I pay homage to "Indiana Jones" in this Chapter just because I love George Lucas and it fit with the mission of recovering a scared artifact from a booby trapped ruin.
CHAPTER 5. WHITETIP AND THE RAIDERS
OF THE DWEMER PUZZLE BOX
Whitetip rose the next day at her new home at Nerano manor. The young argonian hoped she'd one day meet Nerano's relatives to thank them for giving their loved one's house and possessions to her. As both argonians and elves of all types were long lived though argonian's beat the elves by being able to live up to 2000 years old part of their dragon/ saurian heritage she'd have plenty of time to find Nerano's family. She put on the clothes he'd left for them. She went downstairs to see Banalz was making breakfast. " Okaw got some rats and kwama foragers during his hunt this morning. Before we were enslaved Okaw was a hunter I was training to be an enforcer and an ordinator for the Imperial Legion. I sent my commanding officer Darius a note that I was freed from illegal bondage by you Whitetip. He's coming to thank you persoanly. When he comes I must return to my duty but I'll get the legion to support your cause if I can Whitetip." Banalz explained. " Wow I never knew of an argonian ordinator before. I have to find Hasphalt Antabolus and get my first mission. Does anyone want to come with me?" Whitetip asked.
" I'll come!" Baardago replied. " Count me in as well." Okaw added. " I'll come as well." Banalz replied. The former slaves now had real clothing on and were looking less malnourished by the day. The four friends set off to the fighters guild where Haphalt told Whitetip she must recover a Dwemer puzzle box from a nearby Dwemer ruin. He warned them about a battle mage Snowy Grandus who'd taken up residence at the ruin with his band of outlaws to loot the scared ruin of its valuables and run a business on selling illegal ebony. Each of the friends had bought a weapon Okaw carried a crossbow with steel bolts, Banalz was armed with a spear and an ax, Baardago with a Tanto and a Wakigzashi and Whitetip had her Dai Katana and a regular katana with her. Hul the pauper saw them and came over. " Where are you off to?" she asked. " We're getting an artifact for a friend from a nearby Dwemer Ruin called Ankgard. Do you know how to get there?" Whitetip asked. " I'll show you I know these hills like the back of my hand. Just let me grab my staff and I'll show you the way." Hul replied. The female argonian pauper ran off to her hovel and came back with a battered up bo staff and an old iron dagger that had rust and chips on the blade but was still sharp. She also had a makeshift haversack with rope and other necessities in it. " This way follow me." She beckoned heading for the entrance to the city by the silt strider port. Hul led them past Fort Moonmoth they stood at a fork in the road. " We go this way there's a bridge watch out for Snowy Grandus he's a battle mage and has real powerful spells. We'd best be cautious." Hul explained. They came upon a bridge sure enough was an Imperial battle mage he came charging at them. " Everyone attack at once and overwhelm him it's our only hope!" Banalz ordered. Having originally been in the Imperial Legion she had the most knowledge about battle tactics. Okaw fired his crossbow at the mage. Okaw now that he was no longer malnourished Whitetip could see how attractive his was his scales were similar in color to his sister's only more vibrant and flashy seeing as he was male, his horns were sharp and healthy and his frill was bronze in color with golden flecks in it. His dewlap ( a loose piece of skin on the throat common in male reptiles) had already turned orange showing he was a sexually mature male. On his nose was a small horn sort of like a triceratops' nose horn.
