Dance of the ja-Kha'jay.
By Lakyan.
Authors Note: After actually looking at the story as you guys are reading it, I realised that the scene changes were getting warped. Perhaps auto-deletes extra enters. I have tried to rectify this. Also a timeline of important events is posted at the end of this chapter.
Chapter 9 – The Siege of Almalexia
Year4E2 17TH of Morning Star. Outside the city of Almalexia, Morrowind.
The Siege Crawler clanked its way towards the sprawling city. Raminus' army marched around the huge device. He and Burz gro-Khash rode atop the daedric behemoth.
"Alright men!" Burz shouted, his voice much louder and more commanding that Raminus'. The army stopped moving.
"This is the city of Almalexia, whose citadel, Mournhold must be captured. Helseth is inside. If Mournhold falls, so too does Morrowind. Are you ready?" Burz shouted.
A cry went up from the army, indicating that they were indeed ready.
"Alright then! CHARGE!" Burz shouted, jumping down from the Siege Crawler and joining the rush.
The cavalry soon rode ahead of the infantry, galloping like the wind to the front line of Helseth's men. They plunged into the line, cutting down many Dunmer swiftly.
The infantry caught up and joined the fight. Swords darted, halberds cleaved, arrows flew and hammers crashed in the maelstrom. Mages threw bolts of deadly magic at each other, more often than not hitting someone else in the cross fire.
Helseth's archers appeared on the rooftops lining the main road into Almalexia, raining arrows on all combatants, friend or foe.
Raminus used the Siege Crawler to fire a large fireball, which destroyed one of the houses, killing all of the archer's on top.
"Take out the Siege Crawler!" A dunmer general shouted.
"To me!" Raminus shouted. His men crowded round, fighting off Helseth's men.
Stones flew through the air, hurled from hidden catapults at the Siege Crawler. These small boulders bounced off the thick Daedric shell. However, the rebounding stones killed more than a few of Raminus' men.
"Get out of the way!" Raminus shouted.
No one moved.
"Move it meat! Get out of the way!" Burz gro-Khash literally threw men from in front of the Siege Crawler, which had finished powering up an attack.
A huge pillar of flame erupted from the Sigil stone. The flame column lanced down the road, incinerating anyone foolish enough to have remained in it's path. This included a great deal of King Helseth's men.
Raminus' army charged down the newly formed corridor and hacked their way through Helseth's army. Arrows rained down on them from above, while Helseth's archers remained mostly out of harms way. The Siege Crawler edged its way into the street. A few of Helseth's archers decided to take their chances and slay the mage controlling it.
Sparks flew from the Arch Mage's hands and the archers collapsed to the street below, electrocuted.
More stones flew from the hidden catapults, this time tearing one of the legs off. The leg fell uselessly onto the cobblestones.
"Leave it!" Raminus barked when he saw some of his men attempting to retrieve it.
The men dashed away and rejoined the fight.
Suddenly a great tolling sounded from Mourhold, whose high walls dominated the scene. The Gates of Symmachus opened, pouring out Helseth's personal guard.
These highly trained men cut straight through Raminus' remaining men. The Gates close behind the new army, which closed in on the Siege Crawler.
"To me!" Burz gro-Khash and Raminus shouted in unison.
The remains of the tattered Imperial army fell back to the Siege Crawler. Helseth's men closed in around the front, blocking their advance. The Siege Crawler was blocking their escape. Things seemed utterly hopeless to Raminus.
"It has been a pleasure serving alongside you." Raminus told Burz, who was below him.
"Aye, it's been a pleasure serving alongside you too meat…err…Arch-Mage." Burz corrected himself.
The four spires around the Siege Crawlers front end began to rotate faster, preparing another devastating flame pillar. All of a sudden it was raining archers, as Helseth's bowmen were being shot from behind. Argonians climbed onto the rooftops, raining arrows onto Helseth's men.
