The Last Holy-Scale:Book One: Part Nine
Smoke Equals Fire
Damn it's been a while! Welcome back! At the last story, if I can remember correctly, we were exploring the deeper recesses of this dank Dwemer ruin. We're looking for a dead body that apparently is so well preserved, it is thought to be Preservation Magic. I say we're doing far too much work on basis of a rumor...
In the ruins...
Shavra's last words ere she slipped into unconsciousness caused us all to try and clamber into the pipelines that litter this ruin. The only one small enough to fit in any of them, besides Shavra, was Jumps. He tried to fake that he couldn't fit, for means of not looking so damn small.
The deep-rooted inferiority complex he bears is always funny when he tries to act 3 inches taller. In any case, he shimmied through the pipes and noticed there was, and I quote, "THERE"S A SHIT TON OF MUD IN THIS DAMN PIPE!!!" end quote.
We urged Jumps on as best we could, eventually, he found the body. "I THINK I FOUND THE BASTARD!!" he said. I proceeded to say, "Then bring it down here!" Then the pipe that Shavra fell out of began to leak mud, and a louder PLOP than what mud normally makes when it falls from 12 feet in the air.
The lot of us walked towards the muddy mass and sifted through it. The body inside of it was indeed an Argonian corpse, and was also indeed, well preserved. "This is it," says Semkil, "this is the body of Filgrachaz." He immediately cast a concentration spell at the corpse.
"What the fuck are you doing Semkil!" I snap. He ignored my snapping and was still casting the concentration spell at the corpse. I interrupted the spell by shoving Semkil, and he slapped me across the face. "YOU DAMN FOOL!" he yelled, "I'M USING A SIPHON SPELL!"
I stood still, astounded at the force of the slap. "This level of siphoning rare magic requires me to not say a word! Are you that daft!?" Semkil yelled. "Forgive me Hist-Master...you didn't tell anyone that is what you were doing." I said...Semkil only responded by casting his Siphon Spell at the corpse.
After Semkil finished siphoning the magic, he took out an apple and cast a strange, blue spell at it. "Let us see if it works." he said, then he cast the apple into the mud pile. "Mud that rancid would decay that apple in minutes." said Stands.
Then Jumps went and got the apple after a minute or two. When he pulled it out, it was still in perfect shape. "Aye it does work!" screams Semkil. He had learned the same Preservation Magic Filgrachaz once used. We began to leave the ruin after re-burying Filgrachaz in the Inner Sanctum.
On the way up, we stopped because Semkil collapsed. Why he did didn't sit well with me and Rekuuk. Semkil was bleeding from his nose, and coughing badly.
Rekuuk: (while running to his Semkil) Hist-Master!
Semkil: (coughing and spurting) I'm...gglgh...fine, Rekuuk.
Rezmor: Like hell you are! You're sick Semkil!
Semkil: I...can't be...it can't happen to me.
Rekuuk: Quite obviously it can, we may be splendid, almost invincible warriors, but disease can still render us bested.
Semkil: Don't mean...that I like it, (coughs blood) damn...didn't expect that.
Stands: Rezmor! We have to heal Semkil...together!
Rezmor: Right! (stands up, across from Stands) Now hurry, we'll use Cure Disease.
Stands: Agreed, (he and Rezmor raise hands and a fluorescent blue-ish-purple light covers Semkil).....he's not looking...well...I-
Rezmor: He'll be fine, just concentrate until we feel he's been cured.
Stands and I were casting this spell for a good 15 minutes before we felt the disease leave his body. Semkil was well asleep, but seemingly hurting as he lay on the floor. He was heavily breathing and was wheezing. We knew we'd be here for a while longer than expected, or even wanted for that matter.
As Semkil was recuperating, each one of us took shifts of 30 minutes looking after him.
Two and a half hours later...
Jumps: Is all of this necessary?
Rezmor: All of what?
Jumps: This...I'm worried about the rest of the Holy-Scales back home.
Rekuuk: Why?
Jumps: My scales are shaking and scratching at me all at once, my tail quivers and I feel my heart rushing as if I were in deep combat.
