THIRTEEN ADVENTURERS IN TIME AND SPACE

[Maharg67]

-28-

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

A TESTING FIGHT

 

Lord Maharg whirled and dropped as Drazen's falsesword swept through the air just centimetres above his head and then ended the movement in a rolling motion that in turn had him coming up onto his feet in a battle stance. Stallon came at Lord Maharg from the back and went to drive his falsesword into Lord Maharg's back. All three of them were moving with amazing speed, agility and skill. But then Lord Maharg whirled around to one side and a surprised Stallon was thrusting his falsesword point against the chest of an equally surprised Drazen. If this was not bad enough, Stallon ran into the point of Drazen's falsesword.

 

Addalla stepped forward and spoke loudly. "The fight is officially ended with the undoubted victory of Lord Graham Maharg. You must concede defeat, Drazen and Stallon."

 

Still amazed how Lord Maharg had so easily manipulated them so as to get them to, in theory, kill each other, the younger super-soldiers slipped away their falseswords into scabbards and bowed briefly from the waist to Lord Maharg.

 

Lord Maharg frowned softly at the two. "Giving prayers of blessing to dead lesser daedra, who were never given any real chance of becoming different, is not weakness. Hatred is understanble under some conditions but is also easy. It is far less easy to forgive, to truly forgive, one's enemies. We all need have a chance to seek the Light and Enlightment."

 

Stallon nodded. "You have convinced me, Lord Maharg, that I was being foolish."

 

Drazen nodded. "I can only repeat his words, Lord Maharg. I look forward to training with you."

 

"It would be my privilege to train with you all, including the neobabies and the Mothers in person, if they would let me." Lord Maharg smiled. "I would like for all super-soldiers to blend into the main settlement and to start doing domestic duties such as washing dishes and sweeping floors. I myself do these things and am glad to be able to do so."

 

Stallon and Drazen nodded in agreement with soft frowns.

 

Addalla gave them a mild grin which neither young man appreciated very much.

[Maharg67]

-29-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

THE MAD COUNT'S INHERITANCE

 

As the Oblivion Gate opened up on the hill that the Mad Count had stood on to examine the large First Valley of Wozzledom, it was realised that the Mad Count had not just been there to invade Wozzledom. Far from it. He had lain down much heavy, dark daedric magic utilising daedric artefacts and the human sacrifice of many mercenaries. The Oblivion Gate was a large one but not a great one or a smaller, more common type.

 

Through it at once came hordes of riding, running, loping, crawling and flying lesser daedra, many of them being types that had never been seen in Tameriel before. The clannfears were not just the smaller known types but bigger, more powerful greater clannfears. There were plenty of stunted scamps and scamps but now a few of those three not small fireballs but bolts of electricity, iceballs of freezing and even disintegration pulses. Scards came in armour and with weapons but now many had one shot flintlock musket-swords, combined weapons. Dremora came with their traditional magical armour and weapons but also now with flintlock musket pistols and rifles. Daedragons flew through the air but so did winged scamp like sciers. Spider-daedra were joined by scorpion-daedra and wasp-daedra. Dremora rode powerful, deadly clannfear like creatures called clannclaws or even large daedragons though it seemed at times that they were barely in control of their steeds. There were others like various atronachs of elemental based powers, the monstrous xivilai, the daedroth and a few others.

 

The attack was a surprise but not a total one thanks to the system of scouts, patrols and special warning devices set up by the Thirteens and the wildfolk. Nor did the invading daedra know of the large force of Imperial Legionaries making their way on horseback and in troop-wagons, some of them magically powered and armoured, moving towards Wozzledom to show that the Emperor was not pleased. The Emperor had intended no invasion but now his forces were soon facing the need to go into battle formation in a great hurry as many lesser daedra approached them aggressively.

 

Another army of wildfolk formed and marched towards the hill with many waeiou, centaurs, nymphs, true elves and other such including human tribals. Leading them was Lord Maharg himself along with nine of the super-soldiers and three globetors with neobabies inside. There went with them a fair sized force of clone warriors in magical power armour and with magical power weapons.

