The Adventures of Roderick

by redsrock

A young Bosmer must stand up and protect Cyrodiil from a unimaginable threat. After meeting new friends throughout his journey the Bosmer must use his new allies to defeat the evil threat.

The Adventures of Roderick: Part One

Part one: The Beginning of the End

By: Jeff Ford

As I knelt behind a small bush, in the dark of the quiet night, Lady Elante Valamine was locking the door to her expensive luxurious house. I was behind the bush, waiting for my chance to break in once Lady Valamine left. Thankfully her husband, Sir Alaric Valamine was away on a business trip.

The Valamines were a very wealth pair of Altmers, and thankfully lived in the country, away from other cities. This would make my job much easier.

I could feel a storm coming, so I knew I had to act quick. My goal was to enter the house, and look for anything valuable, and then get out. I have been tracking her movements for the past week. Everyday Elante leaves her house at 9 o'clock at night to take walk through the garden, and then through the woods that surrounds their property. She is always gone no less than a half an hour, and no later than an hour and a half. I'll have to work quick, but I shouldn't have any problems. During the night I have looked into the house, and I have not seen any bodyguards or dogs, so this should be an easy job.

Finally, Elante left the house, and started down the dirt road toward the garden. I waited until she round a corner and was out of sight, and then I went to the door. I had already inspected the door and I knew it was a three-tumbler lock. I carefully unlocked the door, and entered the dark house. Just as I expected their house was absolutely magnificent! Everything looked as if it was custom made.

As I crept upstairs I looked at the photos on the walls incase I noticed anything of great value. I have been a thief for a long time, and I now only steal very expensive items. Unfortunately I usually spend the money I get for the items as soon as I get it. My employer is a Bosmer just like myself. His name is Thoronir. He has been my employer for about five months now. I searched all the cities throughout Cyrodiil, and finally I came to him in the Imperial City. He was the only merchant that would buy "hot" items. All the others were part of the Thieves Guild, and I didn't want to join them anytime soon.

Thoronir told me that he once got into trouble with the other merchants in his city after he was caught dealing goods from people who had been killed by his contractor. Luckily he had weaseled his way out of it by claiming he had no clue what had happened. His partner, Agarmir, had been killed so Thoronir knew he could not be ratted out by his partner when he was already dead.

Thoronir was hesitated when hiring me, but finally decided that he could make a lot of money with the items that I was bringing in. To eliminate the chance getting caught again, he changed his store from a discounted goods store into a rare items store. This way he could make all the money he wants. He told the other merchants that his items were coming from all across Tamriel, and they believed him!

Thoronir has been issuing my missions since I was hired, and now he has me looking for some family relic the Valamines' have. Before, I only stole goods that nobody would recognize after being stolen, but now he has me looking a statue made from glass. It was made somewhere here in Cyrodiil and it is supposedly worth a lot of money. However he says that he will not sell it to the public, but to another customer from another country. I think he said somewhere in High Rock.

The statue was somewhere upstairs. Once I got to the second level, I started searching the rooms. The first room I got to was the guest room. After a quick look knew that the statue wasn't isn't here, so I went to the next room. I looked out the window, and outside it was pouring down rain. I knew I didn't have much time, but I didn't panic. The room I was in now was the master bedroom. After glancing around I noticed a display case in the corner of the room. It was holding the item I was looking for. It was a five-tumbler lock, and it took me a few minutes until I finally got it unlocked. Just as I unlocked it, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I looked around and quickly rolled under the bed.

I took Lady Valamine a few minutes to get into the room. She must have changed in the restroom or something, because as soon as she came in the room, she immediately went to bed. I waited for what seemed like hours until she finally started to snore. I quietly got up and gently raised the display case in order to get the statue.

I then went downstairs and as I got to the door, it suddenly opened, and there stood Sir Alaric Valamine. He looked at me, and then at my hand that held the statue. He then gave me a menacing look and tried to hit me with a shock spell, but I dodged it only by inches. I got up, used a paralyze spell on Alaric, and ran outside before Lady Valamine had a chance to help her husband. I don't know if he saw my face, but I have no doubt that he knows I am Bosmer.

Once I got to the Imperial City, I immediately went to Thoronir's shop instead of my house in the Waterfront. It was midnight, and I knew that Thoronir would be asleep, but this was the first time I had ever gotten caught during a hit.

I quickly entered the shop through the back entrance using the key Thoronir gave to me. Like I expected, Thoronir was sleeping when I came into his room. I woke him up and he started cursing.

"Wake up Thoronir, wake up!"

"What is it Roderick, what on earth are you doing in my room at midnight!!"

" Thoronir, I got the statue from the house, but on the way out I met Sir Valamine, and I barely escaped. I had to use a minor paralyze spell to get out."

Thoronir was speechless for a few seconds, and then finally spoke. "But you have the statue right?"

I couldn't believe it. "Yes, I have the statue. I barely escaped with my life, but yes, I have the stupid statue!!!"

Thoronir was puzzled by the panicking. "What are you worried about? They're not going to catch you. Just calm down, go to your house, and go to sleep. I'm sure you'll feel much better tomorrow."

"Thoronir, he saw my face! He knows I am a Bosmer now. He'll have the whole Imperial Legion after me tomorrow!" I said shouting.

"Roderick, there are thousands of Bosmer in Cyrodiil. There is no way that he'll have the Imperial Army after you. He doesn't know exactly what you look like, just that you are a Wood Elf. Everything will be just fine. It's late and I want to try and go back to bed. Come by tomorrow and I'll have your money. Don't worry, everything will be ok, you'll see."

There wasn't any point in arguing, and I could tell that Thoronir was getting agitated so I went back to my house at the Waterfront and tried to go to sleep, but I just couldn't. I kept thinking that someone was going to bust through my door and kill me. Maybe Alaric wasn't going to go to the Legion for help. He knows that the thief that stole his family heirloom must be a talented one. He might hire assassins to track me down.

I kept thinking about this, but I must have fallen asleep, because eventually I found myself in a dream. In it I was running away from Alaric, who was chasing me along with two other figures whom I didn't recognize. I was running when I tripped on a rock and dropped the statue. When I went to pick it up I saw Alaric cast a fire ball at me. Just before it hit me I woke up drenched in sweat.

It was ten o'clock in the morning. I had slept in much later than I usual do. I normally wake up at around six so I can get a head start on my assignment. After stretching my aching bones I got out of bed and changed into some clean clothes. I had worn my clothes from last night to sleep. After I was dressed and had breakfast I walked over to Thoronir's shop to collect my payment.

I arrived at Thoronir's shop to find it locked. This was unusual because all the shops opened at eight in the morning. I knocked and waited for a few minutes. I knocked again but nobody answered. So I went around the back to find it locked as well, but I expected that, because we always leave the back door locked. I opened the door with my key and stepped inside. The shop seemed pretty normal. I called out for Thoronir but there was still no answer. I went up stairs to his bedroom. What I found was the whole room messed up like an explosion went off. On the bed was Thoronir. He was lying in a pool of blood. I checked his pulse. He was still alive. I started to pull him up from the pool of blood when he began to regain consciousness.

"Roderick….you have to get out of the city. They know you live here.'

"What….what are you talking about?" I was starting to panic.

"Someone else was in the house when you stole the statue. He…he was working for Valamine. Somehow…… they knew you were going to steal the statue. It was a setup. I'm sorry but I'm not going to make it. They came by last night to get the statue was from me. They…..saw you enter my house but did not see you leave. I wouldn't tell them where you lived. They attacked me. I fended them off. There were only two of them. But they hit me as well."

I looked in the corner to see two Dunmer dressed in dark robes. They were definitely dead.

"You…have to take the statue. There using it…..for something evil. It didn't hit me until I killed the assassins. You have to find M'aiq. It turns out that doesn't lie about everything. Talk to him. He will explain everything. He…he lives somewhere in the Jerall Mountains, north of Bruma. Ask around Bruma and see if anyone can give you directions. So about you payment, heh heh, I think the assassins took all of my money. The statue is under my bed. Take it to M'aiq. Good luck Roderick."

He was dead! Thoronir was the only friend I had. He was like a father to me. Now he was gone! Whoever did this was going to pay dearly. I would travel to Valamine Manor right now, but that probably wouldn't be a smart move. I guess I would have to travel to Bruma in search of this M'aiq fellow. I have heard stories about how crazy he is. I hope Thoronir was right. I wish he was still here to help me. I guess I'll slip a note to the guard captain that something is wrong in Thoronir's shop. I'm going to have to get out the city. I can't let the captain know I was part of all this. The captain has a house in the Elven Gardens. I'll drop note by his door before I leave. Now it's time to get geared up and take the statue to M'aiq.

After I got dressed and geared up, I went to house of Captain Lex. Lex worked in the Imperial City a long time ago trying to catch The Gray Fox. The Gray Fox is the leader of a group called the Thieves Guild. The government tries to deny their existence, but they definitely real. One of their leader, Armand Christophe, lives in the Waterfront right next to my house. Around ten of their members live in the Imperial City as well. Thoronir told me that a couple of years ago Lex was transferred to another city. After an increase in theft in the Imperial City however, the captain was called back.

Before going I made sure that I had everything I would need on my journey. I would not be coming back for a long time, so I needed to make sure that I had everything. I would bring my twin silver short swords, my silver bow along with the arrows, and I also brought along a silver dagger. Every weapon I use is silver. Regular weapons like iron and steel do not affect ghosts and other undead creatures. Silver effects everything.

I also made sure to wear something comfortable. The journey will be long and tiring, so I wanted to wear something that will feel good. I'm wearing a simple dark leather green shirt and dark leather pants. Leather boots accompany by outfit.

After getting everything ready I proceeded towards Lex's house in the Elven Gardens. The rich and famous lived in the Elven Gardens. Houses there were large and expensive. Also the hotels were very expensive as well. I got to Lex's house. It appeared that nobody was home. I was about to drop the letter when I heard voices coming from around the corner, in the garden beside Lex's house. I went to investigate the suspicious noises.

In the dark corner of the garden were three figures. One appeared to be Lex, and the others were dressed in black robes and were wearing what appeared to be dark red cloth masks. One of the robed figures was talking with Lex while the other was just listening. It was nighttime and they were not doing a good job of keeping their voices down.

"Will you please keep your voice down!? Do you want the whole Garden to hear us.?" Lex looked like he was getting angry.

"Don't you smart off to me Lex! Just answer our question and we'll let you go. Where is the list to all of the Bosmer living in the Imperial City. Our master needs the list, and we won't stop until we get it!" The robed figure was getting upset as well.

"How dare you talk to an officer like that. I'll have you arrested if you don't show some respect!!"

"What are you going to do Lex, tell your precious Emperor? I hope I don't let it slip out that you've been stealing government money to help fund your pathetic search for the Gray Fox. Give us the list now!!"

"I don't have such a list. Ocato has all that information ever since he took over the Emperor position. Talk to him if you want that information."

"Unfortunately we don't have those connections. What do you think he would say if a couple of murderers from the Order showed at his doorstep. He wouldn't be too happy. We'll let you off the hook for now. You are lucky we use you for inside information. If you find out anything let us know."

"Wait, there is one Wood Elf I know of. I know you guys killed Thoronir right? Well, there's one elf who comes in all the time. I don't know who he is but I'm pretty sure he lives in the Waterfront. You might want to check there."

"Very good Lex. We'll be seeing you very soon."

"Why didn't you guys get rid of Thoronir's body? I know you had more men outside his house last night."

"We knew he was going to die and we didn't want to take a chance of getting any more members killed. Our numbers are thin at the moment, but that will all change soon."

All of a sudden there was a poof of smoke, and the figures were gone. It seemed that there was no need to deliver the note. It seems that Lex is working for the robed figures. They said they were part a group called the Order. I have never heard of them. I needed to get out town fast.

I made my way out of the city and went on my way towards Bruma. It was north of the Imperial City, but it was a long way. I didn't want to take a horse or even travel on the main road for fear of being caught by the robed figures. Who knows, maybe Lex has some men looking out for any Wood Elves. I planned on staying close to the road, but I wasn't going to let anyone see me. That shouldn't be too hard, being that I am a thief.

It was a cool night. The wind was blowing and it made it colder. I wish I had brought a coat or a robe. I traveled along the road for about five hours until I could not stand the cold any longer. I spotted a cave just a few paces off the main road. I investigated the cave to make sure there were not any bears or wolves. The cave was clear of any living thing. It was a small cave, barely enough room for myself. But investigating further with my torch I found that a hallway was blocked by debris, and that explained why the cave was so small. After looking around the cave, I made a fire and cooked some carrots over the fireplace. I used a pan that I always brought on my missions. After eating, I looked at my map and figured out where I needed to go in the morning. I wasn't that far from my destination, but it was still far for walking. It would be another seven or eight hours until I reached Bruma. With the money I had left I hoped to rent a bed in the local tavern. However, if I found the location of M'aiq I would just head straight for him. No sense wasting money when I don't have to. I only have two hundred septims and I need to make them last.

The next morning I awakened by voices outside the cave. It was still dark so it was probably early in the morning. I rose from the cold ground and went to investigate the voices.

"He isn't on the main road and he hasn't gotten to Bruma yet. Where could he be?" The two men talking where the same men talking with Lex.

"I don't know but we better find him or Valamine will be furious. Are you sure we haven't missed any caves? Wait, look, there's a cave over there. Let's go check. If he isn't there then we'll keep searching the woods. He's got to be somewhere."

Great, now they were coming in the cave. Without panicking I hid behind a big rock. I was trying not to make any noises when I realized I had left my back pack and all my food on by the fireplace. I quickly got the statue, but it was too late for the backpack. I also had my weapons near my bag, except for my dagger, which I keep with me at all times. I did not want to leave my swords and bow, but I had no choice.

The two figures crept in so quietly that I was startled when they past the rock I was hiding behind. As they went past me I tried to sneak out of the cave, but I accidentally kicked a small rock. They quickly turned around but before they had a chance to cast a spell on me I was running for my life. If it wasn't for my speed they would have surely had me. As I was running away lightening bolts were going past me. They were trying to stop me but they were too far.

I kept running until I couldn't run any more. I don't know if the assassins were behind me, but all of a sudden I just collapsed and I guess I fainted. I don't know how I happened, but when I woke up I was in someone's house.

I got up very startled and I was looking around for a door. I thought I was being held captive by the assassins. Next, an old man came through the door, and I was about to attack the man, but he was accompanied by two guards. They were dressed in the yellow Bruma armor so I figured that's where I was.