Shavra: Damn...you feel all of that!? But the worst has passed, why are you feeling so on-edge?
Jumps: I couldn't place it if I tried. I'm so confused as to why I feel this way.
Stands: Your worry is starting to get contagious Jumps. I feel uneasy about our brothers' and sisters' well being.
Semkil: *weakly* We must...go back...quickly.
Shavra: What's that Semkil?
Semkil: *extremely angry* WE MUST GO BACK TO THE SANCTUARY!!! THE SUN-HIST SPOKE TO ME! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!!!
All: WHAT!
Rekuuk: Grab everything and move out! Everyone move at your fastest pace, it matters not who gets there first! JUST GET BACK TO THE SANCTUARY!!!
All: XHU! (they storm out)
We ran as fast as our feet or magic could carry us. Shavra was far ahead of us, followed by Jumps, then Delaki, then me, then Rekuuk, then Stands, then Semkil. It seemed Shavra would reach the Sanctuary in a few minutes. Everyone else would reach the Sanctuary in several more.
Shavra is out of sight and Jumps is leaving it. Delaki is flying as fast as he can while I, Rekuuk, and everyone else are quick behind. As we run across the Murkmire Region, we can see a pillar of black smoke arising in the distance. The Sanctuary is being put to the flame!
At the Sanctury...
While at the Sanctuary, some of the Holy-Scales have been killed. In the midst of chaos, they plead to the Sun-Hist for help, and no later than that, Shavra arrives first and kills three of the attackers. Upon looking at them she can't make out who they might be.
Only that they are not of this land...they're humans. Jumps comes not too long after and slaughters a group of them.
Jumps: Shavra! Who are these people!?
Shavra: I don't know! They're magic users, so (gets hits by a fire spell) AHH!
Jumps: SHAVRA! (Black-robed figure runs from the scene) YOU! OVER HERE! (throws his axe at the assailant's back)
Assailant: GAH! (falls to the ground)
Jumps: Bastard, give me my axe back. (reaches for the axe and slowly yanks it out of its fleshy sheath)
Assailant: (intense screams of pain then dies from a foot-stomp to the head)
Delaki: (flies in and smashes the ground, swathed in flames) Show me where they're at!
Jumps: Look around! They're everywhere!
Delaki: Fine by me. (releases a huge shockwave of fire, burning many of the enemies)
Jumps and Delaki are fighting back to back and fending off many of the unusual enemies. Shavra is nowhere to be seen...which is a good thing. Some of these assailants are falling under unknown circumstances. Some brothers and sisters are holding their own...but not so well.
I came in next and ran about five of the bastards over. Some tried firing spells at me from afar, but to no avail. Tekratan would completely nullify their spell before it even hit me. Jumps quickly accompanies me, seven enemies in tow.
We fought in tandem, mostly me using my shield as a spring board for Jumps to go for intense air-based attacks. I leveled the floor with an Earth spell (yeah, I know Earth magic). Jumps decapitates many heads while we're holding them off.
Rekuuk arrives unexpectedly and makes any sword-bearers look pitiful as he blocks every possible attack they throw at him, and he immediately counterattacks. Now it's the youth of the Inner Roots protecting what they can and saving as many of our brothers and sisters as possible.
We rush inside the Sanctuary, now clouded in smoke and fire. Me and Rekuuk go to the Inner Sanctum to defend that perimeter. Delaki and Jumps take the Armory. We'd have to wait for Stands and Semkil. It seems that the waves of enemies will not end.
We do notice that more and more of our enemies are becoming warriors instead of mages. Then it hit us, their armor...it was as spiky as a Briar Bush, but more...demonic. It was black and red with the faces of the ones wearing it just the same......DREMORA!!!
Dremora were storming the Sanctuary, no wonder so many of us have died. As to who brought them to this place we couldn't say, but then out of nowhere, Stands and Semkil show up. They raise their staffs and slam their bases on the ground, unleashing a massive explosion of magic.
This sends all of the Dremora flying and possibly killing a great deal of them.
