» Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:01 pm
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Chapter 102: Of Necromancy And The Dark Arts
******* Vidkun
Vidkun tapped quietly on the door to Falcar’s room. “Sir? It is I, Associate Vidkun. A message has come for you sir.”
Falcar opened the door and snatched the missive from the young Nord, snarling about being disturbed in his room. He slammed the door in Vidkun’s face.
Vidkun turned to leave when the door jerked back open.
“You! Boy! What did you say your name was?”
“Associate Vidkun sir.”
“I need your assistance with something. Come with me.”
“Yes sir!” The young Nord boy smiled. This may be his chance to get on better footing with the churlish head of this guildhall.
Falcar led the young boy to the well behind the guildhall. “I have a task for you lad. I need you to hide this enchanted ring down in this well, it is a very important task.”
Falcar slid a ring deeply into Vidkun’s pants pocket, and instantly his knees buckled from the weight of it.
“You can swim, can’t you boy?” Falcar asked, pounding him on the back.
“Not exactly.” Vidkun admitted.
“Well now’s your chance to learn.” Falcar said.
Vidkun felt a hard shove and found himself tumbling head first down the well shaft. Before he could scream his face hit the water, filling his mouth. His screams were reduced to the bubbles of air that rose to the surface.
Vidkun struggled to pull himself from the floor of the well. With the light coming in he could see the ladder but couldn’t reach it. Then as he watched the face of Falcar leaned over the top, tugging the heavy grating back into place. The clanking of the lock on the grate was the last thing Vidkun heard. He shouted for help one last time, filling his lungs with water. Convulsions wracked his body before finally the blessed blackness eased his suffering
******** Janus
Janus began loading Melisande’s belongings onto the wagon to send to Drakelowe. As he was packing the items from her room, he came across the staff she had used to resurrect Maxical. What was he going to do with it? Traven and Divayth both said it was dangerous; that Mannimarco would come for it. It could not stay here, bringing danger to Maxical. Could he burn it? The best solution may be to get it to Traven, he would know what to do with it, but how? It would have to be anonymously. He could have someone leave it in a Mage’s Guild, they would get it to Traven.
The Mage’s Guild in Bravil would be the closest to the Arcane, but according to the Black Horse Courier there was some huge tournament for archers there; too many to witness or be injured. Kvatch and Chorrol were too close to Skingrad for comfort; best to send it to Bruma…best do it in a way not connected to his castle.
Janus made a rare visit to the Great Hall, keeping it as brief as possible.
“Shum, I have a task that can’t be connected to the castle. It’s urgent. Can you get that girl again?”
“I’ll try.” Shum waited.
“Please. Same thing, in and out without being seen, leave it in plain view.“ Janus dropped the gold in his hand.
“Right away, sir.“ Shum grinned.
******* Eyja
Eyja’s orders were to cut cross country with all haste. “Don’t miss a thing while I’m gone.” Eyja cautioned Sneakers.
Slipping out the gate in full chameleon, Eyja spotted a guard dismounting on the bridge. She crept up and leaped on the horse’s back, urging it to a gallop. The guard shouted, chasing his runaway horse. Eyja turned down the steep slope to the road below and then cut north toward Chorrol.
The horse was tiring. Eyja spotted a small village nestled against the back road ahead and rode in to let the horse get a drink from the well in the center of the town. She dismounted and drew a bucket for the horse.
A crowd of unfriendly villagers began to surround her. The danger was palpable. Instinctively she pulled the bucket from the its nose and stood with her back against the horse. They kept moving closer, so she threw it on the ones nearest her and leapt, trying to swing herself into the saddle. Hands grabbed at her legs, pulling her back. With a shriek she kicked, but there were too many of them. She clutched the saddle screaming while they tugged on her, hands grabbing her arms now and trying to loosen her grip. The horse began snorting and sidling, making it harder to grip the saddle.
She heard a shout behind her, and the gurgling sounds that can only come from a sword in the throat. Turning quickly she was stunned to see Lucien Lachance, sword out and dropping the villagers one by one.
Eyja grabbed the staff. She cast the purple field, but it missed the one fighting Lucien and landed on the dead man at his feet. Eyja screamed as the dead man rose up, but the zombified corpse now fought with Lucien against his fellow villagers.
Quickly Eyja hit another corpse with the staff’s purple ray and sank back against the horse to watch Lucien in action.
When it was over, Lucien slowly approached her, his face twisting between anger and a smile.
“Can’t make up your mind whether you are happy to see me or want to kill me?” Eyja broke the ice.
Lucien pulled her into his arms and kissed her, pushing her back against the horse, which fidgeted in response. “Pick a house Eyja. We are going in for a while.”
“I can’t, I’m on a mission of haste. You can follow me if you like and as soon as I deliver this staff…is that Shadowmere? She is beautiful!”
“Let me see that staff. Good gods, do you know what staff this is?”
As he spoke the sound of shuffling feet seemed to be approaching them from behind the row of houses, and guttural mutterings that sounded like “Where, where?”
“Get on your horse, NOW!” Lucien shouted. Quickly he used the staff to animate the villagers on the ground, then leaped on the back of Shadowmere. “GO!” He shouted and brought his reins down hard on the rump of Eyja’s mount. It lurched into frightened movement, nearly unseating Eyja.
