Hello everyone, sorry to keep all of you waiting for the update, but as you no doubt can tell, fight scenes and chase scenes aren't my strong suit. Working on it! n.n;
Also, had some issues, that prevented me from logging in. I apologize in advance if any comments, reviews or messages got lost, because my whole stats on this fic are completely screwed. With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy your read and day.
Chapter 17
From the grassy plains and high bluffs, marked by jagged rock formations, Ancano and Ganir parted ways from Ondolemar just before they reached Rorikstead and headed North to ride past Morthal, making their way through the mist-veiled, reeking and dark swamps that surrounded the area before they finally made their way into the tundra of the Pale. Not a word was spoken between the two who both had their minds set on winning the race against time. Maybe they would be too late to reach the College because Divines knew what this Lord Exarch was capable of or intended to do, but they had to get there as long as there was that glimmer of uncertain hope.
They finally made it to the region of Winterhold, but rather than get anywhere near the city or its College, they stopped to seek refuge from the fierce elements in Saarthal, which had been abandoned since the Eye's unearthing. Ancano was reluctant to enter, but he and their horses had to rest lest they collapse from exhaustion.
Steam emanated from the horses' coats, bathed in sweat and reeking of that and the rank drab on their legs from Morthal's swamps. Ancano wasn't too pleased to be left to eat and rest while Ganir left to gauge the situation in Winterhold and do a perimeter check, but once the warmth of the fire greeted him, the High Elf realized he was in dire need of food and rest.
Once alone, Ancano's mind caught up with him and he found himself staring into the dancing flames while he ate and drank. He had refused to answer Ondolemar, who had noticed that his friend's manner of silence was a show of conflict and anger that he did not wish to discuss. Aside from not being the Mer to speak of his feelings as brazenly like the common man, Ancano didn't have an answer either…yet.
Ancano knew that Taurmillan was only aware of the existence of an artefact at the College, but no doubt, he would pressure and torture the College's inhabitants and Cirilonde in disclosing its nature and location. Though Ancano would never openly state such a thing, he valued the lives of the College's staff and students, as incompetent and insufferable some of them were and could be. While Cirilonde would never tell a living soul about the Staff or its existence, Ancano feared what the Lord Exarch was capable of and that she would be taken away from him.
Just what in the blazing plains of Oblivion is taking that damn vampire so long?!
The Dark Elf had been away for nearly two hours now and while patient, his train of thoughts left Ancano restless, pacing back and forth around the fire. The horses watched him as if amused by the Elf's odd behavior, but also curious. Their breath was hot but had calmed to a steady rhythm, grateful for the moment of respite.
Ancano had to admit, despite everything that happened, he felt that now he and Ganir shared a common goal, their disposition had formed into one of mutual respect and understanding and it was saying something that he trusted the Dark Elf. They would never be the best of friends, but time would tell how things would be once all this was over…If they survived.
Hours later, the cold wind from outside swept into the barrow, causing the High Elf to shoot up and douse the flames that had warmed him. No doubt, it was Ganir, but Ancano had no intention of risking it. Even the horses remained silent as they peered into the darkness where a familiar, red-eyed shadow soon appeared. Ancano exhaled to conceal the relief he felt. "Well?" he asked.
"The Jarl's hands are tried, but from what he told me and what I've seen myself, the College has definitely been besieged. The fact that the Thalmor are still there and they seem to be looking for something leaves room to safely assume they haven't found the Staff yet," Ganir replied. He unfolded a parchment with an exterior map of the College and he pointed at the dots he had drawn on the College's walkway around its battlements. "The arrows indicate which way they face and what direction they patrol. At all times, they're positioned and patrol in such a fashion I can't take them out one by one without raising the alarm. The labyrinth's real exit, however, hasn't been compromised. We have to make our way in and see what's going on after we got the Staff."
"We best hurry then," Ancano said and they left the barrow on horseback to ride north to the coast. They then headed east towards the College that loomed over them like a dark, foreboding shadow on top of the precarious rock formation where it was located. "Make no mistake that we can't afford to get caught under any circumstances, even if that means you have to leave me behind. They can't get the Staff."
"Like I would let it come to that. As long as we're cautious, we should be fine," Ganir said. "Just try to not blow anything up."
"Says the one who blew Elenwen's solar up," Ancano snorted, but nevertheless entertained as he could imagine the look on the First Emissary's face.
