The Last Holy-Scale: Book One: Part Four- Back to Your Roots

• Posted by ChandlerBeach February 26, 2016 - 850 views

  The Last Holy-Scale: Book One: Part Four

  Back to Your Roots
  

  Our last story depicted us fighting the possessed body of  , Rekuuk's ancestor, and everything was going our way for a while, until one simple mistake left us on the verge of death. In our time of need, Delaki, our introverted friend came and aided my Divine Ward. What will happen now that it's three against one...

     Delaki: (at Rezmor) So this is why it's taking you two so long.

     Rekuuk: It's quite the story. 

     Delaki: Right...(Looks at Festin) hmph...not too much to look at. (begins to small talk with Rezmor and Rekuuk)

     Festin: YOU SAVED THESE BASTARDS FROM DEATH, BUT IT WO-

     Delaki: You shut up. I'm talking to my friends. (continues to small talk)

     Festin: WHA...I...YO...AARRGGHH! YOU DARE SMART MOUTH ME...NEEDLESS TO SAY YOU RUDELY INTERU-

     Delaki: I said shut up. Or do I have to send you a clearer message?

     Rezmor: Delaki, this is a possessed corpse....believe me when I say it won't shut up.

     Delaki: Fine then...*sigh*...I'll help you exorcise the spirits within.

     Rezmor: Outstanding, now it had seven souls trapped in it. I took care of one. Since you're here, now I can rid of the final six.

     Delaki:  You plan to use Purgemaster's Hand?

     Rezmor: I do.

     Delaki: You've never used it before...how do you know it will work for you?

     Rezmor: Just trust me...it's all we got right now. (Festin tries to bash Rezmor, but Rekuuk tackles him) Thank you. 

     Rekuuk: (while taking Festin down) You're welcome.

     Rezmor: (to Delaki) Get going, Rekuuk can't hold him down on his own.

     Delaki: (nods, then goes off to aid Rekuuk)

        Rekuuk hits Festin in the face with his shield, then Festin uses Gavarik's tail to slash at Rekuuk's leg. The blade just bounces on contact, leaving sparks in the wake. Delaki shoots an Incinerate spell at Gavarik's head, and he jolts backwards from the force.

     "YOU BASTARDS! AN ADVANTAGE WILL NOT SAVE YOU!" shouts Festin, then Delaki quickly appears in front of Festin's face, fire spell in hand.

       "You're so damn arrogant! It's insufferable!" Then Delaki shoots his spell from point-blank at Gavarik's face, sending him across the summit. "Rezmor was right...you really don't shut up." he said.

        Festin gets up quickly and runs after Delaki...in the midst of his charge...Rekuuk clotheslines him with his left shields. "OOO! Damn Rekuuk....not bad," said Delaki. "Now pin him," I said, "this only works if he is completely still." Then Rekuuk pinned Festin again, this time, he's really flailing to get out. 

       "Mph. Stay still," goes Rekuuk before he uses his tail to keep the legs from moving, "Rezmor he's pinned!"

        "I can see...now let go." I said. Rekuuk's expression turned from excite to annoyance.

        "WHAT! I just pinned him, and you want me to-"

        "Just get off of him dammit," I said; so Rekuuk quickly got off Festin, and the split second he did, glowing roots took hold of Gavarik's hands, legs, neck, chest, tail, and waist. They then pulled Festin to the ground and kept him there for good.

        "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he screams as he fruitlessly tries to escape.

        "These are roots from the Sun-Hist itself mage," I began, "they won't let go, and you are helpless to me now;" I stood over his body placing my hands on the air over his body, each one releasing a ripple of sunlight. "and I will not show you even the slightest shard of mercy," then Festin began to shine.

        "NNGH! WHAT...IS...THIIISS AAAAHHH!!!" Festin wails as he begins to quake.

       "You were once a great soul in your days of breath...but corruption has taken you...in the name of the Hist, I will free you," Festin begins to float, "now I say unto you six souls that infect this body.......I BANISH YOU FROM THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE!!!" When I pressed my hands down of Gavarik's chest, six souls spewed from his body, as well as some white light. Then, he fell to the floor with a thud and the body lay lifeless.

