Geryn stormed down the roads, his robe billowing out behind him and his hand glowing and buzzing with magic. His boots crunched loudly in the snow, and his face was stern and expressionless. He felt someone walk up along side him. He didn't bother to look. "Geryn?" A Khajiit voice said. "Your friend stayed behind. He did not say anything more, and I could not see his face as it was in his hands." Geryn gave no response. "You have to talk to somebody." J'zargo walked ahead and stopped in front of him, turning around and placing a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop. "I'm sure he didn't mean to hit you. We all lash out, and you both look deprived of sleep."
Geryn shook his head. "Joric's done worse. He once left me to the mercy of a clan of bandits. Who does that?"
J'zargo looked awkward. "Well, J'zargo has, and he regrets it. You have to understand that people have different reasons for doing things."
"Oh, I understand that." Geryn put his head in his hands. "Just like there's a reason I'm doing this."
J'zargo inquired further. "Which is...?"
Geryn shook his head. "I... don't want to talk about it. I don't think I've ever told anyone, actually."
"It usually helps to tell someone."
Geryn gave a small, sad laugh. "Not this time. I'll just tell you that it's the reason I left Cyrodiil, to both get away and to learn magic."
"To get away from what?" J'zargo had genuine concern in his voice. Geryn just moved his hand away from his shoulder and carried on walking.
They walked back along the road in silence after that, until they came to the planes again and exited the snowy fields. J'zargo pointed west. "The fort is that way." They then went in that direction for at least another half an hour until they rounded some rocks and stopped, seeing a few torches about fifty metres ahead of them. Geryn looked at J'zargo questioningly, and J'zargo nodded.
Geryn sighed, then said "Could you get in without violence? They know you were a part of the clan, right?"
J'zargo shook his head. "They know me, but none of them liked me. They all distrusted me a great deal, so if I were to turn up on my own after leaving with a larger party then they would be suspicious. I suggest that we use an alternative entrance."
"Do you know one?"
"Yes, follow me." They moved in closer, and as they approached Geryn could make out the walls of the fort. They were made out of simple wooden stakes, were about 8 feet high and had a few platforms that were patrolled by lookouts. They didn't get too close, and eventually they came to a large hole in the ground. J'zargo leaned over the edge and had a look. "This is where we get in."
"We're going to jump in there?"
"I want you to cast a light spell into it."
"Right..." Geryn obliged, casting a ball of bright white light from his hands into the pit. When it was illuminated, he saw a tunnel leading off from it about ten feet bellow them, but it was filled with wooden spikes, some of which still bore the bodies of their victims. A pool of blood rested at the bottom of the pit, and Geryn almost wretched when he was hit by the smell.
J'zargo set the wooden spikes on fire with a simple flame spell, then ordered Geryn to plug the top of the pit with a ward spell. He did so, and very quickly the smoke inside the pit began to build up dramatically, increasing the amount of effort Geryn had to put into maintaining his ward and eventually filling the hole and drifting into the tunnel that lead off from it. Geryn grinned. Clever, he thought to himself. Then a problem occurred to him. "If we're filling the place with gas, then won't that harm your friends?"
J'zargo shook his head, grinning smugly. "The prison cells are on the lower levels. The smoke will not reach them as it will be rising, not falling."
Geryn nodded. "Good point." He watched as over at the fort smoke began to emerge from the door that lead to the tunnels, closely followed by coughing and spluttering bandits. Geryn smiled. "It's worked!" He saw that J'zargo was looking even more smug. "Now release that ward and let's get in there!" Geryn nodded, letting go of the ward and watching as a huge plume of black smoke rose high into the sky. They both leapt down into the abyss together, and instantly they were plunged into hot, smoggy darkness.
Geryn cast a ward around them both, which cleared away the smoke around the two of them and made breathing a lot less difficult. J'zargo pointed in the direction the tunnel was in. "This way!" They ran into the tunnel, surrounded by darkness and getting extremely warm. Geryn had a hard time maintaining his ward, but carried on regardless, knowing that to give up was to die. After what seemed like hours of walking through the hellish, blind tunnels J'zargo told Geryn to turn left. He did, and they came into a corridor that lead them downwards and eventually out of the smoke.
Geryn released the ward, sweating from both the heat and the exhaustion of holding such a spell for such an extended period of time. He collapsed to his knees, and felt his robes absorbing the magicka from the air around him and pumping it into his body, giving him strength. He slowly got up, with J'zargo's help, and they ran down the tunnel. They went for quite a while, eventually coming to a corridor that no longer headed downwards and was lined with cells. There were no bandits present, and Geryn looked in most of the cells and found nothing.
J'zargo ran ahead, knowing exactly which cell his friends were in. Geryn lagged behind, still exhausted, and looked in each of the cells. He was surprised when he found that one of them was inhabited, and peered in to see if he could make out what they looked like. He saw that it was a woman, but couldn't see anything beyond the fact that she was lying on a bedroll at one end of the room. "Hello?" He called inside.
She sounded shocked. "You? How'd you get here?"
Geryn was confused, he was sure he'd never met this woman before. "Excuse me?"
She stepped into the light. "Gods, I'm sorry about what happened." It was the Wood Elf bandit, Elwyn, from before.
"You?" Geryn was still confused. "How'd you get in there?"
She sighed. "That damned Nordic bitch that I got here with said that I helped J'zargo and you escape! Obviously everyone trusted her and not me, the backstabbing elf. They threw me in here not long ago."
"And you say you're sorry?"
"Yes, Gods yes!" She sounded regretful. "I only joined this clan when my home town, Helgen, was destroyed. I found- well, they kidnapped me and said that if I didn't work for them then they'd kill me!" She eyed Geryn up suspiciously. "You don't hate elves, do you?"
Geryn shook his head. "How could I? I'm half elf!"
Elwyn smiled. "Good! Could you bust me out?"
Geryn considered it, then nodded. "Stand back." He used telekinesis to grab the biggest stone he could see and launch it at the lock. It rattled, and Elwyn pushed the door open, running over and hugging Geryn.
"Thank you! You won't regret it." She backed away, awkwardly clearing her throat. Geryn smiled, then heard a cry of frustration coming from J'zargo. Geryn and Elwyn ran over to find him smashing a rock against the lock to another cell.
"Help me!" He exclaimed. Elwyn ran over and pulled out a tiny wire, which she used to expertly pick the lock. Without even questioning her presence, J'zargo flung the door open and burst inside the cell. He lit a nearby torch and let out a cry of anguish. In front of him were the bodies of several Khajiit, most of which were curled up in the foetal position. He dropped to his knees, crying out again, joining his fallen comrades and curling up on the floor, sobbing. Geryn was horrified by the sight, and Elwyn turned away, retching and covering her mouth. J'zargo crawled over to one of the bodies, hugging it and cradling it as he sobbed, rocking back and forth.
Geryn walked over and put a consoling arm around his shoulders. J'zargo dropped the body he had hold of and covered his face, rubbing his eyes every so often. Geryn felt awful for him, and guided him to his feet and away from the gruesome scene. Elwyn looked at the two leaving the cell and turned away again, guilty that she couldn't do anything. Geryn shook his head. It had all been for nothing.