Chapter 9 – Soon They Will Be Fortresses
The Dwemer steamship approached cruising speed as thundered up the eastern coast of Vvardenfell, with Varo and Jurard on board, along with the regular crew. Varo stood at the ship's helm with Sea Monster.
"I obviously love being at sea, but I still think you should have gone after these folk on foot" Sea Monster said loudly above the roar of the ship's furnace.
"If we went after them on foot, we would have reduced their number, but this way we deprive them of a ship as well" Varo replied. "When we have Marconi and Commander Hermidius safely aboard the ship, we sink theirs"
Sea Monster laughed softly. "How does Galmina put up with your crazy plans, Varo?"
Varo hesitated for a few seconds. "She doesn't. To say we are not getting on well at the moment would be a bit of an understatement"
"I noticed that too" Sea Monster said solemnly. "I mean, when Indoril captured you she persuaded Hermidius to mobilise his entire army to help you. But now I haven't even seen her for the last few weeks"
"It was different back then. We weren't even married when that happened. And she still had that sense of adventure, that thrill of being in a completely new place. But I think she's bored of Vvardenfell now – that's what it comes down to. All that is keeping her here is me and Fariel"
"Well, I'd better make sure you get out of this alive" Sea Monster said, pointing at the steam-powered ballista mounted to the ship's deck. "I've got you covered"
It wasn't long before Rigs-Sails, armed with a telescope, spied the House Dres ship. Sea Monster's ship was moving northward at considerable speed, passing the island on which Sadrith Mora once stood, now dominated by a huge ruined Daedric shrine.
Varo ran over to Sea Monster. "We need to get alongside them. It won't be easy – their ship is probably more manoeuvrable than ours. But I need you to get to a point where we can jump between the two ships"
The House Dres ship was moving quickly towards Sea Monster's ship. It was a small clipper, much smaller than the Dwemer ship or the Twin Moons – the perfect ship for speed and manoeuvrability. Soon it came into full view, and a figure could be seen climbing the ship's rigging, heading for the crow's nest. S'Barama raced for the ballista and took aim.
"Are you aiming for that sailor?" Varo called. S'Barama nodded.
"Aim for the mast. The ballista will snap it like a twig"
The Khajiit carefully lined up the ballista, aiming at the ship which was now on a direct bearing towards them, and fired. The ballista's enormous bolt shot through the air, completing its journey in a second, and slammed into the mast of the Dres ship. The mast snapped in two and toppled, tearing down the main sail with it. Immediately, the Dres ship began to slow.
Varo drew his sword and ran towards the edge of the deck.
"Bring us in, Sea Monster!" he called. "Rigs-Sails, S'Barama! Prepare to attack! Jurard, I need you on that ballista!"
Jurard looked nervously at Varo. Varo approached him and spoke calmly.
"It's very simple. As soon as you see that I am safe, fire the ballista into the ship's hull just below the waterline and sink it"
Soon, the Dres ship juddered to a halt and Sea Monster eased off the power to the furnace of the Dwemer ship, bringing it alongside the clipper. Several Dres soldiers could be seen assembling on the deck of the clipper.
"I've got you two covered" S'Barama said, picking a crossbow up from the deck. "Give them hell"
With that, Varo and Rigs-Sails executed a mighty leap from the Dwemer ship onto the deck of the Dres ship. Rigs-Sails brandished his spear in front of him as he leapt, driving it into a soldier's chest as he landed. As another soldier charged at the Argonian, wielding a cutlass, a skilfully-aimed arrow from S'Barama knocked the weapon from the soldier's hands. Varo leapt across and thrust his sword into the soldier, killing him.
"Stay close!" Varo said to Rigs-Sails. "We cannot let ourselves get overwhelmed!"
Rigs-Sails nodded as he pulled his spear free from the fallen soldier just in time to swing it horizontally, smashing it into the head of an approaching Dres soldier and knocking him unconscious. Varo parried with another soldier, blocking his cutlass strokes, before a crossbow bolt fired by S'Barama slammed into the soldier's temple, killing him immediately. Varo leapt over the fallen soldier's body, hewing the head off another soldier as he landed.
Silence fell over the deck. Varo turned to face Rigs-Sails.
"You check the captain's cabin. I'll go below decks"
Rigs-Sails nodded and ran for the cabin whilst Varo ripped open a hatch that led below decks.