When Ganir halted his horse and pointed up, Ancano saw that hidden in the snow-covered slope of the black, crooked rock face, there was a well-hidden cavern entrance that led into the labyrinth.
"Have you any idea where the Staff is hidden?" Ancano asked. "And do you even know the way?"
"Obviously," Ganir said as he dismounted. "As for the staff, not precisely, but Cirilonde mentioned flowers to me at the time, so I suppose we have to be on the lookout for those." The two elves climbed up towards the opening and peered inside. They both squinted their eyes to adjust to the bright, reflective ice. Like a whisper, he could sense the Staff reach for him and his mind flashed to the Eye's hold on him. He tensed when Ganir laid his hand on his shoulder. "We'll get Ciri out of there."
"It's not a matter of trust," Ancano's eyes narrowed as he peered into the labyrinth again. He really didn't like the heavier, colder sensation that emanated from the place. "It could be a trap…I just have a bad feeling about it."
Ganir shrugged. While he shared the sentiment, he needed to stay level-headed. The fire in the High Elf's eyes hadn't once wavered and though Ancano perhaps wouldn't ever voice it, Ganir knew that they both were driven to safe the College and its students, but their concerns were mainly focused on Cirilonde, who was the most likely to be in danger. "If it's any reassurance, they're not expecting us. As long as we don't lower our guard, we should be fine."
Ancano opened the palm of his hand and released a small, blue flame to hover over them as they made their way in. Ganir followed him, holding his right hand to the wall to help him focus as to where they were headed as the whole passage was frozen over, making easy for one's sense of direction to be thrown off.
"Just how exactly did you even manage to find this?" Ancano asked him, glancing at the Dark Elf over his shoulder.
"Boredom," Ganir shrugged. "I don't exactly need sleep, so I'd wander during the night and-," He grabbed Ancano by the shoulder and pulled him back. The High Elf didn't even need to ask why because the Dark Elf knelt down and pushed the tip of his dagger into the snow, lifting a thin cord. "And it's quite exciting practice once you find out it's booby-trapped."
Ganir lift the cord up further and revealed a trigger mechanism connected to holes in the wall which no doubt would shoot forth something potentially lethal. Ancano cringed at the thought because as keen as his senses were, he never would have noticed this.
The Dark Elf then cut the string to disarm the trap. "Aside from these, I'll need you to take care of the magical traps. They're all over the place. Saves that I took care of the couple of trolls a few weeks ago."
They continued their way down the frozen corridors, which led to a small, round area where five passages led to Divines knew where. Aside from Ganir knowing the way, Ancano could feel that the humming sensation of the Staff had grown stronger from where they were headed, making his skin crawl.
"I'm sensing Cirilonde's wards," Ancano said, not wanting to admit the unease that gnawed at him. "We're getting closer."
Ganir only nodded and they took the passage to the right when the corridors split after a few yards as the others led deeper into the labyrinth or to the Midden. The tunnel they had ventured into wasn't as straight, twisting from the left to the right and the two elves had to be careful not to slip.
Despite his caution, Ganir fell face-first to the floor when he tripped over something. He stopped swearing and furrowed his brow to kneel down at the odd-shaped bump in the ice. He swept the snow away and raised the crystal-clear ball of ice and looked at the blue mountain flower that had been frozen within.
Ancano took it in his hand. It was beautiful and subtle. "This is definitely Cirilonde's work," he said, but then followed Ganir's predatory gaze down the corridor from where they had come. Ancano's mind shot to alarm as well. He hadn't seen something himself, but he had definitely sensed something.
For a moment, they remained standing, but all Ancano heard was the rapid pounding of his heart and all he saw were the puffs of hot breath that escaped his thin lips. Ganir's lips barely moved when he spoke, "You go on ahead and get the staff. I'll watch your back…I don't trust this."
Ancano shared the sentiment and though he dreaded to continue on his own, something was aware of their presence and they had to hurry. The trail of frozen flowers that Cirilonde had left guided him, and offered him a strange sort of comfort as though she was with him. He found himself thinking of and worrying for her as he wound down the corridor which led to a large room with a hollow ceiling. All of his muscles tensed when he saw the Staff of Magnus, which was frozen into the wall, surrounded by a magical ward that held a golden glow. As always, you never cease to amaze me…
His fingers were but a hair's thickness away from the ward and as he incanted. Disarming a ward was much like picking a lock where one would have to rely on one's sense of feeling while tampering with the tumblers. He closed his eyes not only to focus, but as he felt her strong, magical influence resonate from the ward, he was overwhelmed with the realization that he indeed harbored strong feelings for her. I won't let him take you…It took him quite a while, but once he recognized the ward's pattern and its workings, he dispelled the ward and its glow faded and the ice melted away.
