Hey ppl, just remember that I would still love to have more reviews and readers! Thx once again 2 those who do review! Here's the next chapter in The Skooma Addiction.

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I woke up with a start, my breathing raspy. Beads of sweat were running down my forehead. I had a splitting headache. A blurred shadow was looming over me, holding down a wet rag on my head. I gasped and sat up straight away, knocking back the shadow and making a searing pain go through my ribs.

'Jolin.' The shadow said. 'Lie back down. Everything will be alright.'

I noticed the voice to be Maddy's, calming down a bit, I rubbed my eyes and fell back onto my bedroll.

'What happened?' I asked.

'You were hit by a fireball.' Maddy answered. 'It sent you flying into a wall. You were knocked out. Vanhil is interrogating the two Altmer now.'

I closed my eyes, finally realising how hungry I was. A finger touched the bottom of my mouth and pulled it open. A warm liquid poured down my throat. All of a sudden I felt healthy and rejuvenated.

'NO!' I heard all of a sudden. There was a yell and a roar of anger, before came a sound of a heavy object falling onto the dirt floor. Maddy bolted upright and raced out through a doorway. I sat up straight, rubbing my face with my hands, before getting up and rushed after Maddy.

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The scene was quite horrific. Vanhil lay slumped on the ground, blood oozing out from his head. Valdemar was standing in a heroic pose, his arms outstretched, obviously having blasted Vanhil away with a spell. A skeletal minion, a bonewalker, and a Clannfear stood by him, eyeing me and Maddy hungrily. I noticed I was still wearing my armour, but my two katana lay far away by the ramp to outside. The Clannfear lunged at Maddy, who had stood ready, but was still hit back onto the floor. The skeletal minion joined in, while the bonewalker started making it's slow path towards me. Valdemar turned to untie the other Altmer as all this was happening. I twisted around to Maddy quickly and grabbed the Clannfear around the neck, pulling it back off her. Maddy kicked out at the skeleton, cracking it's ribs to pieces. The Clannfear squiggled about in my grasp, it's scales cutting deeply into my hands. Finally I had to let go. It spun around and swiped at my face with it's sharp, pincer like claws. Blood spilled out of my cheek and I fell to the ground. The Clannfear seemed to think it had done it's part and after giving me an interested look, it turned away and chased after Maddy, who had just sent the skeletal minion flying in tiny fragments. Standing up, I noticed that Valdemar was almost done untying the other High Elf. Thinking quickly, I ran over to the ramp where my katana lay. Ignoring the blood pouring down my face from my open cut, I picked up the katana and raced at the two Altmer.

Valdemar looked up, and sent a fireball spinning at me. This time I was ready, I put my two katana crossed out in front of me, letting them take most of the spell. But the fire burned through them, making them boiling hot on my open scars in my hands. I had to drop them quite quickly. Summoning the tiny amount of magic I had, I shot out a spell of drain fatigue at Valdemar, and a blind spell at the other Altmer. Valdemar instantly fell to the ground, knocked out as the other one cried out in pain, his eyes blood shot. I started to slow down, my heart racing. Maddy was crouching over Vanhil, trying to get him to wake up.

'WHAT DO YOU WANT ME FOR?' the blinded Altmer bellowed.

I walked up too it, then bent down to face him, seeing tears streaming from it's eyes.

'What is your name?' I asked him.

'I shall not answer your question until you answer mine.' He said firmly. I sighed, starting to actually feel sorry for the elf.

'We used to be lawful people.' I started, choosing my words carefully. 'But ever since the empire got out of hand, and started letting people be arrested for no reason, we gave up. We left. We have been here for two days, and have managed to survive. You have found our hiding place, and we cannot let you leave. However, if you abide by our rules, we will let you live, and maybe even be accepted as one of us. Now what is your name?'

The High Elf hesitated for a moment, then said,

'My name is Vinziah Arcus. I come from the village of Pelagiad. I came here to find outlaws, gain a bit of money. I didn't expect this.'

But I could hardly hear what he was saying. My vision was starting to blur, and his voice was sluggish and low. It was when the cut on my cheek gave an almighty shock of pain, that I realised I was fainting from loss of blood.

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The Imperial said nothing in return. Vinziah was wondering if he was even listening, until he heard a soft thud on the ground next to him. The Imperial had most likely fainted.

'Oh shit Jolin!' Vinziah heard the female cry out. He heard her kneel down next to him. 'Vanhil!' the woman continued. 'Hurry up and put the braces on them then help me with Jolin!'

Put the braces on them? Vinziah wondered. What does she mean? There was a loud clang as Vinziah felt a steel bracer clasp onto his right arm. It was quite tight. He then heard the woman and the other Imperial called Vanhil pick up the body and take it far away.

Slowly, very slowly, Vinziah finally started to see blurred outlines of shapes in the cave. He could make out a chest sitting by a corner, and the table lying upside down from the fight. All of a sudden, everything came back into focus. The blind spell had wared off, and Vinziah could see properly again.

He looked down to his arm, seeing the bracer, and had drained all his magical energies.

Looking over to Valdemar's unconscious body, he saw that he too had a bracer clinging to his arm.

This was going to be one tough situation to get out of.

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Hey people I know that was a really short chapter but the next bit was unrelated to this part so I had to kind of break them apart. Read and review please!