       "Get the spirits before they re-enter the corpse!' said Delaki, the he fired two Blaze spells at two different souls, burning them to nothingness. Then Rekuuk tossed two shields, one at a pillar, one at a soul. The first shield cut its target in two, the other ricocheted off of its pillar and struck two others. Delaki sees that he had an inferior kill count and mumbled, "Showoff."

       The last soul remaining in front of me was the soul of Festin, now manifest into a dark, amorphous mass of black energy; eventually, he regained a human-like shape. Once he did, he crept up to my face and shouted, "I AM NOT DEAD YET...AND YOU HAVE TAKEN MY BODY FROM ME!!! SO I WILL TAKE YOURS!!" then he flies at my mouth, but he can't get in.

        "WHAT?! WHY CAN'T  I ENTER YOUR BODY?!" he asked.

        "Because the Sun-Hist protects me," I said," and pitiful demons such as yourself cannot possess anyone in our order." I then shot a Sun Fire spell at Festin, causing him to squeal from the burn.

        "THEN I'LL RETAKE THE-" Festin's jaw drops and he begins to stutter, "H-H-HOW CAN...THIS...BE SO?" Every one of us turn heads to see Gavarik...standing once again. "HE YET LIVES?"

       "I do live again...but...it was you wasn't it. It was you...the black dust...you did this to me." said Gavarik.

       Rekuuk walks closer to his ancestor and murmurs, "You...live?"  "I do live...and you happen to be my descendant, correct?" Gavarik replies. "I-I am! This is amazing! Absolutely amazing! Can you fight elder one?" Rekuuk asks.

        Festin then flies at Rekuuk and grabs his throat, then begins to strangle him. "YOU ARE A DISGRACE WORM! NOW DII-AAAHH!" I shot Festin off of Rekuuk with Vampire's Bane. " You keep your hands off my friend demon!" I say. Then Festin grows, out of nowhere, and fires a black spell at me. "What?" I say as I block the spell, "He became stronger?"

        Festin begins to grow again and Delaki is looking worried, "This doesn't feel right you all," he says, "he is gaining power, but from what source?" We then came together and devised a plan. "I know this mage better than anyone...we shared memories, thoughts, feelings. I can help you defeat him...for all the good his death will do." Gavarik said. "Then let's put it into action." said Delaki, then we all stood ready to fight Festin and his growing power.

       Rekuuk throws his shields at Festin, but they phase through like gas, and do nothing. Gavarik, runs up and tries to stab Festin in the gut...again...nothing. Delaki fires a Flame Cannon spell at Festin's face, also doing nothing. Then I shoot a Sun Ray spell at Festin, but he tries to dodge the attack by shifting his body in different ways (making holes in his body).

       "It seems like Rezmor is the only one that can harm him," says Delaki, "why is that?" Then I say, "Because this is a malignant spirit, and only holy magic can burn away his existence," I then turn to Rekuuk and Gavarik, "you two, come here." When they reached me the asked what was I thinking, so I said, "Let me bless your weapons." Delaki was, during that time, holding on to Festin with an Ethereal Hands spell, but Festin eventually threw him across the floor like a bitter sweetroll...

       Gavarik looked at me...as if in humility and said, "Of course...but hurry...we've barely any time on our side." Then I wove my hands over their weapons and they shone with a holy aura. Then they both said to me, at the same time, "Sit down, shut up, and watch the exorcism!" 

       I'm exhausted from that ritual, so I fall to a knee and say to them, even though I'm sure they can't hear me, "Yeah...you're welcome...*pant*...not like I helped...*huff*...but it's fine..." Delaki puts his hand on my shoulder and asks, "Why are you tired? They are doing more than you are." I replied in a enervated voice, but he still understood me, "Purgemaster's Hand...*pant*...is a very tiring spell...far beyond even your level of Destruction magic compared to Restoration."

       "Is that so," replied Delaki, "then you should hurry and recover; Rekuuk and Gavarik have their hands full."