It was as if the central focusing crystal of the bone-carved staff stared back at him, welcoming him in a mocking fashion of sorts, but before Ancano could wrap his fingers around the staff, he heard Ganir's cry in the distance as he ran over. "Ancano! They're coming!"
He had been mid-incantation when two, Thalmor battle-mages charged at him once their invisibility spell had been detected by the other High Elf. Gouts of white-hot flame shot forth from their hands and melted the ice away. Ancano raised a ward in time and while he didn't get hurt, the flames were searing hot. Gritting his teeth, he focused on maintaining his ward while reaching for the Staff but howled in pain when a dagger pinned his hand to the wall.
The swift, green-eyed shadow that jumped from behind the two Thalmor had been the culprit and before Ancano could retaliate with a spell, the Wood Elf assassin lunged forward with an unnatural speed. She grabbed his hand and twisted it, slamming her knee into his stomach, causing him to double over and knock the wind out of his lungs.
"Thanks for taking care of that pesky little ward for me." The Wood Elf's grin was feline-like, her eyes glittering as she grabbed hold of the staff. "My Master thanks you!" She shouted at him over her shoulder as she stormed off.
Ancano ducked for cover behind his ward that he instinctively raised when the Thalmor battle-mages attacked him again. One on one, a Thalmor battle-mage was no match for Ancano, but as powerful as he was, Ancano had to maintain a ward with one arm as the other was still pinned to the wall. The heat was unbearable and sweat coated his brow in no time as he struggled to hold the ward up.
Can't hold it…much…longer. He grit his teeth, trying to think of a plan, but Ganir came to his rescue. The Dark Elf came bolting down the corridor and though it was hard to see due the blinding brightness of the flames, Ancano heard the rumble emanate from the Dark Elf's chest when he took a sharp breath, which was all the warning he needed to tear the dagger from his hand and leap out of the way.
"FUS RO DAH!" Ganir bellowed, sending the battle-mages flying against the wall from the Shout's power. Ancano wasted no time and buried the dagger that had impaled his hand in the throat of one of the Thalmor before they could recover. Ganir took care of the other Thalmor Battle-Mage in the same fashion.
"You fool!" Ancano bellowed. "That damn Wood Elf has the staff!"
"You can die another time if you insist but I kind of need you alive!" Ganir snapped at Ancano as they ran after the Wood Elf. "We'll catch up with her. Come on!"
"She's not a normal elf," Ancano said to Ganir. "She was fast…Incredibly fast. We can't have her raise the alarm or take the Staff to her 'master'."
Ganir nodded in agreement and ran ahead of Ancano, who healed the wound his hand had sustained. It wasn't long before he heard the rapid pitter-patter of the Wood Elf's boots and Ancano flung a ball of fire in her direction. "Get back here, you little rat!" he snarled.
"Are you trying to collapse the tunnels on us, you fool?!" Ganir exclaimed.
Not only had the Wood Elf easily dodged the ball of flame, but she clearly knew where to go as well. The layer of ice that coated the walls grew thinner and soon, they could see the familiar dark stone of the Midden's walls again. "Raise the alarm!" The Wood Elf barked her orders in the Altmer tongue. "Intruders!"
The Thalmor soldiers that had been posted nearby, immediately sprang to attention, but Ganir rammed into them. "GO GET HER!" Ganir bellowed at Ancano, who made to chase after the Wood Elf. He had barely made it into the next hallway when a group of eight, Thalmor Soldiers came running towards him and while he bought some time by slinging a fireball at them, he had to retreat.
"We have a problem!" Ancano dove for cover in a nearby passage as a barrage of bolts and arrows came flying from the corridor he'd intended to head down. Ganir's eyes widened and he used the Thalmor soldier he'd been fighting as a meat shield. The Thalmor shrieked in horror as he heard the whistle of his impending death that impaled him in a matter of seconds, killing him instantly.
