Chapter 14: Meteorain (How did that go again?)

"Nathan, what's going on?" Netta asked, worry lining her voice as she, Alderin and Bruno backed away from the yet to be identified Imperial woman. "Do you actually know her? And why is she trying to kill us!?"

Nathan wrestled with Fobo the Clown, still pinned to the ground as he looked up at the others. "Netta, I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have," he explained, just before Fobo got in another good hit to the Imperial's jaw. "Just as soon as I don't have a deranged clown trying to pummel me to death!"

Bruno hefted his hammer out in front of him, and glared at the woman attacking them. "Stupid lady! You smash now!" he roared, before swinging his massive weapon. The attack was slow, uncoordinated, but it forced the woman to dodge the attack, and Netta and Alderin used that opportunity to close in.

"Wait a second, Bruno," Netta piped in, grabbing the woman by the arm, keeping her still as Alderin pointed his staff at the other arm, restraining her weapon. "I thought that you smashed, not other people smashed."

Nathan managed to bring up one of his feet, and connected with Fobo's stomach, forcing the clown off of him. "You got it all wrong, Netta. By saying 'you smash', he means he's going to smash them." He grabbed his claymore off the ground, and backed towards the others, pointing his weapon at a recovering clown.

Slade, meanwhile, managed to straight arm Eldar the Nord with his free arm, sending the Speaker up into the air, before he delivered a quick kick to the muscle bound brute. "No no, you're both wrong," he explained, readying his dagger as he too backed towards the others, blocking off the Nord from the other side. "Smash is a verb, dammit. Saying that he smashes and somebody else smashes can't mean the same thing."

"You're all idiots!" Alderin roared angrily, saliva ejecting from his mouth with the force of his insult. "He's a pickled retard with the intelligence of a stump! You're all reading too much into this!" With the help of his magic, Netta was able to force the female Imperial against the wall, and she was unable to move. "So cram it!"

"Fine fine, don't get your robe in a knot," Nathan countered, shaking his head. He glanced back at Netta and the Imperial, and scowled slightly. "Slade, what the hell is going on!? I know her...she wouldn't do this on her own!"

Slade glanced back at the two women, before redirecting his attention back to Eldar, quickly approaching. "It's the collar!" he exclaimed, before parrying a blow with his Nordic attacker. "That's what's controlling her! Go for the collar!"

Nathan gave a slight nod as he barely dodged a svcker punch from Fobo the Clown, and swung wide with his claymore to drive him back. "Somebody get that thing off of her!" he roared to Bruno, Alderin and Netta. "Bruno, I'm counting on you!"

"Well that'll end well..." Alderin grumbled under his breath, holding his staff level as the Imperial woman continued to wrestle against Netta's grasp, a void look still on her face.

"No worries, boss! I'm on it!" Bruno exclaimed proudly, rushing towards the woman and raising his hammer above his head. "Collar sma-"

"Bruno, no!" Netta exclaimed frantically, shaking her head. "Take it off, don't smash it!"

Bruno gave the Dunmer a surprised look. "Oh. I'm on it!" he exclaimed, dropping his hammer to the ground and leaning over the young woman. He began fiddling with the collar, his face contorting in confusion. "Uh, how do you get these things off?"

"They're magically sealed!" Eldar roared as he rushed at Slade, the smaller Imperial holding up remarkably well against his much more massive opponent. "An idiot like you will never figure out how to get it off!"

"Obviously you've never seen the persistence of somebody with the mind of a ten year old!" Netta yelled, looking up at Bruno with a confident look on her face. "Don't give up, Bruno! You can do it!"

Nathan and Slade continued to keep their respective Speakers at bay while Bruno frantically pried at the collar, trying to wrench it loose from the woman's neck. "Damn thing!" the Nord hollered angrily. "It won't bu-" Bruno paused a moment, and glanced at the others. "Hey, there's a little button on the inside of this thing. Think I should press it?"

"No!" Eldar shouted frantically, his eyes bulging wide with fear. "I mean, uh, if you press it, all the liquor in the world will vanish! No more booze for you!"

Bruno withdrew his hands immediately, a horrified look on his face. "No...no more booze?" He looked over at Nathan, a pitiful expression dominating his features. "No more mead?"

"Bruno, you have to press that button!" Nathan told the Nord, swinging his claymore madly as Fobo brought out a pair of torches, their ends lighting up despite the downpour. "You've gotta trust me!"

Bruno opened up his jacket, looking at the supply of mead within, and then at Nathan, eyes wide with confusion and worry. He gave a slight nod, and turned back towards the girl. "Alright, boss. Here goes!" He fiddled with the back of the collar, and after a moment there was a slight click.

The collar lost its black lustre, and fell uselessly from the woman's neck. She seemed to lose strength as she collapsed forward, dropping her blade as Netta and Bruno quickly caught her.

"Kayla! Are you okay?" Nathan asked, turning back to look at her.

Kayla looked up, her blue eyes now alive and vibrant, and gave a puzzled and slightly frightened look to Bruno and Netta, before looking up at Nathan. "N-Nathan? Is it really you?" she asked, unsure.

"Yeah, it's me!" Nathan called back happily, as Bruno grabbed his hammer and helped him fend off the clown. He left Bruno to fend off the Speaker as he made his way over to her, kneeling down next to her. "Can you walk? We need to get the hell outta here!"
The young woman tried valiantly to get to her feet under her own power, but her knees collapsed from under her, and she shook her head miserably. "I...I can't," she replied softly, a disappointed, self loathing look in her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

After a slight moment of hesitation, Nathan determinedly sheathed his claymore, and wrapped his arms around the woman's legs and back. He lifted her up off the ground, and turned to the others as he carried her in his arms. "Alright, folks, we need a plan, now!" he barked, looking between the others. "Any suggestions?"