Stands: (to Rekuuk and Rezmor) Get to the Training Hall! We'll hold them off here!
Rezmor: We have to find their summoner! (they bolt out of the chamber)
Semkil: Look around for now Stands! (kills a dremora) We can't let them harm the Sun-Hist!
Stands: Dualy noted.
Shavra: (leaps from the Sun-Hist) There aren't anymore in the Sanctuary, but I found their summoner! He's outside! Quickly, come on! (everyone runs outside)
When we ran outside, we saw their summoner, donned in night-black robes with little pieces of metal armor on it. He wore a mask and was deep-voiced. He would speak to us...
Summoner: You lot are finished, though I am surprised you could kill so many Dremora.
Semkil: Killing Dremora is a specialty of ours!
Summoner: Indeed, but I think you should burn for your sins.
Delaki: I was about to say the same thing to you.
Summoner: No more speech, death will take you now! (Raises hands and a mini Oblivion gate opens up, releasing a wave of Dremora and daedra alike)
Rekuuk: To arms!
We charge headfirst, and I mean Rekuuk first, straight at the daedra. We collide with magic and might, the force of battle from that moment was so powerful, any normal mortal would pass out from shock. We slaughtered them all, but the summoner had already opened another gate, causing more and more daedra to flood in.
We advanced on his position, but his stupid daedra are keeping us from him. Shavra manages to slip into the trees, and out of the summoner's sight. She takes him from the air, but apparently he had enough reaction time to shove her off while only getting his shoulder gashed.
"Gah! Bitch!" he yelled then he used what seemed a Mass Telekinesis, because he made her float towards him, she was being choked! I rage and break through as many deadra as possible. I tackle the summoner before he can kill Shavra.
As he falls to the floor, his mask falls off his face...I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Summoner: Do you remember...monster.
Rezmor: (slowly gets up) I'm no monster, but you look...familiar.
Rekuuk: Wait...I...I do know you.
Summoner: (holds up his hand and all deadra stop) Do you?
The summoner's face was relatively young looking. He had brown bangs and green eyes. As well as a huge scar along the line of his jaw, and he was missing a few teeth. The summoner looked at Rekuuk with more evil than the rest of us.
Rekuuk: Aye...you're one of those necromancers...the ones we fought back in Shagswamp Tomb!
Summoner: Looks like I can't insult your memory, yes, I am one of "those necromancers".
Rezmor: I thought we killed you all.
Summoner: Not me! Your fat friend left me unconscious in that tomb!!
Rekuuk: HEY! There's no call for that!
Summoner: You killed my brother Festin! I will never forgive you for that! I wanna kill you slowly and PAINFULLY!!!
Rekuuk: Your brother attacked us first and threatened to destroy all of Black Marsh! What do you expect from us..defending our homeland!
Summoner: Your damn homeland is the garbage heap of Tamriel...it'd be a divine blessing if all of you fucking lizards just went extinct! (starts to tear up) I...I won't rest until I've killed all of your race!!!! (sends the daedra back at the Holy-Scales)
Rezmor: Shavra! Go back down and help the others! Rekuuk and I have some unattended business to take care of-
Rekuuk: No Rezmor! I failed to kill him...he's MY responsibility.
Rezmor: But I'm just as gui-
Rekuuk: I said go back down there! You have no business helping me fight him.
Rezmor: .....(nods, then he and Shavra to battle with the deadra)
Rekuuk: (looks at the summoner) Now that we're alone...let's dance Slackjaw.
Slackjaw: The name's Tetras...remember that in the Soul Cairn.
Rekuuk: I'd prefer not to go there (pulls out his bucklers) but I can always send you there. The Ideal Masters would love to have your soul as well.
Tetras: How do you know of the-
Rekuuk: We do hard research on what our enemies will do and what they're about...your kind are nothing more than basic for us.
Tetras: I'll make you suffer for your insolence! (readies a few spells)
Rekuuk: I've already suffered enough from it already. (charges at Tetras)
Tetras: So be it. (charges at Rekuuk)
To Be Continued...
Comments
I presume there's no diplomaticsolution then shall I?