"It's about time you woke up. You've been sleeping since we found you early this morning."

I was so confused. "Where am I. Am I in Bruma? What happened to me and how did I get here?"

"Easy young man, we're not here to hurt you. These two guards found you lying in the road and they brought you here to my inn. Yes, you are in Bruma. What were doing lying in the middle of the road?"

I thought about telling him about the assassins but I decided to keep my mouth shut for now. However I decided that this was a good time to ask about M'aiq. "I was on my way here trying to find a Khajiit named M'aiq. I guess I had too much to drink before setting off to Bruma. Thank you for taking care of me. By the way, do any of you three know of M'aiq's location?"

The two soldiers looked at each other suspiciously and the old man looked at me rather mysteriously. "I'm sorry young man but I don't know anyone of that name. You may want to ask the guards. No, you've never heard of the man either? I'm sorry but none of us can think of anyone of that name. Are you sure you have the right name?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

One of the guards started to ask me questions. "What exactly are you here for kid?"

"Excuse me, I'm twenty-five years old. I'm not exactly a kid." I was trying to avoid giving a reason for meeting with the Khajiit.

The two soldiers started whispering with each other, then they told me to take better care of myself, and then they left the inn.

After they left the old man immediately started asking some of his own questions.

"Young man, why are you looking for M'aiq?"

"Hold on a minute, I though you said you didn't know who M'aiq is?"

"I did say that, but that was only because the two guards were standing right beside me. In fact, M'aiq and I are very good friends."

I told the old man my story and after I was done the man looked me in the eye as if to find out if I was telling the truth. Then he told me a story of his own.

"Young man, let me tell you a story. M'aiq does exist. He lives in the Jerall Mountains, plotting against this Valamine you talk about. Valamine is in fact the leader of a group called the Order. This group supports the Prince of Oblivion, even though he was destroyed. They have been plotting to take over Cyrodiil for quite some time. M'aiq is the leader of a group that opposes the Order, although there are only two of us. M'aiq and myself. Our other members have been killed by Order assassins. I am lucky to be alive. Thankfully they don't know that I am part of M'aiq's group. They also don't know where M'aiq lives. In fact, I have not spoken to him in months. We are too afraid that our mail will be intercepted by the Order. But if what you say is true, then we must travel to his house to tell him of this news. The statue you speak of is of great importance to Valamine and his minions. We don't know exactly what they need it for, but for whatever plan they have, the statue is vital for it to work. Come, we must travel now, there is now time to rest. I'll have my neighbor run the inn while we're gone. I know you're tired but we must get to M'aiq as quick as possible. Let us leave now."

This was strange. I never thought in my life something like this would happen. While we marched towards the Jerall Mountains, the old man, whose name was Jak, told me that Thoronir had been part of M'aiq's group, but left when members were being slain left and right. In fact, Thoronir was in the group for the first two months of when I stated working with him. We walked on for hours and hours. When we got to the edge of the mountains, the snow was coming down excessively and Jak finally decided to rest. It was getting dark and it was virtually impossible to see. We took shelter in a nearby cave. Jak was so tired that he almost immediately fell asleep. He was not young anymore, probably in his mid fifties. I was worried that maybe this weather would effect the old man, but he was so intent on finding M'aiq that I didn't dare question him. All I could do was fall asleep and hope for good weather tomorrow.

The next morning the snow was pouring down just as hard as it was yesterday, but we went on anyway. With Jak leading the way I was confident that we would get through the snow unharmed. The mountains in the north were much bigger than I had imagined. I had not traveled past Bruma so I did not exactly know what to expect. The terrain was rough and we were constantly going up hill then down hill, and then up hill again. It was rough, but surprisingly I was having a tougher time hiking than Jak, who showed no sign of tiring. The old man was rather energetic for his age. I no longer worried about him, but I did fear for myself. This weather was a lot different than that of the Imperial City.

We traveled for about four or five hours when suddenly Jak was struck in the leg by an arrow. I turned around to see a hooded figure with a bow. It was someone from the Order! Finally they had found me. I quickly drug Jak behind a rock before he was shot again. All I had was my dagger so the fight would be one sided until I closed in on the assassin and forced him to use a melee weapon. Luckily the snow had died down a bit so maybe that would effect the accuracy of the archer.

I poked my head out from behind the rock and an arrow flew past my face. I immediately got up and charged the enemy. He tried to shoot me but he missed. Before He had a chance to hit me I threw my dagger at him. The dagger hit him right between the eyes, a perfect shot!

I ran over to make Jak was ok. He was and we both went over to take a look at the enemy. The Dunmer wasn't carrying much expect for an iron short sword and an iron bow with arrows. I gave the short sword to Jak and kept the bow and arrows for myself. This would be the first time for a while that I had carried any weapon other than silver. I gave the sword to Jak because like me all he brought was a small dagger.

We went on our ways until we came to a fork in the road. Jak said that the passage to the right would lead is to our destination. It would be about another day until we reached M'aiq. We marched for another couple of hours until we decided to stop and rest. It was about noon and both Jak and I were very hungry. Since I did not have by cooking pan we had to tomatoes, carrots, celery and bread. We had water from a jug that Jak had brought along. Although I missed my cooked carrots the meal was very much satisfying, especially since I had not eaten since I ate in the cave before being tracked by the two assassins from the Imperial City.

That night it was very hard to sleep. It was air was extremely cold, and the hard rock floor of the cave did not help any. Luckily Jak had another jacket but failed to tell me until we got into the cave. I'm lucky I haven't gotten sick from all this cold weather.

When I finally did fall asleep I had a terrible dream. I dreamt that I had been caught by the assassins and they had killed Jak. Lex and Valamine were there as well. They talked very loudly but I could not understand what they were saying. Stupid dreams! They kept talking, and then Lex and Alaric walked up to me. They both said a few sentences and then started to laugh at me. I looked around at my surroundings and I realized that there were hundreds of figures in dark robes. All the hoods were on so I could not see any of their faces. It appeared that we were in some type of shrine. Their were green candles everywhere and although I was in a dream, I could almost feel the evil inside the shrine. I looked back at Lex and Alaric and then suddenly Alaric started to laugh and took out a knife from his robe. He brought the dagger up with both hands and then swiftly brought them down towards my head. Before it hit I woke up screaming.

"Shut up Roderick, I was having a wonderful dream! I hope you're happy!"

The old man had started to become cranky. "Sorry Jak, I had a dream, no, a nightmare! You were killed by Valamine and he was about to kill me. There were hundreds of Order members circled around us.!"

"Don't worry about. I'm sure its' nothing. But we'll tell M'aiq when we see him. I think he can interpret dreams. I'm not sure, I can't remember."

After that we went back to sleep. The next morning we had some more bread and then set off. The snow had finally stopped and despite the bitter cold, the weather was nice. The sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in sight. We did not encounter anyone that day. We also never stopped traveling until about ten o'clock at night. Jak decided to stop at ten o'clock. Once we started up the next morning it would be another five hours until we finally made it M'aiq's house.

Jak woke me up in the middle of night. He told me that he heard voices outside. When he went to see he was two assassins. I asked him about any marks on their hoods, but he did not see any. He told my that he took care of them, but we needed to move out now before anymore came. So I gathered what strength I had left and we continued on towards the house of M'aiq. It was a little after six o'clock when finally reached M'aiq's house. Jak knocked on the door five times. Then from the other side someone knocked three more times, and Jak responded with one knock. The door suddenly opened and a grinning Khajiit stood before us.

"Jak, what are you doing here? How are you? It's been a long time since we last spoke, perhaps too long! Who is your companion here?"

M'aiq was obviously happy to see Jak, but he looked at me was a mysteriously looking stare, almost mesmerizing.

"M'aiq, this is Roderick. I'm afraid we have some bad news."

Jak told the whole story, with a few additions by me, and M'aiq listened silently, absorbing everything we had to say. Once the story was finished M'aiq had something to say as well.

"Well, the time has finally come. Roderick, I'm glad you came to find me. I'm sorry about Thoronir. His mind wasn't in the right place sometimes, but he will be missed. We could use him right now. But now we have to concentrate on the statue. It's name is the Statue of the Ages. It was once used by the Alyeids long ago. I'm glad you have it. If this would have fallen into the hands of Alaric, then the whole world is doomed. For a long time I tried to figure out the power of the statue. Finally, around two weeks ago, I was reading an old book and in it told of a power so strong that it was finally hidden by a wise mage who though that the statue would bring the downfall of the Alyeids. The power gave the user the invulnerability, but at a cost. The owner of this magnificent artifact was invulnerable to all attacks except for one thing. This one thing I have not been able to figure out but there is supposed to be a book that tells of the weakness. We must find this book in case the statue falls in the hands of Valamine. He needs this power if he wants to succeed in taking over Tamriel. The book also stated that long ago an evil sorcerer tried to take the power from the statue. Even I have not deciphered the location of the ancient book, but Valamine did long ago. For years he has tried to figure out how to gain the power, but so far he has been unsuccessful. It is remarkable that you alone took the statue.

Now what we have to do is destroy the statue once and for all. Reading up on an old book that was written long ago, a part of the book states that the statue must be taken back to it's original place and maker. This obviously meant that the maker must perish and the statue should be placed in it's originated home. Thankfully some of my sources have found out that this place is the Forbidden Cave. It is located northeast of Bruma, on a tall and snowy mountain. It used to be in use by the Empire, but it has been the home of Vampires for two hundred years. The place that I speak has no official name but many have called it the Forbidden Cave, due to it's dangerous environment. Nobody has entered the cave and survived to tell the story. However that will have to change if we want to save the world. Now Roderick, I cannot force you to help us, but Jak and I are not getting any younger. We have to have someone of your youth. Will you aid us in the destruction of the Forbidden Statue?"

Before all this happened I was a simple thief trying to make a living. Now I was being asked to save the world. Things can sure change quick. "Of course I will help".

All the way back to Bruma I kept thinking about what I should expect on entering the Forbidden Cave. Fighting the Order was difficult enough but vampires!? This was getting crazier by the minute. There was no way I would be able to defeat them. I might be talented with a blade but these vampires aren't going to be anything like what I am used to. Their speed is unmatched by anyone and their sharp teeth are just waiting for someone to enter their home.

I have to admit for the first time I am actually scared. I don't know why but for some reason I was not scared when facing members of the Order. Of course I haven't faced the upper echelon of the Order but I still fought without fear nonetheless.

"M'aiq, how are we to defeat these vampires? They will surely be armed with nothing but the best armor and weapons. I am just a thief. I know you guys are ready for this kind of situation being because you have been trained to deal with these creatures, but how will I be able to hold my own against them?" I said.

"Young one, you must use more than a mere blade to deal with these foul creatures. Fighting skill will not be the only thing required to take out these vampires. You have to be smart. Quick decisions are key against vampires because there are so fast. Flexibility and good awareness of the situation will help us in our quest. You have already shown these abilities by eliminating several members of the Order. It may not have been hard to you but that is because you possess something than most do not."

"What are you talking about. I'm just a common thief, I am nobody special. It's not like I'm a powerful sorcerer or anything. I can barely cast simple magic spells, and I don't know one thing about destruction."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. There is something deep down inside of you. I have felt it ever since I first met you. You do not know what I am talking about but someday you will."

M'aiq was wise so whatever he was talking about had to be true. I was curious though. I want to know what is inside me. Perhaps it is something that I need to defeat the vampires. If so I certainly hope I find it soon.

The journey back to Bruma was quicker than I expected. Once we arrived at the city at noon M'aiq told Jak and I to rent three rooms at the local tavern. He wanted to make sure that we had some place to stay if we had to.

While M'aiq went to speak to the Countess Jak and I traveled the local tavern to rent a few rooms. When we walked inside the tavern we noticed that it was packed. There was hardly any room to walk, but the tavern was rather small. We rented our rooms and I went to take a nap. I was tired form the journey and I had not had much sleep for a long time. Jak decided to have a couple of drinks while he met with the owner of the tavern.

It felt like I had slept for only a short time but when Jak woke me it was already ten o'clock at night. Jak and M'aiq were both at my bedside.

"After talking to the Countess she has agreed that something strange is in the air. She said that a couple of Bruma guards saw two men in black robes walking into the forest outside of the city. They followed them but lost sight of them once they reached the edge of the wood. They continued their search and they stopped a cave surrounding by green candles. Green candles are a symbol of the Order. The guards knew this so they carefully entered the cave. Inside were green candles everywhere and the guards swore that they saw at least twenty dark robed figures. The guards reported back to the city and told Countess Narina Carvain of the situation. A platoon of guards were sent out to investigate but when the guards arrived at the cave all of the outside candles were gone. Inside the place was bare and it looked as if no one had been there in ages. This leads me to believe the Order knew the guards were coming. This means that they are somewhere near and are probably going after the statue.

The Countess agrees with me. The three of us will travel to this cave. We must kill all of the vampires that guard this statue. The battle will be tough but we have to do this. We need to keep our mission a secret. Carvain says the Council frowns upon the idea that the Order is still around. The Order will lay low for now because their numbers are too small. But if they get to that statue before were do than the world is doomed. We need to leave know. The Order are almost certainly on their own right now.

We set out towards the cave. The terrain was not easy but we kept on going. The higher we got more snow fell upon us. When we finally reached the cave there were three bodies on the floor. One was definitely a vampire but the other two were members of the Order. They had beaten us to the cave.

We crept inside to find that a huge battle was taking place. Swords and axes were clashing and spells were flying threw the air. There were vampires and Order members everywhere. We tried to bypass the battle and go straight for the statue but it was no use. We were spotted and suddenly we were now part of the horrific battle.

I took out my sword to defend myself against the vampire onslaught. They were as fierce as I had imagined. The attacks were so swift I barely had enough time to block their shots. Their ruby red eyes glared as we fought on. Somehow I managed to slay two but they kept. I wanted to find out if Jak and M'aiq were ok but I never had a chance.

As we fought on I was starting to get tired. I was now fighting Order members as well as vampires. After a while the fighting was starting to die down. It appeared that the vampires were defeated but there the Order was severely crippled.

