Chapter 10 is here!! sorry for the late update...been a bit busy with work...enjoy...


Chapter 10

The first thing that Grun saw when he opened his eyes was a high dark shaft. He blinked again and it became clear that he was looking up a hollow building which was partially broken.

"Are you all right?"

Grun turned his head gingerly to see a young Imperial dressed in grey robes looking at him with curiosity and concern.

"Been better," answered Grun hoarsely.

The Imperial said nothing but handed him a flask of water.

The dwarf drank it gratefully and handed it back.

"Where's the lass and that damned cat?" he asked.

"Right there," answered the Imperial, pointing to a corner.

Grunting, Grun got up.

The Imperial also stood up.

"I heard about what you three did out there," he said. "It was very brave of you, thank you."

"Quit kissin' my arse," snapped Grun, walking away, leaving the stunned Imperial behind.

As he made his way through the room, he could see mattresses and food bundles scattered on the floor.

There were also people, huddling in the dark corners, parents looking after their children and young ones looking after the elderly ones.

As he came up to the couple he was looking for, he heard their voices.

"…calm down! It's all right, I'm here."

"I can't take it anymore, Dar! Every time I close my eyes, I see them! They're dead! But they're alive too! Then they blame and try to kill me! I just can't take it anymore…"

Grun paused, not sure about what he was about to see.

He peeked around the pillar and saw Arvina sobbing hysterically into M'raaj-Dar's chest.

The Khajiit held her close, trying to calm her down.

Grun raised his eyebrows at this.

He had heard about the human and mer races falling in love with each other.

What he had never heard about was either of those races falling for the beast race.

While his craggy and weathered appearance might be contradicting, Grun knew love when he saw it.

And he could see love in the way M'raaj-Dar held Arvina while his tail flicked anxiously.

He could see love in the way Arvina clutched at the Khajiit as though afraid he might disappear if she loosened her grip.

The way M'raaj-Dar kept whispering comforting words into her ear.

The way Arvina slowly calmed herself in his embrace.

There was love between the two and Grun knew it.

He turned and left them alone.

He headed for the doors of the building and saw Savlian Matius, Ilend Vonius and a female Redguard there discussing something. Some twenty soldiers sat around the doors, tending to their wounds or servicing their weapons.

Savlian's eyes lighted when he saw the dwarf.

"Thank Talos you're allright," he said.

"What happened?" asked Grun. "I remember one hellish flame engulfin' me and everythin' went dark after that."

"We don't know about any flame but the portal sort of exploded," answered Savlian. "The four of you sort of flew out of the explosion."

"Four of us?" repeated Grun in confusion.

Then, he remembered.

"The sod in the cage," he said. "Where is he?"

Savlian frowned at the dwarf's choice of word.

"He's down at the refugee camp," he answered. "We sent him to go and get help."

"Right," grunted the dwarf. "So how did we end up in here?"

"Well, we gathered what men we could and stormed the city after the portal closed, we managed to defeat the Daedra outside the chapel. Now we're gathering more men and evacuating the chapel. We brought you here so that Brother Martin can treat you; he's very good with Restoration spells…"

"Wait, did you just say, Martin?" interrupted the dwarf.

"Yes, Martin," answered Savlian.

"Where is he?"

Savlian looked around and pointed to the corner where Arvina and M'raaj-Dar were.

"Over there, the Imperial in the grey robes," he said.

Grun turned and saw the Imperial whom he just brushed off.

"Damn," he muttered and made his way there.

As he approached, he could hear the Imperial talking with the duo.

Apparently he was thanking the two of them for their part in closing down the portal.

What an arse kisser thought Grun irritably.

Once he arrived he said: "Oi, you!"

The Imperial turned.

"You the bastard?"

The Imperial frowned.

"Idiot," said Arvina.

"Sorry about that," said M'raaj-Dar. "What he really wants to ask is are you Martin?"

The Imperial nodded.

"Yes, I'm Martin," he said.

"The priest?" prompted Arvina.