--
Ald Sotha shrine, near Vivec
Father Indarys stood in his concealed vantage point at the top of Ald Sotha. He had scaled a ruined tower using levitation and landed on a small, open platform near its summit – he was almost completely hidden from sight but could see far in almost all directions. What his attention was fixed on, however, was the group of ships approaching Vivec from the south. They were several small clippers, similar to the ship Varo and his men were pursuing, along with a few larger ships, all flying the flag of House Dres.
"They're here" Father Indarys said coolly. "We should start preparing to do battle"
Father Indarys was surrounded by three others – Selvio Drath, Tertius Levisson and Sten Hawk-Eye.
"They want Vivec" Sten said. "We don't. Why don't we just torch the damn city?"
Father Indarys gazed at the ruined city of Vivec. "I plan to let them take it then storm it. Or destroy it. Either way, the city will fall. They will aim for the St. Delyn and St. Olms cantons first – the two southernmost towers, and the towers with the strongest spiritual connection to the Almsivi"
"Two Almsivi saints?" Levisson asked.
"Correct" Father Indarys replied. "In their day, they were residential cantons, where everyday folk, followers of the Almsivi, lived and worked. Soon, they will be fortresses"
"How long until Commander Sinclair is back?" Sten asked.
"Hopefully only a few hours, if everything goes to plan" Levisson said. "Which, knowing him, I expect it will"
Father Indarys looked at the two soldiers. "I'm afraid Varo seems to have his own agenda at the moment. He will have business in Caldera as soon as he frees Marconi and Commander Hermidius. But I am hoping that Sea Monster will see fit to return to Vivec to aid us"
"He's already made a mess of one part of Vivec with his ship" Sten remarked, pointing towards the ruined Palace. Many years ago, during the war with the First Council, Sea Monster had sailed the ship at full speed into the Palace in a desperate – but successful – attempt to rescue Varo and Galmina.
"Selvio, you'd better go to the garrisons and warn everyone that battle is upon us. Sten, go with him and look after him"
Selvio and Sten began to descend the rope ladder that Father Indarys had erected to reach his vantage point at the top of Ald Sotha.
"What about me, Father?" Levisson asked.
"I wish for you to stay with me" Father Indarys replied. "We are going to travel south, and meet up with a group of battlemages I sent down there to hide. We will catch the soldiers by surprise when they land in Vivec, making our attack from the water"
"But what do you need me for? I have little skill in the magic arts"
"Maybe not, but you are a good fighter, better than many of the other Legion soldiers" Father Indarys said, looking at Levisson. The soldier had recovered well from his case of the Blight and had recently rejoined active service. Father Indarys knew that remnants of the disease still remained in his body, however, and could attack and weaken him at any time. This was why he wanted to keep Levisson close by – an adept wizard, Father Indarys would be able to cure, or at least suppress, any symptoms that may arise. And after all Varo had done to protect the Sun and Moon Cult, Father Indarys felt the duty to help Varo's men in return.
--
Vivec City, Foreign Quarter Canton
Sten Hawk-Eye reached the domed roof of the Foreign Quarter canton, having scaled it by free-climbing up the worn, rocky walls of the canton, and unslung his crossbow from his back. After Father Indarys' ambush, he was the next line of defence against the Dunmer soldiers. If they wanted to move any further north than the St. Delyn and St. Olms cantons, they would be forced through a bottleneck – the one remaining bridge in Vivec connected St. Olms to the ruined Arena Canton, a bridge which Sten had a clear shot at. With a good aim and quick reloading he would be able to decimate their number should they attempt to leave St. Olms.
Sten felt a curious sense of déjà vu as he waited to attack. It was on the St. Olms Canton's roof where he had hidden himself to attack the Grand Council soldiers in a similar way, as the war against them had reached its dramatic conclusion atop the Palace. He had been there, defending his now-absent leader from a similar threat – a powerful but deluded Dunmer who believed himself to be the one to drive the outlanders from Vvardenfell. He hadn't known Drothan Indoril's motives, or why he had ended up in Vivec Palace with Varo and Galmina, just as he didn't know Arlen Saroth's motives for coming to Vvardenfell, other than that it involved the 'crystals' that he had heard Varo, Hermidius and Jurard talking about. He was used to treatment like this, though – he had been brought to the island as part of Varo's group for his marksmanship, not for leadership or diplomacy. He was, at the end of the day, just a soldier.
--
Varo Sinclair leapt down the wooden stairs that led below decks on the House Dres clipper, colliding with a soldier and knocking them to the ground. Regaining his footing instantly, Varo thrust his sword into another soldier's chest whilst sharply kicking the side of the fallen man's head, knocking him out cold.