I was able to gain pause for a second. I looked beyond the battle and I saw Valamine. He was running fast towards something. I looked past him and saw something gleaming in the back of the cave. It was the statue. I ran past everyone and headed for Valamine I had to stop him before he reached the statue. I was only several feet away from Valamine went he turned around and blasted me with a fireball. I immediate flew back into a wall but somehow I was not killed. I tried to get up but my left knee was throbbing. I looked on as Valamine climbed a set of steps and was right next to the statue. I watched as we laughed menacingly and picked up the statue. All of a sudden a bubble of bright red light surrounded him. The bubble totally engulfed Valamine. This lasted for about thirty seconds. Everything was silent and it was as if the world was frozen in time except for Valamine and I.

He then turned around and his face complexion had totally changed. He appeared darker and his eyes had turned to a dark red. He know had long teeth. That's when I realized that besides his dark complexion he greatly resembled a vampire. His voice was much deeper and he started to walk slowly towards me.

I tried to get up and run but my knee wouldn't let me. I looked down to see that my knee was covered I blood and a bone was sticking out of my leg. That's when everything went black.

TO BE CONTINUED……

The Adventures of Roderick: Part 2

A New Discovery

By: redsrock

It was the rotten smell that woke me up. I had no clue where I was. It was pitch dark and the only light came from what seemed to be about thirty feet away. There must be a door there. I wondered how long I had been in here. My knee still hurt but when I felt it there appeared to be a bandage wrapped around it.

The last thing I remembered was looking at a bone sticking out of my leg. That's right! Valamine was walking towards me!!! I immediately checked for my sack but it was not on my back. That is where I remembered it being.

I then felt around blindly trying to see if the sack was in here with me. My leg was still hurting and I found it difficult crawling around on the hard floor. I wish I had some light, this was too hard. I continued to feel around for the sack but after what seemed like hours I knew it wasn't in here. Valamine must have taken it from me when I blacked out. Now he's going to take over Cyrodiil and there is nothing I can do about it. I tried to get up and walk but my leg was too weak to support me.

I started to crawl over to where the light was shining through. When I got about ten feet away my hand hit something wet and cold. I tried to wipe it off but it was sticky. I reached even further and I felt something solid. It felt like a body!

I was so scared I crawled back a few feet. Then a door opened where the light was showing. Lex was standing in the doorway with a menacing angry looking face. Murder was in his eyes and that's when I looked down to see what I had felt. It was Jak!!

He laid there in a thick pool of blood and he wasn't moving at all. Not paying any attention to Lex I tried to wake Jak up even though I knew it was useless. Jak was dead!!!

I stopped trying to wake Jak up and then I just started to cry. I couldn't remember the last time I cried. I always thought people who cried were weak, but now I didn't care anymore. I let it all out. First Thoronir, now Jak. And I knew I was probably next. That's what scared me the most. I didn't want to die, it wasn't supposed to be this way.

As I sobbed Lex came over and stood above by balled up body. I was crying profusely and it seemed as if Lex was getting tired of it. He kicked me in the ribs hard. That only made me cry more. He was now getting very impatient.

"Stop crying you stupid Wood Elf!!! Get up!!! I said get up now!!!!!"

He then kicked me again. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore. All hope was lost and to be honest, I was hoping that he would get it over with and just kill me. There was nothing left for me on this world. I had my chance to be the hero and I failed. I failed to save Cyrodiil.

Lex finally took me by the shirt collar and then he dragged me out of the room. As I was being drugged I looked at Jak one last time. His eyes were still open and they were staring right into my own. I couldn't bare to look so I turned my head away.

Outside of the room we appeared into another bigger room that was well lit by many candles. Lex threw me into a chair and then sat there looking at me like I was a helpless animal. That's what I felt like. I sat there in the chair while my knee throbbed in pain. I looked down to see that blood was flowing through a tear in the bandage.

"Alright, listen to me Bosmer!!! You are only being kept alive because Master Valamine needs you alive. If I had my way your body would be torn to pieces right now!!! Now tell me where the statue is?" Lex said with a deafening yell.

I was speechless. "W..what? He already ha….has the statue. I saw him t..t…take in the cave." I was still crying and it was very difficult to speak.

"Yes, he has that but as you know he needs both statues. He is very powerful with the statue he has now, but achieve invulnerability he needs the second. Tell me where it is or I'll rip your tongue out!!" I could tell that Lex was being serious.

"I…I really don't know. I h..ha….had it before we entered the cave, b..but now it's gone. I a..a…assumed Valamine took it."

Lex stared me down for the longest eyes. It seemed like he somehow knew I was telling the truth but he was afraid to inform Valamine that the statue was missing. Without saying a word he walked over and hit me across the face.

"WHERE IS THE STATUE!!!!!! I WANT IT NOW!!!!" Lex was going crazy.

He threw me across the room with surprising strength. I landed on a table and then rolled off onto the hard floor. He continued to beat me and there was nothing I could do. I really didn't care what he did at first, but then he started taunting me.

"YOU ARE GOING TO DIE WOOD ELF. JUST LKE YOUR STUPID FRIEND THORONIR!!!"

That's when I started to get angry. "Shut up! don't talk about him like that."

I tried swinging a fist at him but he caught my fist with ease and then gave me a punch to the nose. Blood was spewing out like a fountain.

"HA HA HA!!! I'M GONNA MAKE YOU SQUEAL JUST LIKE I DID OLD MAN JAK!!!! HA HA HA!!!!!

"I SAID SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!"

What happens next is astonishing. Never in my life have I cast any magic besides a simple paralyze spell. But somehow the taunts brought something out of me. I could feel the energy inside of me. I suddenly felt powerful.

Lex tried to hit me but I quickly ducked and then shot a shock blast from both my hands. Lex went flying into the wall across the room. Somehow he survived. He was lucky that he was wearing his Palace Guard armor or he would have surely been killed by the blast. He got up angry as ever and started to charge at me with the steel claymore. He tried to swing it at my face but I caught his wrists just before he brought the sword down. I then twisted his wrists and as I did I hear a loud snap.

Lex then knelt down screaming in agony. I then stood over his knelt body holding his claymore. He looked at me and started begging for his life. I felt weird….I felt different. I just stared at him with menacing eyes. Then I ended his life by shoving the claymore through his forehead. Lex would no longer be a problem.

I left the Lex in the room with the claymore sticking out of his head. There was a steel long sword in the corner of the room so I took that instead. I had no clue if there was anybody else near. Looking around the room it seemed like I was in someone's basement, because I found a set of stairs that were going up.

I crept up thr stairs trying not to make any noise. When I reached the door I cracked it open just a few inches so I could look out into the next room. I could not see anything so I opened the door and stepped into what looked liked a badly shaped house. There broken vases every where and just loads of junk scattered on the floor. Most of the junk was broken pictures and stuff like that.

I searched the house for anyone but I found no one. I stepped outside in monsoon of rain. The ground was soaked and puddles were forming everywhere. It was night time. There's no telling how long I was down in that basement. I still did not what area of Cyrodiil I was in. There were trees surrounding the house on both sides.

Then I looked carefully and there seemed to be a path through the woods. I came to the edge of the forest and I could see White Gold Tower in the distance. There was smoke coming from the Tower!!!!!!!! I knew that Valamine must have brought his rage down upon the city. I knew what I had to do. I had to come face to face with Valamine and do my best to kill. But then again I'm in no shape to be fighting anyone. But how could I explain what just happened with Lex down in the basement? My energy level had already calmed down and I no longer felt different. It was a strange feeling and I wondered if it had anything to do with what M'aiq said back at his house. He said he could sense something coming from me. That's when it hit me. M'aiq was not in the basement or anywhere that I had searched. Maybe he died at the cave. Maybe he got out and went to safety somewhere else. Maybe there was some hope left.

Before I left the house I went back down into the basement to get Jak. There was no way I could just leave him there. I found a shovel outside and I buried him near the edge of the forest. I did not cry, I had already done enough of that. Crying wasn't going to get me anywhere. I no longer wanted to die. I felt a strength in me that said that I had to find M'aiq if he was still alive. He would know what to do.

I must not have been too far from the city because it only took me about three hours to reach the city. My knee still hurt but ever since what happened in the basement my knee did not hurt that much. I could at least walk without much pain and I could even jog a bit.

The city gates were blasted open. Inside all of he houses in the Talos Plaza were on fire. I traveled through fiery city and every section was destroyed. Charred and torn bodies were all over the ground. It appeared that the Imperial soldiers put up a good fight because there were several Order members lying on the ground. I wondered how many there were now.

I could not believe that the Imperial City had been destroyed. For a long time the Imperial City as known for taking care of their own city, and not helping any others. They always thought that this was the right thing to do in order to survive. It's ironic how they were all killed but something they tried to protect themselves from.

What would happen now? Maybe the other cities saw the smoke and prepared their army for what might be coming. Maybe the cities thought the fire was caused by just that, a fire. Hopefully they didn't fall into the traps of the Order.

As I sadly walked away from the ruined city, I heard a voice calling from behind me. I turned around to see a guard running towards me.

The guard spoke first. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

The guard said that Lex and a small group men dressed in dark robes led an army of goblins into the city. They struck so fast that the city guard barely had enough time to get ready for the attack. That's when I told the guard the whole story.

After I was finished the guard said that Lex led an army of Order members through the city. They killed everyone in sight. The guard had taken refuge inside the sewers. The Order checked down there but somehow the three were not found. The guard said when the Order army left a tall Altmer dressed in a green robe left with them. It must have been Valamine.

The journey to Bruma was short and peaceful. We had not encountered any Mythic Dawn Members, at least not yet. We were about three miles from Bruma when we came up a came fire. We were at the edge of the forest and it appeared that there were about five figures huddled around a camp fire. They were all dressed in dark robes, so I assumed it was the Order. I told the guard to stay back while I investigated. I wanted to hear what they were talking about.

I crept along the tall grass trying to keep out of sight. The morning light was starting to appear and I wanted to make sure they could not see me creeping up on them. The rain was still pouring so that would mask the sound of my movements, but I had to be careful not to stomp in puddles.

I finally got about ten yards from the camp. I knelt behind a rock trying to here what they were saying. They were speaking loudly, as if they were angry about something.

"When will the others arrive? We will need reinforcements if we want to continue the siege of Bruma." This Order member was one of the angry ones.

"Don't worry. We have two hundred goblins at the frontlines. They will be able to hold their position until more come. Now that I think about it, how did we get the goblins to help us. They can't even speak!"

"What I heard was that Lord Valamine received the ability to talk to creatures once he took the first statue. The goblins probably saw how powerful he was and volunteered themselves to help destroy the cities of Cyrodiil."

"Well, the other goblins better get here soon. And I hope Valamine sends some more of us to too."

"I'm sure he will, he knows that the siege of Bruma plays an important role in taking over this country."

"Yes you're probably right. But what do you guys say we take care of the Bosmer standing behind the rock behind us. He's probably heard a little too much."

Suddenly an ice blast stuck the rock I was hiding behind. I charged the enemy and just hoped that the guard would come and help.

I took out my sword and got ready for the battle. I could feel that strange feeling coming from inside of me again just as I did when I was fighting Lex. I felt really powerful once again. One of the Order members fired an ice blast at me but I caught it in my hand and then blasted it back at him. He was surprised at my skill and the blast hit him square in the chest and flew right through one of the tents that was set up by the campfire. The other four took out swords and charged me.

That's when the two Imperial guard came into the picture. Two of the Order members went after the guard while the other two came after me. They came at me fast and hard. They were talented in the use of the blade and it was a tough challenge. Finally one of them tried stabbing me through the chest. I side-stepped and then spun around and chopped his head off. One down. The last one as the better fighter of the two.

I quickly glanced over at the guards One of the Order members had been killed. The guard and the other Order member were fighting furiously. The Order member I was fighting caught me by surprise and clipped my right shoulder with his blade, but I fought through the pain. The fight seemed to go on for hours until finally my knee gave out on me and I fell to the ground. Unfortunately I dropped my sword and the evil mage kicked it out of the way. The Order member was standing over me about to finish me off when all of a sudden a sword came through his stomach was the back. The Order member fell to the side and the guard was behind him holding the sword. I looked over to see the Imperial guard had finally finish off his own opponents.

The guard had saved my life. "You saved my life. I owe big for that one. If it wasn't for you then I probably wouldn't be here right now."

"No big deal, but next time you might want to hold on to this". he handed me my sword. "It comes in good use sometimes, trust me."

Since we didn't actually introduce ourselves I felt now was the perfect time.

"You never told me your name. Mine's Roderick."

"Pleased to meet you Roderick, my name is Ceno Ontius."

Ceno, a Redguard seemed like a good guy. His family were all part of the military and though he was hesitant he joined as well. Ceno said at first things were tough and was not that talented with a sword. But after some practice he because a reliable companion on any mission.

Along with being a good fighter Ceno was very intelligent as well. I could tell by the way he talked. Most guards I run across like to drink and fight, but Ceno was more humane than that. He was actually a pretty soft-hearted person. I had never heard him curse so far and that's pretty common with soldiers. I was very glad I met this Imperial.

When we reached the edge of the forest we could see the army of goblins. They were being commanded by about thirty Order members. I decided that I would call them Necromancers from now, or Necroes for short.

There was no way we could get passed them with being seen. But lucky for us Ceno new a secret location into the city. Ceno said that he used to have an uncles who was an officer for the Bruman Guard. His uncle showed him the secret location incase there was ever an emergency.

We snuck around the Goblins. Unfortunately it was no longer rainy so we had to be very careful not to be seen or heard. We finally arrived at the secret doors. By taking a glance it looked like an ordinary rock, but as Ceno tapped the rock with the tip of his steel sword five times,(upper left corner, upper right corner, lower left corner, lower right corner, and in the middle), the rock split in two and we were allowed to go in.

We traveled through the straight tunnel for about five minutes and then we finally arrived at another similar lock. You could not open this one by merely tapping. There was a lever a few feet away that Ceno had to pull to open it. As soon as the rock split in two there were five Bruman guard standing with their swords unsheathed ready to kill us.

I quickly told them who we were. "Put down your weapons, we are not one of the Necroes from outside!"

They saw Ceno's Imperial Legion armor and that's when they put their weapons up. I told them of everything that had happened. The Bruman guards told me that I should be sent to M'aiq right away. He lived!!!

They took to Castle Bruma where M'aiq was talking at the Countess's throne with Narina Carvain, the Bruman Countess.

"Roderick!! Thank Talos you're alive!! It's great to see you! Who is your friend I see?"

"It's good to see you too M'aiq. But What happened at the cave?"

