Cearbhail: Sorry about this, but I had to update this chapter. I'm doing another one tonight, well starting it. I don't know if I will fiinish it tonight, but I'll try. Either way, I noticed I used Julanza's name instead of Zeelius. I found that unacceptable. Normally I shrug off the normal occurance of mispelling but not with names.

[Shadowmaster Julanza]

I found myself collecting my second wind, something I never expected from Riviella. My groin was still keeping me pinned to the ground. So, while I continued to kneel on the ground, grabbing myself, Riviella slowly paced in front of me, glancing down at me like I was a wounded puppy she was getting ready to put to sleep.

I remember when the two of us were happily married. I remember seeing Meesei hatch from her egg, to find out that she'd been born under the sign of the Serpent, the sign of the shadowscale, just like Riviella and me. We knew she'd make a great shadowscale. I don't remember what really happened to us, to make us so distant and even hateful of each other. I believe it started when my brother sent me on a mission to the Summerset Isles to help some Lilmothiit destroy a magicka cannon that was running off of the magicka in the River of Magicka. It was a massive cannon that the Altmer had created in order to destroy some necromancer hiding spot. I helped the Lilmothiit blow it up. It was that day I got to see the River of Magicka, the River of a Thousand Colors.

When the factory exploded, I fell into the river. I was exposed to raw magicka in thousands of colors and vibrations. I saw and felt things I never thought I would. It changed my life. After the mission was completed, I returned home to Riviella. She was happy to see me, but…it felt different, wrong. I tried to ignore it, but the feeling of pure violence that our family seemed to feed off of was just too much for me. Riviella started to respond to my now peaceful demeanor with aggression. She accused me of growing weak, of losing my backbone in that mission. I told her that my eyes had been opened, that I could see that the world wasn't about fighting, wars, spying, or assassination. I urged her to believe that we could have more from life than just serving as assassins. She wouldn't forgive me for wanting more than just living an assassin's life. She left me. And she took Meesei with her.

Looking up at Riviella, I could see that she was still the same as the day I left her. She was always a fighter, always an assassin. But she was being different today. Normally, she'd have killed me on the spot and left to kill Hans. I guess she wanted to play with me some more. Too bad I was stronger now. I think I could take her in a fight. I would have to if I wanted to live long enough to help Nexa save her country. She was the rightful ruler now, I had to protect her. And if that meant killing Riviella to make sure Argonia survived, then I'd do it.

I pushed off my knees, launching my fist out to Riviella. She pulled her head back just enough that my fist missed her left cheek. I knew her tactics, so I knew that her arm was under mine, right where I couldn't see it. I pushed myself back just as I felt a small prick in my ribs. I was right. She had a dagger thrust up, almost right in my chest.

I hopped back a few feet away from her, bringing my arms up to protect my face. Riviella continued to stand there, mocking me with her dead eyes. She had this nonchalant composure, like she didn't think this was different from eating breakfast. She glanced down at her dagger, taking in the sight that my blood had grazed the tip of the dagger. She shrugged and tossed the dagger aside. She sighed before looking up at me. "2 minutes."

She didn't have to tell me, I could feel it already. My heart was starting to slow down and my toes were already starting to go numb. My stomach was starting to tighten up, the burning sensation already kicking in. She had poisoned me with branz thorns. I had at the most two minutes before my stomach acid burned through my stomach, before it melted my organs. The poison did a lot of things but the nastiest was that it liquefied all the internal organs, because it did something to our stomach acid. It was a horrible death and inescapable. I should have guessed Riviella would do this to me.

Riviella shrugged at me, frowning. "I should be sorry, but…I'm not. I really did want this." She started walking up to me. "Of course, I can speed it up if you want. Snap your neck, choke you, pluck out your brainstem. If you request it, I will be more than glad to make it happen. Please tell me it involves one last joining. How I wish to fuck you one last time." She smirked at that one before stopping only a foot away from me. "Oh wait…no, no I don't."