Cruel…but efficient…Ganir thought with a sadistic grin as he dropped the Thalmor to the ground. Now to get out of this mess, though… His eyes shot from Ancano to the left and right. They couldn't run back and the other passages were no options as the Thalmor came running from all directions. They were surrounded.
The two elves stood at each other's side, one with his daggers at the ready while the other was prepared to unleash whatever barrage of spells he had at his disposition to defend himself.
"A shout would be useful about now…" Ancano grit out through his teeth as they backed down together.
"Just…give me …a moment," Ganir panted.
"In the name of Lord Exarch Highal, surrender now and we might let you live!" One of the soldiers yelled, but they kept a safe distance from the two elves. It was quite clear these two weren't going to go without a fight.
"GET THEM. NOW!" The Thalmor soldiers spun around, completely taken by surprise when Faralda, accompanied by the College mages, attacked them from behind. They were accompanied by whatever (lesser) Daedra they were able to summon and now that their formation had been compromised, the Thalmor were overwhelmed from behind and the two Elves they had hoped to apprehend.
Faralda buried an elven dagger in a soldier's back before burning his face to ash. She went wide-eyed when Ancano shot an ice-spike to her, but it was buried into the chest of the soldier who came charging at her from behind. "You were the last we expected to see here!" Faralda exclaimed.
Ancano caught the shimmer of an Elven blade to his right and he had not only stepped back in time, raising a ward, but it gave Ganir the opportunity to ram into the Thalmor soldier in question and tear his throat out with his teeth. "Get going Ancano, we'll hold them off!"
Well, so much for the pleasantries of catching up…Ancano briefly raised a brow as he needn't be told to begin with and ran down the corridor where the Wood Elf had gone. A soldier saw this and made to slash at him with his blade, but Ancano ducked under his arm and grabbed hold of the hilt, twisting it so he could slit the soldier's throat with his own blade before Ancano took it with him.
His heart was racing and the rush of blood made his ears pound. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he ran as fast as he ever had. I can't let her get away! When he saw the Wood Elf, he lunged a ball of flame at her but she just rounded the corner and he missed. "Get back here, you filthy little-!"
Thankfully, his instincts and training didn't desert him, for when he rounded the corner with a raised ward, a dagger she had thrown ricocheted off and clattered to the floor after hitting the wall. She slung the Staff over her back and grabbed hold of the ladder before jumping up through the hole in one go and she was out of sight. To make sure she wouldn't ambush him, Ancano shot a gout of flame upwards before he used a spell to leap up into the Hall of Countenance in one go.
Sylva had shrieked when the fire shot up from the hole and she scrambled for the door because she hadn't expected him to catch up in the first place an her priorities lay with returning the Staff to her Master rather than kill this traitor, which she no doubt would get a chance for later.
She kicked the door open and ran out into the courtyard, but she didn't get far. Ancano hit her in the back with a spell of shock, which left her stunned and face down in the snow. "Now I have you, you little wretch!" Ancano snarled as he paced forward, chest heaving up and down as he was out of breath.
She rolled over on her back and lashed out with her dagger, but Ancano parried the blow with the sword he'd taken earlier. The Wood-Elf jumped to her feet and shadow-stepped him by initially pretending to attack him, but then ran away from him instead. Ancano pulled his lip in a snarl, annoyed he'd fallen for it and chased after her again once more and rammed her to the ground with his full weight. In the momentum of their shared fall, the Staff of Magnus came loose from the straps that bound it to the Wood Elf's back and was sent flying a few yards before it landed in the snow.
"I've had enough of you!" Sylva snarled, punching him. "I'm going to gut you like that fucking Arch-Mage of yours!"
Ancano stumbled back with his hand holding his jaw, briefly dazed, but he raised his blade to parry and riposte the Wood Elf's blows. "What did you do to the Arch-Mage?" He hissed when their blades met in a lock.
"I stabbed him, wriggled this little blade in his back. My Master took care of the filthy heretic." The Wood Elf boasted, grinning when her opponent clearly grew enraged.
"Let's see to it that you share his fate!" Ancano snarled and he forced her to take on a defensive stance while he took on the offensive against her with sword and spell. While he was no master of steel, the High Elf was fueled by the rage over Tolfdir's senseless death and now even more determined to settle a score not only with her, but get hold of the Staff and take Taurmillan down. Whenever he made to dive for the Staff, however, the Wood Elf got in his way and he was forced to defend himself and back off, but the same went for the Wood Elf.