M'aiq's face turned a bright red and all the cheer was gone from his face.

"I am very sorry I left you and Jak in the cave. But I had no other choice. I saw that you were about to take on Valamine and before you ran after him I quickly took the statue from you. You see I had to leave. If I would have stayed Valamine would have surely finished me off. I told Jak to come with me but he insisted on staying to help. I knew it was of no use but he wouldn't listen. It seems that his bravery was ultimately the end of him. I didn't want to let him stay but I could not let the statue fall into the hands of Valamine or all we have fought for would have been lost. I hope you can understand what I had to do."

I could see M'aiq's eyes starting to wet. How could I get mad at him. He did the right thing. He lost a great friend in Jak, anger would do no good.

"Of course I forgive you. I would have done the same thing. What we have to do now is figure out a way of defeating Valamine once and for all."

After the reunion I took a bath and got all cleaned up. I also had some mend my knee so it wouldn't hurt as much.

The next few hours were spent planning on what to do. We all decided that first we needed to focus on the defense of Bruma. Back years ago Bruma defended herself from the hordes of Oblivion. She will stand against the Necro horde as well!

M'aiq was given the position of co-commander of the Bruman army. Capt. Burd was the first Commander. Burd was a terrific warrior and a great person. We decided that I would follow Burd along with 1000 Bruman soldiers into the fields outside of Bruma. There we would meet the goblin army and there Necro commanders. If we gave a hard push they would surely retreat.

There were now 1200 goblins outside with about fifty Necroes watching from behind. We at Bruma only had 1500 men. We had to keep five hundred men at the city to defend it if any attackers flanked us from the Jerall Mountains.

Burd decided to launch the attack at dusk. I was now midnight and I rested for about six hours before waking up and preparing for the battle. I outfitted myself in a full mithril uniform. Lucky for my the local smith had silver weapons and he gave me to silver short swords. With the two swords in hand I walked over to the main gates were soldiers were talking about the upcoming battle. The attitude around the city was very positive. I had met nobody that thought we would lose the battle.

The men were eager to enter the battlefield. This was a very good thing because confidence helps in anything, not just fighting. But as a looked at the soldiers I realized that many of the soldiers were either very young or too old. I worried for the young soldiers. The goblins were fierce warriors that would give no mercy. They were savage beast who knew nothing more than killing. They lived to kill. They goblins would be a tough challenge but the power of men would surely defeat this evil horde.

At noon a feast was held in the castle. There, Countess Carvain made a little speech to liven up the troops spirits, even though they didn't even need to lightened up. Lady Carvain was an excellent speaker.

Just a bit before the battle was about to begin Burd called all the soldiers to the main gates. He was going to make a speech.

"Listen up men. This battle with the goblins will decide the fate of our country. I've made contact with the other cities. They have armies of goblins waiting outside their walls as well. We are not alone in this conflict. I don't know about the other cities but Bruma will not fall to goblins and necromancers. Back when the Oblivion gates opened we were face to face with the world toughest creatures. We survived that battle and we will survive this. These cowardly necromancers will witness their goblin army fall one by one the Bruman army. Together with the help of some newly acquainted allies we will crush the goblin army and then we will slay the foul necroes as well!!!"

The soldiers gave a loud cry and the finally preparations for the battle commenced.

Burd and I would lead 500 swords men while 200 spearmen charged in front of us. There would be100 cavalry charging from the side flanks and finally we would have 100 archer attacking from a distance. The plan would most definitely work as the goblins do fight in formations. They will be totally blindsided by the cavalry charges.

Before leaving I talked with M'aiq. He told me to be careful out there. He said that Cyrodiil needed me alive if we hoped to defeat Valamine. He admitted that he did not want me to participate in this battle, but at the same time he knew they needed me out there.

I also told him what happened with Lex back at the house I was being held captive. That's when he told me about my parents. I was astonished that he knew who they were, for I never knew them. M'aiq said that my parents were actually part his secret group long ago! They were killed by members of the Order when I was just born. That's why I never met them because I was too young. He also said that I was saved by M'aiq himself with the Order tried to kill me when I was a baby.

I could not believe what I was hearing.

M'aiq went on to say that my mother was a powerful mage and I father was a fierce warrior. I apparently have the powers they had, but I just hadn't discovered it until recently.

The battle lines were set and the main gates opened. Up until this point I was not nervous at all, but as we marched to the battlefield I saw the goblins. They were unlike any I had ever seen before. Their shape and size were the same but it looked as if they were wearing some type of silver armor. It appeared to be silver but it was much darker. Their weapons were made of fine steel, much unlike the usual iron you see them wielding. They were obviously ready, but we were as well.

We started to charge and so did the goblins. As the neared us I unsheathed my twin blades and readied myself for the attack. A goblin in front of me on the right and one in front of me on the left came at me with axes. They both swung at my head but I ducked and as I did I sliced open their stomachs with the swords. The battle had finally begun.

The goblins fought fiercely and more savagely than I had ever imagined. The cavalry charges were a disaster because there were goblin marksmen hiding in the trees. They picked of our cavalry one by one until they were all killed.

After killing off some of the infantry goblins I tried looking for a goblin war chief. That's when I saw one in the distance causing havoc on some of our men. I ran over there as fast as I could, while dodging attacks along the way.

I finally got to him and now I was face to face with one of the most feared creatures in Cyrodiil. He was a big fellow, who wielded a large shield and a huge steel war axe.

The fight lasted a long time. He kept blocking all of my shots but I blocked his as well. Finally I found an opening as he exposed his side. I tried to stab him but knocked the attack away with his sword and then he swung his shield and connected with my head. He had torn a gash in my forehead and blood was trickling down, making it rather difficult to see.

He swung with his sword and I just barely blocked it in time. He staggered a bit and that's when I took advantage. I kicked his legs and knocked him down. I quickly jumped on top of him and shoved one of my swords into his stomach. He made a loud roar and threw me off of him. I landed hard and then looked up to see the war chief charging at me with his eyes glaring a murderous red. I took my other sword and threw it at him. The sword went straight threw his forehead and the only thing I saw was the handle. I had never thrown anything hard than what I just did.

The troops around me cheered loudly but not for long. Despite killing the war chief the goblins were clearing winning the battle. I saw Burd struggling with the some goblins and I ran over to help him.

"Burd, we need to retreat. There's too many of them!!"

"No, we can't lose this battle!""

Just then more goblins appeared from the forest. There seemed to be at least 2000 more.

"Burd, there's more coming!! We will all die if we stay! We need to fall back! We can defend the city from there!!"

"Okay, I'll sound the retreat."

Burd did sound the retreat and we ran back towards the castle as fast we could. Our archers were doing a great job at covering our retreat. The goblins stopped chasing after us once they saw that their comrades were being picked off by our archers.

Back at the castle the citizens were already being evacuated to the secret tunnel. They would leave the city and try to make to Cloud Ruler Temple, the old fort used by the Blades. The Blades were no more however, for there is no Emperor. However Ocato did manage to escape from the Imperial City before it was invaded. M'aiq told me he escaped and traveled to somewhere to High Rock. There he was going to try and persuade the Elven Army to send some troops to help us fight.

Once the citizens were safely evacuated all soldiers reported to the main gates and got ready for the gates to bust open. We had archers set up along the top wall to fire at the enemy as they came. We had even more archers down below were the infantry stood. They would shoot fire arrows at the goblins hoping to cause fear and confusion. But goblins were not afraid of anything.

After a while we heard the goblins marching towards the gates. The archer reported seeing siege engines coming towards the castle. Siege engines!?!? How in the world did the goblins have siege engines?? Something wasn't right. They were getting help by somebody else other the Order. I suddenly knew that we were in big trouble if we another army to worry about.

Just then our archers started firing their arrows. I couldn't see how many we brought down, but we could still hear the marching. Then the gates started shaking as the goblins were using a ram to break down the gates. That's when one of the archers yelled down to us.

"There hundreds of Dunmer with them!!! They're coming from the forest right now!!"

Dunmer!! They must have come form Morrowind. This was not good. Dunmer were excellent fighters. I thought we had taken control of the fighting in Morrowind. After the Oblivion crisis an uprising started in Morrowind. The Dark Elves were trying to take back their land. I thought the fighting had died down but apparently did not.

Finally the gates broke open and in poured hundreds of angry goblins. The fighting was intense. Our archers tried to keep them from coming in but it was of no use. Even our spear throwers could not keep them from coming. We fought them for a few minutes but Burd could see that we were losing the battle so we retreated to Cloud Ruler Temple. The goblins chased after us, and the Dunmer were close behind.

As we climbed the snowy path up to the temple we realized that the goblin horde had stopped following us. The Dunmer had stopped them. I think they wanted to get organized before they attacked us. Cloud Ruler Temple would no easy target for the enemy. We would have the higher ground during the battle and I knew that the Dunmer wanted to plan their attack carefully.

Once we were in the Temple Burd and I went to Lady Carvain and M'aiq to discuss what we should do next.

M'aiq had not panicked since the attack but I could tell Lady Carvain was worried for her people. There was not a lot of room here in Cloud Ruler Temple. Sooner or later the evil army would eventually push themselves into the city. Everyone, including the citizens, would have to fight. Except for the women of course.

M'aiq thought of a plan. "You all know that we cannot defend this place for long, especially with the Dunmer here. Narina, you and your people are no longer safe here. You must follow me to my place in the mountains. Do not worry they will never find us there. We will set up camp and I have plenty of food. Roderick, you and Ceno must stay here with Burd. He will need your skills in battle. We will only take 25 troops with us. Once you have to retreat, head for the mountains but not near my place. I don't want them anywhere near us. Okay? Good luck and may Talos be with you!"

After more discussion Lady admitted that the plan was better than any she could think of, so she decided to go along with M'aiq.

With the Dunmerian Army approaching I did not how long we would last. All I knew was that failure was out of the question. The fate of the world rested in our hands. We had to stop the invasion. Not only did we have to fight the Dunmer, we still had to fight what was left of the goblins. Not to mention the Order. Man, this was going to be fun…….

TO BE CONTINUED…………

The Adventures of Roderick: Part 3

Taking Back What Was Lost

By: redsrock

"Quickly men, get into your positions!!!!"

Capt. Burd was ordering the men to fall in line before the gates opened. It was dusk and we could still hear the goblin's shrill cries as they continued to crash our gates with their siege ram; which just happened to be supplied to them by the Dunmer of Morrowind.

"When the gate opens, rush them!!! We can surprise them that way. Give them no mercy!!! Archers be ready to fire your arrows. Aim for the Dunmer if you can. They'll be giving us the most trouble. They are likely to have archers of their so look for them first and then take down the infantrymen!!"

The bolts on the gate suddenly snapped and the goblins poured in. We rushed them before they had a chance to defend themselves. We forced outside the temple and a battle began.

The goblins were more ferocious than ever, knowing that they finally had us where they wanted us. But I did not plan on losing this battle. The feeling was coming on again. It was so close, so close I could sense it coming. Sooner or later I would lose it just as I did against Lex. Hopefully this time I could control it. I wouldn't want to harm any of my comrades.

As I fighting the goblins I was hit in the shoulder by an arrow. I looked to my left to see two goblin marksmen on the edge of a cliff. I ran over to slay them before they caused anymore damage than they already had. I threw a sword at one of them and then tackled the other to snowy ground. The goblin I threw a sword at was dead, but the other was flailing his legs and arms around wildly. The goblin shrieked loudly as if he was calling for help. He knew his life was almost over. I took a dagger out of my pocket and shoved it through his chest and puncturing his heart.

Then I was knocked in the back my head. It almost knocked me out but luckily I recovered quickly. I rolled over on my back to see an axe coming at my head. I rolled to the right and then kicked the attacker. It was a Dunmer warrior. He was dressed in Hlaalu armor, which was a finely crafted armor from Morrowind.

I quickly got to my feet and looked for the sword I threw at the goblin. I wasn't fast enough and I was hit by a fire blasts from the Dunmer. I was in excruciating pain but suddenly the feeling was moving rapidly throughout my body. I then shot my own blast at the Dunmer. The blast sent him flying over the edge of the cliff and he would surely be dead in about ten seconds.

I ran back to the main battle to see that we were now fighting the Dunmer army. It appeared that the goblins were defeated, but we now faced an even greater enemy. The Dunmer were both mightier and faster than the goblins. They actually fought with strategy, unlike the savage goblins.

Despite our brave efforts, the Dunmer were just too much for my men. The Dunmer were just too energized. Our men were just too tired. The really bad thing was that the Dunmer had surrounded us and a retreat was not possible. Was this the end of my epic journey?

Of course not. I would fight to the death, as the Dunmer would not be taking any prisoners. I looked to my left to see Burd take an arrow to the chest. He fell to the ground, and then tried to get up.

Things suddenly everything seemed to go in slow motion. There was now a Dunmer raising a spear over the head of Burd. Everything was blurred out except for Burd and the Dunmer. I tried to run and help Burd but it was too late. The spear was shoved through Burd's head from the top. Burd sort of shuddered a bit and then his body went limp and hit the floor with a sickening thud. He was dead!!!

Then Ceno appeared at the scene. He slew the Dunmer that had killed Burd but was then an arrow went through his right eye. Ceno seemed to fall to the ground in slow motion. He too hit the ground. Ceno was dead as well!

That was it. The energy was now flowing more than ever. I looked around and saw that everyone was dead. All of the Dunmer were looking at me like I was insane. There were about a hundred of them. I then noticed that I was glowing. There was a misty red bubble around me.

I looked up at the Dunmer. There were about fifty left. They all started to charge at me. That's when I balled my fists and then a humongous explosion came from out from my body. It came out all around me and it sent half of the Dunmer flying hundreds of feet into the air. I watched as they came down and hit the hard earth.

The other half looked and pondered if they should fight me or not. They saw what just happened to their fellow soldiers. I doubt that they wanted the same fate. But nonetheless they charged on anyway. But my reflexes were quick as lightening. Every time they attack I countered it and slew them quickly. I quickly killed all of the Dunmer except for one. He stood there staring at me with the utmost fear in his eyes. He wanted no part of me. He threw down his sword and retreated towards the forest, where there were most likely Dunmer reinforcements.

I had defeated the Dunmer, or at least this group of Dark Elves. I remember watching the bodies fall and I started to lose consciousness. I looked around and saw all the bodies of my comrades. Burd….Ceno….all the Bruman soldiers. The blood was flowing through the eye of Ceno. Burd was covered in blood so much that you could barely make out his body. I suddenly felt very exhausted. The energy was gone and I realized that I was to dropping slowing to the ground. That's all I remember.