        Meanwhile, the two Bulwarks were doing their best to fight the demon, Festin. In a rush of attacks, it seems that the two parties are in deadlock, no progress, but no retrogress. "I CAN'T GET TO MY FULL POTENTIAL WITH YOU SNAKE-TONGUED ASSHOLES! JUST DIE! IT'S SO MUCH EASIER THAN FIGHTING BACK!" says Festin, but Rekuuk and Gavarik were trained to see this as a sign of desperation...weakness, so they nodded at each other and advanced to their ethereal adversary.

        When at about seven feet from Festin, the two split paths and took a flank, Rekuuk on the right, Gavarik...the left. Festin outsized them by quite a bit, he was about four times the size of Rekuuk. So Festin outstretched his hands, as if to grab his enemies heads, and moved at them when suddenly, Rekuuk starts to run backwards, and Gavarik, fell down on his face. This confuses Festin and his arms jumble.

        Then Rekuuk throws a shield at Festin, but he catches it...which was quickly reprimanded. Upon catching the shield, his hands began to smoke and burn, he dropped the shield in a scream of pain, "GAAH! WHAT WAS THAT?!" he asks. 

        "It's a Blessed Aura demon!" I said, "It will burn all the Sun-Hist would consider unholy!"

       Then, as he was distracted by my words, Gavarik jumps in and slashes at Festin's back, and burning the ghostly shit out of him. He jerks forward and wails at the pain of the holy magics I possess. Rekuuk takes that opportunity and runs straight over Festin. "HAHA! I love this!" he shouts, "Rezmor come on, you must hurry and kill this guy...again."

       I said back, "Just give me a moment, I'll be back in action to purge that tainted spirit...don't you worry."

       Festin rises again and takes Gavarik by the ankle, "WAH!" he spouts, then Festin throws him at me. "Watch out Young One!" he said, I couldn't get up, because I'm still trying to recover. He slams right into me and we skid across the floor. Rekuuk on the other hand, is repeatedly bashing at Festin's side, knocking him around with what looks like little effort.

       "Delaki!" he shouted, "Get a hold of him!"

      "Are you mad?!" said Delaki back, "Look at him, He tossed me across the floor a while back, an he was smaller then! I'm no-"

       "Just do it Histdammit! You think I'll let him hit you?!" he butted before Festin head-butted him, "GRR...now you're makin' me angry demon!" Then he bashed his shield into Festin's side and knocked him towards Delaki.

      Delaki sighs, then says, "Looks like I'm forced to," then he took on an Ethereal Hands spell and latched on to Festin's right shoulder, "now BURN!" Delaki surrounded his body in fire, a Flame Cloak spell, Festin is now in agonizing pain as a fiery Argonian is attached to his shoulder. "GET OFF OF ME DAMN LIZARD!" Festin spews.

     "The insults are getting old Festin," cracks Delaki, "you can't even turn our eye with such a pitiful attempt at provoking." Then Festin takes hold of Delaki by the waist (his hand is big enough to hold him with one arm) and tosses him....again...but this time, he goes over the edge of the summit and falls down the set of stairs.

     "DELAKI!" I said, then I got up and went to see if he was alright. Then I see a giant ball of fire fly up and land back on the summit, it was Delaki's Blazing Cloak spell (a revamped version of Flame Cloak, but it has a wider area of effect and is much more potent). "Ooor you're just fine."

     "This is personal now," said Delaki with an evil sneer, "that bitch will burn...THIS I SWEAR!!"

      Gavarik is back in action and is working with Rekuuk to get Festin down to earth. Festin is also tossing the two around like dolls...so I think it's working just fine. "I WILL NOT HAVE MY POWER SO EASILY DISMISSED! I'M DONE PLAYING AROUND NOW! BRACE YOURSELVES!" Festin yells, he then grabs Rekuuk and Gavarik and squeezes the life from them...or just Rekuuk only...

     "G-G-GRAH! THIS...NNGH...AHH!" screams Rekuuk, Gavarik can't feel the pain, but he certainly cannot move. "Rekuuk!" Gavarik says, "Use your tail! It's open!" Then Rekuuk uses his tail to shimmy through Festin's grip and grab Gavarik's tail then uses it to slash at Festin's hand...the one Gavarik was in. Festin drops Gavarik and holds Rekuuk with both hands now, squeezing him twice as hard.
  