Netta's eyes lit up. "Well, there's this thing you can do, with some callipers and tongs," she explained, grinning proudly. "Last time I used that little gem, the poor guy couldn't stand for a week!"

Kayla narrowed her eyes slightly, mouth agape. "What?" she asked, not understanding.

Alderin's head visibly perked up as the others wracked their brains for a plan, and he turned to the south, almost as if looking through the heavy veil of rainfall. "Of course," he muttered softly. "It's not that far. I'm sure we can make it!"

"Care filling the rest of us in?" Nathan asked, slightly annoyed as he faced the Altmer.

Alderin spun around to face the Imperial. "Alright, I've got a plan," he explained, his hands out before him defensively. "But, I can't explain it now. You've just gotta have faith that I know what I'm doing!"

Nathan shook his head immediately, an unconvinced look on his face. "I don't like this plan," he commented.

Netta placed a single hand on Nathan's shoulder, looking at him pleadingly. "C'mon, Nathan, we've gotta try something!" she pointed out. Nathan pursed his lips in scepticism, before nodding in agreement.

Alderin gave a nod of approval, a rare look of confidence on his face. "Alright! Slade, get your ass in gear!" he hollered, before turning to Bruno. "You, lummox! Clear us a path!"

"You got it!" Bruno replied obediently, swinging his hammer and catching Fobo in the side. The clown doubled over with pain, and the entire group rushed past the stunned Speaker, following Alderin to some undisclosed location.

"Damn, go after them!" Eldar ordered, pointing after the group. He and Fobo were quick to take up the chase, as Alderin led them down onto the lower level of the canton, and south, past St. Delyn.

"Alderin, you mind telling me what this great plan is!?" Nathan hollered as the group made its way south of the canton, and arrived at the Vivec Temple. Nathan glanced around, his vision heavily obscured by rain, and shook his head. "What the, why are we here!?"

Alderin ignored this question, however, as he moved towards a small stone altar, and began dancing in front of it. "How did dad say that went again? Say a chant, do a dance..."

"Great, he's lost it," Netta pointed out as Alderin danced in the background, still tightly gripping her silver spear. "Now what the hell do we do?"

"I've got an idea," came a familiar Nordic voice, as Eldar and Fobo approached from opposite ends of the large area. "Stop running about, and get ready to die!"

Fobo grinned psychotically as he looked in Nathan's direction. "And we'll be taking the girl back, too! Hate to think that we'd lost her!" the clown hollered triumphantly.

Kayla gave the clown a frightened look, and looked worriedly up at Nathan. "What's going on? Who are these guys?" she asked.

"Don't you worry, Kayla," Nathan assured her. "I'm sure Alderin's cooking up something good right now." He glanced back at the Altmer. "Right, Alderin?"

Alderin stomped his feet angrily, clutching madly at his hair. "Work dammit, work!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, his dance devolving into random bouts of movement.

"Damn Altmer," Nathan grumbled under his breath, backing away from the Speakers who approached, alongside the others.

"It's time," Eldar began, raising his combat knife before him. "To di-"

"There!" Alderin screamed suddenly, wasting no time in launching a pair of ice spells at both Eldar and Fobo. The two men found their feet frozen to the stone ground because of the excessive rain, and the Altmer gestured at the others. "C'mon, we need to move!"

The group rushed towards the St. Delyn canton, crossed the bridge and held their place just across the canol from the temple. Nathan could make out the struggled grunts of the two Speakers, although he couldn't actually see them.

"You damned Elf!" Eldar screamed from the veil of rain that divided them. "How long do you think this'll hold us? A minute? Two?"

Alderin crossed his arms over his chest, smiling smugly to himself. "It won't matter in about fifteen seconds, you Brotherhood pile of crap!" he shouted, just before Nathan felt a slight rumbling in the ground.

"What the hell was that!?" the Imperial cried out as the rumbling grew worse, forcing Bruno and Netta to grab hold of the nearby railing. He and Slade merely widened their stances as Alderin continued to watch proudly.

"That," the Altmer replied, pointing up. Nathan and the others gazed at where he was pointing, to see an enormous rock, decked out with doors and ramps on the outside, slowly plummeting towards the Vivec temple. Nathan's jaw dropped as the massive rock neared the area where Eldar and Fobo were trapped.

"High Fane?" Slade asked with a calm interest, glancing towards the Altmer. "Impressive. But how-"

"My dad taught me how to turn off the levitation enchantments when I was a kid," Alderin explained smugly. "There's a crystal inside the altar that keeps the damn rock up there, ever since Vivec crapped out on it."

Nathan and the others watched the structure fall, listening to the screams of Eldar and Fobo as the rock descended towards them. "Well, how d'ya like that," Nathan muttered simply just before the thing collided. There was a deafening sound of stone cracking and breaking, and massive waves of water slammed into the nearby canton, splashing over the group. The bridge between the two sections collapsed, and the thunderous sounds gradually began to die off. Within moments, the only sound was that of the rain crashing into the water, and all else was silent.

Bruno grinned happily, and patted Alderin on the back. "Alderin smash!" the Nord cried out triumphantly, and Alderin merely nodded, seemingly pleased with his work.

"Nice work, Alderin," Nathan said gratefully, before glancing over to the canton to their side, the St. Olms canton. "Now, what do you say we pay a visit to an old friend?"

Riffraff galore...

So... we just destroyed an entire temple to kill two speakers... interesting...

Now... What was Netta's plan again? And who the hell is Kayla?!

Howdy, guys. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to ask one of the mods for a temporary lock on this, and here's why.