Whitetip slashed at the mage with her dai katana a sand storm had kicked up during the battle. Not used to having sand being blown at her Whitetip got some in her eyes and screeched in irratation and anger as her nicitating membranes worked to clear the sand and shield her eyes. That momentary hesitation was all Snowy needed and he swung at her with his war hammer she heard the noise and was able to dodge but he got her on the arm she fell off the bridge and grabbed on to the edge with her clawed hands but was slipping. She screamed as she slipped. " Whitetip!" Okaw yelled in fear for her. Not considering his own safety he leapt at Snowy knocking him into the chasm sending him to his death. " Help I can't hold on any longer!" Whitetip yelled. She was about to fall when Okaw grabbed her by the right arm and pulled her to safety. " Are you okay Whitetip?" Okaw asked. Whitetip hugged him fiercly afraid to let go. She looked at him and the two kissed. " Well I hate to break up this moment but we have to find this Dwemer Puzzle box of yours." Baardago replied. Okaw and Whitetip looked at one another and smiled Whietip turned to Baardago. " Let's go get it. Hul are there any more like him? Hasphat said criminals were working from this place. " Yes my friend Nilana Dren told me the other day it's a real shame that some people have no respect for the ancient ruins and use them as lairs for evil." Hul replied. " You know Dren's daughter? What's she like?" Okaw asked. Dren was known for being unmercifully brutal to his slaves. " She's not like her father at all she says when she inherits his land she will set the slaves free and hire paid workers she also aims to put an end to his moonsugar smuggling business he is also in. For a native dunmer she respects outlanders unless they defile her people's scared areas. She loves history and to her the knowledge behind every ancient artifact there is worth more than all of the gold in Tamieriel. Right know she's exploring the Black Swamps of Argonia trying to learn the argonian's chief deites as nothing is known to non-beast folk about our ways and religion." Hul replied.
The group came upon a crank Whitetip cautiously walked up to it and pushed it. Suddenly there was a low rumbling sound the five of them looked and saw two huge stone doors to a ruin of some sort opening slowly. " Let's go before they close again." Whitetip called out. The group went in they quickly dispatched the two lackeys they made there way carefully through the ruin light filtered down in some parts. Baardago was about to cross when Banalz and Whitetip stopped him. " What?" He asked. Banalz rook out a piece of fruit and threw it into the light all of a sudden several poison tipped darts struck the piece of fruit by the time it hit the ground it looked like a pincushion. " Trapped the Dwemer didn't want their tombs, cities or temples plundered so with their ingenuity they laid many traps to deter robbers." Hul explained. For her social standing Hul knew more than most paupers and commoners as she was friends with Nilana Dren had been taught to read and write. Her mate Only-he-Stands-There was a healer and now brought them a good income. Even if he was a thief. They got to the doors going into the Hall of Hollow Hand which is the room the box was said to be in. Hul pressed the right lever and the doors opened. All of a sudden a human smuggler stood there he held a short sword and had an evil grin on his face he brought the sword up and was about to charge when several bolts got him in the chest and he fell to the ground. They looked and Okaw causualy put his crossbow away. They entered the room Whietip saw the puzzle box on the shelf. She saw several stones that if stepped on would release more traps she stepped around them and carefully removed the box and put it in her bag. The group started to exit the chamber when all of a sudden the stones moved down into the ground.
" RUN!" Baardago yelled. The group started to run towards the exit all of a sudden several rocks including a real big one came out of the ceiling and rolled after them. The five jumped a pit with spikes for impaling in it the boulders fell into the pit the door to the outside was slowly closing. The darts came flying out at them but they managed to dodge the darts. They jumped and made it out just as the doors closed behind them. They all looked back at the Dwemer tomb then at each other and all laughed. " Did you get it?" Okaw asked. " Sure did! Let's get this thing back to Haspaht so I can deck him." She replied showing them the Dwemer Puzzle box. The group then headed back to Balmora to give Hasphat his box and so Whitetip could receive her next mission.
Meanwhile Darius and several Imperial Legion officers were on their way to Balmora to thank Whitetip for the rescue of Banalz of the Death's Head Garrison. Nduli and several lackeys were watching them. Nduli signaled to his henchmen and the daedric worshipers unleashed boulders onto the unsuspecting troops. The Imperial Legionares ran but only Darius and four of his men made it out alive. " That was no ordinary rock slide. Someone caused it. Find them and bring either their person or their treacherous heads back to me." Darius ordered. The leigonares searched but found no trace of the attackers. " What do we do Sir?" Brute Lycanus asked. " We'll hold a ceremony for our fallen brothers and sisters when we get to Balmora I'll contact the Emperor to tell him about this. I have a suspiscion it's part of a plot to slay the Nerevarine. If so we must do what we can to make sure they don't succeed or all may be lost." Darius replied.
Next up Banalz and Baardago head back to Gnisis with the Death's Head Legion so Banalz can conitinue her training and Whitetip unknowingly makes friends with one who wishes to destroy her will the double agent be revealed in time? Find out next time in chapter 6 of Whitetip's Destiny.