She thrust her hand out so fast that I could barely move. At this point, I could barely see; my vision was blurring in and out. Next thing I knew, Riviella's hand was in my chest, almost grabbing my beating heart. When she did grab onto it, I knew I was dead.

She leaned in, breathing lightly into my ear-hole. "I believe this belongs to me." She cooed lightly.

I smiled as her eyes widened. She released my heart and looked down at her right side. I wish I didn't have to do this. But, she dropped her dagger. And I picked it up when she wasn't looking. That dagger was now in her side, as it was mine for a mere second. I had shoved the dagger in more than she had. There was bound to be some poison left on the metal. She glared up at me, finally fearful and understanding. "Two minutes." I said to her.

She pulled her hand out of my chest and pushed me away. She reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a vial. She waved it in front of me before drinking it. When she downed the vial, she tossed it aside and nodded an approval to me. "Anti-viral. Good try, though. It's good to see that you can still fight." She started to walk away, but she turned to face me. "Tell you what. You have about a minute left. If you can kill me, you can have the second vial I have in this pouch." She pulled the vial out and waved it in front of my eyes. "All you have to do is beat me, dear husband. Show me why I loved you."

I nodded to her, pushing forward. I would get that vial. Nexa still needed me. She just lost her father. Even if their relationship was strained, she still needed someone to watch over her. That was my job now. I had to beat Riviella in order to keep Nexa safe.

…

[Hans]

These shadowmasters were something out of my nightmares. I hoped I'd never have to fight the best magic-based assassins of Black Marsh, but now I was fighting three of the five strongest shadowmasters alive. The other two were having a lover's spat not too far from me. I did not expect to see their fight be nothing more than a heart-felt death. I would go help Julanza, heal with poison but…I was just too busy.

I tried to track their movements. Every few seconds, I'd catch a glimpse of a shade, but then it would disappear in a flash. And I had to track three of them. They kept flying around me, staying out my personal zone. Every few seconds, I'd see a throwing star heading my way, and then it would bounce off my shield. I didn't need to move. I had everything under control.

I had runes set up all around me. Twenty or so Frost, Fire, Lightning runes everywhere. All they had to do was step over or on them. Then the battlefield would explode. So, they were trying to get me with their throwing weapons. It wasn't working.

I finally saw one of the shades pause in front of me. It was one of the females: light-blue scaled with a red-skinned neck and circles around the eyes. She had long black scales that looked almost like hair that blew in the wind. She had on the flowing robes of the shadowmasters. I didn't know her name but she looked as dangerous as Julanza. And she wasn't running around in circles anymore. I wonder why she was now facing towards me. She had her saw-like sword out. She started walking forwards to me, never blinking, never showing any emotion.

I continued to stand my ground as she walked forward. The two other shades all stopped around me, just watching as this female shadowmaster approached me. She stopped near the beginning set of my Lightning Runes. She looked down at them and then stuck out her hand. All the Lightning runes started going off, blowing lightning into the air. The shadowmaster stood back up and walked up to the next set. It was the circle of Frost Runes. She stuck her hand out again, making all the Frost runes explode into a massive whirlwind of ice and wind.

When she stepped up to the next set of runes, she stopped and looked to me. "I wish to ask you one question. Will you comply?"

I had a full range of magicka at my fingertips and I could have started attacking her right where she stood. But there was something in her eyes; something in her dead, emotionless eyes. I had to take this seriously. So, I nodded. "Yes. If a question is all you want, I will be willing to answer."

The other shadowmasters started looking at her with questioning eyes. One of them yelled, "Yuvenni? What is this about?"

Yuvenni didn't answer him. Her eyes started glowing and a giant wall of Illusion magic formed around us. She looked around the sphere of white glowing light, saying, "We can talk in private now." She turned to face me. "My question is this: Is Warlord Zeelius dead?"