"Yes, I'm a priest," replied Martin bitterly. "Do you need a priest?"

"Not really," said Arvina, surprised at his a bitter tone. "What's wrong?"

Martin laughed dryly. "What's wrong? Daedra just invaded this city and massacred more than half the citizens. What did the Divines do about it? Nothing! They just watched us being slaughtered by the Daedra and did nothing!"

Arvina, M'raaj-Dar and Grun watched the priest rant wordlessly.

After he was done, Grun spoke. "I don't know or care about what you just said. But you're coming with us."

"Why?" asked Martin suspiciously.

"You're the Emperor's bastard," said Grun.

"What are you talking about?" cried out Martin angrily. "I'm not a bastard. My father was a farmer!"

"Whatever," snorted Grun. "The fact remains is that you're the only one we've met that fits the old monk's description. So we're getting you outta here, willingly or otherwise."

"What old monk?" asked Martin.

"Jauffre," said Arvina.

"Jauffre?" repeated Martin, frowning with recognition. "He sent you? Why?"

"It's like Grun said it," said M'raaj-Dar. "You're the late Emperor's…unknown son. Jauffre brought you here for your safety on the Emperor's orders."

"But…it can't be," said Martin.

Grun grunted. "Right, it just so happened that Daedra chose to attack this city first. They massacred everyone in the city, lookin' into every home. This was more than an invasion, it was hunt."

"For me?" prompted the priest.

"Well at least you're not daft," said the dwarf.

"Shh," said Arvin.

The four of them turned to see Savlian walking up to them.

"I'm glad the three of you are okay," he said. "I know you've done much for us, but we still need your help."

"We tried to take on the castle when you were unconscious earlier. We had to clear a lot of Daedra just get there. But it turns out that they brought down the portcullis and it can't be opened on our side. But there's a passage leading from the chapel's undercroft into the courtyard of the castle. Can you help us open it while we hold the Daedra's attention?"

Arvina and M'raaj-Dar looked at each other uncomfortably. They had just gone through hell and back again and they weren't eager to go through more dangers. However, they felt uncomfortable to refuse the man outright.

Grun, however, was a different story.

"No, we won't," he grunted. "We just went through hell and back again for the sake of this bastard here. We found what we came for, now we're leaving."

"No you won't," said Martin suddenly.

The trio looked at him.

"If you want me to come with three of you, you'd better help Savlian out first," said the Imperial priest. "Or else I'd rather throw myself into the Daedra and then you'll just have gone through hell and back again for nothing."

"You blackmailin' me, Bastard?" snarled Grun.

"Yes, I suppose I am," answered Martin coldly.

The dwarf and the Imperial glared at each other.

"Fine," grunted Grun angrily. "You'll pay for this."

"I can hardly wait," retorted Martin.

Arvina and M'raaj-Dar got up, grumbling.

When the trio was preparing to go through the undercroft, they were joined by several Imperial Legion soldiers.

"We saw the fire," said one of them. "Anything we can do to help?"

"You can come with us," said Arvina. "We'll need all the help we can get."

When they were about to enter the chapel undercroft when Grun paused.

He turned to look at Martin. "What do you think you're doin'?"

"I'm coming with you," Martin answered.

"Like hell you are, prissy boy!" snarled the dwarf. "You're staying here and that's that."

"I'm not staying," retorted Martin stubbornly. "I'm coming and there's nothing you can do about it."

"That's where you're wrong," said M'raaj-Dar, who suddenly appeared behind the Imperial priest and landed a chop to the back of his head that knocked him out.

"Good one, Whiskers," grunted Grun, dragging the unconscious priest to a nearby pillar.

Arvina found some rope in one of the barrels and tied up Martin tightly with it.

"I'm sorry, Martin," said Arvina after she was done. "It's for your own good."

Leaving the tied up unconscious priest, the trio and the Imperial Legion soldiers entered the undercroft.


So the trio have found martin but now they have to liberate a city to get him to come with them...what next??

pls tell me if there were any mistakes...

chapter 11...coming soon...