Lately, I've been finding it very difficult to get into the right mindset to write this story. I feel like alot of what I've been writing in this story is forced, and I'm really just not happy with the quality of the chapters. So, instead of posting alot of substandard stuff in this story, I'm gonna switch my efforts over to another story I've been working on for a few months, and posting on other forums. Hopefully I'll get back in my groove for this story, but until then I want to post something that I'm satisfied with the quality.

Just wanted to let you all know.

Temporary lock is over, guys. I've decided to come back to this one.

Expect a new chapter soon.

A new chapter would be spectacular. This story is quite fun to read.

Chapter 15: Sanctuary (Where everybody knows your name...)

Nathan and the rest of the group, including Kayla, who had just recently regained the strength to continue on her own, continued towards the uppermost tier of the St. Olms canton, besieged by tireless waves of heavy rainfall that crashed down all around them. Beginning their ascent of one of the canton's large, arch covered ramps, the sixtet found a temporary respite from the merciless elements that continued to pummel Vivec City outside.

Slowing their pace as they scaled the stone ramp, Kayla looked between the others of the group, her soft blue eyes resting momentarily on each of them in turn. "Thank you all again, for helping me back there," she said with a genuine tone, nodding gratefully. "I owe each of you my life. The thought of being a puppet to the Dark Brotherhood..."

"I know the depravity of the Brotherhood firsthand," Slade replied cryptically, his gaze remaining fixed ahead of them. "There's no need to thank us." The Imperial's shoulders slumped slightly, and there was a subtle shake to his head. "Perhaps saving your life will, in some small way, help atone for my sins," he remarked quietly.

"What he said, sans the melodrama," Alderin remarked curtly, the Altmer wringing the water from his thick mane of hair. "The longer I spend with this ragtag group of sycophants, the more I find myself doing these thankless rescue missions. What's one more to the list?"

"Don't worry about him, Kayla," Nathan replied casually, gesturing at the Altmer. "That's about as close to a 'you're welcome' you'll ever get from Alderin here." The young Imperial woman looked between Alderin and Nathan with a slightly confused expression, before simply shrugging and continuing forward with the others.

"If you don't mind my asking, however," Slade began, turning back towards the newcomer. "How did the Brotherhood manage to capture you to begin with? If our battle with the Speakers was any indication, your skills are rather impressive."

Kayla's expression took on a thoughtful appearance. "I was doing a job back in Cyrodiil, for the Figher's Guild," she explained simply. "I was in one of the old, abandoned ruins, and..." Kayla trailed off, face contorting as she tried to remember. "One of them must have hit me from behind. I lost consciousness, and when I woke up, I didn't know where I was, I couldn't move, and I was completely naked."

"I know exactly what you mean," Netta piped in, nodding curtly in the other woman's direction.

"Except that in her case, there were significantly less mind altering narcotics involved," Alderin commented cynically, rolling his eyes before turning them on the young Dunmer. "Honestly, is there no vice to which your race hasn't totally succumbed?"

"Hey! The government only tells you that crap to scare you! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little moon sugar now and then!" Netta turned towards Kayla, and winked slyly. "Besides, it gives the whole experience a little 'oomph,' wouldn't you say?" In response, Kayla recoiled slightly, regarding the Dark Elf with a sceptical look.

"Can we leave the discussion on the pros and cons of drug abuse for another time, maybe?" Nathan suggested as the group reached the upper tier of the canton, once again fully exposed to the elements. Sitting in the centre of the very pinnacle of the canton was a large structure, a single, round metal door resting atop a small flight of stairs. The remainder of the group waited several feet away, as Alderin made his way forward, banging loudly on the door.

For what felt like minutes, Nathan and the others waited in silence, with no sign of life emerging from within. Eventually, however, the door slowly opened, revealing another Altmer inside. He appeared very similar to Alderin in appearance, though slightly older, and somewhat taller and leaner.

"Ilithan..." Nathan muttered sourly under his breath.

The Altmer behind the door glanced between Alderin and the others assembled behind him, and promptly shook his head in disbelief. "Great," he muttered, loud enough for them to hear. "More drifters."

"Outta the way, [censored]," Alderin growled back, glaring at the other Elf. "We need to talk to dad."

"Why, you and your merry band of misfits on another suicide mission?" Ilithan queried dryly, before scowling at the remainder of the group. "I recognize the oaf, the prosttute and the vagabond. Who else are you toting with you?"

"Tiber Septim and the Empress of Akavir!" Alderin screeched angrily, his eyes beginning to bulge with frustration. "Now let us through you goldbricking fascist!" The two Elves began to frantically claw at one another, as Alderin attempted to force his way through the door, without success.

Kayla and the others watched the somewhat pathetic spectacle, as the two Altmer vied for physical superiority for several seconds, before breathing a sigh of exasperation. "I don't suppose you have a good Plan B?" she asked quizzically, turning towards Nathan.

Nathan quickly hid his face behind his hand, scowling. "I don't think I ever had a good Plan A..." he muttered bitterly.

In the midst of the Altmer deathmatch taking place before them, Bruno calmly lumbered towards the two Elves, placing his large flagon back within the folds of his tattered jacket. With seemingly little effort, he grabbed each Altmer by the scruff of the neck, and picked them up with one arm each, pulling them apart.

"C'mon, Elf Man Two," Bruno began, glancing at Ilithan as he held the two Altmer brothers suspended on either side of him. "We need your help! It's cold out here, and we've got these mean Brotherhood guys after us!" The massive Nord shook his head. "Plus, Elf Man and me got transformed into ladies back in the one town..."

Ilithan's eyes bulged slightly. "The Brotherhood?" He asked, surprise on his voice. "You morons managed to piss off the Dark Brotherhood? Well now I'm definitely not letting you in, and-" The Elf paused midsentence, before glancing at Bruno with a dumbfounded look. "Wait...what was that last thing you said?"

