Chapter 35

Day 150

It has been a month. A long month of moving camp and setting up defenses around random places in the desert. Morgran was setting up small forts as he called in the other leaders of their resistance. Almost one hundred men and women came to occupy each of the forts that we had built. I had met with the other leaders of the resistance: A nord women named Valinka, A redguard mercenary named Vahir, and a Dark elf mage named Kerehmir. Then there was Morgran, the scared orc who was a complete mystery to me. The others had shared their stories and past accomplishments while Morgran continue to remain silent about himself. Zaynabi had also seen him sending out messengers in the night. While I had originally believed they where just being sent to the other leaders or other members of the resistance. She swears that she had seen him give them black paper rolled up like a scroll each time.

"Darius. I believe it is time we continued moving. We are being left behind." Kharjo placed a hand on my shoulder, waking me from my thoughts as I looked out over the oasis before us. We where traveling along a road that was in the mountain bordering High Rock and Hammerfell. We had recently stopped at Skaven for supplies and payed respects to the recently deceased ruler of the city. Their daughter seemed plenty capable to me but Morgran was convinced she would be assassinated within the next month or so.

"W-Wait up!" The redguard prince staggered up to us with his two dark elf friends in tow. I had recently learned that his name was Orman and the two dark elves were Forgrun and Domus. "Have the others moved on yet?" He asked while trying to catch his breath. Kharjo had been working them for some time. At first it had been a secret but Morgran had found out just a week ago. Instead of saying anything though he just shook his head and ignored it. Morgran's attention seemed to be away from the young prince and to other schemes lately.

"Yes. They have likely reached the encampment in caverns by now." Kharjo sighed and adjusted the large pack that he was having Orman carry.

"Zaynabi is bound to be worried." Forgrun the dark elf with the longer hair spoke as a shiver noticeably ran through him. "She's scary sometimes."

"Best not worry her too much then." I smiled and lead the way along the path. The oasis that bordered this part of the mountain was a beautiful site, something I would definitely have liked to take a picture of if I was on a vacation. During the last month I had found myself missing my world more and more. While I hadn't really been doing well for myself it was still a world I had grown up in. I sighed heavily and shook my head, I needed to stay in the here and now.

The encampment was now within view, the wooden palisades slicked with greenish blood from the beetles constantly trying to clear the pathway. The two dark elf brothers got their second wind and made it through the gates before the rest of us. The heavily armored guards nodded to us as we passed and closed the gates behind us. The bright sun shone high above us as we brought ourselves to where our tents were. I wiped my brow and sat down on a rock.

"Morgran will want the report." Domus muttered as he walked past me and into his tent. I looked around saw the large tent that belonged to our "leader." Two large Nords guarded the tent's entrance and placed their arms in front of me as I went to step inside.

"Morgran is busy." One of the gruff men simply stated and kept his hand before the entrance.

"I was told to report in with him when I returned from patrol." I said with a sigh and went to step forward again. However the other guard grabbed my arm and shoved me back.

"He's busy." He said again and scowled from beneath his hood. I shook my head and went to leave, then an idea popped in my head. It was just a tent right? I should just be able to get in on the other side, or at least listen in on what the orc was doing. I went around to the other side of the tent, it was blocked off on most sides by boxes and weapon racks.`I went behind a few of the boxes and went to pick up the ten flap. As soon as I did though I noticed that the tent seemed to be over a large rock. I picked up a few more ends of the tent flaps and found that a large rock wall was under the tent. But how? How could it-. That's when it hit me. I remember Zaynabi telling me about the different kinds of magic as she was reading her books. I recalled what she had told me about illusion magic, how it could appear solid and real and sometimes even make something into another thing. It was a powerful form of magic and mastering it took much practice. As I was wondering how Morgran could use such magic the blade at my hip began to hum to life. I had been keeping myself away from Dawnbreaker but today I had given in since I was being sent on a patrol. The gem on the hilt glowed as an image flashed through my mind. The image of the gem touching an invisible barrier appeared before my eyes. As it touched the barrier the whole wall lit up and vanished as if it hadn't been there before. When the image faded I shook my head and looked down at the sword with wonder. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly as I thought of this as being shown some kind of tutorial from a video game or something.

Drawing the blade I did as the image showed on the rock surface below the tent. Sure enough a small hole formed in the rock and I was able to peek my head through and catch site of something I hadn't really expected. While I believed that Morgran was hiding a great many things I hadn't thought that he could have been one of them.

"You almost had me killed! The horde was much to close!" The orc shouted angrily at a large blue fire that floated in the middle of his large tent.
"It had to be done. You have one among you who serves an enemy." A voice echoed around the tent, it seemed feminine but the voice was almost like a whisper from the flame.
"I will handle him in due time. I see the blade and know the meaning but he has his uses. All these fools do." Morgran huffed and crossed his large arms. "Besides. once we turn the rebel leaders into undead pawns we can use their skills without their thoughts or opinions getting in the way. How far is the horde from the first stronghold? I sent a courier with the locations."
"A group will arrive within a few days. We had trouble with the Dominion." The voice sighed then continued to speak. "I would rather you dispose of this enemy sooner rather than later. Useful or not, I want him dead."
"I will personally see to it tonight. I could easily make it seem like a Dominion assassin came in and killed a few of our own." Morgran grinned and pulled out a small elven dagger.
That was all I cared to see as now I feared for my life. Returning the flap to the ground and sheathing Dawnbreaker I made my way back to the middle of the camp and headed towards my tent. Zaynabi and Kharjo should be there, I needed to get to them quickly. We had to leave, now.

Day 151
We ran. I don't know exactly how far or fast but we had escaped the encampment that was meant to be our graves. Kharjo and Zaynabi rest with me by the fire, our heads and eyes constantly flicking from the flames to the rocks around us. We are on our way to the first fort we had made to warn the other rebel leaders of Morgran's plan.
"Valinka is the leader of that fort, yes?" Kharjo asked, his accent more thick when he was nervous.
"I believe she was the one that took ownership of that fort. It was smart too if Morgran had planned this all along. She leads the strongest of the rebellion's troops. If the horde took them out then turned them, it would mean the doom for the rest of the rebels." I stared at the flames, trying to think of a way out of this. So far no one had tried to follow us. I had claimed that Morgran was sending us out again on a patrol, even went as far to carry as lightly as we could so as to not rouse suspicion. It was a poor move however as we now held little in the way of food and water.
"We are about a day's walk from the fort. I hope we make it in time." Zaynabi looked over the map, trying to figure out exactly where we were and how far the fort was. After a heavy sigh she folded up the map and tucked it into her satchel. "Do you believe that Orman and the other two made it to Vahir's mercenary's?" Orman had left with us, the two dark elfs had followed suite. They believed me when I told everyone of the conversation with the mysterious person within Morgran's tent.

"Let's just hope they did." I rose to my feet and looked out from behind the group of rocks we had camped behind. In the distance I could see fires burning, they looked like hundreds of torches. "What the-?!" I was cut off as an arrow flew past my head and into the sand beside me. "They're here!"