The next thing I knew I was lying face up, looking straight at the moon. It was now night time and the wind was howling like the wolves. I couldn't have been knocked out to long. The snow was heavier than ever and the cold was bitter to my bones. I found it very hard to get up. I was very weak. I wanted to just lay there and sleep.

I finally raised myself from the icy ground and then hobbled up the steps of Cloud Ruler Temple. I didn't know what to do. There were Dunmer reinforcements coming, and I knew I had to get out of this place. I wanted to travel to M'aiq's house, but I knew that was not an option. I did not who was following. There could be someone watching me as I limp up towards the temple. I finally decided that I would resting wasn't a smart idea, because the Dunmer would be at the temple gates anytime. So I began making my way to M'aiq's house. He would know what to do.

It was still snowing on the way to M'aiq's and dawn was approaching. The temperature was still low but I trudged on towards the mountains. The terrain was brutal and the wind was blowing harder than ever. It was getting hard to see with all the snow. I was going at a very slow pace. At this rate it was going to take me forever to get to M'aiq's. Then as I rounded a corner I saw the bodies of three Bruman guards and two civilians, a young boy and what looked like his mother. Their bodies were shredded into pieces and blood was everywhere. Over to the right of the bloody scene laid an ogre with two spears sticking out of him. The ogre had apparently taken the lives of five people in M'aiq's group. I hope everyone else was okay.

The snow had finally calmed down and it was easier to see. However the wind was still blowing and I found myself getting very cold. If I didn't make to M'aiq's house soon I would surely freeze to death. I had to be fairly close. I had been traveling for hours. I couldn't complain all that much, at least I had not been attacked by anything. I was still weak, and I'm not sure I would be able to put up much of a fight.

Then, in the distance, I could see M'aiq's house. I was so relieved. Finally I had made it. But to my dismay there were no tents outside like there should be. M'aiq's house was very small and there was no way that everyone could be inside.

I hurried inside the house to find it empty. But nothing seemed wrong. There were no signs of intrusion and everything seemed to be neat in place. But on a table near a rocking chair there was piece of paper with a note scribbled on it.

"Roderick, if you are reading this than that means you had to retreat. Upon our return to my house we ran into a couple of soldiers from Hammerfell. we are a few miles north of here. They set up a camp and have 25,000 soldiers ready to fight! It looks as if Ocato was able to find some help! Don't worry the statue and Lady Carvain are safe. See you soon."

So that is where I was headed next. The journey to the camp was no trouble at all and I quickly arrived at the camp where Lady Carvain and M'aiq were waiting for me.

"Roderick, you are safe!!! But where is everyone else?"

I told him all that happened. I told him everyone was dead, but I was able to fend off the rest of the Dunmer. For the first time he seemed worried about the progression of my newly discovered powers.

"While I am most pleased with your progression, you will need t control yourself or you'll end up killing yourself by letting out too much energy. It seems you have almost peaked in terms of power. We must now focus on your control. The Redguards will do the fighting for now. You must stay with me here and learn more about your powers. Lady Carvain and everyone from Bruma will travel to Hammerfell. It is too dangerous for them and we can't have any other Countesses dying. Speaking of Counts and Countesses, I have great news. It seems as if they were not all killed. I've received word that Count Hassildor is held up in Kvatch. It seems the memorial is now being used to fend off the enemy. Hassildor and 1500 of his men are in the ruined city and are fighting with goblins. But last anyone had heard from him was a week ago. Nobody knows if he is still alive. That is where the Redguards will travel to once they liberate Bruma, and then Chorrol. We need Hassildor by our side. He has a great mind."

So the Redguard army left for battle and it was only M'aiq and I. I wondered what he had in store for me. I was looking forward to learning how to control myself. I was getting tired of blacking out. It wasn't very fun.

"Alright, the first thing we need to do is figure out what exactly triggers your power. What, do you think this is stupid?"

"No offense M'aiq, but it's pretty clear what causes it. At first it happened when Lex started taunting me, but after that it has happened every time I enter battle."

"Ah, but this matter is more complicated than one would think. Is it physical pain or emotional pain? But it might be something other than pain. This is very confusing to M'aiq. I do not know the answer yet. When you go into battle you are not in any pain, but you might be thinking about all the people that have died. It most likely has something to do with your emotions. I am ruling out physical possibilities; it just doesn't add up. Now tell me, what did Lex say to make you angry?"

"He taunted Thoronir and Jak. It made me go crazy, I don't know what came over myself."

"Very good, and after that? What were you thinking upon entering the battlefield?"

This was very confusing. It was hard to remember what I had been thinking at the time.

"I guess I was just thinking about everyone who has died. When Burd and Ceno fell in battle, it proved too much for me to handle."

"let us rest for the day. You've had enough questioning for now. Come inside and I'll fix us some boar meat and carrots. Then we'll rest and talk more later on in the evening."

The meat and carrots hit the spot. I was so hungry I could have eaten raw boar meat. Either way I was full and now it was time to sleep. This was something else that I had not done for quite some time.

While I tried to sleep I thought about the Redguard. I wanted so much to be out there fighting with them. I was meant to be on the battlefield. My past experience showed that. But the Redguard did not need my help. They were a race that knew nothing other than fighting. They were the most athletic race in all of Tamriel. I was not worried at all. Bruma would be taken back by tomorrow morning and everything would turn out fine.

M'aiq woke me up later on in the evening, and his face was full of joy.

"Wake up young one, I have great news! The Redguard took back Bruma quicker than expected. The city is already in our control! Now the plan is to take back Chorrol. I have decided to send you with the troops. This will give us a chance to see how your powers have progressed, if any at all. I will travel with you as well."

"M'aiq no, it's too dangerous!"

"Despite my age, I can still hold my own. The Redguard army is waiting for us as we speak. Let us go and begin our march towards Chorrol!"

The plan was to take back Chorrol and then make our way towards Skingrad to liberate that city. Then we would go to Kvatch to help out Hassildor and his troops where they were being held up by an army of Dunmer and goblins. Hopefully Hassildor and his troops were still intact once we arrived. But we had to act fast if we hoped to save them from obliteration.

We got back to Bruma where the Redguard were waiting eagerly. They were being commanded by General Torlin Orstik. From what M'aiq told me on our way to Bruma, Torlin was Hammerfell's most talented commander. He would prove to be an excellent addition to our cause.

We set out to Chorrol with most of the original 25,000 soldiers. You could see the eagerness in their eyes. They couldn't wait to be in the battlefield once again.

Thankfully the weather was much nicer on the way to Chorrol. We had finally exited the Jerall Mountain region and were now entering the Colovian Highlands. The weather was beautiful. It wasn't cold but it wasn't too hot either. The wind was a gentle breeze that felt gentle on the skin. And unlike the cloudy weather in Bruma, the atmosphere in the Colovian Highlands was bright and sunny, at least for now. There would be snow in Chorrol, but rain was always a possibility.

On the way to Chorrol we past up a group of dead travelers. They looked to be regular bandits who had tasted some of the their own medicine. Obviously the Dunmer had past through here. Maybe some of the Dunmer reinforcements from Bruma retreated to Chorrol because they knew Bruma was already lost.

That's when I realized that we had no siege machines. No catapults, no siege rams, nothing. So I walked up to the front on the pack where Torlin was leading the way. I wanted to find out why in the world we weren't bringing any siege machines.

"Excuse me General, but I couldn't help but notice that we were not bringing any siege machines along with us. Why is that?"

The General looked at me as if I was insulting him.

"What, do you think that I am stupid? Siege machines would slow us down, and we do not have time for that. If we need them we can always build them once we get to Chorrol. There are plenty of trees there. I thought you Imperials were supposed to be smarter than that."

The sarcasm in his words were brutal, and they cut me deep. I was not trying to insult the general, I was simply trying to find out some information. Was this really how other countries felt about us? I surely hoped we had not earned this kind of reputation.

But then again we Imperial were known for expanded the Empire whenever we had a chance. I cannot say that I have agreed with everything that we have done, but before all this chaos started, we were a country that was well off. But because of the reputation we had earned, we could expect no help from the other countries. We were lucky that Hammerfell was kind enough to help us out.

When we finally reached Chorrol we saw Dunmer going into the city.. Apparently they were preparing for the battle. They must have known we had a lot of soldiers, because there were literally thousands of them marching into the city.

Torlin ordered the men to halt their march. We did not want ourselves to be seen. Torlin then turned around and spoke to us.

"We shall turn around and head back a mile or two. We will set up camp and plan for the upcoming battle. Move out!"

We went back a little bit and set up camp. Torlin called his officers, M'aiq and myself into his tent.

"Alright, there are obviously more of them than there are us. They want to make sure they stop us here and now. That is why we must take them by surprise. We need to attack silently to give us the advantage. It is the only way to ensure victory for our army. Now I know there are secret entrances and exits to all the cities in this country. We need to find out where these entrances are. I will send some of my best men into the city. They will neutralize all guard patrols and then they will open the gates, where the rest of us will be waiting silently a few hundred yards away. We must do this at night so that secrecy will be at it's fullest. It is dusk right now, so I want my best men suited up and ready to go in two hours. Make it ten of my finest soldiers. Officers, you will brief them on their missions. Dismissed! M'aiq, Roderick; I want to have a word with you two. Stay for a few minutes."

Torlin looked angry. I wondered what he wanted with the two of us.

"Let's get a couple of things straight. This might be your country, but I am the commander of this campaign. You will listen to whatever I say and you will not argue with any of it. I understand that you two are critical to this mission in some. Well, I don't give a rat's behind who you are. I'll have you know that I can handle my own army by self. You're lucky Ocato insisted that you two help out, or I would not have with us. Now get out of my tent and get ready for the battle. Try not o screw up either. Oh yea, one more thing. Roderick, I heard you have some kind of divine power in you; something that you can't control. I want you to know that if you harm any of my men, accident or not, I'll cut your head off and feed it to the goblins."

I was starting to hate this Torlin fellow. He was really getting on my last nerve.

"M'aiq what is his problem?"

M'aiq and I had our own tent. We were getting ready for the battle. Despite my disapproval, M'aiq was actually going into battle.

"Patience Roderick, Torlin does not know us yet. His ignorance is blinding him at the moment. He is simply generalizing from what he has experienced in the past. Don't give it a second thought. After he sees you in battle you will have more than earned his respect."

Before we went into battle I found a Redguard smith to repair my dual silver short swords. Bringing no shield into this battle may not be the wisest decision, but I felt that I would fight better with my two short swords. My attacks were more about finesse rather than power.

While my weapons were being repaired I asked the smith if he had any light armor for me. He laughed at me like I was crazy.

"Ha ha ha!! Light armor, are you serious!? What warrior fights with light armor? Well, if you have to us it, I do happen to have a set of Mithril armor. I'm not sure why I have it, but here it is. You can have it, I sure don't want it anymore."

I tried to take the armor but the smith quickly pulled it back from my grasps.

"What, you think this is free? It's gonna cost ya, 1000 septims."

"1000 septims!?!? You've got to be kidding! I could get a full set for around 600!"

"Take it or leave it. I'm not forcing you to buy it."

Then I just realized that I had no money anyway.

"I think I'll pass on this one."

Then the Redguard seemed to reconsider.

"I'll make you a deal Bosmer. I heard you took on about a hundred Dunmer yourself. That's a great feat, for anyone, not just a Bosmer. If you can bring me a Hlaalu tower shield from one the Dunmer, then I'll give you the Mithril set. How does that sound?"

"What, you aren't fighting with us?"

"No, General Orstik wants some of the men to stay behind, incase the camp is attacked. Unfortunately I was one of those chosen to stay behind. Believe me, I would much rather be on the battlefield. But that is my deal, what do you say?"

"Sure, that sounds fine. What is your name by the way? My name is.."

"You don't have to tell me your name. I know you are Roderick. My people heard all about you and you run in with Valamine. You are brave Bosmer, and I respect you for that."

"Orstik doesn't seem to like me."

"Don't worry about him, he's like that with everyone. He's just a serious guy. My name is Norstok. Good luck out there. Here is the armor. You can go ahead and use it for this battle. I think I can trust you. Believe me, if you don't bring back the shield, I will find you. Ha ha ha."

Norstok seemed to be a likeable person. At least he didn't treat with disrespect like Orstik did. Maybe I'm just overreacting, I don't know.

Once I got my Mithril armor on my weapons were ready. Norstok handed me the swords, and then I went back to my tent were M'aiq was dressed in full leather, even a helmet. The helmet made him look weird, since he was a Khajiit and all. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What's so funny, and Khajiit in a helmet. Well, you won't be laughing once you see me in battle."

"Whatever you say, just try to leave me some Dunmer to kill."

"I'll think about it. Let's go, the Redguard are probably ready to go."

We all gathered at the edge of the forest and Orstik told everyone the plan. The ten Redguards would make their way to the opposite side of the Chorrol. That is where the hidden entrance was said to be, or at least on the maps Orstik had. The men would infiltrate the city and they would make their way to the main gates, killing all guard patrols as they went. But they had to be sneaky, or the mission would be a failure. The Dunmer would be on full alert, and we would have to charge in.

The rest of us would wait here at the edge of the forest. We were only a few hundred yards away, and once we saw a glow of blue light in the skies, that was the sign for us the charge in. The gates would be opening as we charged in. If all went well the Dunmer would be taken surprise, and we should be able to take back Chorrol tonight. That was the plan anyway.

The ten soldiers crept along into the night. We watched until they were out of sight, and then all we could do was pray that they would succeed. The fate of the mission counted on it.

We waited for what seemed like hours. The sweat was building on everyone's faces and even Orstik looked a tad bit worried. The only one who did not look worried was M'aiq. The look on his face told me that the soldiers would be alight, and that was good enough for me.

Finally I blue spark shot into the sky, it was the signal!

"Come on men, charge!!"

We sprinted as fast as we could towards the Dunmer-filled city. Leading the pack was M'aiq, who was running with amazing speed, especially for an old Khajiit like himself. Not far behind was Orstik and I, followed the rest of the troops.

Once we entered the town, a few Dunmer were already fighting with the Redguards who snuck in. The other Dunmer were now pouring out of the houses. The battle was on!