Suddenly Varo was thrown backwards by a tremendous impact and roared in pain as he felt unbearable heat surge through his body. Struggling to his feet, Varo saw a robed figure hurl another fireball at him, and fell to the ground again just in time to avoid it. Varo looked around. There were no other soldiers around, just him and the mage. But the mage had the advantage of range – as Varo got up, he had to jump to the ground again to avoid a lightning bolt.
Varo rolled to one side and leapt to his feet, and raced at the mage. He anticipated the attack this time, ducking to one side as he saw small licks of flame appear on the Dunmer mage's fingertips, then lunged forward and crash-tackled the mage to the ground. Not missing a beat, Varo grabbed the mage's neck and twisted it, breaking his neck.
Regaining his breath, Varo looked around. There was only one lower deck on the ship, and Hermidius and Marconi were nowhere to be seen. All he could see was a hatch in the ship's hull which was wide open – a hatch designed to admit an archer to fire from the side of the ship at enemies. But the Dres soldiers had used it for another purpose.
Desperately, Varo sprinted back up to the top deck. As he did, however, he grabbed something from around the mage's neck.
"Rigs-Sails!" Varo shouted. The Argonian emerged from the captain's cabin, a dead body lying on the floor behind him.
"Did you find them?" Rigs-Sails called. Varo shook his head and raced to the starboard side of the ship.
"There they are!" Varo cried, pointing out to sea. He dropped his sword onto the deck and leapt overboard, Rigs-Sails following behind him, as he began to swim towards where he could see Marconi and Hermidius, bound together, struggling to stay afloat.
Rigs-Sails passed Varo underwater, plunging his spear into a Dreugh that tried to attack the pair, as Varo swam for the doomed pair. He was struggling – his clothes were waterlogged and his heavy Imperial steel armour was weighing him down – but he couldn't let his friends drown. Eventually, and with difficulty, he reached them. Rigs-Sails joined the three and used a small dagger on his belt to cut the ropes binding Hermidius and Marconi together.
"How did you find us?" Hermidius asked, coughing up water.
"They did exactly what I would have done in the same scenario" Varo replied. "I second-guessed them"
"Sunder" Marconi said, treading water. "Did you get it?"
Varo nodded. "I got this too"
Varo held up the object he had taken from the Dres mage, a large, ancient-looking key.
"I retrieved it from one of the soldiers in the cave before we were captured" Marconi said. "That wizard took it from me"
The four treaded water whilst Sea Monster skilfully manoeuvred the steamship towards them. S'Barama dropped a rope ladder over the side then fired the ballista at the Dres ship, the powerful bolt ripping a hole through its hull just below the waterline. The ship began to sink as the four climbed aboard.
"Thank you, Sea Monster" Hermidius said, patting the Nord on the shoulder.
"Not a problem, Commander" he replied. "I always enjoy helping Varo carry out his mad ideas"
"Sea Monster, how close to Caldera can we get by sea?" Varo asked, walking over.
"West coast's about the best I can do" Sea Monster replied. "It's about two miles to walk there from where we found this ship"
Varo gathered everyone around.
"Alright everyone, I know that House Dres are probably launching an assault on Vivec as we speak, but I have left Commander Cunius and Father Indarys in charge of our men there and I believe them to be fully capable. But I know that Arlen Saroth seeks what is in the cave beneath Caldera, which we now have the key for. Jurard, Marconi, I want you two to stay with me when we get to the cave. Ralix, I want you and the Caldera garrison – or what's left of it – to stop them reaching the cave in the first place"
"What about the ship's crew?" Jurard asked. Varo nodded and turned to Sea Monster.
"Go to Vivec and help in whatever way you can. Smash this thing into a canton again if you have to"
--
Ascadian Isles, east of Vivec
In a small gully near the southern tip of a large island directly to the west of Vivec, Father Indarys and his men, along with Tertius Levisson, hid out of view of the approaching House Dres ships. Father Indarys counted six of them – two clippers and four large galleons.
Father Indarys waited just beneath the crest of the gully, waiting for his moment to strike. He wanted to catch the House Dres soldiers by surprise, making them think they had reached Vivec unhindered. Waiting until the first two ships passed the ruined palace, Father Indarys emerged from cover.
The Dunmer wizard hurled an enormous fireball at the larger of the two ships, a large galley that was undoubtedly carrying soldiers. The fireball roared through the air and slammed into the doomed ship in a billowing explosion, turning the large ship into a raging inferno. Almost immediately, a volley of arrows was launched by soldiers on board the two ships, forcing Father Indarys back into cover. His contingent of Battlemages raced up the hill, their shields held above their heads to protect themselves from arrows. It had begun.