Alderin glared back at Bruno with an enraged expression, the Elf's body twitching with uncontrolled anger. "What part of 'to the grave' didn't make it through that liquor soaked brain of yours!?" The Altmer screamed, thrashing vehemently against the Nord's grasp, but to no avail. "We had a [censored] pact you lummox!"

Ilithan shook his head calmly as his brother thrashed violently mere feet away. "You know, I think the damage is probably already done..." the High Elf muttered bitterly, before looking out at the group, towards Nathan. "If you'll tell your drunken man slave here to put me down, I'll let you and the rest of your idiot friends inside." His face contorted slightly in disgust. "Just try not to touch anything...or look at anything."

Nathan gave an affirmative nod, before leading the others towards the door. "I think you can let them down now, Bruno," he told the Nord as they made their way past, through the door and into the house beyond. The massive Nord complied quickly, releasing both Alderin and his brother, before quickly embracing the latter in a tight bear hug.

"Thanks, Elf Man Two!" he belted out happily, squeezing the Altmer before releasing him and following the others inside. Ilithan glanced down at his garments, cringing as he inspected his body for any residue left behind by the Nord.

"By Auriel's Bow...what is that stench?" he asked dismally, glancing at Alderin as he kept his arms outstretched to his sides, afraid that any part of his body could contaminate the rest.

"The combined odour of spoiled liquor and human suffering," Alderin replied dismally as he too made his way inside. Ilithan rolled his eyes one last time before shutting the door behind the group, following them inside.

The group navigated through the narrow hallway that sat adjacent to the door, eventually emerging in the central chamber of the residence. A large, crystal column, pulsing with a faint purple hue, ran the full three storeys of the great room, somehow blending organically with the exotic flora that decorated the chamber.

"By the Nine..." Kayla muttered under her breath, taking in the lavishness of it all with widened eyes. "You're telling me somebody lives here?"

"I most certainly do," replied a gentle, relaxed voice from behind her. Kayla, Nathan and the others turned around to see a rather tall Altmer standing nearby, looking the group over with a pair of soft hazel eyes.

"Olothan," Nathan greeted warmly, nodding courteously at the middle aged mer, who responded in kind.

"Hey dad," Alderin said somewhat dryly, shrugging as he glanced back at the others around him. "Hope you don't mind us just dropping by like this."

"Not at all, my son," Olothan replied happily, the faint glow of the room's central crystal playing across his finely trimmed, gray-brown hair and goatee. "You, and your friends, are always welcome here, of course." He gestured towards several plush pieces of furniture, arranged near the centre of the room. "Please, sit down. I'll let Sakura and the others know that you've arrived."

"Sakura?" Nathan asked as he and the others made their way towards a number of large, expensive looking couches. "You mean she's here too?"

"Yes, and Taven as well. They've been here since Chancellor Ocato was kind enough to ferry us back from Solstheim," the soft spoken Altmer informed them, before moving into one of several adjacent rooms.

"Yes, it would certainly seem as though the entirety of our ill-fated crew is here," Alderin remarked as he eased back into his seat beside Ilithan. Nathan did so as well, his strained muscles aching as he relaxed into the couch, Kayla seated beside him. It was good to know that, for the moment, at least, they were safe, even from the Dark Brotherhood.

"Nathan?" came a familiar voice from the edge of the room, and the Imperial quickly sat up from his slouched position, turning to the source of the noise. A young, slim Breton woman, with bandages covering a great deal of her body, slowly limped into the room, and, having spotted the others, made her way towards the group with Olothan's assistance.

"Sakura," Nathan replied, smiling widely as he nodded at the Breton's presence. The woman sported a smile of her own, brushing aside a long strand of light brown hair as she eased herself carefully into one of the nearby seats. "It's good to see you again."

"The others will be in shortly," Olothan informed them, taking a seat himself. "Until then, I believe some introductions are in order?" The Altmer glanced towards both Nathan and Kayla. "Tell me, who is your young lady friend?"

"Yes, Nathan," Netta chirped in, shooting an inquisitive glare at both he and the red-haired woman beside him. "I think we're all very interested in this mystery woman from your past, who, by the way, you've never mentioned."

"For the record," Ilithan interrupted nonchalantly. "I'm not interested, and am actually rather apathetic about the entire affair."

"Nobody cares," Nathan shot back towards the snide Elf, before turning his attention to the others. "Well Netta, if you must know...Kayla's my sister. I guess I have never mentioned that, have I?"

"Your sister?" Netta asked, cocking her head slightly to the side, a curious look washing across her features. "So then...she's not your lover?"

The entire group suddenly looked awkwardly to the young Dunmer, who seemed completely undaunted by the sudden shift in attention.

"They're siblings, you advlterating hussy," Alderin muttered sourly, narrowing his eyes at the Dark Elf.

Netta's ruby red eyes narrowed into dubious slits. "I'm not hearing a no..." she replied, gaze shifting between the two Imperials.

Nathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, averting his sister's gaze for the time being. "Okay then..." he offered, awkwardly.

"And what of your other comrade?" Olothan queried, turning towards Slade. "Who might you be, my good man?"

Slade nodded politely at the Altmer, his eyes hidden as ever behind his tinted glasses. "My name is Slade Ellington," he replied calmly, his voice revealing no undue emotion. "Ex-Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood."

"Brotherhood!?" Sakura barked, eyes widening as she began to rise up from her seat.

"Sakura, calm down!" Nathan cried out, grabbing the Breton's arm reassuringly. "He's on our side now! In fact, we couldn't have hunted down all the Speakers we have so far without his help."

"Speakers?" Olothan asked, his tone having lost none of its gentle composure. "Nathan, how did you and the others get involved with this Brotherhood business?"