 

And then, suddenly, the invading daedra were retreating quickly, but in an orderly fashion, back through the Oblivion Gate. Just as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, and the Oblivion Gate vanished, flaming out and exploding briefly as they normally did.

 

Most people were happy that no battle had taken place but a few were suspicious and went looking for clues to any possible trickery.

Edited August 28, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

-30-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

SEEKING THE LOST AYLEID CITY

 

The Globeship at Cloud Ruler Temple was brought to Wozzledom and now all three Globeships were in the same large rocky cavern chamber. This was good for the needs of the Globeships but also made the situation vulnerable. The Globeship of the First Thirteen would take much work done on it and this would drain much energy from the other two Globeships.

 

It was decided that Lord Maharg would go to Imperiarna, the Imperial City, along with others as an envoy party to meet the Emperor himself along with other important individuals. Certainly Emperor Uriel Septim VII seemed keen that this should happen but not openly; no, the expedition would be not only informal but secret.

 

Wozzledom had its first skyboat arrive with Imperial goods, some people and even some Imperial Mail Catalogues. Some wildfolk enjoyed it when the skyboat captain took them for a small trip around the big valley but others were not so keen on the experience including a cub or two who threw up over the rails.

 

The search for anything or anybody that might have come through with the invading, and then retreating daedric army, came up with nothing.

 

Before he would go to the distant Imperiarna, Lord Maharg set out with an expedition to find the other Ayleid city, the one even more hidden and even more ancient than the one that they knew about. They did not go to the first Ayleid city but met a group of Ayleids from there being scouts, explorers, scholars, mages and warriors. Already having wildfolk with them, the expedition had super-soldiers, a globetor and some cloned warriors and workers along with some cloned horses.

 

Hulking wazzles carried impressively large backpacks, the nocturnal wezzles slept during the movements during the night for they would be on sentry duty at night, the winged wizzles acted as scouts and the amphibious wuzzles checked ahead any watery obstacles.

 

They plunged into the ground in a great sloping cave tunnel and were soon passing through ancient but still surprisingly intact Ayleid structures. Great columns inset into walls, exotic statues of Mer humanoids, steps leading to doors that opened to great vacant chambers and raised walkways that crossed the tunnels above the floor level.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

I HATE TO ASK BUT TO INDICATE IF YOU APPRECIATE MY WRITINGS, COULD YOU CONSIDER GIVING ME KUDOS?

 

THIS WAY I WILL HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW TO CONTINUE IN FUTURE AS I AM HAVING TO PRIORITISE MY CURRENT PROJECTS FOR I AM STARTING A NOVEL.

 

TO THOSE WHO GIVE KUDOS, THANK YOU.

 

I HOPE NONE ARE OFFENDED BY THIS REQUEST.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

-31-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

SEEKING THE LOST AYLEID CITY

 

One of the major mistakes made by most modern folks of Tamriel was that the parts of the Ayleid cities remaining were the whole of the old cities. This was far from true. Ayleid cities had once had great towers, statue-towers and other structures that were torn down by slave rebels and other enemies. The materials were carted off to be reused. It was decided that the remaining structures would be kept both as monuments to the suffering of the enslaved and to a reminder that freedom was not something that could be taken for granted.

 

So the expedition came upon a great cavern chamber in which arose a series of falsely fragile looking towers joined by flying buttesses that were also enclosed bridges. Different Ayleid kingdoms and other societies had different structures showing variations of cultures and subcultures but in most of Cyrodiil they had been destroyed. These particular towers were unlike anything that any other Ayleid city had ever held for they were much older of design and were much more graceful as if the Ayleids had forgotten architectural secrets.

 

Instead of a feeling of pleasure or wonder, the towers somehow managed to bring a chill to those who saw them and it soon became evident that dark daedric symbols ran vertically down each tower, even as the expedition got closer. Then they saw the zombies, hundreds of them, rotting and regenerating unnaturally, being former Ayleids, humans, orcs and other beings including animals such as horses, dogs and deer.