I went over to help a Redguard who was fighting three Dunmer. I came up behind one of the Dunmer and slit his throat, then I swiftly took another down with two swings of my swords. The Redguard took care of the other, but was then struck in the back by an arrow shot by a Dunmer. I ran to my right and dove behind the statue of St. Osla, just as an arrow flew past my head.

I poked my head out and was nearly hit by another arrow. I decided that standing here was doing no good, so I poked my head out again and then quickly brought it back. An arrow flew by and I immediately got up and threw one of my swords at the Dunmer. It hit in square in the head. I was getting good at throwing swords!

I went over to the dead Dunmer and got my sword back. The battle was now very intense. There was hardly any room to move. Everywhere you turned there was someone fighting. Quick reflexes helped me survive so far. Suddenly as I was finishing a kill when a Dunmer sliced me across the back with his long sword. It had not killed me but I was slightly injured. I turned around and the Dunmer swung at my head. I ducked and tried to chop his legs off, but he quickly jumped and did a spin kick that knocked me hard to the ground.

The Dunmer then raised his sword to kill me but I rolled to the side just before the sword hit the ground. He then shot a fire spell at me but I caught it and threw it back at him, but somehow he lunged to the side to avoid the blast. While he was still on the ground I ran over and kicked the Dunmer hard in the face. Blood squired from his nose and he fell down in agony. Then I ended the fight by wrapping both of my swords around his neck and then slitting his throat.

I looked around and it seemed as if the battle was evenly matched so far. The element of surprise did not work as well as we hoped, but we were still in the battle nonetheless.

I looked around and saw that Orstik was having some trouble with what looked like one of the Dunmer commanders. I ran over to help Orstik out. The Dunmer commander was also carrying the Hlaalu tower shield I was looking for. The Dunmer hit Orstik in the mouth with the sword, and Orstik was knocked to the ground. I came up from behind the Dunmer and shoved my sword into his back. The Dunmer swung his sword wildly trying to fend me off, but I dodged the attack and then shoved the sword deeper into his body. The Dunmer was now dead, and he dropped the shield next to Orstik, who astonishingly looked angry.

"That was my kill! You stupid Bosmer, I had everything under control!!"

"Under control!? It looked to me like I just saved your life!"

"Stay out of the way or I'll kill you next time, and don't think I won't!!!"

What a brute. I saved his life and all I seemed to accomplish was making him dislike even more. This man had some serious problems.

The battle was starting to die down, but the Dunmer were not giving up. They had no plans of retreating this time. The Dunmer started to fall back towards Castle Chorrol, where they would make their final stand. We tried to go after them and take down as many as we could, but most of them made it back to the castle.

Post battle reports said that they only had about five-thousand men left. We had a little over 10000 left. The battle was bloody, and we lost more men than we thought. Now we had to storm the castle and finish the Dunmer off once and for all. Orstik sent a few men to guard all of the city exits, even the secret entrance. We would trap them, but we could not wait for long. Hassildor and his troops were in need of our help; that is if they were still alive.

I found M'aiq after the battle. He grinned as we met.

"Ah, Roderick, well done. The city is virtually ours. All we have to do know is breach the castle and eliminate the final resistance. We lost more men than I expected. I fear what we have now will not be enough to take back Skingrad. But we must not misjudge the Redguards. They fight with a passion matched by no other race.

The men gathered around the castle gates. Anxiously awaiting the time to strike. The Redguard enjoyed killing so much it was creepy. The look in their was almost chaotic in a way. I was certainly glad that I was fighting alongside them rather than against the Redguard army.

I told M'aiq what happened with Orstik and I. M'aiq simply brushed the subject aside. He seemed to believe that deep down Orstik was happy that I had saved him. M'aiq said that Orstik was just a tough acting soldier. I guess I could forget it, but then I started to wonder if Orstik would help me out if I was in trouble. He probably would and then he'd most likely use that to show that I am weak. That sounded like Orstik alright.

"Hey, that's my shield!!!"

I turned around and there was Norstok grinning from ear to ear.

"Here you go Norstok, the Hlaalu tower shield. It's pretty heavy."

"For a weak Bosmer like you perhaps! But for a burly Redguard like my self, this is nothing. Ha ha ha, I'm only joking with ya. Now, let me see the shield. Ah, a finely crafted piece of armor indeed. These Dunmer sure have a good taste when it comes to armor."

"I hope your happy, I almost got my head taken off trying to get it."

"Quit your complaining ya whiny little Tree Elf, ha ha ha!!!!!! I'm only joking, don't have a sense of humor in ya?"

Norstok was a good guy. He was so different from the other Redguard. He was not near as serious as the others were. Norstok was laid back and just went with the flow.

"What are you doing here anyway. I thought you were guarding the camp?"

"I was, but Orstik called us up here to help with the castle breach. Finally I get to crush some skulls!!"

But he was just as eager to fight as the rest of soldiers.

After all the men were in front of the gate Orstik finally realized that we weren't going to be able to knock the gate down with swords and axes. He said that building a siege ram would take too long, so then he ordered me to blast it down.

"I can't just blast it down. I don't really have control of what I can do yet."

"WHAT!?!? Then everything I heard about you is a lie? It doesn't surprise me much, you good for nothing Imperial dog! What about you Khajiit? Can you blast it down."

"Why of course General, do you want me to blast the gate open now?"

"No, I want to you want a few days and then do it! BLAST IT NOW!! GET READY TO CHARGE MEN!!!!"

The gates were blasted open and we charged in the castle. We were met by troops immediately upon entering the castle. The fight was too easy. All of their commanders were already dead, and we actually managed to capture one of the Dunmer alive. Orstik ordered me and M'aiq to do the questioning. He said since it was our problem we were going to do the work for him.

We brought the Dunmer into one of the Castle worker's rooms. It was small, but perfect for what we were about to do.

"Speak Dunmer, why are you here. Is it simply to take our land like we did yours? Or were you hired by Valamine?"

The Dunmer laughed in my face, all while blood was trickling down his nose and mouth.

"You pathetic Imperial, you ask questions when yo already know the answers. You know that we were hired by Valamine. It is not some coincidence. He hired us to be his personal army. But the we Dunmer are not who you think we are. We are Dunmerian rebels, hired bandit and thieves. We are not part of the Temple, nor do we want to be. That's why there weren't that many of us. If the Dunmer race wanted to overthrow you we most certainly would!! But our country leaders were stupid and let you take our land. Don't worry, your precious empire is still intact at Morrowind!!"

The Dunmer told is more than I thought he would.

"Tell me where Valamine is and where his Order members are!!"

"That I do not know, and I tell you no lie. Lord Valamine had not contacted us himself, but one of his members did. Lord Valamine has been careful not to let out too much information, for reason quite like this. I will tell you this, you will not overthrow Valamine. I have heard some of the necroes speak. His power grows each day. Though he does not have the other statue yet, it is only a matter of time until he gets it."

"What about Skingrad?? What has happened there??"

The Dunmer laughed and then suddenly lunged at and was about to attack. But M'aiq quickly dealt the Dunmer with a frost blast. The blast was very cold, contrary to what a heat blast felt like.

"Well, we really didn't much did we M'aiq?"

"At least we learned that the Empire in Morrowind is safe. That is good to know. As for Valamine's plans, we did not learn a thing, except he's getting more powerful, but I myself could have told you that. Let us now go tell Orstik of our findings."

We told Orstik what we found out, and he almost seemed like he was disappointed that the Empire in Morrowind was not overthrown. But nonetheless our next stop was Skingrad. Hopefully the Dunmer had been finished off and maybe the city would be that much of a task to take over. But nothing has seemed easy ever since I stole that stupid statue!

To Be Continued…………

The Adventures of Roderick: Part 4

An Unexpected Turn of Events

By: redsrock

Bitter sweet was just one word describing how I felt at the moment. It was midnight and I still could not get to sleep. General Orstik decided that we should rest until the morning. The troops were too tired to march any further, and for once I agreed with what Orstik said.

I was happy that we had liberated the city of Chorrol, although I was anxious to fight for Skingrad. The sooner we took back Skingrad the sooner we could get to Kvatch, where Hassildor would hopefully still be there, along with his army.

M'aiq was sound asleep in the bed next to mine. He was snoring slightly, and the snore was a sound of soft whistle. It made me grin hearing the Khajiit snore. I did not what it was, but Khajiit seemed so funny to me. Obviously it was partly because of the way they looked, but there something else as well, but I just couldn't put m finger on it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not disrespecting the Khajiit race. I would never do something like that; not after what M'aiq has done for me. Without him the second statue would be in Valamine's hands and the all hope would be lost. Thanks to his quick thinking the statue was safe in his possession. I could see it right now, M'aiq was cradling it in his arms, as if it was a baby.

On the other side of the room Norstok was sleeping in his own bed. Norstok was a big fellow, and he made the bed look smaller than it actually was. He was also snoring loudly. So even if I wanted to go to sleep it would be virtually impossible thanks to his noisy snoring. Finally I got tired of the snoring and I threw one of my pillows at him. It hit him square in the face. He woke up rather startled.

"What!?!? What!?!? Who did that!?!? What's going on!?!? Is it the Dunmer!?!?"

"Shut up Norstok, it was me. Your snoring was going to wake up the whole army, I had to get you to be quiet!"

"Well… ya didn't have to throw anything at me! You could have just woke me up nicely!"

And that was it, Norstok fell back asleep, this time without the snoring, and I finally fell asleep as well. During my sleep I dreamt a wonderful dream. I dreamt of fighting the whole Order army at Kvatch. They had just broken through the city gates and were charging into the city where Hassildor and his army was waiting for them. The Redguards and I charged through the gates to help the struggling Skingrad army. We fought valiantly and finally defeated the Order. Then I appeared to see something rising over the hill, and the sky became dark and I heard a malevolence laugh behind me, but for some reason I was not able to turn around to see who was laughing. Also, I could not make out who was coming from the hills. This angered me but because it was a dream I had no control of what happened. Suddenly I woke up with Norstok and M'aiq staring at me.

"Roderick, are alright. You were having a bad dream, you kept screaming that you could not see them. Who were you talking about. Who is them?"

I could see that M'aiq looked concerned, but Norstok just looked confused.

"You Bosmer are crazy!! I need a drink!"

Norstok walked out of the tent we were staying in. I told M'aiq about the dream. He seemed curious but he told me it was nothing, everyone had dreams after all.

After I got dressed I walked outside to the sweet smell of breakfast. In the middle of the camp dozens of tables were set up with all kinds of food on them. Some of the food was familiar to me, because most of the food was bread, berries, vegetables, and simple things like that. But some of the food looked foreign, and for good reason. Norstok told M'aiq and myself that they had brought some of their own food all the way from Hammerfell.

One of the dishes they brought with them was a succulent meat called Hammer Ham. This meat was similar to boar meat, but it had a sweet sauce marinated into the meat. It was the best tasting meat and I had ever had. I ate several dishes, and then washed it all down with some cheap wine that we found in the castle kitchen.

Once breakfast was over with we geared up continued the journey towards Skingrad. Rain was falling down on our heads as we marched, but we did not care. The rain felt good on our bodies. It also washed off the blood from our armor. I was grateful for this because I starting to get tired of the red blotches every time I looked at my armor. Now my armor looked brand new, except for a couple of dents. Other than that it looked really nice.

We marched on despite the rain picking up. It was now pouring down rain, and it was very hard to see I front of us. But we trudged on, for we could not waste another minute. Hassildor was surely waiting for us, and we could not let him down.

After about five hours we reached a ruined Alyeid fort. It looked innocent enough as we passed it, but it it's innocence soon turned into betrayal. Out from the fort came hundreds of Order members wielding all kinds of weapons. This was usual, for I had not seen many necroes wielding any weapons. They usual stuck with magic, and that was deadly enough. Now I had to worry about their spells as well as the chance getting my head chopped off.

The Order surprised up, our army was ready for an attack. Half of our men were killed in less than a few minutes. The remaining of us fought on and tried to defend ourselves from the Necro onslaught.

Finally we defeated their small battalion, but not without a cost. Three fourths of our army was defeated and we now had a little over two thousand soldiers left. Norstok was deeply saddened by the loss, for he had lost many good friends to the Order attack. Despite the massive loss of life, Orstik insisted that we continue on our march. The look in his soldiers' eyes was disbelief, but they did not dare go against his orders.

I was about to say something to Orstik, but apparently M'aiq could sense this, because he grabbed my arm and told me to let it go. But how could I? This man had no heart. Maybe Orstik had no feelings but his men did. And if he did not have the full attention of his troops then what kind of commander was he?

I held my tongue but I did not know how long I would be able to do this. Orstik was getting worse and worse. Sooner or later I would have to say something, whether M'aiq liked it or not.

We continued on until we finally reached Skingrad. But as we approached the city, we realized that it was now ghost town. Nobody was in sight, and by looking to the southwest we saw the reason for the emptiness. A smoke had formed over Kvatch. We could see it from where we stood. A battle was taking place, and we were still a couple of hours from Kvatch.

We marched on towards Kvatch, but at a faster rate. It was almost a jog, but not quite so. We met no enemies on the way and we arrived at the city, whose gates had already been blasted open.

But as we walked inside we saw the massacre that occurred before we could here in time. Skingrad soldiers were lying all over the place. The streets seemed to paved with blood. We were too late, the Skingrad army had been defeated, but where was Hassildor?

We looked throughout the city, but we could not find him. What was even more strange was that we did not find any Necro bodies lying around. It was like the Skingrad army had not killed any of them, but that couldn't be. There was no way that none of the necroes were killed, or maybe they were more powerful than we had imagined. Either way something was wrong, I could feel it in the air, and so could M'aiq.

"Something is not right. I can feel something in the winds, something….evil. We have to leave this place now. Where is Orstik? We need to leave!"

"M'aiq, what are you talking about? What is wrong?"

We saw Orstik, who was just ahead of us. M'aiq run towards him and as he did the sky suddenly turned a mix of purple and red. Then, coming inside the city, was an army of more than five hundred necroes, followed by…… Hassildor!!!

The Skingrad count was smiling evilly while he was leading the necroes into the city. Lightening started streaking through the sky and all of a sudden the necroes started to charge at us. Orstik called for a charge as well and a battle had begun.

These necroes were unlike any I had seen before. They fought valiantly with an unexpected determination. The necroes cut down our lines one by one until we were down to less than one thousand men strong. We had only been able to kill half there numbers, but it appeared that the battle was slowly turning to our side.