Eyja stretched her arms forward and leaned over the horse’s neck; entwining her fingers in the mane and clinging tightly. Strands of mane flew in her face, stinging her eyes and leaving reddened streaks across her cheek.
Lucien rode behind her on Shadowmere, shifting his weight each time Eyja’s horse tried to change direction; using Shadowmere to herd it north. When they were nearing Chorrol Lucien urged Shadowmere alongside Eyja’s mount and grabbed the reins, pulling it slowly down to a walk.
“Now we are going to talk about what you are doing with this staff! Do you know whose staff this is? How did you get this? Do you know how much danger you are in even having this in your possession?”
“Well if you don’t keep stopping me, I will be rid of it as quickly as possible. How did you happen along right when I needed help?”
“I didn’t. I have been following you. What happened over there at that castle, it looked like some magical storm! Chanters, funnel clouds - the sky was black a whole day all over Cyrodiil, and it had to do with the castle!”
“I know. And what are you doing following me? I told you before…”
“Guess what?” Lucien interrupted her.
“I don’t have time for these games Lucien, I have to get…where I am going.”
“Guess.”
“Okay! What?” Eyja fumed, scowling.
“I have the staff, so your mission is scrubbed unless I give it back.”
“Lucien, you can’t do that to me. I have to get back to Skingrad quickly.”
“Then where are you taking this staff?”
“You know I can’t discuss my missions with you!”
“Fair enough. I have this staff, and I think I will head north with it. Now what is north of here…AH, Bruma! That must be it, since we have passed Chorrol.”
“Okay, I am going to Bruma. Now can I have the staff back? Don‘t you have a murderer to go frighten?”
“I have a personal mission I am on right now. I will help you deliver the staff, but afterwards…“ He gave her a look she could not mistake before continuing.
“This is serious Eyja. You are in grave danger carrying this. I don’t stand a chance against the King of Worms when he comes looking for it, and he will. But I will be there to protect you. If I am carrying it, he will attack me and you can run for your life. Get on Shadowmere and go. But we will be doing this together. If we make it to Bruma, I am going in with you. You just tell me my instructions, and I will…obey…” He gave that look again.
Eyja flushed bright red. “Lucien, why do you always pick the worst times to flirt? What was that about the King of Worms? I’ve heard that name before.”
“The owner of this staff. He is more than a man, he is a god, a lich, the most powerful sorcerer and necromancer in Tamriel. I do want to get rid of this quickly but afterwards you will spend some time with me. It has been too long since we were together last.”
“Lucien, I told you I have to get back to Skingrad. This is my job. You can’t interfere.”
“I won’t keep you long. Would you rather I break into the castle and interrupt you in there while you…do your job?”
“It is nothing like that, believe me.”
“I know. If it had been I would have interrupted you already.”
“Lucien, you have got to stop this. You are making complications for me! Hmph!”
Lucien smiled, but urged the horses faster. When Bruma was in sight he pulled Shadowmere down to a walk. “Now, what are my orders?”
“Full chameleon, we have to drop it somewhere noticeable in the Mage’s Guild and leave without being seen.
“Let’s get it done then.”
Leaving the horses in a small grove of trees, Lucien and Eyja cast chameleon and slipped into Bruma. They crept into the Mage’s Guild. Lucien slid the staff on the front counter while the woman standing there was turned away talking to a lad who was trying to get a recommendation into the guild.
Eyja turned and was sneaking out in front of him when Lucien reached forward, sliding his hand up her bare leg under her robe. Eyja hurried out, biting her lip.
“I almost screamed when you did that! You could have cost us this mission! How dare…” She got no further, he covered her mouth with his in a deep kiss.
******* Mannimarco
Mannimarco leaped up, leaving the dead body of the Altmer he had been possessing slumped in the throne. “Someone is using my staff!” He snarled.
The lich evaporated, his vapor oozing out of the air shaft of the cave.
******* Eyja
Keeping a tight hold on Eyja’s wrist, Lucien pulled her back to where they had left the horses. Kissing her again, he pushed her down in the soft grass under the pines. Eyja gave up fighting and gave herself to him fully. It had been a long time.
Afterward she sat up, pulling the twigs and pine needles from her hair. “Lucien, I have to get back to Skingrad, I’m on a job.”
“I know. Lets get…”
BOOM! The ground shook.
“What was that?” Eyja asked, standing up.
A cloud of black smoke was billowing up from inside the walls of Bruma! Pulling their robes back on, they cast chameleon and ran back through the main gate into town. The Mage’s Guild was demolished. Black smoke billowed up out of the collapsed roof and the windows had blown out and lay in shattered bits all the way down to the lower tier.
“Should we try and get the people out of there?” Eyja cried, her voice shaking.
“Let’s get out of here NOW!” Lucien said, yanking Eyja back to the gate.
Dragging Eyja with her head still turned to stare at the remains of the building they had exited less than an hour before, Lucien finally swept her up in his arms and ran to Shadowmere. Heaving Eyja up, he mounted behind, urging the mare to a dead run.
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