     "Hold on! I'll Get you released!" screamed Gavrik as Rekuuk was screaming then Delaki crashes into Festin's face knocking him over and throwing Rekuuk in the air. When he hits the floor, he's down for a while. Gavarik rushes over to help up his descendant. Delaki is battering Festin with strong fire spells, only with some avail...it seems that Festin is very resistant to standard magic.

     "STOP...FIRING...FREAKIN'...FIRE...AT...ME!" Festin can't get a clear sentence out because he is consistently taking Fireballs to the mouth....hehehe. "YOU NEED TO LEARN TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" said Delaki; then he made the largest of his fire spells in his hands and over his head.

     "HAVE THIS COME AT YOU! MASTER LEVEL SPELL: SEARING SUN!!" then he launches the mass of fire and Festin is swallowed whole by the flames. The ball explodes, sending heat of the highest degree across the chamber. It was enough to catch some of us on fire as well, the blast radius was that immense.

     Delaki is keeled over tired from the spell's magnitude and creeps out a whisper, "That...*pant*...was easy...hahaha." I stumbled over to him and said, "Now you've matched Purgemaster's Hand in its enervating capabilities." Delaki replied, "You've a point my friend...huff...now get out there and send that spirit to The Roots (the Roots is what we refer to as the place where all evil life goes after death...we as Holy-Scales are destined to go there as well, to keep the souls of those we've killed in line, and prevent them from returning to Mundus).

     Rekuuk and Gavarik are still holding their own against Festin's power. "YOU HAVE BECOME AN ANNOYANCE! WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE!" Festin spurts. Gavarik leaps at Festin, only to be brushed aside by his claw. Rekuuk rushes in on the moment of impact and rams his shields into Festin's gut...but it phases through.

     "The blessing wore off! SHIT!" said Rekuuk, the Festin took hold of his head and began to squeeze again. Rekuuk is suffocating and flailing as Festin continuously pries the life from his body. You would see Rekuuk begin to move slower and slower, notifying that he was at the Roots' Gate.

     I see this and turn to rage...I shoot a Sun Ray at Festin's hand and he drops Rekuuk, but he isn't moving. So I run at him, firing Vampire's Banes at Festin to keep him away from Rekuuk. Gavarik eventually jumps in and lances the back of this spirit, giving me and Rekuuk some time to heal. "What are you doing Rezmor?" Rekuuk huffed out, "Go after Festin, I'll be fine." I put a healing spell on Rekuuk and said, "You were at The Roots' Gate...you aren't going near that again...not around me." Rekuk stood and said, "Thank you Rezmor."

     Then Gavarik lands behind Rekuuk and slowly gets up, "You two get healed and I'll hold him off." said he. Rekuuk then asked me, "His blades are still blessed...how? Only a Holy-Scale of very high rank like Stands and Semkil can keep up a blessing for this long." It donned on me too that was happening and I'm confused as well. "I don't know how...this is strange."

     Gavarik is still slashing at Festin the best he can, but is still outmatched by the size and strength of him. "THIS IS ALMOST BORING! SHOW ME SOMETHING BETTER MIGHTY BULWARK!" Festin challenges. Then Gavarik throws his bucklers at Festin, making him throw them aside. As a result, Festin looses sight of Gavarik. "WHAT!?...WHERE IS HE?" Gavarik then jumps up and stabs Festin in the lower jaw, causing him to jolt back and hit one of the pillars...he was in front of him the whole time...he was just crouching out of eye-shot.

     The whole chamber is shaking now...it felt like the tomb would crumble away. "What do we do now?" asked Rekuuk. "We-" I tried to speak but Delaki suddenly interrupted, "You'll kick his foggy ass!" Then Delaki shoots a ball of blue, florescent energy at me and I have my energy back fivefold. "Delaki! A Magicka Transfer spell!? ARE YOU MAD?! YOU CAN DIE FROM THAT!" I yelled at him.

     "Don't fret...it was only enough...to...make...me...pass out," he falls to his knees and before his face hits the floor, he pushes out, silently, "get him good..." Then he lies silent on the floor. "He believes in you quite a bit doesn't he?" says Rekuuk. I then shoot a Restore Ally spell at Rekuuk, healing him with both energy and vitality. He stands up ready to fight.