Nathan turned now towards their Altmer host. "Well, they attacked us when we got back to Vvardenfell from Solstheim," he replied. "See, they found out that we'd killed Vanion, so they-"

"Hold on a second!" Kayla barked, interrupting. "Who the hell is Vanion?"

"Perhaps," Olothan suggested helpfully, gesturing for everyone to stop. "We should wait for the others to arrive, and then start from the beginning?"

"Aw crap..." Alderin grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I smell a compilation coming..."

F is for flashback...

While I am happy to see this return, I must say I had a few qualms about how you handled the transition from serious to past tone. What I would have done is kept that serious tone throughout the first part of the chapter, until you interrupt the story. Then continue on in the more cheery and idiotic mood, and give Bruno's drunkness as the excuse for why everything seemed so serious before. Might be a more easy transition from the last chapter.

Also... Slade really changed since the last chapter. His character seemed completely botched for this chapter. I know you wanted to lose the seriousness, but I think Slade's seriousness had been an integral part of the hilarity of the earlier, less serious chapters. He just didn't mess with them, and that's what made it funny.

For some reason this chapter just didn't strike a cord with me as well as others. Maybe it was because of that rapid change from serious humor to slapstick. You should probably make that more gradual. And I can't help but feel you lost a bit of your skillful subtlety in your jokes this chapter. Likely also from the sudden transition of mood.

If I may suggest a rewrite of this chapter, though I hate to ask you for one. But I like the chapter.

There was some interesting stuff in there. Perhaps I'm a bit scatterbrained this morning, but I did have a bit of a hard time integrating it with what I remember of the previous chapters. Still, it was very enjoyable. I hope we'll get another chapter soon.

Alright then...

I'm sure that most nobody will recognize this story from over a year ago, but I'm going to give it the royal effort nonetheless. After much thought and consideration, I finally decided to push forward and continue with this story.

At FC4's behest (and because I too felt that the 'original' Chapter 15 was trash) I have completely re-written the entire chapter. Personally, I believe that it's a big improvement over the old one.

In any event, as it's been over a year and I'm a bit rusty, forgive any discrepancies between the earlier chapters and #15, as well as any lack of witty wordplay for the next few installments. With any luck, I'll be able to get back into the groove as things move along.

Note: If you were a reader but forgot what's happening, haven't read the previous story, or are just in general wondering what the hell is going on, the next chapter is going to be a sort of plot summary for both stories, just to get everything back on the same page.

So...yeah.

Well, I haven't read this story, but if you're going to continue with it then I will. Good to see that you're back to writing, and good luck with it.

Good.

I presume the chp. 15 currently listed is the new one, yes?

If so, not bad. Though Bruno's Elf Man nickname seemed out of place, but that may just be me forgetting his various nicknames for Alderin.

Sure is.

Probably. I think I've used it before. That, and the situation didn't seem right for the use of Elf-Tard, or any of the other Elf variants.

Anywho, glad you liked it. I think it's a big improvement over the old one.

Just as a note here, the flashbacks all consist of original writing from the original story, Nathan and the Relics of Tamriel. It's posted in its entirety http://illusionaria.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tesfic&action=display&thread=268 if any of you are interested.

Anywho, without further delay, here's Chapter 16. Hope you enjoy.

_____________________________
_____________________________

Chapter 16: A History of Failure (From the top now...)

"There, I believe that's all of us." Alderin's mother, a graceful, middle aged Altmer with flowing blonde hair, carefully eased herself into the massive couch beside her husband Olothan, turning her soft aquamarine eyes upon Nathan, Alderin, Netta and Bruno. The assorted individuals gathered in the room acted in kind, and soon all eyes were gazing keenly at the quartet.

"Now then, what's this I hear about the Dark Brotherhood?" The weathered features of Divayth Fyr contorted expectantly as he leaned forward, peering at Nathan with a pair of dark, scarlet eyes.

"Perhaps, my old friend, we should allow them to start from the beginning," Olothan suggested with a careful gesturing of his hands. The Altmer turned to Kayla and Slade, an understanding expression evident on his pale features. "I believe the two of you had questions of your own, did you not?"

"Indeed. While I and the other Speakers of the Brotherhood were informed of your success at Solstheim, I'm afraid the exact details of your journey were not covered," Slade replied, his tone detached and professional, mirrored by his solemn expression.

Alderin shot an irritated glare back at the others. "Well maybe if the lot of you would clamp it for five seconds, we could get on with this!" His shoulders sagged pessimistically, and he managed a short sigh. "The sooner we get this horror show over with..."

"Horror show?" Netta asked with a surprised inclination. "Alderin, how can you say that? This is the story about how the four of us met!"

"And that's why I hate it..." the Altmer cursed mournfully.

"Alderin's bellyaching aside..." Nathan began, ignoring the continued muttering of the dejected Elf. "I guess the best place to start is all the way back at the beginning." The fiery haired Imperial smiled slightly, beginning his recollection. "I was in the Imperial City, on my way to the Tiber Septim Hotel..."

* * *

It was a stereotypically beautiful day in the Imperial City. The sun shone brightly over the bustling metropolis, and its citizens went merrily about their business. Civilians window shopped in the Market District, mages talked about their latest discoveries in the Arcane University, and Gladiators begged for swift, merciful death in the Arena. The faces of the happy, dedicated Imperial Watch dotted the streets, and all was indeed right with the world.

"Shmuck! G-gimme another..." Bruno ordered to the bartender at the Tiber Septim Hotel. The Nord's drunken state was a familiar sight there, and the unmistakable stench of mead and drunken oaf wafted through the building. His dirty blonde hair dangled loosely at his shoulders, his steel warhammer on his back.

