Chapter Twenty-two: The Redoran duel
NOTE: Some parts of this chapter have intentionally been altered from the original plot. This is because of the conversion from a game into a writing. Sorry.
Merlac and Achen were walking through the streets of Ald'ruhn, towards a gigantic mushroom which was the home of the Redoran council. Achen looked around every once in a while, as the streets were patrolled by Redoran guards. They both knew they had not done anything illegal, but they had no idea how people would react if somebody recognised the ring in Merlac's finger.
As another guard walked past them with his yellow bonemold cuirass, Merlac took a closer look at it. Unlike the ones the Hlaalu guards used in Balmora, these armour sets were more worn-out by the daily sand storms in the city. Some guards even had some large scars in their shields, like markings from battles they had been in.
"I wonder why the Redoran house is guarding their city so strongly, as they have an Imperial fort just outside the city walls", Achen wondered.
"Like Sul-Matuul said, The Redorans are warriors in blood. Fighting is their negotiation, but they still have more honour than the Hlaalu for example.", Merlac said.
"How do you think they will react?"
"To be honest with you, I really don't know. They will probably be willing to show their power to the Imperial legions and gain more responsibility in guarding Vvardenfell, but on the other hand they don't like co-operating with the other houses more than the others like to work with the Redorans."
The two friends arrived to a rather small door in the side of the gigantic mushroom. The door was guarded by two Redoran guards, who moved their hands closer to their swords as the two men approached.
"Greetings, we wish to meet the councillors of your Great House.", Merlac said with official voice.
The guards looked at each other, but to Achen's surprise they did not start laughing, but opened the door and stepped aside.
As they walked through the door, they noticed there was no corridors carved to the mushroom, as it was completely hollow from inside. On the inner sides of the building were large wooden balconies, connected into each other by wooden suspended bridges. Merlac and Achen walked through the bridges to the opposite side of the mushroom and stopped in front of three, large, wooden doors labelled "Council's quarters".
"Shall I knock or will you?", Achen joked. Before Merlac managed to answer, the middle door opened by itself and a Redoran dunmer nobleman peeped out.
"Ah, finally, you must be Merlac, the one who tries to become Hortator, we've been expecting you. Please, come with me.", the nobleman said.
Achen rose his eyebrows to Achen and they both followed the man through the doorway. They walked through a rather large manor without saying a word, until they arrived to a large room similar to the Hlaalu meeting room in Balmora. In the middle of the room was a round table with five Redoran councillors sitting around it.
"Greetings, I am..."
"...Merlac, yes, we know.", one of the councillors interrupted before Merlac was able to finish.
"You are trying to unite the Great Houses of Morrowind, yes?", another councillor continued.
"Yes, that is why I am here."
"Yes, we got a note from our informants in Balmora. It seems you already managed to buy off the support from those Hlaalu fools."
"...and now he wants your support.", Achen said and stepped forward.
"Yes, that is what we suspected, we are familiar with the Hortator tradition. However, I'm afraid we will have to decline."
"And why is that?", Merlac asked without feeling surprised.
"The Redorans do not deny the need for something to be done, but we do not agree it is a threat large enough to unite the Great Houses. We have already sent some reinforcements to the imperial outpost in the Ghostfence, but that's all."
"We could always name you our Hortator just because we don't want to look cowards in the side of Hlaalu, but I'm afraid you haven't convinced us that you are even worthy.", another councillor continued.
"So...", Merlac asked with asking expression on his face.
"Our answer is no, come back when the Nords invade Vvardenfell again or something."
Merlac's look wondered around the table. Two councillors were still staring at him, but the others had already started talking about other things and browsing the papers in front of them. Merlac turned to Achen and this looked back at him. They both nodded.
Merlac took out his daedric longsword and Achen took out his, and they both smashed them through the expensive, wooden table, leaving the swords sticking out of the broken wood.
The councillors stood up startled and stared at Merlac and the broken table in turns.
"I believe your faction has a champion. I wish to challenge that man into a duel with swords. If I win, I have proven myself worthy. How do you like the sound of that?"
"Well... we indeed have a champion you are referring to...", one of the councillors said finally.