     "Let's get this mud-fucker." he says with a smile.

     "No doubt...let's do this." I say back, "Gavarik, over here please!"

     Gavarik was still locked in combat with Festin when he heard me call him, so he stood still and took a massive blow from Festin to reach us. When he's finished sliding across the floor, he stands up and asks, "Do you have a plan Young One?"

     "I do, now give me your weapons," I said, then I blessed every inch of Gavarik and Rekuuk's body, enveloping them as I do with Blessed Body. "This should ensure that you will hurt that heartless monster."

     Festin remarks, "IF YOU THREE ARE DONE CHATTING, MAYBE I CAN KILL YOU NOW!" Rekuuk has the gall to say back, "Looks like you took Delaki's advice on not using your bad insults on us...smart spirit." Festin's eyes widen and he stutters, "W-W-WHY YOU IGNORAMUS-*hurk*-GAH! I'LL KILL YOU, THEN THE REST OF BLACK MARSH!"

     Rekkuk and Gavarik ready themselves and I take Blessed Flame and and put a powerful Master-level Restoration spell in my hands. "I'm readying something special...make me an opening will ya?" I order. The two Bulwarks are quick to respond, not with words, but with action as they charge at the dreaded spirit.

     "I'M NOT SO EASILY INTIMIDATED! YOU'VE TRIED THAT PLAN ALREADY AND IT HAS GOTTEN YOU NOWHERE!" Festin said. Rekuuk responds with a shield toss to Festin's left arm, so Festin dodges it easily, but the shield ricochets off two pillars and hits the back of Festin's head, burning it much worse than before. Gavarik quickly intercepts the upways shield and slams it into Festin's face.

     Festin is enraged at the sensation of being overwhelmed by foes much smaller than he. He tries to counterattack, but Gavarik and Rekuuk are working in perfect accord. Bashes and slams to his right, his left, his head, his gut, his back, and everywhere in between. It seems that the two relatives cannot be stopped. 

     Festin grows again to try and escape the punishment these two are dealing...but that just make him a bigger target. Gavarik slashes at Festin's back while Rekuuk is slamming his head constantly. As I saw it...Festin was now the one getting knocked around like a doll. In the midst of this beautiful display of Bulwark Teamwork, Festin swipes outward, making his two assailants slide backwards.

     "IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! HOW CAN YOU TWO BE SO STRONG!" Festin violently asks, only to be answered with a ricocheted shield to the back of his head. Then Rekuuk and Gavarik move back on the assault, but Festin releases an outburst of dark energy and sends them flying. "You are at your limit demon! Just die...it's much easier for you that way!" says Gavarik, but Festin answers with, "HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY LINE!! I'LL NOT BE MADE A FOOL OF BY MY OWN RESURRECTION!!!"
  

     Festin then readies a dark spell in his hands, which was a fatal mistake on his part. He failed to remember that I was still in the fight, and his attention was fixated on Rekuuk and Gavarik...they made me my oppening. I used my best spell for getting rid of a spirit, "THANK YOU!" I said to Rekuuk and Gavarik, "It's time to die again, MASTER SPELL: DIVINE SUN RAY!" Then an incredibly large wave of holy sunlight blasts from my hands and hits Festin from his let flank. You wouldn't even be able to see his silhouette in the great beam of energy.

     Rekuuk and Gavarik are looking at it in shock...probably because they were three inches in front of it when I shot it. When the light dimmed, Festin's soul was nowhere to be found...we had assumed that we had won. Unfortunately...we were wrong. Festin takes Gavarik from behind and carries him up to the ceiling almost. "I CARE NOT IF PAIN IS NOTHING TO YOU!" said Festin, "BUT A BODY LIKE YOURS IS STILL FRAIL, AND WILL NOT SURVIVE FROM A FALL THIS HIGH!"

     Rekuuk looked up n anger and said, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DEMON?!" but Festin pays no mind to Rekuuk. He throws Gavarik up at the ceiling, causing it to crack, and when Gavarik starts to fall, Festin takes his magic and blasts him down to the floor. "YOU WERE A MISTAKE FROM THE START! I'M GLAD I GOT TO KILL YOU!" he said while he was doing it. When Gavarik hits the ground, it sends out a dust cloud, bigger than I...and wind in its wake.

