Hey people! The next chapter is up! Enjoy!
TrailWanderer: It'd be awesome to use your character! Though there may not be an appearance from him in this chapter.
The Knight Of Laughs: It too would be great to use your character!
But please, for the time being, could I please have no more characters? I might be able to add some more on later on, but for now, I have all I need. Keep up the reviewing please!
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I kept watch of Vinziah's progress closely. He was a true man, and a kind one, especially for the situation he was in.
The day after Valdemar's attack had taken place, we had sent the two Altmer to their work. Valdemar wasn't even thinking of using any magical energies, for he knew it would just knock him clean out. Vanhil's bracers were strong, and they drained all magical properties, not just a bit.
The High Elves had been put to soft labour, as there wasn't really much needed to do in a cave. They were to clean the bedrolls and blankets once a day in the water, and every so often farm the plants by the waterhole. Both Valdemar and Vinziah pointed out many times that the seeds couldn't possibly grow, as there was no sunlight in the cave, but what they said didn't change anything. For some reason, the plants and herbs kept on growing, faster than any I had ever seen. They were almost fully grown within five days.
Whenever we were getting quite close to a shortage of food, either Vanhil or I would accompany one of the High Elves out hunting in the early morning. The area around the cave, despite being on top of a large cliff, was quite populated with beasts. From the large creatures like kagouti, guars and nix hounds, to the small animals like kwama foragers and rats. Vinziah kept silent during his work, where as Valdemar strutted about the place like a god, complaining quite a bit. Quite quickly I accepted Vinziah as a friend, though trying not to show it, as we were supposed to seem more superior.
And gradually, as the weeks past on, the amount of skooma in the secret room dropped dramatically. With each mouthful, I was becoming more and more addicted to the sugar drink. Strangely, the plants also seemed to be quite sweet and addictive aswell.
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It was one night, when we were all (including the Altmer) sitting around the table, finishing a most flavoursome dinner of scuttle, ash yam, corkbulb roots and nix hound stew that Valdemar seemed to finally decide to think for once, yet not, to my liking.
'You know, with all my relations, you'd think the Empire would be searching for me, as I am a very important person.' He started. We all groaned. 'I just hope they don't-' he suddenly ceased talking, then forked a piece of corkbulb root and ate it slowly. 'You didn't,' he said slowly. 'You didn't take these vegetables from the crate, did you? The ones lying on top of the, um, dust?'
'Yes.' Maddy replied cautiously. 'Why?'
'Because, this is my trading cave.' Valdemar answered. 'And sometimes people don't want to trade. So you kind of have to get them, uh, addicted. And that dust, wasn't just ordinary dust. It was moonsugar beaten until it turned to powder.'
'You're kidding right?' Vanhil said in disbelief. 'This is a joke?'
'No, I'm sorry, it isn't. I had to get more money, that's why I also added in Telvanni Bug Musk to the skooma. Even if someone smelt it, they'd then be addicted.'
My heart stopped beating for a few seconds. I turned to Vanhil, who was so angry he looked like he was about to upturn the table. I looked to Maddy, who was staring at Valdemar, her eyes full of hatred and disgust. Vinziah was busy trying to throw up his vegetables.
Maddy suddenly stopped, a look of shock in her face, and turned to me. I threw up my arms so that they were clasped together just behind my head as I stood up from the table and walked over towards a wall.
'Jo-Jolin?' Maddy stuttered. 'Valdemar, did you say they get addicted just by smelling it?'
'Yes…'
'Oh Jolin!' Maddy cried out, standing up and moving towards me.
'What? What's the matter?' Vanhil asked.
'Remember the first night?' Maddy said. 'Jolin smelt the skooma to see what it was!' she turned back to me. 'Oh the addiction must have been killing you! Why didn't you tell us?'
'Because – because-' I couldn't say it, I couldn't manage to admit what I had been doing.
'Why?' Vanhil asked, moving over to me and clasping my shoulder. 'Why, friend?'
He was talking quite loudly, or at least a lot louder than usual. It was like he was trying to block out some other noise. I realised only too late that he was.
