Sometimes sexual innuendo helps... :P And besides, after around two weeks of not posting anything I was beginning to feel like I was neglecting my readers. I love too much... o-o;;
Also, I've had an idea for an original story cooking in my head for the past day or so, and that has managed to snag my undivided attention.
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Corprus victims everywhere... The sights, the smells, it was disgusting. To the untrained stomach at least. Caelestis and the rest of his troupe waited outside of the high Telvanni tower of Tel Fyr while the two priests ventured into the Corprusarium to question the victims.
While he didn't want to admit it, Caelestis' stomach turned each time he read the very word "Corprus", and his nausea was made worse as the denizens of the Imperial Cult and Temple priests discussed the effects and compared thorough, explicit notes. If it were to spread that one of King Helseth's best was squeamish his reputation would be shot. Fortunately, Caelestis had the excuse of standing guard at the doors to keep him away from Fyr and his "daughters".
Caelestis watched as a small ship pulled into the port of the islet. The ferryman dropped anchor and placed a plank bridge in between the ship and the fungal ramp. Several lower-class fishmongers walked in clusters toward the tower in varying degrees of temperament. A few of the elderly citizens that were infected with the disease walked to the tower nonchalantly, while most of the young, able-bodied people were in hysterics. One Dunmer in particular caught his attention.
This man was evidently more well off than the rest of the group, which led Caelestis to hypothesize that the Dunmer wasn't from the same town as everyone else. At any rate he was fitting in with the hystericals quite well. The man had his heels firmly planted into the ground and was wailing as the ferryman helped a conspicuously dressed Elf push him toward the door. Caelestis looked at the woman, taking note of her appearance. Her black robes shone with a dark orange-ish enchantment. He especially took note of her olive complexion and frazzled black braids.
Could it be, "Isa." Caelestis said, slightly unsure of himself. His confidence boosted substantially when she turned at the sound of her name. He walked over to her and looked her in the eyes, "If you don't mind, I'll need to speak with you for a few minutes."
Isa said something to the Dunmer, and after a consoling pat on the shoulder she left the Dunmer and kept pace with Caelestis as he crossed the bridge to the neighboring islet.
"You're fully aware that you're wanted across the province of Morrowind for crimes against your King." He said as they walked.
"Helseth isn't my king. He's just the product of the Imperial takeover." Isa shot back pointedly, without the slightest hint of uncontrolled anger.
"So you worship the Tribunal gods then?"
"No, they are the product of the foolish hopelessness that has spread throughout the populace."
"Daedra?"
"Too pagan. Can we get to your point already?" Isa said stopping once the pair had hidden themselves safely behind a large rock.
"I'm no longer interested in your botched robbery." Caelestis said, his cold formality fleeing and being replaced by intense animosity, "What do you know about the Sixth House cult?"
"I know nothing," Isa said. Caelestis searched her eyes for signs of deceit, but finding none he let her continue, "I don't believe they exist in the wake of the Battle of Red Mountain. And besides, aren't the Tribunal and your King debunking the existence of that cult as superstition, just like the Nerevarine?"
"What do you know about the Nerevarine and the Battle of Red Mountain? How do you know that the governments are trying to cease the spread of rumors related to superstition?"
"I grew up in a tribe, I was always hearing about how you capitalists and religious zealots were taking over the world with your lies and corruption. It's all about conquest with your type. If the beliefs of a certain group clash with what your government's believes you take up arms and massacre them into submission."
"So you're saying you grew up around witchcraft and prophecy," Caelestis said; adding with triumph, "There were witnesses that testified to seeing you at each crime scene."
"Ashen skin takes on a greenish tint during the night, especially when orange flames are illuminating the person. I was born of Ayleid descent, and my skin doesn't appear ashen, does it?"
Caelestis raised his eyebrows, "How did you know there was fire?"
Isa rolled her eyes and laughed slightly, "Are you kidding? It's only the talk of taverns, council houses and practically everywhere else on this continent. There's no escaping what happened to those towns."
Caelestis and Isa locked eyes for several long, uncomfortable minutes. He thought Isa seemed candid enough, but her robes and an unseen aura told Caelestis a different story. He knew she was hiding something. Ironically enough, at that moment the hilt of a sword poked its way from the folds of her robes.
"You're armed?" he asked her, quirking an eyebrow.
"Of course. You can't trust people these days."
"May I see your weapon?"
"This is it," was the thought running through both of their minds at once. Caelestis knew that if Isa's sword was the ornate blade that had been described by the witnesses of the crimes then his chase would be over. Isa on the other hand knew the same thing, but wasn't nearly as blithe about it.
