Author's Note: Long again. My computer broke, "Again," so I took some time between chapters. If they take a long time in-between assume either that or writer's block.

Disclaimer: As always, except Eats is an origional character with an Elder Scrolls race (Argonian.)

Legend of Zelda: Akavir War

Chapter 5

Link strode outside the tavern with the mysterious mercenary, Eats-His-Book. The lizardman walked before the group, towards the city gate. Link and the others followed closely behind, knowing that outside the cities it was easy to get lost in the dark, trecherous swamps.

After very quickly losing sight of the city, Eats stopped. He turned to Link and said, "Before we can go further, you must be tested. Are you ready?" Link looked at his guide, confused, and slowly nodded. Before he could react, Ammas and the Nerevarine were magically parylized, and the reptillian battlemage was flying at him, sword drawn.

Link barely had time to draw his sword before Eats was already bringing his crooked sword down on him. Not bothering with the Mirror Shield, Link blocked with the Hand-and-a-half Master Sword, and was pushed back several feet. Another blow from the side, blocked, and he slid again. Link gathered his wits and stabbed forward. Eats jumped over him, flipped, and stabbed. The blow glanced off the Mirror Shield, still on Link's back. Link turned and slashed diagonally, slashed again, then slid his blade down Eats', and kicked. Eats careened through the air, and hit a tree, leaving a distinct body print. Link's eyes flashed, and he ran forward for another offensive.

Eats was ready. He and Link both attacked, and both deflected. Eats jumped and spun, launching a poison spell, and Link jumped past it at him. Link sliced vertically, and Eats blocked again. Higher and higher they went, and passed above the trees. Eats flew higher, far above Link, and launched a powerful ball of magic. Link flew strait at him, and cut the spell into two. Through the spell's remains, in one end and out the other, Link hit Eats with a gauntleted fist, and he fell from the sky.

Eats thudded loudly to the ground on his back, and Link landed smoothly and quietly next to him. Link's two companions got up, and Eats slowly strained onto one elbow. Link crouched next to the defeated warrior.

"What was that all about?" Link asked him.

Panting, Eats replied, "I... had to test... if you were strong enough for what you plan to do..."

Link wondered at the battlemage, and cast a healing spell on him. Eats stood, and got a little wobbly, and cursed under his breath, and stuttered. "I hate... well, I hate being punched in the face, but I mean I hate levitation. I lose my sense of balance for a while."

Link thought it was something else, his elven ears picking up some incincerity. But he wanted to get to Eats' house, so he kept quiet.

Eats led them to a small shack in the woods, connected to what appeared to be a cave. He stopped for a moment, the fins he had marking his ears twitching. He suddenly turned and threw a concealed dagger past Link into the trees, and a small Bosmer, or wood elf, with a readied bow and arrow fell bleeding from the tree. He landed with a dull plop into a small pool of muck below, and he didn't come up.

"Assassin," he explained to the enraged Link, "he would have killed us, and the people here. The Bosmer are stealthy in general. You're lucky I heard him."

"How do you know? He could have been anyone!" Link shouted.

"Silence, Elf!" Eats bellowed, "you saw the bow with your elf-eyes, you know in another second you would have been dead!"

Link couldn't argue. He hated the fact, but Eats was right. Then he got confused. His elven senses were exellent, even among his kind. How, then, could this lizardman hear the assassin? The question evaporated as he entered the shack-cave. Before him were a man and woman, both of which were eight foot tall serpents with golden scales.

"Vaena and Versidine, two Tsaesci refugees. I have been guarding them for a year." Eats said.

Link walked up to them. Vaena was an inquisitive looking serpent-woman, and Versidine was a powerfully built serpent-man. Link bowed respectfully, and turned to Eats, asking "These were who those thugs were looking for?"

Eats slowly nodded. Link said quietly, "and the Assassin?"

Eats nodded again. "I'll fight for free. I'll give my friends back thier home! I'll leave for Akavir with you."

Link shook Eats' hand, and his elf-eyes caught sight of something on the small, decrepit bookshelf. A book, old and dusty, called "Tamriel and Hyrule, the Beginning."

"What is that book?" Link asked. "Let me see it."

Okay. Fairly long. Next chapter we hear the Hylian and Tamrielic lore finally come together, and the two great sieries' this story was made for finally become one!