Suddenly, the doors to the Hall of Elements were flung open and a group of at least twenty Thalmor soldiers and battle-mages charged forward in formation. The Battle-Mages held their wards up while the soldiers armed their bows, arrows and crossbows. Behind them, in the middle stood the Lord Exarch with a General at his side, who gave a wordless order to fire. Ancano dove for cover behind the stone wall of the courtyard's central font when the barrage of bolts and arrows were fired and he held a ward up just in case while he lay there in the cold snow.
He heard the moonstone arrowheads bury themselves in the ground and how they whistled overhead by just a few, ricocheting off his ward or break when colliding with the stone.
When he peered over the edge, Ancano saw that Taurmillan stepped forward. His eyes then locked on Sylva's and they both charged forward to grab the Staff. Though he knew his ward would be weakened, he unleashed the most powerful blast of telekinetic energy he could muster that knocked the Wood Elf back, buying him he time to then grab hold of the Staff. He had been just in time, for the Lord Exarch had raised his hand to summon it to his grasp, using telekinesis as well.
The moment Ancano's fingers wrapped around the bone-carved staff, his ward grew stronger by a tenfold and he clenched it tightly, fearing for his life if he lost a hold of it.
"Surround that treacherous hound. Protect your Lord Exarch!" The General bellowed, but his men had already done so. Ancano spun on his heel when he heard the rapid crunching of snow under the weight of boots behind him and saw the Wood Elf run for him with a raised dagger. She jumped at him like a feline, but he side-stepped her and hit her square under the jaw with the Staff. This error nearly cost him, for Taurmillan immediately used Ancano's distraction to his advantage, trying to tear the Staff from Ancano's grasp once more with telekinesis. When he was sure the Wood Elf was actually knocked out, the lone High Elf turned to face the Lord Exarch, raising his ward while their invisible tug of war continued.
The Thalmor soldiers circled around them from a safe distance like a pack of hungry wolves and Ancano was sure the rapid beating of his heart was most audible. He grit his teeth and dug the heels of his boots into the ground as the intensity of the two magical forces made the Staff of Magnus crackle with the familiar teal energy. It initially didn't hurt him, but as both High Elves strained their abilities to the fullest of their extent, the Staff was pressured and released a wave of whirling energy that blasted the snow and ice away in a twenty foot radius. Ancano was forced to his knees from the impact, drained and out of breath, but whatever had happened, the Staff of Magnus had protected him.
While he maintained his composure, the Lord Exarch certainly hadn't expected this to happen. He glared the lowborn, defiant High Elf down, who desperately clutched the Staff of Magnus in his hands.
"We meet again, Ancano," said the Lord Exarch haughtily. "I must say, I did not expect you to return…"
"I had unfinished business. Not that it is of your concern..." Ancano could feel the thick, intense aura of powerful magic surround the Lord Exarch. Had he not held the Staff of Magnus, he would have been dead for certain. "Where is Cirilonde?"
Anger flashed in Taurmillan's eyes and he pursed his lips in a thin line. "My betrothed's well-being and whereabouts are none of your concern," he snapped. "The Staff of Magnus and this situation you found yourself in, however, are."
Ancano's eyes shot from the left to the right as he watched the soldiers surrounded him once more, but this time with more caution and with questioning looks painted on their faces. Why would one of their own rebel against the Thalmor and the Dominion?
"If you surrender the Staff of Magnus to me now, Ancano, I could perhaps overlook your past transgressions," Taurmillan said, reaching his hand out. "Don't be a fool. You've served the Thalmor and the Dominion for nearly a century. Why throw this away for these pathetic and weak mortals? I could reinstate you to your previous rank amongst the Thalmor, perhaps even promote you to Justiciar unless you wish to retire peacefully and go home to Alinor."
"Transgressions? You violated the White-Gold Concordat by marching your men here and killed our Arch-Mage and now you ask me to turn a blind eye to the fate that awaits the College by handing the Staff over to you on the vague promise my rank and honor be restored?" Ancano's blood began to boil as he clenched the staff tighter. Tolfdir was an insufferable and stubborn old Nord most of the time, but he had been a gentle, patient man. "And how long before you reconsider and either kill me or have me killed anyway?" Nothing in his entire life had been more humiliating to Ancano when Elenwen tore his robes apart with her dagger and stripped him off them and his rank before he was chained and locked away. The Thalmor had been everything for him as he'd served them with pride and while he longed to return home and wanted nothing more to return to those better days, he refused to do so over the dead bodies of the innocent. There was no honor in that.