"And who is that?", Achen asked.
"That would be me.", said a dunmer from the other side of the room, who was -- to Merlac's surprise -- still sitting on his chair. The man had a short, sharp, red beard and dark red eyes, red even compared to the other dunmer in the room.
"You?", Merlac asked.
"Yes, I am the champion of the House Redoran. Do you really wish to challenge me?"
Merlac nodded.
"Very well then, I accept your terms. If you beat me in a fair swordfight in the great arena canton in Vivec, you will have my vote to be our Hortator."
The other councillors nodded to each other and muttered approvingly.
"When?", Merlac asked.
"Three days from now, midday, Vivec's arena. Be there if you want our votes."
"Deal.", Merlac said and he and Achen pulled their swords out of the table, sheathed them and walked out of the room.
"That young imperial has courage, or is he just foolhardy?", the dunmer said to himself after Merlac and Achen had left.
---
Three days later, exactly on midday, Merlac was standing under the Arena pit in Vivec, while Achen was trying to dress him his glass cuirass Merlac had borrowed from him.
"Ok, if this guy is the champion of House Redoran, he's probably one hell of a fighter. But don't worry, just use the same tactic as before, don't let him come too close, keep him away with your longsword."
"That was my plan", Merlac grinned.
"Yes...of course, and remember to move all the time, he will strike as soon as he gets the opportunity."
"Yeah, you've been telling me that since we arrived to Vivec. Well, how do I look?", Merlac asked and pointed at the darkgreen glass cuirass on him.
"Looks great and it should give you protection against most of his strikes. Just take care of your head and cover your legs with your sword. You'll be alright."
"Thanks."
An imperial servant walked down the stairs.
"It's time to go.", the man said. Merlac took his sword from the sheath and left the sheath with his other useless gear, and followed the man with Achen just behind him.
The arena itself was a large, sand-floored hall inside one canton in Vivec. There was a large opening in the roof high above them and the midday's sun gave bright light for the arena and the audience. The stand was almost empty, with the exception of the Redoran councillors and their bodyguards in their bonemold armour.
A small gate in the other side of the arena pit opened and Merlac walked in. Achen sat down in the audience near the Redoran councillors. Merlac looked around and saw the Redoran champion walk to the pit from another small gate. As he walked away from the shadows, Merlac took a quick breath; The dunmer man was dressed in a shiny, complete armour set made from dark ebony. Though pitch black, the cuirass shined in the sunlight and Merlac knew every last piece of that armour set had to be worth a small fortune.
Merlac took a rather heavy steel tower shield from his back, and the dunmer took a decorated, round ebony shield from his. They both walked to the centre of the arena and waited. Soon, a Redoran nobleman walked into a stage above them and spoke to the audience with loud and clear voice.
"Welcome to Vivec, honorful representatives of the Great House Redoran. We are here to witness a glorious duel between Merlac the Imperial, and Bolvyn Venim, the champion of House Redoran."
The Redoran councillors and noblemen applauded when Venim's name was mentioned.
"There will be no fight to death today, they will only battle until one of them is unconscious, or gives up.", the nobleman continued.
Merlac took a deep breath again and focused on his opponent. Venim took out a long ebony broadsword from its sheath and faced Merlac. Merlac rose his sword into ready position and gripped the handle of his shield more tightly.
"Now, let the fight begin!", the nobleman yelled.
Venim started immediately walking slowly around Merlac, facing his direction all the time. Merlac kept his eyes on Venim's broadsword, ready to evade or block the first strike. Finally, the dunmer hit Merlac's shield with his sword and the audience applauded as the fight started.
Despite the full armour set around him, the dunmer moved incredibly fast and sent agile hits towards Merlac much faster than he had predicted. Merlac tried to swing his longsword but Venim easily blocked it with his own and used the same move to strike towards Merlac's head. Merlac evaded the strike barely and the broadsword cut a deep scar to his shoulder pad.
Merlac noticed to his horror that the tower shield was making him clumsier than he had thought, and though his longsword could be handled with only one hand, it wasn't nearly as agile as when used in two-handed combat.