"The Argonians!" Raminus shouted in jubilation. "Get down!" he barked.
The pillar of flame erupted from the Daedric siege machine, lancing down the street, incinerating Helseth's guard in the conflagration.
A shout went out from the remains of the Imperial army. The Argonians jumped down from the rooftops.
"You guys came in the nick of time!" Raminus called down from the Siege Crawler.
"We thought you could use a hand!" The Argonian general chuckled.
A running sound approached them from behind. Burz gro-Khash walked around the Siege Crawler to investigate.
A single figure was riding along the street, the sunset behind him obscuring him.
He came to a stop, and jumped off. His mount, a well built Senche flopped onto his side in exhaustion. Ra'jissan stepped in the shadows of the building.
"I missed out on all the fun didn't I?" Ra'jissan asked.
"Not quite yet, High Chancellor." Burz answered.
"Alkosh knows I won't get used to that title." Ra'jissan joked.
"It's been what? Two months? You'll get used to it." Raminus told him.
"I suppose I will. Now, if I haven't missed all the fun?" Ra'jissan asked.
"We have outer Almalexia, but Mournhold remains untouched." Burz pointed.
The walled fortress seemed to scream defiance at the men.
"Well, shall we get started?" Ra'jissan asked.
Raminus made the Siege Crawler start its slow march forward, giving the men time to catch up before they made it down the road to Mournhold.
"So how did you manage to get away?" Burz asked.
"I spent three nights doing paperwork, and I hope to hell no other issues arrive in the next couple of days." Ra'jissan sighed.
"I wasn't referring to the Elder Council." Burz teased.
"Ahnassi will be fine. I promised I'd get back to her by Morndas."
"We'll get you back to her. What other news?" Raminus asked.
"The Bretons have surrounded the Summerset Isles, after destroying all their warships and docks. Effectively an embargo. The Mane is struggling to retake Dune from the Bosmer, so that's keeping him busy. And as you know, we have maintained a grasp on Riverhold, and Leyawiin remains under Nhad-Hatta's control." Ra'jissan laid the situation out.
Raminus whistled. "You seem to have things under control."
"Yes. It's surprisingly easy to coordinate the armies with the speaking stones. Thanks again for those Arch-Mage." Ra'jissan said, and he meant it.
"What about Lord Ocato and Empress Regent Ri'rassi? Any news from them?" Burz gro-Khash asked.
"Ocato has returned to his previous occupation, teaching at the Arcane University, and Ri'rassi has begun to take regular walks around the city with the Crown Prince, who at seven months should begin talking soon. Or at least that's how old normal Khajiit are when they learn to talk." Ra'jissan passed on the details.
"It seems the Crown Prince will grow fast, like a Khajiit." Raminus commented, as the Siege Crawler clanked forward.
"So why have the Bretons embargoed the Altmer?" Burz asked.
"The Altmer assaulted Stros M'kai. Hammerfell called for aid, and the Bretons answered. Their fleet destroyed the Altmer, and they continued on to assault the Summerset Isles, buying us time here." Ra'jissan explained.
"I think this is close enough. Wouldn't you agree High Chancellor?" Raminus called down.
"Indeed I do, Arch-Mage."
"Alright men! Get out the way. Move quickly to either side of the street. If anyone steps more than a mouse's tail, then they will end up a pile of ashes, like those Dunmer back there." Burz yelled, and his men quickly obeyed.
The spires on the Siege Crawler rotated faster, and a fireball began to gather. The Siege Crawler spread its legs out, bracing for the attack. It spewed the flaming pillar forth, only larger, and more powerful, a true testament to daedric ingenuity. The column shot forth, and pummelled the gates of Mournhold. The flame pillar abruptly shut off, and what was left of the gates, was a smouldering heap of logs.
Raminus' men and the Argonian contingent charged into the gates and into the Plaza Brindisi Dorom. A lone figure greeted them, and their mad rush ended as soon as they realised who it was.