She unsheathed Herreslakter, and while her face didn't show it, she was surprised to see the plain iron saber-minus-the-metal-guard in her hand. Caelestis shared in the surprise, but his face visibly fell at the wanting weapon.
"Is that it?" he asked, hopefully.
"'Fraid so," Isa said, grinning, "I don't go after vampires, werewolves, homicidal Dwarven animunculi or Daedra; I don't need much."
Isa reached under her robes and produced a sack with nearly two pounds of gold in it, "I believe this will cover the fines in regard to my robbery attempt. And now, if you don't mind, I've got to get to the Corprusarium and do some comforting."
Caelestis slumped down at the edge of a nearby pond and stayed there for nearly an hour as the priests did their work. Deciding not to mope, he poured out the sack of gold and counted the pieces therein. Sure enough Isa was well over the bounty. He wasn't surprised, after all, she was the head of the Thieves' Guild and had money to throw into lave veins. A silver piece caught his attention, and when he picked it up a small round beetle was carved into one side and Dwemer writing on the opposite.
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In the meantime, Isa made her way warily down the winding ramp of Tel Fyr and into the Corprusarium. The warden warned her of the risks of abusing the patients (And just being in the quarantined area in general), and after swearing to follow the rules he let her pass.
Isa was bemused as she watched some of the new patients try and survive the harsh reality of their new environment. Several people were being backed into corners or running from the more developed corprus victims. She even saw a shirtless Breton man having his leg gnawed on by a lame corprus; apparently the two had foraged some sort of mutualistic relationship.
Isa walked into a small niche and found Balabhas on his hands and knees retching over a murky pool. When he appeared finished, Isa walked over and knelt behind him. She coiled her arms around his waist and laid her head in between his shoulder blades.
"I'm going to end up losing my mind." He said after a small silence, "I'm going to spend the rest of my life here and end up a paramour to one of the elder patients."
"No you won't," Isa said choking back the lump in her throat, "I'll come by as often as I can, I'll research the disease. I'll take care of you like you took care of me; I promise."
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The night sky was like a blanket of ebony as Isa met up with Dagoth Araynys outside of Vos. While drunk on the powers she had been given she had not lost sight of her intellect, and sometime during the boat ride to Vos she realized that it was the robes she'd been told to wear that had been the cause of the corprus outbreak.
"I want to know what the point of all of this is." Isa said in slight hysterics as she prodded Araynys in the chest repeatedly with an accusatory finger.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" he replied, grabbing her wrist and throwing it back with considerable force, "You're breaking the will of the Tribunal followers. Already our Cause had gained several hundred members since their gods aren't coming to their aid. We're trying to keep this up to not only break their wills, but also to blot out the existence of the gods' themselves."
"So Ur is using me to do his dirty work? Not surprising..." Isa spat, although she was slightly amused.
"Think of it as him cutting out the middleman," Araynys said with a sneer, "Lord Dagoth is testing you to see if you're really worthy of your bloodline."
"My bloodline?" Isa asked taking on the curiosity of a young child.
"I'll be brief and vague: from the time you were born Lord Dagoth has held you at a higher status than even we ash vampires. I'll let you figure it out from there."
Isa nodded, "I see. I've got a couple of things I don't understand. First, why are we in Vos? I don't see any traces of the Temple here."
"The people of Vos are weak," Araynys said looking up at the farm town, "You will set their chapel alight, and since the town uses adobe instead of stone it will catch quickly. Also, the clustered layout will promote rapid spread of the fire."
Araynys cast recall, and after watching the remains of magicka dissipate Isa went into the tavern to get a strong drink before she set about her work, upset that Araynys left before she could ask about Balabhas.
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"I've got a question for you, Lord." Isa said once she had arrived back in Citadel Dagoth. Her face and hands were covered in soot and some blood, and blisters and bits of charred skin decorated her attire and skin.
This was the first time that Dagoth Ur and herself had met alone in the facility cavern aside from punishment.
"Yes?" he asked, face impassive as always with his voice sounding the slightest bit interested and amused.
"About Balabhas... You said I could keep him if I was loyal to you."
"And you will, dear Child. But in my terms. You see, while you may not understand it now, it has always been my will for you two to be together. I selected him since the time of your birth. It was I who called you away from your tribe, cleverly disguised as an independent will. He will undergo tests, and if he is as obedient and strong as you he will be your pet. I think Dagoth Mstislav has a nice sound to it."
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Hm, I'm not particularly liking the way I made Ur sound. If anyone has any tips on making him less OCC I'd be glad to hear them. o.o;;