"I think you've had enough, there," the Imperial replied. "I'm not cleaning up another one of your little 'accidents'. Once was because I work here, twice was being a good person, three times-"

"I'll tell you when I've had enough!" Bruno roared as he swung his fist, missing by at least a foot. He clamoured to the ground, and let out a mighty belch before passing out.

"Well that's always pleasant," the barkeep grumbled sarcastically.

Two of the other Hotel's patrons watched this spectacle, but said nothing. One was a young Dunmer girl, quite a pretty little thing with a few freckles and her shoulder length brown hair. She giggled to herself slightly. The other, an Altmer male not much older than the Dunmer, with a bright blonde mane, simply sighed, and attributed the incident to the somewhat uncivilized nature of Nords. Plus the man was likely an idiot.

Another Imperial, young and with dark red hair, suddenly came rushing in, and ran up to the bartender. "Micheal, I did it!" he exclaimed openly. "I found it! It's somewhere on Vvardenfell!" His eyes widened. "The tower..."

"Well, I'd hardly call that 'finding it'. Vvardenfell's a big place, Nathan," the barkeep replied. "Still though, the lost artefacts of Tamriel..."

"Excuse me!?" the Altmer burst out, running up to the counter. "The name's Alderin. I'm a scholar, quite interested in history, culture, all that good crap," he looked Nathan in the eye. "Are you saying you've found the location of..." his eyes bulged. "That tower?"

"Indeed I have," Nathan replied. "Now all I need is to get there. Wouldn't hurt to have you along, Alderin. I'm sure that you can..." he looked the Altmer up and down, realizing that he didn't look like he could really do anything. "You know on second thought..."

Conveniently 'overhearing' the conversation, the young Dunmer exploded from her seat, shoving Alderin from his spot in front of Nathan. "Hi there!" she happily exclaimed. "My name's Netta. I'm..."

"A thief," Nathan cut off, rolling his eyes.

She recoiled from the comment. "What...how'd you know?"

"Are you kidding me?" Nathan asked. "This entire encounter is so formulaic, any five year old child could have blathered it out!"

"Formulaic?" Netta asked, curious.

"He means it's an archetypical pattern," Alderin replied bitterly as he regained his composure.

"Arche-wha..." the young Dunmer clearly had no idea what he meant.

"Talos save us all!" the bartender cried out. "He means it's predictable, you ignorant hussy!"

"And I suppose you want to tag along on this little expedition, hoping to find gold, gems, standard treasure-esque jazz?" Nathan asked.

She smiled widely. "Yes, I do. Plus, it's not every day you meet someone who's found..." her eyes went dramatically wide. "The tower..."

"Dammit!" the barkeep shouted, pounding his fists on the counter. "He hasn't found anything! Do you morons have any idea how big Vvardenfell actually is?"

"Well, we may as well make a clean break, and go for four..." Nathan looked down at the passed out Nord. "He'll do."

"So, just so we're clear, we have the drunken brute, the eager thief, the scholarly mage, and the convenient leader. All on a traditional, half-baked misadventure..." Alderin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Glad to see we're thinking outside the box..."

"Why should we think outside the box?" Nathan asked as he grabbed Bruno by the heels, and began dragging him out of the tavern. "It works, doesn't it? The box is there for a reason."

"Yeah, thinking outside that box is over-rated," Netta chimed in, following the other two outside.

"WHAT BOX!?" Micheal hollered, frustrated. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

* * *

Alderin promptly buried his face deeply into his hands. "By the gods, it's even more depressing to hear it a second time..."

"Yeah..." Nathan replied, staring blankly into space. "In hindsight, bringing Alderin along voluntarily may not have been the wisest of my various plans."

"Those were some good times!" Netta chirped happily, smiling contently.

"Alright, so the four of you met in the Imperial City, and decided to look for this, Tower, thing," Kayla surmised, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "So, what happened after that?"

Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly in response, the faint purple glow of the room's great pillar playing across his hesitant features. "Well, without getting too bogged down in the details, we had a number of rather...unspectacular, run ins with various guilds and religious groups as we made our way to Anvil." He threw and angry glare in Alderin's direction. "Thanks in no small part to Captain Diplomacy over here."

"They were necromancers and Daedra worshippers, the whole lot of 'em!" the Altmer screeched frantically, eyes bulging with malice.

"Anyways," Netta interrupted, utterly dismissing Alderin's accusations. "It was around that time that we wound up finding Sakura, in this really dumpy little town..."

In response, the young Breton in question tensed visibly, her pale blue eyes reflecting her anxiety. "Really Netta, that's alright...we don't need to tell this story."

* * *

"Alderin, I can't thank you enough for managing to turn a bunch of harmless guild members into homicidal sociopaths," Nathan snarled as they moved through the forest. He wasn't typically one to isolate himself from potential allies.

"Bah, guilds these days are too touchy," Alderin scowled, waving his hand. Shadows from the trees played over his face as he walked. "Back in my day, to be in a guild, you had to be tough! Had to svck it up! But now, it's all politics and handshakes..."

"Right..." Nathan murmured, realizing the Altmer wasn't really old at all.

The four adventurers stumbled upon a small settlement in the forest. Along the east side, there were a number of buildings that were half-burnt down, yet the frames were still standing. It didn't help much that the other buildings looked extremely old, and run down. As the sun began to set, long shadows stretched across the area, and only reinforced the deserted nature of the locale. Odd noises could be heard coming from several buildings.

"I've got a warm, fuzzy feeling about this place," Netta remarked, wandering around, observing the area. "The kind you get right before somebody stabs you, ya know?" She walked around, looking at several of the buildings.

"It's getting pretty dark, you guys," Bruno said, looking at the sky as it turned a deep orange. "Maybe we should set up for the night?" He looked over at Nathan, who was still standing on the outskirts of the settlement.