Ra'jissan rode in on the Senche, wondering why the men had stopped their charge. He stopped short when he saw her.
"Queen Mother Barenziah." He addressed her, riding forth to meet her.
"Hello Nerevarine, Hortator and High Chancellor. I know why you have come, and you have come in vain." She told him.
"In vain? How? We have taken your city. Morrowind belongs to the Empire once more." Ra'jissan replied.
"Morrowind will not belong to the Empire until Helseth is captured or slain. He is not here." Barenziah informed the armoured Khajiit.
"Well then. We'll just have to find him." Ra'jissan said, flicking his tail in annoyance.
"Yes, you will. He is holed up in Red Mountain, the last stronghold of House Dagoth." Barenziah told him.
"Burz, you and your men will stay here, keeping Mournhold and Almalexia under our control. Raminus, Helseth didn't have the sugar to face us here in his Capital. You shall find him at Red Mountain. I will return to the Imperial City, and convince Ahnassi to let me aid you at Red Mountain." Ra'jissan addressed his two trusted friends.
"Are you sure Ahnassi will let you? Will she understand?" Raminus asked.
"Ahnassi is the most understanding lady I know. She married me remember." Ra'jissan joked.
Ra'jissan dismounted his Senche. "You will stay with Burz gro-Khash." He told the great cat.
The Senche grunted in protest.
"He will treat you well, and if he doesn't, then bite his little finger off." Ra'jissan joked with the beast.
The Senche huffed in seeming laughter.
"Glad that's settled friend." Ra'jissan stroked the great cat's ear, and gave the halter to Burz, who looked at the beast in astonishment.
"Right, get going. The sooner we get find Helseth, the better." Ra'jissan used recall and vanished.
Year4E2 17TH of Morning Star. The Elder Council Chambers, Cyrodiil.
"We have taken Almalexia, but Helseth escaped to Vvardenfell. The Queen Mother Barenziah has informed us that he is holed up in Red Mountain." Ra'jissan told the Council.
He updated the tactical map that was laid across the table.
"What of Raminus Polus?" The Empress Regent asked.
"He marches north as we speak. Burz gro-Khash remains in control of Mournhold." Ra'jissan told her.
"Did the Argonians catch up in the end?" The Nord woman asked.
"Yes. They now make up the majority of Raminus' army. Many Imperials were slain during the Siege." The Khajiit explained.
"The Siege Crawler?" A redguard asked.
"Missing a leg, but I think Raminus can repair that. He seems very competent with the operation of the machine."
"I would think so, especially after blowing a hole in the side of the Arcane University trying to get it working." Ri'rassi joked, to which the entire Council giggled quietly.
"Right. I know the Red Mountain region better than any other, and when I get a call from Raminus, I will travel there to aid him. I will take Sir Mazoga with me. Her combat experience will aid us greatly. It is a very hostile region, with rugged terrain. I doubt the Siege Crawler will get beyond Ghostgate. We must come up with another strategy for the assault on Red Mountain." Ra'jissan told the Council.
TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
27th Last Seed 3E433 – Uriel Septim is assassinated.
27th Hearthfire 3E433 – Martin Septim sacrifices himself. (The date in my game)
9th Sun's Dusk 3E433 – M'rassi discovers she is pregnant.
4th Sun's Height 4E1 – Ja-Kha'jay Septim is born. (Khajiit pregnancy is 11months)
29th Sun's Height 4E1 – The Empire breaks up. The Mane declares war on Cyrodiil.
9th Last Seed 4E1 – Ri'rassi crowned Empress Regent.
24th Hearthfire 4E1 – The Battle of Septim's Gate Pass.
12th Sun's Dusk 4E1 – The Mane captures Leyawiin.
20th Sun's Dusk 4E1 – Ocato resigns from the Elder Council. Ra'jissan takes his place.
17th of Morning Star 4E1 – Almalexia is besieged.