Dance of the ja-Kha'jay.
By Lakyan.
Chapter 13 – The Fall of the Siege Crawler.
Year 4E2 12th of Sun's Dusk. Outside the city of Arenthia, Valenwood.
The Siege Crawler stamped its way though the forest, easily knocking down the huge trees blocking its path. Raminus Polus sat atop the Daedric behemoth, tossing fireballs idly at some native simian creatures swinging though the trees, hooting taunts. A large brown shaggy creature in a blue and red waistcoat landed on the rear of the Siege Crawler. The Arch-Mage panicked for a moment, until the beast turned into the more recognizable High Chancellor.
"What can I do for you, High Chancellor?" Raminus asked.
"I don't trust the Bosmer N'wahs. I have no idea what the Bosmer are capable of. If Ahnassi knew I was here, she'd kill me." Ra'jissan pressed a ring into Raminus's hand. It wasn't the ring of Hircine.
"This is Barilzar's Mazed Band. You need to tell it what you want to do when you put it on. Say 'Summon' and you can summon the metallic beasts that I was using when we defeated the Wild Hunt. Say 'Teleport' and you can teleport instantly to Morrowind. You need to think of the city you want. You can go to Vivec, Almalexia or Sotha Sil. If you need to use it, go to Almalexia, where Burz gro-Khash waits. Use teleport only in the most dire situation. If you absolutely need to teleport, take the Senche from Burz gro-Khash and get back to Cyrodiil with all haste." Ra'jissan explained quickly.
Raminus took the information in, and nodded. "Thank you High Chancellor, now you'd better get back to Ahnassi before she skins you."
Ra'jissan used recall and vanished. Raminus and hi army reached a ridge, and they saw the city of Arenthia in the valley. The Strid River meandered past the city. A bright light was the main feature, emitted from a temple near the city's edge.
"They will unleash the Wild Hunt again!" Modryn Oreyn called up to Raminus.
"You think I could hit it from here?" Raminus called down to his Dark Elf friend.
"Would be a good test of the range if that thing." Mazoga called up.
"Alright then." Raminus cracked his knuckles in an exaggerated motion and charged the Siege Crawler.
The rotating spires spun faster and a ball of flame gathered between them. The flaming pillar lanced forward into the distance heat waves shimmering in the air around it. The attack slammed into the Temple, which exploded outward, spilling half formed monsters into the streets of Arenthia. The beasts began to consume all in their path, their mad hunger already apparent.
"Good Shot." Mazoga yelled.
Raminus aimed the head of the Siege Crawler to a minutely lower angle. He charged the machine again, cutting a great big swatch through the dense jungle surrounding the Bosmer city. He cleared a path to the city.
The Imperial army began their march into the valley, progress made easier by the now cleared path. They charged forth through the charred vegetation, towards the plume of smoke that issued from the ruined Bosmer Temple. Raminus on the Siege Crawler plodded along after them. By the time he reached the city it was under the control of Modryn and Mazoga. The scattered remnants of the Bosmer and Igma inhabitants hid in their houses, and the smaller Wild Hunt was utterly destroyed.
"Well that was unusually easy." Raminus commented.
"I wonder what the Bosmer were playing at, leaving the city almost undefended." Mazoga commented.
A great crashing sound filled their hearts with dread. They looked around wildly, unsure where the sound was coming from, considering the echoes of the valley. The crashing sound was getting louder, and probably closer. Birds fled from their roosts on the other side of the valley.
"That had better not be what I think it is…" Modryn whispered to himself.
A huge shadow brushed the forest canopy at the top of the hill. None of the Imperial army could make out what it was.
Crash!
The shadow lurched up, an undefined shape. Raminus drew his breathe in sharply realising what it was.
Crash!
A great tree crested the mountain, and it flicked its huge root over and hoisted itself over the ridge.
Crash!
"By the Nine! It's Falinesti! They brought the damned capital to us!" Raminus Polus shouted.
"Mages! Ready your fire magic! Raze the city! Arenthia and Falinesti both! Everyone else, fall back!" Modryn Oreyn yelled.
The mages began shooting fire balls at the giant tree as it took another huge step down the mountain.
Crash!
Sir Mazoga shot a desperate glace to Raminus, who had almost charged the Siege Crawler and was taking aim. She joined the throng of fleeing soldiers, knowing she could do nothing against the might of the Bosmer capital itself, and hating herself for it.
Crash!
"Falinesti itself! The city itself is their weapon!" Modryn barked into his speaking stone as he bolted. Raminus fired the Siege Crawler. The attack seared the foliage of the city, destroying houses and walkways. Screams of terror rang out from the leafy districts.
Crash! The tree was upon them.
Raminus raised his aim, attempting to take out the Cameron Palace, near the top of the tree. He charged the Siege Crawler.