"Here? In this place?" Nathan asked, walking forward. He picked a random copper amulet off the ground, and observed it. "I'd rather make my own village..."

"Come on, Nathan. Don't be so timid. Where's your sense of adventure?" Alderin goaded, walking over to a nearby sign, and then brushing the dust and soot off it. "Moslin's Inn..."

* * *

"Alderin, asking another person where their sense of adventure is," Nathan mused fondly. "If I hadn't been there, I don't think I'd have believed it."

"Not to interrupt your rather amicable story-telling," Slade began, looking coolly between the foursome. "But how, may I ask, does our young Breton friend figure into this narrative?"

Alderin crossed his arms haughtily over his chest. "Well, after spending some time in psycho-town, we did some snooping around, and managed to find some [censored] up underground lair." He turned towards the Breton, and was summarily greeted with an ice cold glare. "Which is where we found her."

* * *

"Damn..." Alderin commented with a grin, walking closer to the cell. "I'm not usually one for Breton girls, but she is one-"

Suddenly, the woman shot up from her position, shoved one arm through the bars and grabbed Alderin by the neck, choking him. His eyes rolled back in his head as he desperately tried to escape her grasp, but to no avail. The woman's blue eyes softened slightly as she looked upon the others, and she released Alderin. "You-you're not the bastards that captured me..." she said, her voice delicate and feminine, yet authorative. "Who are you?"

"Well, that's kinda complicated..." Nathan replied, unsure of how to respond. "I'm Nathan, with me are Bruno and Netta, and the retarded Elf you were just strangling is Alderin." He walked up closer to the cell. "Mind if I ask who you are?"

"Me? My name's Sakura," the woman replied, looking between the various members of the group. "I don't suppose one of you could get me out of here?"

Netta cheerfully rushed to the door, pulling out a lockpick, and began working on the door. "So what are you doing here, anyway?" Nathan asked as the young Dunmer worked.

"Well...it's kind of a long story..." Sakura replied, with a bit of a frown.

"Crap!" cursed Netta. She threw the ruined lockpick to the ground and inserted a fresh one.

"Something tells me we have time..." Nathan muttered, walking closer to the cell.

"Well, I was travelling through, just exploring the wilderness as I often do..." she began. "It was dark out, and then I noticed this little town, and figured I'd settle in for the night. But instead, a bunch of psychos attacked me!" she explained. "I managed to kill off at least a dozen of them..."

"By yourself?" Nathan asked, impressed.

"Anyway, then I noticed who must've been their leader. A real mean looking Imperial guy, in ebony armour," she continued, crossing her arms. "I started running at him...ya know, to kill him...when I..." she paused, embarrassed. "When I fell."

"You mean you fell for him?" Nathan asked, "and he stuck you in here?"

"No!" Sakura shot back. "I...fell..."

"What, fell under a spell? Fell down a hole? Your fatigue level fell?" Nathan guessed.

"[censored], no!" Sakura shouted. "There...must've been a tree root or something...I don't know..." she turned her head to the side. "I tripped and I fell."

"Oh...well...it's no big deal..." Nathan said, sympathetic. "It happens to the best of-"

Alderin began laughing hysterically. "Hahaha!!! Wipeout!" he slapped his knees, doubling over with laughter. "Ah, that never gets old..."

* * *

"You couldn't have left that part out, could you?" Sakura's tone was feral and bitter, her eyes becoming little more than vengeful slits of rage.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking everybody with me..." Alderin growled indignantly.

"And you didn't even mention the part where I saved all your asses!"

"In any event," Nathan continued, as Alderin and Sakura squabbled bitterly with one another. "We finally managed to make our way to Anvil, after some more encounters with dikes like the Mythic Dawn."

"You battled the Mythic Dawn? The four of you certainly do get around," Slade remarked nonchalantly.

"Once we were in Anvil, we managed to appropriate a ship from the docks, and started towards Morrowind. But, there was an incident with some pirates, and, well, the ship wound up sinking."

"Sinking?" Kayla asked, her slender face lined with uncertainty. "But if you were in the middle of the sea, and your ship sank...how'd you make it to Morrowind?"

Nathan and the others exchanged dubious glances with one another, before letting out a mutual sigh of exasperation.

"Sheggy," Nathan replied cryptically.

* * *

Alderin scowled at the massive head miserably. "Dammit...it's never good when a rock shaped like a head starts talking to you..." the Altmer whined pathetically.

"Really? That's a real quote worthy piece of advice. Any other helpful insights, professor?" Nathan shot back sarcastically.

"Only one: you're an ass hole," Alderin responded calmly.

"Shut up you morons!" Netta bellered, clubbing both men outside the head. She defiantly marched up to the massive bust. "I wanna know just who the hell you are, and what it is you want!" she demanded fiercely.

"Me!?" the voice hollered happily. "Why I am the Dominator of Dementia! I am the Master of Mania, and undisputed ruler, of everything that lays between!" The massive mouth flared brilliant white. "I...AM SHEOGORATH!!!"

The holler was so loud it shook the whole island. "Alright...alright!" Alderin cursed angrily. "Can you be Sheogorath, only about half as loud?" he asked, his hands over his ears.

In a rather nonchalant manner, Nathan approached the gateway. "So, Sheggy..." he began, propping himself against the thing with his arm. "May I call you Sheggy?"

"NO." The voice replied simply.

"So Sheggy, why is it that you have a portal to your realm...just sitting out here, in the middle of the ocean...nowhere near anyone, or anything?" Nathan asked, his voice casual.

"To be honest, it seemed like a good idea at the time!" Sheogorath yelled through the portal. "Besides, it seems it will now work to our mutual benefit. I have a little bit of a maze for you to run through, my little rats..."