That's when I saw Hassildor, who was fighting with M'aiq over at the main gates. Then Hassildor took off towards the rebuilt castle Kvatch, where M'aiq followed. My instincts told me that M'aiq would need some help so I sprinted after the two.

Hassildor and M'aiq where too fast for me, and they made to the castle far quicker than I. It had been a whole minute since they entered the castle and I was just making my way through the gates.

When I walked inside I witnessed a horrific scene, one that would remain in my head for the rest of my life. Hassildor was bent over M'aiq, and he appeared to be biting into his neck!!!

Hassildor looked up and gave me an evil grin, and revealed a set of long sharp fangs. He was a vampire!!! Then he walked slowly towards me but dropped his long sword.

"What is wrong, hero of Cyrodiil, have you never seen a vampire before? Well, there is no reason to worry, I don't bite!"

Then he turned to look at M'aiq.

"Oops, I lied!!!"

Hassildor then lunged at me but I ducked and barely avoided the attack.

"How could you betray the Empire!?!? You are the Count of Skingrad!!!"

"That is where you are wrong you dim-witted Bosmer. I was the Count of Skingrad, now I am the right hand man to Valamine!"

He took another lunge and this time I was ready. I stepped to the side and he missed me. When he turned around the face me I sent a shock blast that sent him flying into the wall across the room.

He quickly got up and charged at me. I swung my long sword as hard as I could and I sliced his throat. Hassildor fell to the ground and started to gag. I quickly jumped on top of him and tried to get some answers before he died.

"How long have you been sided with Valamine!?"

He laughed in my face.

"You pathetic Wood Elf, I've been on his side for three years now. Ever since he came to seeking the statues. He knew that I was a vampire and thought that I might know where the vampire-filled cave was. He was right and if it was not for me he would still be looking for the statue!"

Hassildor's words were muffled by his constant gagging, but I could just barely make out what he was saying.

"Where is Valamine at!! TELL ME!!!!"

Tears were now running furiously down my cheeks. Hassildor laughed even harder.

"Ha ha ha ha, I will tell you where the master is, but only because he told me to tell you. Master Valamine resides at Deepscorn Hollow at this very moment. He awaits your visit. He says to come alone and he will face you one on one for the final battle. The winner will have won the battle for Cyrodiil, but I assure you, Valamine is more powerful that all of the Order combined. You do not know what you are up against. There you are, you question has been answered, but yet you are still crying like a helpless child ! Why are you crying!?!? You will cry even more at the hands of Valamine, I promise you that! He will show you true power!

All of sudden Hassildor through me off of him and I went sailing across the floor. I got up to fight but Hassildor had already left. The coward had fled the scene, but I knew that I would be seeing him soon.

Suddenly I heard a stifled cough from behind me. M'aiq was still alive. I ran over to him and lifted him up and sat him against the wall.

"Come on M'aiq, let's go and get some help. You are hurt badly. I said this but he and I both knew the reality of the situation.

"Roderick, you and I both know that it is too late for me. I have been giving the curse of the vampire. There is no help for me. I am too injured to walk any where and I will die before a cure can be found. But you must do something for me. I do not know how long I can survive but I do not want to be on this world once I am dead. You have to finish was Hassildor started. You must kill me before the disease takes it's toll on me."

I was speechless.

"M'aiq, I…. can't do it. I just can't . I have already seen enough people die, and I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"Yes, yes you can. You are strong Roderick. I have confidence in you. You have to do this. If you do not that I will become something that you are fighting against. I would say it is safe to say that Hassildor will have many vampires awaiting you once you arrive at Deepscorn Hollow, where Hassildor said Valamine would be. I know of this place. It is at the most southern point, south of Leyawiin. Go there, I know you can defeat Valamine."

M'aiq handed me his sword. I knew what must be done, but I did not want to do it. But on the other hand, M'aiq deserved it. I could not let him turn into one of those beasts. So I took the sword and shoved it into the chest of my friend. I looked away while I did the valiant deed. I couldn't take it. I cried just as I did back at the house when I was being kicked around by Lex. I could not believe that M'aiq was actually gone. But I had to be strong. It was now up to me and me alone to finally defeat Valamine once and for all…..

TO BE CONTINUED………….

The Adventures of Roderick: Part Five

The Final Confrontation

By: redsrock

Outside the castle the battle was over with. The troops, or at least what we had left, were celebrating the victory, although I wasn't sure if I would could it that. They had no clue what just happened, they did not understand the importance M'aiq played in this mission. Before I left the castle I took the statue from the pack M'aiq was wearing. I would need to keep it out of harms way, for if it was lost than all hope for Cyrodiil would be lost as well.

I saw Norstok coming up the road to greet me, but as he saw the gloom in my face he realized that something terrible had just happened.

"Roderick, what is wrong? Where is M'aiq?"

I told Norstok the sad news and he was dumbstruck by what happened to my good friend. Norstok tried to make me feel better but it was of no use. The damage had already been done and there was no way of fixing it. But I knew that I could not let it get in the way of stopping Valamine.

I decided that it was best to travel to Deepscorn Hollow as soon as possible, so I told Norstok I was leaving, but I wanted him to carry the statue for me. If Valamine does kill me I do not want him to find the statue. Neither Valamine or Hassildor know that I am friends with this Redguard. He will keep the statue safe.

"I am going with you Roderick. I am not going to let you face these evil men by yourself. You will need help!"

"No, Norstok these men are more powerful than you could ever imagine. I don't want anymore of my friends to die."

"Save the speech, I am going with you whether you like it or not. Don't worry, we can leave now before anyone sees us. We can't tell Orstik, for he would rip my head off for even suggesting such a plan. Hurry, let's go!!"

I could see that there wasn't any point in arguing with him. He was a stubborn fool, but I was glad for that. I wanted someone to go with me, but at the same time I did not want to put anybody in danger. But I figured that Norstok could handle himself; he was a Redguard after all. But what to do with the statue? I decided to bring the statue along with us. There was nobody else we could trust, so this was probably the safest option.

We left the city quietly through the northern gates, where nobody saw us. I respected Norstok for what he was doing. He was now a runaway of the Redguard army. Such an offense is highly frowned upon, but he still followed me despite the fact that he would put in jail for life, or killed, if he was ever to return to Hammerfell. But I knew he could never go back to Hammerfell, not after what he has done.

Rain had started to fall we entered the forest, but this time I did not welcome it. The rain was rather cold and I wished that it would stop, but the vast number of trees were keeping most of the rain off of Norstok and I, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

We journeyed through West Weald until we got to Skingrad. Darkness was creeping up on us and traveling through the night would not be the smart decision, so we decided to sleep at one the Skingrad Inns, until it was light again.

We entered the empty city and chose to stay at the West Weald Inn. Despite the destruction that had come over the city, the Inn was actually in good condition. And the best part was that there was still food! We examined the food and everything looked safe to eat.

We had an enormous feast that night. We had all kinds of meats included venison, boar meet and even some mutton, which was the first time I had eaten mutton. It was good but I much preferred the venison. It was so tender and juicy it was almost unbelievable.

With our meat had a plethora fruit and vegetables. The fruit selection consisted of all kinds of berries, watermelon, peaches, pears, apples, oranges, you name it we had it. The vegetables were absolutely delicious as well. There were potatoes, carrots, lettuce, corn, and there were also some wild plant leaves and seeds, which were delicious as well.

For desert Norstok and I helped ourselves to a whole plateful of sweet rolls, and a sweet cake as well. All of the stories were correct, sweet cake was very yummy. The icing was simply magnificent.

After eating Norstok and I realized that we had eaten way to much food, but had yet to have anything to wash all of the food down. In the numerous cabinets of the Inn there was a vast amount of beverages to choose from. There was Tamika's fine wine, Surilie's fine wine, cheep wine, Cyrodilic brandy, ale, and even an exclusive wine named Tamika's West Weald Wine. I tried that for the first time and it was simply magnificent! After the West Weald Wine, I went on to drink many more glasses of various alcoholic drinks. It would be a mistake that I would soon regret.

The feast was one that neither of us would soon forget, but the consequences soon took it's toll on Norstok and I. I could not remember the last time I had been sick, but I would never forget this time. I vomited all through night, But Norstok simply laughed at me. He explained that feasts such as ours were common in Hammerfell. Norstok did not suffer from the sickness that I was given.

I finally stopped vomiting once daylight started coming in. I was in not condition to travel. My head hurt, my stomach still felt like it was about to pop, and I did not get a chance to sleep, therefore I was flat out exhausted. I told Norstok that we would have to rest until night time and then take our chances traveling through the dark. Norstok did not mind, but I never assumed he would.

I slept the entire day, and when Norstok woke me up at sunset I was fully rejuvenated and ready to start on our journey once again. The air was cool and we traveled through the night without encountering any troubles, humans or creatures. It was nice to finally walk through the land without being attacked a band of Dunmer, or a group of necroes. But I feared that the reason behind this peace was that the necroes were surely waiting for me at Deepscorn Hollow.

We marched through the West Weald until we arrived at Larsius River at sunrise, which was about a quarter of a mile west of Bravil. We stopped at the river to catch a couple of fish. We cooked the fish and then ate them quickly before heading out again. Our travels were made easier with the great weather. It was not too warm, but it was not too cold either. Everything was going great and again we encountered no problems on our way.

After a couple of hours stepped in the Blackwood region, which was home to several settlements and the city of Leyawiin. From here we would be traveling straight south, which was where Deepscorn Hollow was.

"Roderick, I just wanted to tell you know that I am not going to wait outside while you fight the demons. I am going to help you fight. I can hold my own against these awful beasts. I know you do not want me to get hurt, but I am a Redguard, I can take care of these beasts, and you know that they are not going to fight fair. They are all going to attack you. They know that you are the best fighter Cyrodiil has to offer, and they are also aware of your powers, which I'm sure scares them more than anything."

I knew he was going to say this, but I just did not want him to fight with me. Sure, he was a talented warrior, but what if he did die? It would be all my fault. I just couldn't bare to see anymore of my friends perish in battle.

I thought about this for a long time while we traveled but eventually I forced it from my mind. There was nothing else I could do about the situation. Plus, Norstok was right, he was a Redguard which meant that he was a superb warrior.

While traveling through Blackwood we passed through some interesting places, such as Stendarr's Wayshrine, The Daedric Shrine of Sheogorath, and other unique places. But the one that stood out the most was settlement on the western side of Blackwood. It's name was Border Watch. The settlement seemed to be normal, but after exploring the local Inn one would realize that this small settlement was different from any other.

One reason was that it was built on a hill. The houses were generally on the lower level, and at the top was the Inn and the stable, where they kept sheep as livestock, although the sheep were dead, from what looked like a brutal murder. There blood was splattered all over the ground and chunks of their body were torn off. It was dreadfully disgusting.

But the main reason the settlement was unique was the inn. On the outside it looked normal enough, but inside was another story. As soon as Norstok and I entered the Inn our nostrils were immediately hit by a strong aroma. The aroma was that of many cheeses, and this included cheeses. Whoever the owner of the inn was must have had a strong need for cheese.

We exited the inn and continued our way towards the final destination of our perilous mission. But along the way, roughly a mile from the Border Watch settlement, we were ambushed by a bunch of Khajiit wielding spears and swords.

"Hold right there, where do you think you two are going, eh?"

The voices of the Khajiit were really strange, and I started to laugh, which was a mistake. The leader of the group, who wore a green hood, kicked me to the ground and put the tip of his spear just a few inches from my throat. The other Khajiits struggled but eventually brought Norstok to the ground and held him there.

"What is funny little Bosmer. Does my voice bring humor to your mind. Maybe I should rip your brain from your head, and then you won't have to worry about it anymore. How does that sound?"

This Khajiit wasn't playing any games. I had to tell him my story before any blood was shed.

"Listen, we are not here to hurt you. We were simply passing on our way to Deepscorn Hollow. We don't want any trouble, so if you could let us go that would be great."

"Deepscorn Hollow? Why in the world would you want to go there? I sure hope you aren't necroes. If you are I'm afraid you won't be making it to Deepscorn Hollow anytime soon."

"No, we are fighting against the necroes, not with them. My name is Roderick and this is my friend Norstok, we were…."

The Khajiit suddenly cut me off.

"Talos forgive me, you are Roderick!?!?"

The Khajiit moved his spear and allowed me to stand. He then started chuckling, along with the other Khajiits.

"You are Roderick? A BOSMER!? I don't believe this, you think I can believe that a silly Bosmer like you vanquished the Dunmer Army and killed over half of the necroes. Ha! I likely story indeed!"

That's when I showed him the statue, and his eyes went white. He looked at me for a few seconds, and then spoke softly.

"It is you! Please forgive my ignorance, but I had never learned the race of the hero of Cyrodiil. Well well, this is very intriguing. But where is M'aiq. I heard he was traveling with you."

"How do you know him?"

"Well, I used to be part of his little group that went against the evil Valamine. Then I realized how dangerous it was and I got out. I took over as leader of Border Watch and have been here ever since."

"I'm sorry to say this, but…. M'aiq is dead. He was bitten on the neck by Hassildor, but he did not die from the bite. He was barely alive but he wanted be killed, rather than face the life of a vampire, which was what Hassildor was. I had to kill M'aiq, but I cannot say that it was an easy task."

"So my god friend finally met match. I'll miss him dearly, but his death will not go without revenge! So, Hassildor has sided with the necroes? You do realize that Valamine will have his best fighters guarding the entrance to his lair, don't you? This battle is going to be tough, and you will need all the help you can get."

I was bewildered by the offer.

"Thank you for the offer, but these beasts are not like bandits. The power is unimaginable to the mind."

I seemed to disrespect the Khajiit somehow.

"What do you take us for, petty soldiers? We are far more than capable of fighting with you, for we are warriors of Border Watch!! That might not sound like much to you, but believe me, we know how to fight. Think about it, why else would M'aiq have chosen me to take part in his secret army? You know that you need our help."

The Khajiit was right. We would need all the help we could get, and something told that these Khajiits would prove very helpful on the battlefield. I decided to except their offer.

"You're right, we will need all the help we can get, but you have not given me your name yet."

"Ah, please excuse my rudeness. My name is M'Dato. I'm very pleased to be bale to help you. Once I had more than five hundred men, but ever since our town was attacked necroes, our numbers have shrunk to a little over two hundred men. I assure you that you will not regret taking us along."

