and then opened again at Angel's command.

"Who killed my friend Dulver Fyr?"

Angel had removed the assassins hood to reveal a handsome young Breton man. Close cropped blond hair capped an athlete's tanned face. Blue eyes gazed fixedly back at her. Hearing the question, animation returned to the face and, like a bright child revealing his cleverness, he responded "I did."

Angel tried to absorb the contrast between the healthy, fresh faced man in front of her and the scene of horror in her basemant. Long minutes passed but the sense of connection between the one and the other could not be made.

"Why?" Angel asked in a naive voice. It took an act of will to mask the hate she now felt knowing it could mar her control.

"Well that's the part you have to do. After the torture and humiliating them, there is nothing left but to kill them."

Memories of the scene in Angel's basemant returned to her mind in stark realism. She saw again the trickle of filth which ran down Dulver's cheek from his mouth.

"Why torture them?"

"I like the feeling. It's a feeling of power. I get mad if someone doesn't do what I say right away. That makes it easier to kill them. They have to do what I say or else. I make them do bad things. They have to do it or else. If they do everything I tell them, then they deserve to die anyway."

At last Angel understood. The man before her wasn't really a man at all. He had never grown out of the spoiled child he must have once been. No doubt a local bully. She still remembered her own encounter with a bully.

"What were your orders?"

"To take you and a Dwemer artifact."

"And Dulver?"

"He wouldn't tell me where you or the artifact were."

"Who sent you?"

"My leader."

"And what does he lead?"

"We are the Dark Brotherhood."

"What is your leader's name?"

"Duncan Darkwater."

"Where can I find him?"

"Cheydenhal."

"And what is your name?"

"Alron Pondspan."

Well Alron, we are going to stop your heart from beating now."

"You are?"

"No, you are. I am only going to talk you through it."

When it was over, Angel calmly walked to the main gate to inform the city guard of the intruder's body. Returning, she stood silently in the moonlight beside the freshly turned soil of her former potato garden.

Man, that is so unfair. Angel was close to reaching the truth about her parents. But at least she now has a trail to follow.....

Duncan Darkwater.....I shall remember that name. I get the feeling he will pay dearly. And deservedly so.
Tell Angel if she needs help, we stand ready. :flame:


The end to the chapter was a great moment to finish on. Sadness, anger, regret.
A lovely piece of writing.

Everything Winter Wolf said "Ditto" - Powerful Master Po, from beginning to end...painful - but I found myself relieved it was not Swims. Awesome write!