Bruno tensed up, angry at the notion of being called a rat. Nathan cocked an eyebrow. "Why in the hell should we help you?" the Imperial asked.

"Simple...if you help me, I'll send all of you to Morrowind," Sheogorath replied, his voice meant to sound enticing. "Nice, juicy Morrowind..."


* * *

A horrid, stifling silence encompassed the room, as the quartet was subjected to the vacant, unbelieving expressions of the others assembled there.

"Uh, so what was it that...Sheggy, wanted the four of you to do?" Kayla asked sceptically.

"Some crap about solving a dispute between his Daedra, and relighting some lame ass torch," Alderin replied simply. "It's all very cat's-in-the-cradle."

"Sheggy wound up sending us to Morrowind, just like he said he would," Netta explained tentatively. "Although, a bit more waterlogged than we would have preferred."

"Stupid jerk..." Alderin muttered.

"We found ourselves in Seyda Neen, which is how we wound up finding Taven here."

* * *

"Well the details of my breeding really aren't your concern, rummy..." Nathan scowled at the barkeep. "Now I'm looking for information...who would I talk to about some Morrowind lore?"

The Orc huffed bitterly. "If it means getting yer sorry mug outta mine, you might try Taven...he's in one of the back rooms," he instructed, pointing to one of the sets of doors. "Y'all should be careful though...he's not well liked in these parts, if ya catch my drift."

"I hope to Akatosh I don't..." Nathan replied, flipping a single Septim onto the counter. He led the remaining trio towards the indicated door. "With any luck, this Taven guy can help us," the Imperial added to his comrades as they neared the door. He began to push it open. "And we can be on our merry-" A massive spear pressed against his neck.

"Way."

A rather brutal looking Khajiit, with a long, braided beard and long blonde hair stood on the other end of the spear. He wore a simple blue shirt, and baggy, brown pants. His eyes were wide; with anticipation or psychosis, though, nobody could tell. He nodded at Netta. "Close the door..." he said quickly. "Do it!"

Keeping one arm in the air, Netta did as the Khajiit asked and closed the wooden door. They were now stuck, in the tiny room, that contained little more than a bed and an undecorated table. Alderin and Nathan too kept their hands in the air. Bruno kept one arm up, using the other to periodically drink mead.

"Alright, now...who sent you?" he asked Nathan in a rushed voice, obviously on the brink of snapping. He scratched himself irritably, and blinked rapidly. "Was it the guards?"

Nathan simply gave the Khajiit a puzzled look. "Listen man, I really don't have any clue what you're-"

The cat's eyes bulged even wider, and the spear pressed harder against Nathan's neck. "WHO-SENT-YOU!?!?" he hollered frantically, losing what little control he had.

* * *

Slade turned casually towards the Khajiit behind him, who in turn looked on with a serene expression upon his fur lined face. "You appear far more stable than they portray you," the Imperial pointed out.

Taven nodded politely in agreement. "As an abolitionist, I continually had both the authorities and Orvas Dren's lackeys after me. I'm sure you can understand that."

"More than you know, friend."

"If the two of you are done reminiscing about your 'rebel' days," Alderin groaned, unenthused. "It turned out that the fur ball here was a friend of dad's, and brought us here to Vivec so we could ask him about the tower."

"And what did he tell you?" Kayla asked expectantly.

"He told us that the tower was actually on Solstheim, not Vvardenfell," Nathan explained calmly. "And that the entire island had been under some kind of energy barrier since the end of the Oblivion Crisis. As far as we knew, practically every relic in Tamriel had been stolen, and stashed somewhere inside."

"He also gave us the name of some lunatic named Beauchamp, so we could bum one of his airships to actually get there," Netta explained, before turning somewhat bitterly towards Olothan. "Which, by the way, exploded midflight."

"Yes, I'm afraid Louis' experiments have always been a tad...finicky," Olothan replied, his brow furrowing ever so slightly.

"You mentioned an energy barrier over the island," Slade began, regarding the quartet with a grim expression. "I assume that-" The Imperial paused midsentence, and Olothan, Fyr, Sakura and Taven regarded one another with dire expressions.

"Aw crap," Alderin muttered under his breath, grimacing.

"Right," Nathan replied, nodding slightly. "It was put there...

By Vanion."

Megalomania and tower fetishes...

I love this, the little puns amongst them are brilliant. My favourite character is Alderin. His sarcasm is spot on :goodjob:

The part on the boat with the Argonian had me practically in tears (from laughing that is)

good story

Thanks for the kind words, guys; glad that people are still enjoying the story. And as far as Alderin goes, Rem, alot of people who read the story seem to regard him as their favourite. Of course, I'm not sure who that says more about: them, for liking him so much, or myself, for having spawned him in the first place...

Anyway, my flashback chapter ran longer than I thought it would, and I am going to finish in up in #17. I know that the pacing of the last few chapters has been rather slow, but once I get all the catchup work done in 17, I think things will really pick up again. Or at least, that's the hope.

Anyway, if anybody else feels like commenting in the meantime, please, feel free.

Alright, I know that most of the people who originally read this fanfic might not even be on the forums anymore, and that's alright. But I've always felt a little irked about the fact that I never finished this, and for a variety of reasons that have come up recently, I've decided to pick it up again.

I'm planning on pumping out some new chapters for this fanfic, and hopefully, finishing it once and for all. Admittedly, I'm a little out of practice, but if anybody new or old decides they'd like to read it and leave some feedback, that'd be great.

So just consider this one great big thread resurrection.

By all means continue. If you feel you have unfinished "buisness"(No pun intended), then write up a following of the story. We will all be here awaiting.

Bravo, bravo indeed just read this (boy it took a while ) but its a good fan fic