The cave door burst open and many Imperial soldiers came marching through. I heard a female scream, and then felt a blade press softly against my neck.
'This is the end of the road.' A voice said. I followed the blade down to it's owner, to see Vanhil holding the silver claymore steadily in his left hand, and weeping Maddy in his right. Blood was pouring down from a shallow gash across her forehead.
'Vanhil.' I uttered, not really understanding what was going on.
Vanhil ignored me. 'You are serious outlaws, and we cannot let you live in this world. I am sorry, but I cannot choose friends over the law.'
He swung back his claymore to ready it for the killing blow, but I made sure that blow never happened. Gritting my teeth in anger, I ducked as the claymore flew right to where my head was a moment before. I threw a punch out at Vanhil's gut and he bended over in pain, letting go of Maddy. She fell to the floor, still crying.
The Imperial soldiers started to race down the ramp towards us. Vinziah shrank away into the shadows, his face expressionless, while Valdemar charged forwards and stopped me in my way to my weapons and armour.
'Valdemar MOVE!' I cried out. He did not move an inch. Behind me I heard Vanhil utter a word in a strange language and the bracer on Valdemar dropped free. Valdemar looked at it in shock, then grinned. He had all his magical properties back.
I dived sideways as he threw a lightning spell at me. Its shock tingled on my side as I just avoided it. On the ground, I kicked out my leg and hit Valdemar's shin, making the High Elf trip over and fall next to me. I heard a soft noise of something flying swiftly through the air, and rolled over just in time to miss being decapitated by one of the soldier's swords.
Trying to stand up without falling back down again, I saw the scene. About eight guards were surrounding all of us, Valdemar was lying on the ground, and Vanhil was getting back up, his teeth bared in frustration. Maddy was starting to come back to her senses, and Vinziah couldn't be seen anywhere. Making quick decisions, I threw my elbow out to the side, feeling it hit a soldier's nose. Before that soldier had even landed on the ground, I was on the move again. I rushed past the group in the direction of the weapons.
Almost there, I thought. Only a couple of metres away…
BANG!
With an erupting fiery pain in my back, I flipped over forwards to the wall, hitting it and falling to the ground, the wind taken out of me. Valdemar was standing again, grinning. No doubt it was him who had sent the fireball at me. Everyone started charging at me again, as I started to stagger to my feet, using the wall for support. Just before Valdemar, Vanhil and the soldiers got too close, I bent down and picked up my two silver katana. It was good to have the feeling of them back in my hands.
I swung both out in front of me, the force so hard that the soldier that stood in front of me fell to the ground, his armour dented.
Surprised at my efforts, I swung out at another soldier, slitting his throat. I pushed past the rest and ran towards Maddy, who was stumbling around, trying to remain upright. Vanhil was the fastest to turn around and get back to me.
I clashed with him for a while, while the rest crowded around, afraid to get too close in case a stray blade hit them. They completely ignored Maddy, who was shoving past them, trying to get to us.
After a while, Vanhil's sweat worsened, and he seemed to get a bit doubtful of him winning, and instead, he chose the coward's way out. He swung around and stabbed Maddy in the chest. She gaped back at him, as blood started to pour from her belly.
The whole room suddenly went silent. Everyone stood still, as Maddy, slowly slipped away from the blade and landed on the ground. I could even see the tiniest bit of sympathy in Vanhil's face. But it soon returned to his cocky anger. He turned to me, claymore raised.
'NO!' I cried out. But before I could do anything there was a great flash of light and many soldiers through flew the air. They were dead before they hit the ground. Through the large gap in the circle, stood Vinziah, his arms up in front of him. His face was hard and stern, and his eyes were flaming with hatred.
Taking advantage of the soldier's shock of their friends' sudden death, Vinziah ran past them and grabbed me, before pulling me almost kicking and screaming out of the cave. He then ran back inside, and only came back out after a short moment with his hands full of my bonemold armour and bow.
We both ran, as fast as our legs could carry us from the cave, from Valdemar, from Vanhil, from Maddy.
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Hey hey, I really enjoyed writing that story, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it. Please review, but try not to give away what happened if possible. Thanks for reading!