"That's hardly the case," Taurmillan's smile was insincere and cold. "You would but serve the Dominion's interests to maintain the order and supremacy over the lesser races."
"By committing blatant genocide?!" Ancano exclaimed, disgusted and enraged. "Where is Cirilonde?! She would never stand for this!"
"She doesn't have a say in the matter. She's my bride to be, not a Thalmor," Taurmillan unsheathed his blade in a fluent and graceful motion. "Now, I ask you for the last time. Surrender the Staff of Magnus to me so you may be spared, or die."
Ancano grit his teeth and took a step back. "If I am to die, then I'll gladly take you down with me!" Ancano hurled a ball of flame towards Taurmillan before he lowered himself to the ground and thrust the pointy end of the Staff through the throat of the Thalmor soldier that made to attack him from behind. Now that the formation had a hole in it, Ancano managed to break away, but he wasn't sure if it was for the better or not because he was forced to run from the battle-mages and defend himself against the barrage of spells they unleashed on him. The soldiers stayed behind to protect their Lord Exarch, who stood unmoving and closely observed the Staff's power that flawlessly absorbed all of the magic. Where is that bloody vampire when you need him?! He thought with a growl. While the Staff did most of the work, it wore down on him fast as the impact of the spells grew stronger and heavier to handle and they drove him into a corner.
"NOW!" Ganir bellowed. The Thalmor had been so focused on obtaining the Staff of Magnus and apprehend the lone traitor that they seemed to have forgotten about the possibility that Ancano hadn't been alone and that the College mages had been freed. The Mages who were able too, had cloaked their presence with invisibility spells and barraged the Thalmor from the battlements above while the others summoned their familiars and Daedra to charge forward from the Hall of Countenance and Attainment. The newer and less capable students and some of the staff stayed behind there to provide back-up fire.
Taurmillan bared his teeth in an enraged snarl. "Kill them! All of them!" He bellowed, summoning two Dremora to protect him.
Ancano spun around, his hand ablaze when he heard the snow crush under the weight of whoever was behind him. "I'll have your head, traitor!" Sylva snarled, but Ganir stepped in, or shouted, rather.
"Fus!" He roared, before kicking the Wood Elf in the chest. "Go after him! Ciri is in the tower!"
Ancano didn't hesitate for a moment and made his way across the courtyard where all hell had broken loose. Urag had gone berserk in rage when he swa what fate had befallen his precious books. Brelyna, Onmund and J'Zhargo were a powerful force to be reckoned with as they faced off against a battlemage. Faralda was a deadly force in her own right as the powerful lightning burst forth from her fingertips and disintegrated a Thalmor, before she engulfed two soldiers in flames.
Ancano summoned two atronachs to protect him while making his way across. Thanks to the Staff, they were far more powerful and lasted longer than any he could've conjured without it. He made it to the Hall of Elements, where Taurmillan had not retreated out of cowardice, but to deal with Ancano personally. I solemnly swear by Auri-El if I get my hands on you…
Ancano's footsteps echoed through the building as he entered and found the Lord Exarch in the central room, alone and clearly waiting for him. All of his men were fighting the College's magi outside. "I would commend your bravery, had you been a worthy opponent, but a lowborn piece of filth such as yourself is no match for a superior Mer of my standing and bloodline," Taurmillan spoke in a calm, condescending tone, but Ancano watched him closely nevertheless, expecting him to attack any moment. "You sealed your fate the moment you embarked on this fool's errand of yours. What could you possibly even hope to achieve by all this? That Staff will be mine. Cirilonde is mine!"
Taurmillan emphasized his last sentence by sending a most powerful and bright bolt of lightning charging for Ancano, who raised the Staff of Magnus to defend him, but rather than a ward, the Staff absorbed its very energy. The impact of it made Ancano stumble back but he regained his footing quickly.
Blood and adrenaline surged through his veins and his body thrives on both the fear and in face of the challenge that lay ahead of him, for he was about to fight one of the most powerful Mer of the Dominion. But Taurmillan had to be stopped, even if the attempt would cost him his life.
"The opinion of a soon to-be dead man is of little consequence to me." Ancano readied himself and he glared back at the Lord Exarch. "But I will make sure that you will pay for what you've done."