Her question caused me to pause. She didn't know? I guess Julanza had been correct. Fiirnar was using the shadowmasters. But, they didn't know the truth. I guess it was the only thing that would make sense. Why else would the royal assassins try to kill the Shadow Squad? It was the only way Fiirnar could get rid of the royal family once and for all. So, I nodded to her question. "Yes, Warlord Zeelius is dead."

She glared at me, her eyes glowing white. "How do you know this? What proof do you offer me?" She appeared unconcerned with the truth, like she couldn't feel one way or the other. Was she some sort of magical construct; like an Atronach? What did they do to this Argonian?

So, I started walking up to her, keeping my personal shield activated every step of the way. "I first learned of it when Sosia Ernard, the Mages Guild Arch-Mage, came flying into my chest after teleporting away from the war council. She was in tears, stating that Fiirnar had killed everyone. After she stated that we heard Fiirnar announce his wanting of the Khajiit killed. That's when the magical globe in our base started glowing. It blew up, almost taking my life and the lives of my soldiers with me. Fiirnar had activated the self-destruct on the globe. And if you don't believe me…I'm sure you've been ordered to kill any and all Mages Guild members, especially battlemages. Am I right?"

She nodded to me. "We have made an alliance with the Aldmeri Dominion. And that means killing their enemies. The battlemages have been named our enemy."

"And so has the Shadow Squad, which is led by the Warlord's daughter." I responded. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on if you think about it."

Yuvenni nodded, which shocked me. "I agree. I believe I first realized it when his voice did not sound like the Warlord's, but everyone else around me didn't seem bothered by it. I thought I was just imagining something that wasn't there. But, the orders coming down do not belong to the overall personality of the Warlord. The chances that the Warlord would issue the orders that could possibly endanger Argonia's reputation or alliances are near 0 percent. With the extermination underhand, the Warlord would not make a grab for power. He has had years to plan his take-over of Tamriel, and has yet to act on them, based on a calculated risk of war and retaliation. He would not risk that during a worldwide extermination. My calculations are the same as Julanza's: the Warlord is dead. So, I offer you…my alliance. If you wish it, I will help you kill Trianna and Gashaviena."

I stood there, motionless. She was offering to help us. What type of idiot would I be to ignore that? So, I nodded. "Yes, that would be wonderful."

Just like that the white bubble vanished. What I saw looked very different from just a moment ago. Surrounding us was more than just two shadowmasters. All around the two of us stood Altmer wearing long leather dusters. There had to be fifty of them. Their fists glowed with lightning magicka.

One of them stepped forward, a female with a long scar over her forehead. "I am Councilor Nrillia. Battlemage Commander Hans Battle-Born the Hardy…you have been deemed an enemy of the Aldmeri Dominion for the destruction of our barrier and killing several of our harmless healers. The War Council has agreed to our terms of punishment. Prepare to die, and your soldiers to give their lives as well. Do not worry, we already have someone dealing with them."

I looked over at Yuvenni. "Can you handle the two shadowmasters while I deal with these elves?"

She glanced at me. "I calculate a 10 percent chance of success for both of us. Your magicka has waned after setting all your runes, and I have drained most of my magicka as well destroying them. Gashaviena is faster than me, and Trianna more cunning. I will be dead in minutes. You will be dead in less." She nodded to me. "I am ready, are you?"

I nodded. I raised my hands to Councilor Nrillia, forming a massive Fireball before she could even blink. I launched it forward, screaming, "Come and get me, you dirty elf!" My new comrade vanished as soon as I launched my Fireball. I saw her reappear near the other female shadowmaster, stabbing one of her blades at her.

The female seemed ready for her, actually laughing. "You too, Yuvenni? You love Julanza that much that you'd die with him?"

"While it is a useless emotion, I cannot help but love him. I will do what I must to keep him safe." She replied simply as she launched a beam of lightning at her opponent. The female shadowmaster didn't expect it and the beam of lightning tore through her back. The two of them stood there for a second before the shadowmaster's knees gave out. She fell forward, reaching up at Yuvenni's hand.