Falinesti swiped with its huge roots, and smeared a fleeing regiment across the plains. Bosmer archers rained arrows down on the mages, injuring many.
Raminus threw immense fireballs into the lowermost branches, distracting many of the archers. However, this led them to aim for him. He barely managed to get his shield spell up in time.
The Siege Crawler fired, its flame pillar slamming into the trunk of the tree. The close range of the attack created recoil, and the Siege Crawler staggered back, gouging great rents in the earth. A huge crater was left in the side of the trunk, like a flaming maw.
The tree responded by sweeping a giant root at the Siege Crawler. The wood slammed into hard ebony, and the immense momentum to the tree drove the Siege Crawler into the air.
Raminus flew from the Siege Crawler into the air, too stunned to move. The Siege Crawler landed next to the river, and rolled to a halt, metal joints groaning loudly in protest. Raminus landed in the other side of the river, breaking his left arm and knocking him out for a moment.
A great shout went out from the immense tree. Raminus stirred awake, and rammed Barilzar's Mazed Band onto his finger.
"Summon!" He shouted at the ring, and he conjured up a dozen Fabricants into existence. He gaped at their half organic, half metallic makeup, as they charged at the Bosmer capital. Wood Elves and Igma swung down from the tree, hoping to finish off the last of the mages who were still flinging fireballs at the archers. The Fabricants dashed up the tree with their metal claws, and began to savage every Bosmer in sight.
Raminus dashed across the river, uncaring of his sodden robes. He ran up to the Siege Crawler and began to punch in a series of buttons on the control panel. The Twisted metal hulk groaned in protest.
"Damn!" Raminus slammed his good fist onto the panel. The Siege Crawler uttered a spurt of flame.
Falinesti loomed over the Mage and his broken contraption. Raminus looked at the busted Crawler in sorrow. Falinesti lifted a huge root preparing to crush the mangled machine. Raminus quickly entered a new sequence into the buttons, and shouted at the ring on his hand.
Falinesti brought down its root, but just before the root made contact with the smashed Daedric Siege Crawler, the machine exploded. Shrapnel hidden beneath the outer skin flew from the machine, fire spewing from every joint and rent in its armoured hide.
Falinesti was completely engulfed in flames. The flying pieces of twisted sharpened metal shredded the vegetation of the city, and the flame seared what was left. Many Bosmer were incinerated in the attack.
Sir Mazoga watched in dread as the city of Falinesti teetered comically, and fell. The great tree, nearly naked of leaves, exposing the houses, fell onto the ruins of Arenthia, covering the large crater by the Siege Crawler.
Modryn Oreyn placed a comforting hand on the Orc woman's shoulder as they stared at the carnage. They had no way of knowing if Raminus had survived that final attack. It had ensured them the victory, but at such a cost.
"He was a good man." Modryn simply told her.
Year 4E2 12th of Sun's Dusk. Almalexia, Morrowind.
Raminus Polus shimmered into existence before the throne. Queen Morgiah stood up abruptly.
"What is this?" She demanded.
Burz gro-Khash stepped forward. "This is the Arch-Mage of Cyrodiil, Raminus Polus."
"I see. He looks injured, tend to him." Morgiah sat back down.
"Arch-Mage?" Burz shook the small man.
"By Mara! Is that you Burz?" Raminus rasped.
"Aye." The Orc answered.
"Then I made it? I'm not dead?" He asked.
"Aye and No. Though you look near it." Burz helped him to the healer's quarters.
"Mazoga!" Raminus hissed as he was seated.
He dug the speaking stone of his pocket. A long crack ran down it, rendering the crystal useless.
"Damn." He threw the stone away.
Burz raised an eyebrow, having never heard the normally mind mannered mage say anything harsh before.
"I need your Senche!" It was an order, not a request.
Burz nodded as the High Elf healer fussed over Raminus's broken arm. A few minutes later, Raminus charged out of the palace and down to were the Senche was being held.
Year 4E2 13th of Sun's Dusk. The Elder Council Chambers, Cyrodiil.
"By the Nine! The Bosmer really moved Falinesti from its migration? And it was defeated? How?" Ri'rassi asked Modryn, who'd contacted her.
"Raminus Polus sacrificed the Siege Crawler. It was the only way…" The Dark Elf trailed off.
"And Raminus?" She asked, worry in her voice.
"We don't know. We looked everywhere and couldn't find him, thought judging from what's left of Falinesti, we wouldn't find much." Oreyn said sadly.
Ra'jissan grabbed the speaking stone off Ri'rassi.
"I think he's still alive." Ra'jissan told the Dark Elf.
Modryn, Ri'rassi and the rest of the Council drew in their breaths.
"I gave him Barilzar's Mazed Band, a magic ring which would take him to one of the Tribunal Cities of Morrowind. If he's alive, he'll contact us." Ra'jissan told him.
"I hope so." Modryn Oreyn replied.