     "GAVARIK!" shouts Rekuuk as he's running over to the crash site. When he gets there, all he does is fall to his knees in sorrow...Gavarik is severed in two, from the waist, and the glow in his eyes now lay darkened. "He's dead...no...no this cannot be." Rekuuk could only question how his mighty ancestor was bested by a spirit; and his grief was short-lived, Festin took Rekuuk by the horns and threw him at me. I caught Rekuuk, even though I fell to the ground, and stood him up again.

     "Rekuuk come on! We have to stop this thing!" I said, Rekuuk replied with the most wrathful, deep, serious voice...I had ever heard grace his breath, "I'll do it myself." Even I knew better than to stand in Rekuuk's way when he's this angry. "You think that scares me lizard?" Festin starts, "You've-" he's interrupted by Rekuuk's spite. "SHUT UP!" he yells, then Festin jerks back in shock, surprised by the rage Rekuuk is feeling.

     Rekuuk walks slowly towards Festin, and, as brash and arrogant as we've seen him, Festin walks, err, floats toward him as well...probably hoping to break his brovado. If I could've talked I'd've said, "Good luck with that." In any case, Festin gives off a smartass "hmph" and Rekuuk punches him with his right shields and, since they still have holy magic in their system, the hit shot Festin back farther and faster than an Eldenroot Archer's arrow.

     The impact of Festin hitting the wall was so great, the entire chamber shook, and rocks begin to fall from all places...it's clear to us now...this tomb won't survive for much longer. Rekuuk stands still, three feet in front of Gavarik's crater, where he bashed Festin...ready to see if he gets back up...and he does. Festin flies right back at Rekuuk with all the speed he can muster. 

     "YOOOUU! I'LL KIIILLL YOOUU!" screams the malignant spirit, Rekuuk readies himself, but when Festin reaches three feet in front of Rekuuk...two armblades pierce the chest of Festin, this makes Rekuuk lower his guard in shock, and Festin, to spin out of control and crash into a pillar...knocking it down. I saw this and said, "Looks like he's not dead after all..."

     Gavark has no legs and is using his tail to slide on over to Rekuuk's and my position. He uses his tail again to stand himself up, what we witnessed was a half-body corpse, holding a malignant spirit by the tits...with a pair of armblades...coursing holy magic through its chest.

     "Gavarik," Rekuuk says in awe, "you're...alive?" I butt in and say, "This is purging magic...how do you know how to use it?" We received no response from the ancient bulwark...only this from Festin, "Please...make him stop," he was pleading in fear...which surprised us both, "I don't want to die...please...for the love of Arkay PLEASE! MAKE HIM STOOOOOP! HAVE MEERCYY!" If he were still living, I'd stake my life that Festin would be shedding tears like a waterfall at that time.

     Festin tried to levitate again, but Gavarik took his tail (still attached) and stabbed Festin in the abdomen, causing him to bawl in fear and pain. He then turned around so he could see our faces...he smiled and said to us, "You bring honor to us...the both of you." Rekuuk and I shared a bewildered look, and we both tried to say something...but...we couldn't. 

     Festin tries to utter more words, "PLEASE IN THE NAME OF THE NINE SHOW ME MERCY!" Gavarik was quick and loud to reply, "HOLY-SCALES SHOW NO MERCY TO THE UNLIVING!" When he said that......my word......me, Rekuuk, and Delaki (recently gaining consciousness) drop jaw faster than a blink...Delaki looses consciousness again however. "YOU'RE A HOLY-SCALE?!?!" said Rekuuk and I.

     "Indeed I am," started Gavarik, "and the two of you resemble me and my best friend...a Purgemaster and a Bulwark...haha...the spitting image really." I got dizzy and fell on my ass...I couldn't make out what I had heard. Rekuuk on the other hand, looks completely fine (his resilience is inspiring to say the least). "I see now...why the family never spoke of you being a Holy-Scale...they never knew...our oaths of secrecy." Rekuuk muttered. "Yes," Gavarik said, "I was a Holy-Scale and never told a soul outside of the order." 