"Yuvenni…save the Princess." She replied as she fell to the ground.

Yuvenni nodded. "I will do everything in my power to do so." After she said that, the other shadowmaster, Trianna, appeared behind her. Yuvenni turned around just in time to intercept his slash and the two of them disappeared into a mist of black magic.

"You seemed to have forgotten about me." The Councilor's voice called from my burning fireball. I looked back to see her stepping out of the fire with a Shield surrounding her. So, she was a magic user as well. Looking at the other leather-cladded agents with glowing hands, I bet they all knew how to fight with magicka. Well, well. Looks like I have a fight on my hands.

I smiled as I stepped away from my runes. "That was just a warning shot. You really want to do this?" I meant what I said, but I could feel the pull on my bracelet as I spoke. Setting up those runes exhausted me, just like how exhausted Yuvenni must be from setting them off.

The Councilor took a fighting stance, smiling twistedly as she did so. "Once I kill you, I'm going to tear open your body and turn you into a Flesh Atronach. You'll be my slave forever." She charged towards me, her duster flapping behind her like raven wings. She became a shadowy figure as she started flying up to me, cackling like a Hagraven. The other Aldmeri agents started charging up to me as well, preparing long distance spells as they did so.

I reached for my greatsword, unsheathing it right as the haggy Altmer lady appeared in front of me. I stuck my fist out, launching a wave of fire magicka as hot as I could make it. She had her Shield up and actually continued charging up to me while the fire covered and took her. I could see her face through the fire, her smirk as she waded through the massive wave of fire three times my size. She finally got close enough to do reach out and grab my arm.

I activated my Shield just in time to protect myself from a volt of direct Lightning magic. That and it kept her long nasty fingernails from digging into my arm. Her head poked out of the fire, smiling crazily at me, her eyes wide and frightful. "If that is your best, I think I'll forget about the Flesh Atronach. You're much too weak."

I let out a loud roar as I summoned a lake of fire magicka from my core. A massive wall of magma erupted near my feet, blasting outwards. The haggy Altmer hissed in surprise, jumping away from me. The wall of magma traveled for a few meters before dying off and turning to rock. I scanned the battlefield for her, but I didn't see her. That didn't stop her lackeys from launching magicka at me. I sighed as I snapped my fingers, creating a Bubble Shield around me. The attacks erupted across my bubble shield, blanketing the walls with lightning, frost, and fire. It was beautiful. I still wanted to know what happened to that woman.

I heard heavy breathing behind me so I turned around to face her. She stood not too far from me, gasping for breath. Her right arm was gone, only a tiny burnt stubble remained. Half of her leather duster was vaped, and half of her body was charred. I was surprised that she survived the attack. She didn't look like she was going to survive much longer. She glared at me, smiling. "Nice attack, Nord. Too bad it won't work on me twice."

Her body fell to pieces, literally. It fell to chunks of body. Then a head started poking through the ground as if the ground were mud. I heard the wailing of a thousand tortured souls rip through the mud as this new thing started pulling itself out of the nirn. The thing looked like an Altmer, but it was covered with mud. When it opened its eyes, the mud flew off its body. The thing standing before me was the woman from earlier. She dusted off her duster before smiling at me. "You love it? She was my latest Flesh Atronach. You will be the next."

Cearbhail: Did you guys like that? She's like the ultimate necromancer/Illusionist. And Yuvenni becoming a good guy. I thought about it and I wanted her and Julanza to have this thing. I liked having her as a character, but not as a bad one. So, I was hoping Riviella could take her place as the bad female Argonian. And yeah, Riviella and Nrillia are like my two badest of bad guys for this series. well, until we meet the general of the Aedra. Yeah, that's happening too. Very soon in fact. I mentioned him in the Khajiit Battlemage during the dream sequence in Vatu's head when Mannimarco was telling Hans everything he knew about the first Aedra invasion. This war is about to change so much. I love expanding plot lines.