Merlac knew Venim had also noticed the same, as he started making more aggressive attacks and slowly forcing Merlac towards the stone wall behind him. Only few feet away from the wall, Merlac decided he had had enough, and threw away the heavy shield. Merlac saw the surprised expression on Venim's face, as this took a step backwards when Merlac grabbed his sword now with both hands.
Merlac started feeling comfortable again. With much less weight slowing him down, Merlac charged towards Venim and started hitting the dunmer with agile and well-aimed hits. One by one Venim blocked the strikes with either his sword or his shield, but finally Merlac forced him to start walking backwards and evading the hits.
The audience yelled in astonishment as Merlac ran past Venim while slashing at him, forcing the dunmer to rush to the ground to evade the long daedric blade. Merlac turned around and charged again, but this time Venim was prepared and kicked sand into Merlac's eyes. Merlac yelled in pain and jumped backwards, but Venim stroke fast and hit Merlac's back with his broadsword.
The glass cuirass held the sustained the strike but Venim's blade smashed the locks and the cuirass opened and fell to the ground. Merlac turned around and threw the remaining shoulder pads into ground as well.
"Do you really want me to undress you before I finish you?", Venim grinned.
Merlac didn't reply, but rose his sword to ready position again. Venim did the same. Merlac decided to take a risk and sent a violent horizontal slash at his opponent. Venim put his shield against the strike, but the daedric blade smashed trough the expensive shield and did not stop until it struck Venim's chest armour, without penetrating it.
Venim stared at his broken shield in disbelief, while gasping air and walking backwards. Merlac rejoiced as Venim threw away his shield; because of longer blade Merlac now had the advantage.
Merlac rose his sword for another strong strike and Venim rose his. When the two shining blades struck together, Merlac first thought he had broken Venim's sword as well, but to his horror he noticed it was actually his own longsword that had broken into two pieces.
Venim laughed as Merlac stared the stub in his hand. One of the most powerful swords ever existed in Tamriel, a rare daedric longsword that had endured for thousands of years, now rested in two broken pieces. Venim's enchanted ebony broadsword had been too much for the old and thin sword of Vivec himself.
While Venim was still laughing, Merlac threw away the handle of his broken sword and kicked Venim into his palm. Venim's broadsword flew away from the dunmer's hand he stopped laughing.
"I guess we are even now."
Venim ripped away his damaged chest armour and ran against Merlac and yelled. Merlac yelled as well and they both fell down to the sand floor. The audience stood up and stared in excitement as Merlac and Venim wrestled in the sand, hitting each other where they could. Finally, all movement stopped and silence filled the arena, as Merlac grabbed the broken hilt of his sword from the ground and pressed it to Venim's throat. Venim stopped resisting and stared Merlac into eyes.
"Well?", Merlac asked while gasping in exhaustion.
Venim kept staring Merlac and gasping as well, until he suddenly gave a laugh. Merlac stood up and helped the dunmer to stand as well.
"Very well, young imperial. You have beaten me, congratulations."
The Redoran councillor put his hand into his pocket and took out a small red ring.
"This is the Ring of Hortator, it will mark you to have the support of the Great House Redoran. We will follow you into any battle."
Merlac took the ring and thanked. He had got what he came for, but it had come with too high prize. Merlac stared to the ground where laid the remainings of his great sword. The enchantments of a Golden Saint had worn out and the blade did not glow anymore.
Venim noticed Merlac's look and spoke again.
"Merlac, that ring shows everybody that you are the Hortator of House Redoran, protector of our people, but this will show them you have beaten me in a fair fight.", Venim said and handed Merlac his ebony broadsword.
"Err...", Merlac began and stared at the still-shiny blade.
"It's not as unique or powerful as your daedric predecessor, but it's a fine sword and I will know it has a skilful owner. Besides, you've earned it."
Merlac slowly took the ebony sword and looked at Venim.
"Thanks...thanks a lot.", he was able to say.
"Now I believe you have a long journey to travel, I do not wish to hold you any longer. I wish you luck with the Telvanni, as they will not bow in front of any sword. Good luck, Merlac, and congratulations!"
Merlac nodded, turned around and walked out of the arena, while the audience applauded and cheered above him...