     At the peak of this conversation...we're in a pinch now...because the crack where Festin threw Gavarik....yeah it burst and water was now rushing into the crypt. "The tomb!" Gavarik yelled, "We must end this now...and you two must leave...now!" Rekuuk is shaking his head and refusing to let Gavarik die. "I'm not letting you get killed...you must come back with us.

     I'd've never have believed Rekuuk would have this much of a soft spot for family...I'm not saying it was a bad trait...but...to just see him worrying so much over an undead ancestor. "ENOUGH REKUUK! I'M NOT WORTH DYING FOR!" Festin is still trying to pry himself out of the clutches of Gavarik's armblades. "LET ME GO!" he cries. Gavarik is annoyed at him and deciedes to finish the job.

     "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" he said, then he began to separate his arms and tail, intending to rip Festin's soul in three. "BACK TO THE ROOTS WITH YOU!!!" Gavarik shouted, Festin could only cry, "NOOOOOOO!!!" as Gavrik ripped him open and his form just glows bronze and gold and disintegrates into spiritual ashes. He falls to the floor and Rekuuk tries to take him by the hand. "Let's go ancestor," said Rekuuk, but the arm he grabbed turned to ash in his hands.

     "Wha? No...no...not now," he stuters. "In the event, I am still a thrall to Festin...now with him dead...I die as well...as nothing but a pile of ash." Rekuuk is sorrow-struck and the crypt is still crumbling. I grab hold of his shoulder and say, "We need to move, now! This is no time to grieve dammit!"

     Rekuuk stands up, but Gavarik says a few last words, "Rekuuk...Rezmorziriik...and that Delaki character...you...are the epitomes of great Holy-Scales...put it to good use," his torso turns to ash and Rekuuk turns to hear, as well me...carrying Delaki's motionless body...so I throw him in the water. Gavarik's last words made sure that we would leave this tomb alive..."Tell Semkil...you have made a fine group of warriors...and you...all of you...no matter what comes our way..." the pillars begin to fall and the water is almost at the summit.
  

     We have nowhere to go... and the water has reached the summit...our only option was to wait for the water to fill so we could swim our way out through the hole in the ceiling...without getting crushed in the process. Gavarik continues,"we endure...we rise...WE FIGHT!!!" then the last of his mouth turns to ash and dissolutes into the water.

     Delaki resurfaces and punches me in the leg, "YOU DICK! I could've died!" he yelled. "But did you," I said, "but nevermind that, we have to get out before we're crushed." Delaki catches his breath, because he isn't the best swimmer compared to most Argonians, we try to teach him but nooo he always says he doesn't need it.

     The water is filling at an alarming rate, because the hole is getting bigger for the water to rush in. When the crypt fills, we're all just fine...and no one got smashed to death by a falling pillar, or stone, or whatever. We exit the tomb via. hole in the ceiling, and make our way up to the shore (now lower than normal). We stand up and look at the bubbling spot where the tomb continues to flood...
  

     Rezmor: We did it...*pant*...we won the day. (looks at Rekuuk) That was fun wasn't it?

     Rekuuk: (still looking at the bubbles) Yeah...it was.

     Delaki: Good for us, (looks at Rezmor) but we should head home now...and tell everyone what happened...especially Semkil. (disappears into the swamps)

     Rezmor: Correct (lightly slaps Rekuuk's shoulder) come on, let's go.

     Rekuuk: (still looking at the bubbles) Yeah, sure...just...give me some time.

     Rezmor: (looks at the bubbles too)...hmm...I see. (turns around and walks a distance) He was a good fighter...I see where you get your skill from. Hurry on back...Shavra said she'd make Black Stew when we return. (disappears into the swamps)

     

     Rekuuk stands and thinks on his ancestor, and his rank...turns out it was his rank as a Holy-Scale. There was some truth to the family's stories after all. Rekuuk pays his respects by leaving his shield imprint on the side of the crypt that was above water. "I am proud to call you my ancestor," he starts, "may The Roots carry you to the Hist...and keep your soul snug and warm." Then he turns tail and walks into the swamps......

  with two black bucklers on his back

       

        

       To Be Continued...