M'Dato seemed trustworthy, and we needed soldiers to aid us in battle. I just hoped they could fight as well as M'Dato could talk. No offense to the Khajiit, but all he wanted to do was talk. I guess I couldn't complain too much, he and his army would make our mission much easier.

We traveled south for a few hours until it was night time. M'Dato said that we were only a few hours from Deepscorn Hollow. I decided to rest for the night so that we would be fresh in the morning. A good nights sleep would surely aid us in battle.

I could not get to sleep that night and neither could Norstok. He and I were anxious to get into the battle. I wanted to get this thing over with and go back to a normal life; although that idea will probably never come true. Even after I defeat Valamine, it will take years for Cyrodiil to recover from this awful catastrophe.

"Roderick, are you scared?"

Norstok was calling me from the bed beside me.

"What do you mean?"

"Of Valamine and Hassildor. Are you afraid to fight them."

"I am not afraid to fight them, but there is fear in everyone. Fear helps a warrior focus in battle. Without fear one would go through life living recklessly, and not caring what happens. Everyone has fear, even Valamine."

Norstok just chuckled.

"Ha! I am not afraid of anything."

"Oh yeah? What about Orstik, I'm pretty sure you're afraid of him."

"Orstik, nah! I am not afraid of him either."

"Then why did not want to tell Orstik we were leaving him, hmm…"

"Well…. I just…. I…. I did not want to cause any harm to you. That's why."

"Sure….. Ha… whatever you say."

I had caught Norstok in a lie, but being the proud Redguard he was, he would never admit to being scared.

We all awoke I the morning to a bright sun and cool breeze. Everything was perfect; it was time for the final battle!"

We marched on towards Deepscorn Hollow at a slow pace, to save our energy for the battle. M'Dato was unusually quiet for himself, probably focusing on the battle. I don't blame him. We were about to fight Valamine' best. Many of us would die, but I knew now not to let it bother. Such things happen in war, and there is nothing anybody can do about it.

As we approached the entrance to Deepscorn Hollow we could see Valamine's soldiers. There appeared to be more than five hundred of them, and they were all in lines, waiting for us to strike.

I stopped once we were one hundred yards from the soldiers. I could tell that most of them were necroes, but I they looked different. They wore the usual dark hoods, but these necroes wore armor. It looked to be ebony, but it was darker, to match their hoods. It wasn't totally black, but more of dark purple. They must Valamine's personal army. They were wielding all kinds of weapons, with different crafting. They were ready for battle, but so were we.

I ordered the charge and we started towards the Necro army. The Khajiits were very fast and they got to the battle lines before Norstok I could. They fought furiously with a speed that was amazing.

But the necroes fought gallantly as well. Their skills in battle were far greater than those of their lower ranked counterparts. The battle lasted a whole hour, and after the dust had cleared, it was certain that we had won the first battle! But not at a cost. Many Khajiit had died and now there were merely fifty Khajiit soldiers left, along with M'Dato himself.

I looked into eyes of M'Dato and his courageous soldiers, then I peered at Norstok. Everyone was ready to enter Deepscorn, and I knew that no words were necessary. We entered the damp cave to find it empty. It was strange, I knew it was a trap, but I did not know where the attack would come from.

Suddenly Vampires started to dropping from the ceiling, and the second battle had begun! As we fought I spotted Hassildor in the distance, staring at me with his dark red eyes. I left the battle scene to approach Hassildor. His weapon was sheathed, but I kept my twin swords in my hands, for I did not trust this treacherous vampire.

"Put down your weapons Bosmer. The master wants to speak to you. No fighting will occur at first. The master knows you have questions, and he will answer them. Only after that will a battle begin. But after you hear the master speak you might change your mind. Who knows, only time will tell."

I followed mysterious Hassildor through a set of doors that were to the left of the battle site. There were now three doors to choose from. One of the right, one on the left, and then another in the middle. Hassildor led through the door on the left.

Through the door was what looked like a room that once stood tall, but now it was a crumbling disaster. But beyond this site was where Valamine stood waiting for me, alongside five of his personal bodyguards.

The room we were in appeared to be some sort of shrine. The statue behind Valamine looked familiar, but I could not remember who the person was. Suddenly Valamine spoke with a raspy voice, like fire had been shot down his throat.

"Welcome to the shrine of Sithis my diminutive friend. How long has it been since the last time we met? Too long, yes, too long indeed."

"Enough with the talk, I am here to finish you and your army once and for all! You will pay for what has happened to my friends!"

Valamine looked at me for a moment, and then laughed so hideously that I wanted to kill him where he stood.

"Ah, but do not fret my little Bosmer, you must have patience young one. For I want to tell you the whole story. I want you to know why I am doing this. I can see the confusion in your face, and I am certain you wish for answers, am I right? Of course I am, now, listen to what I have to say, and then I will let you decide if you really to face me in combat…."

I was inclined to end Valamine's life right then, but another part of me wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Long ago I came upon an ancient book. The book had no name, and was written the Alyeid language. Lucky for my I was a scholar of the Alyeids, so I had no trouble deciphering what the ancient text said. It told me of a pair of statues that were hidden away long ago for their evil powers. The text also stated that whoever should find these statues would the power to rule all of Tamriel. Of course I was interested in this, so I investigated further into the matter. I looked years and years for the cave that held one of the statues, but unfortunately, I did not succeed. But then I met Hassildor here, and he told me everything I needed to know. Being a vampire Hassildor knew of vampire cave that protected the statue."

"But then you came along and found the other statue, which I admit, complicated things drastically. You were lucky that Thoronir killed my two assassins. If it was not for him you would not be standing where are today. After I learned that you had discovered the other statue, I immediately sent out a band of my necroes to find the cave that held the other statue. But then I decided to travel with them, just incase you somehow managed to screw things up more than they already were."

"And sure enough, there you were, with your two pathetic friends Jak and M'aiq. If it was not for the intelligence of M'aiq, both statues would be in my possession, but fate was not on my side that day. M'aiq escaped the cave with the statue safely in his possession, but unfortunately he had left you and Jak all by yourselves. I will admit that I was one who tortured Jak and ultimately killed him, however I will not take pleasure in doing so. You have made it this far, and I will give you the respect you deserve. "

"After I obtained the first statue I left you in the care of Lex, but I see that did not turn out how I hoped. You have proven yourself a fine warrior, but I assure you that Lex was not that talented himself. Now where was I…. oh yes…."

"After I left you with Lex I decided to hire some renegade Dunmer from Morrowind, but again you foiled my plan. I heard about what you did when you were outnumbered one-hundred to one. Very impressive, but let's see how you fair against my personal bodyguards. There you have it, the whole story. Now for the fighting so you so dearly deserve."

The bodyguards readied their weapons and were prepared to fight. They were certainly intimidating, with their Daedric armor and weapons and such. I did not know their race, but they were very tall and very muscular. Something told me that this would be my hardest challenge.

All five of them charged me at once. As they neared my a did a flip over them slicing one of them with my sword as I flew over them, but I only wounded him. The good thing about this fight was that my enemies were incredibly slow, and so were their attacks. However if any of them were to connect with their weapons, I would not be alive long enough to feel the pain.

I shot out a frost blast hoping the spread out the enemy. It worked, and the blast hit two of the guards, and sent them soaring across the room into the wall with a loud crack coming from their necks. Two down, only three more to go.

One of the three left was the one I had wounded, so I decided to target him first. My plan worked rather well, and in a matter of seconds I had slain a three fifths of the bodyguards. However the other two would prove to be more of a challenge.

For a moment the three of us circled around each other, trying to figure out one another's moves. Finally I ended the waiting my lunged into the air while spinning, and hoping that one of my swords would connect with the guards. Unfortunately I did not, and now it was the guards turn to make their move.

The looked at each other and nodded. They both charged at me but attacked at opposite sides, making it very difficult to dodge the attacks. But somehow I did I twist in the air and dodged the attacks without a scratch. Also, I chopped off one of the guards heads while dodging their furious attacks.

It was down to me and only one other guard. I glanced at Hassildor and Valamine, who both seemed exceedingly impressed. But while I glanced at the two, the guard to a huge swing and also ended my life right then, but a swift dodge allowed me to cheat death once more. I tried to kick the guard out from under his legs, but I barely even moved him. All I managed to do was hurt my shin. The guard laughed deeply and then picked me up and threw me across the room where I landed hard against the wall. I felt something in my back pop and pain followed immediately, but I could not give up!

The fight continued more furiously than ever. Neither of us could get shot in, and the battle was more of a defensive than offensive. Then I thought of a plan. If I faked one way, then maybe I could distract the guard.

I went up to the guard and faked like I going to strike him with my right hand sword. He took the bait and I kicked him in the knee, where he immediately knelt down in pain. I took advantage of the situation and ended the guard's life by making a quick move and slitting his throat with both of my swords. The battle with the guards was over, and it seemed as if both Hassildor and Valamine were quite surprised.

"Very good Roderick, I am surprised of the results. I certainly did not think that you would survive the battle, but you have proved me wrong. Now it is time for you to seek vengeance for you friend M'aiq. It is time to face off against Hassildor!!!"

Hassildor immediately dove at me with his hideous fangs. I quickly ducked and kicked him in the stomach as he soared over me. The kick knocked the breath out of him but he kept on fighting. He fought with a dwemer long sword, but he was not good with a blade. Finally he tried striking my right side, but I sidestepped to the left, spun around and then severed the vampire's head, ending the second battle. Hassildor was an awful fighter, and I was surprised Valamine sent him to his death. Perhaps Valamine was underestimating my abilities.

"Well, you have killed all my bodyguards and my right hand man. I am very impressed with you. I have far exceeded my expectations, and have finally earned you right to battle with me. But before we begin, do you have any questions for me? This will be your last chance."

I wanted nothing more than to kill Valamine. Everything he as done to me will bring to my rage and I will finally defeat this evil sorcerer.

"You and your men have killed many of my friends. First Thoronir, who was a father figure to me. Then Jak, Ceno, Capt. Burd, and finally M'aiq, who was my mentor. You will pay for what you have done! Mark my words; you will not leave this cave alive, I am sure of that!!"

I rushed Valamine hoping to take him by surprise, but it did not work out how I planned it. Valamine simply raised his right hand and sent a shock blast at me. I went sprawling across the floor and the pain in my back was throbbing!

I got back up and tried again. I swiped at Valamine with my swords, but Valamine dodged the attempts with ease, and then unsheathed the longest Daedric claymore that I had ever seen.

He swung the claymore with ease and my astonishing stare almost cost me my life, but at the last second I ducked. But Valamine kicked me in the chin, and I was now sprawled on my back. Blood was pouring from my mouth, and the pain was intense. I got up and to my dismay Valamine was laughing at me. He was having a wonderful time as I struggled to stay on my feet.

"You silly Bosmer, you are not ready for me. You should not have come here, but there is no need to be angry with yourself; it will all end in a few minutes. That is after I am done having fun with you!!!"

"I will kill you just as I did Jak. That pathetic Imperial, he was helpless. You should have heard the screams, ha ha ha!! They were very pleasing!! Ha ha ha!!! Oh, I'm sorry, I said that I was not going to disrespect you didn't I? Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore, you will soon be dead and I will have my second statue!"

Valamine did not know what he was getting himself into. His ignorance was going to cause the death of him. He walked towards me slowly, and then he picked me and was about to throw me against the wall, but I escaped from his grasps, and then I swung my swords at his face. I grazed his right cheek, and blood squirted through the air. Valamine touched his cheek and then licked the blood off his fingers. He looked very angry, and then he came at me with his claymore raised high in the air.

He brought the claymore down but missed me by mere inches. I tried to strike his chest but he blocked the shot and then kicked me in the shin, where he knew I was already injured. I tried to stab him in the stomach, but Valamine caught my wrists, and then shoved his claymore through my stomach.

He started to laugh, as if he had won the battle, but I had one last surprise for him. I cupped both of my hands together and a glowing blue orb appeared around my hands. I shot the orb at the unexpecting Valamine, and the blast propelled him through the air. In the air. He landed on his back, and he was almost dead.

I gathered what life I had left and I got up and limped over to where Valamine was laying. He looked up at me with petrified eyes. He was unable to move, and he knew that his time was up. I took his claymore and shoved the blade through his chest, ending the battle for Cyrodiil once and for all!!!

Although I had killed Valamine, the damage had already been done. His blade went completely through my body, and it was astonishing that I had enough energy to finish off Valamine.

I knew my time was up as well, and I knew it was a matter of minutes until I was dead. I used to be afraid of death, but know that it was coming up on me, I did not care anymore. I had saved Tamriel from utter destruction, and that was enough for me.

Suddenly the door to the room busted open, and in came Norstok, M'Dato, followed by……….Orstik!?

Norstok spoke first before anyone else.

"Roderick, we did it!!! WE WON!!!!! Oh Talos, you are wounded!!!! Somebody get help, Roderick is wounded."

"No, Norstok, it is okay, it is too late for me. The wound is too deep. I will be gone in a few minutes."

"But…. You just saved Tamriel! You can't die, you have to live on!! Come one, get up, we can have some more of that Hammer Ham you are so fond of. Come one, let's go."

I could see that Norstok was getting teary eyed.

"Do not worry my friend, the deed is done. You can now go home without worrying about your country's safety. We have all made sure of that. That's all I wanted, for the country to live in peace."

Norstok was deeply saddened, but as a soldier he understood that death was common. But it hurt more when it was close friend. I had to learn that the hard way myself.

"M'Dato, thank you for your help. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"There is no need for thanks. I was simply doing my job, just as you were. You are a special person Roderick, you will not be forgotten…"

Orstik was looking at me, but for the first time I did not see anger in them.

"Orstik, how did you know we were here?"

"One of my men overheard you and Norstok. They heard you mention Deepscorn Hollow. At first I said forget it, let's get out of here. But then I thought about, and decided to come and help. I am sorry for my rudeness Roderick. I hope you can forgive. My ignorance clouded my mind, and I did not see you for the true warrior that you are. Please forgive me."

"Of course Orstik, there is no need for apologies. This is a time for celebrations and rejoicing. I will see you later my friends, it is time that I travel to another place, one far away from this one."

I took one last look at my friends. Then I thought about everything that had happened. I thought about Thoronir, and then Jak and Ceno. Then I thought of M'aiq and how proud he must be. Everything had been set right, and now it was all over.

Everything started to get blurry, and slowly but surely my eyes closed shut, and that was the end of my epic journey…….

THE END