 

Lord Maharg was puzzled, a rare thing indeed, and he studied the daedric symbols carefully before he spoke to some of his companions. "They indicate a Deadric Deity of some kind but none of the ones that are none of. Not Mehrunes Dagon, Sheogarath, Azura, Boethiah, Hermaeus Mora, Peryite, Hircine, Malacath, Meridia, Molag Bal, Namira, Nocturnal,Clavicus Vile, Mephala, Sanquine or Vaenima."

 

There had always been whispers of other, unkown Daedragods who were always hidden or lost in history or even suppressed in knowledge by other, more powerful deities. Could these symbols indicate a daedra who was very much into undeath or was that too hasty a conclusion to make.

 

The Ayleid Sage YaTugoong, nodded and then shook his head. "Those symbols are of VashMargu. She was almost one of the Daedragods, a contestant of sorts, a candidate who failed. Or so some say. Others say she decided to cease to be daedric. She abhored the undead as much as Azura does. Neither she or her followers would have chosen to have zombies around one of their cities. Look at the Ayleid priests and priestesses there who have become zombies, they also wear the symbols of VashMargu. They have been cursed unto undeath perhaps in some daedric conflict. I do not feel good about this at all. We Ayleids have given up on all Daedric Gods or I would attempt to communicate with them to find out more for I have studied ways to do just that."

 

Lord Maharg shook his head. "Too dangerous here to try any such tricks. Any form of daedric magic or rituals carried out here will draw upon us some kind of threat that is related to the daedric but which is not actually daedric. The expedition will move ahead but will keep as much distance from the zombies and the towers as it can. We must move in a way that has us prepared as much as possible for the zombies attacking or against other threats."

 

Addalla frowned. "I saw symbols like those on a bleak, dead world that we of the Second Thirteen passed through briefly. The whole world was totally dead. There did not even seem to be microscopic life there. It was terrible. I think it was called Chasgoddo. We only got there by accident."

 

Lord Maharg shook his head. "Then be grateful you were only one one of the Cursed Dead Worlds where the Great Undeath has struck. You should not have been able to go there at all. Something is very wrong with the transdimensional ways, the barriers."

 

Orders were given, the expedition continued but was now ready to defend itself against any attacks.

[Maharg67]

-32-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

SEEKING THE LOST AYLEID CITY

 

The zombies smashed out of fake walls, the thin rock facade crumbling away from the hidden tunnel mouths, but they had been sensed coming. The defenders formed defensive formations and fought to both sides and to the front and rear as more zombies came from those directions. Ayleids threw their magical bolts of power as did battlemages. Centaurs attacked with their great hooves and mighty swords or maces. The furry small ones, the wozzles and their less common cousins, showed what bows and other weapons could do, including long sharp hard retractable claws. The Thirteens that were there, they fought with terrible power and skill. Not just Lord Maharg but the mother in person who was there and the super-soldiers.

 

Zombies stank of worse than normal rot. They rotted and regenerated in unnatural ways. They bore not trapped souls but trapped life energies that they renewed by sucking away at victims even as they killed them. This time only the zombies were dying as they quickly shambled right into a great waiting death trap. As zombies met true death, their bodies crumbled to dust for truly they had been zombies for a very long time.

 

The last of these lesser undead perished and the expedition once more continued to follow the great, high ceiling equipped tunnel. As they did there was some sense of triumph that they had destroyed the zombies so easily but the smartest and wisest amongst them knew the zombie attack had been button a relatively mild threat, a diversion, a testing by the real threat to come.

[Maharg67]

-33-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

SEEKING THE LOST AYLEID CITY

 

It was an amazing sight and as far as the walls and the white gold tower, it looked just like Imperirna itself, the Imperial City of the Cyrodilin Empire. Except there were no human designed or constructed structures in that city, no Imperial Prison and no Arcane University. Ayleids dwelt there and could be seen busy in the farm areas closer to the great city walls but well inside outer walls of less stature. There were also humans, goblins, orcs and various kinds of beastfolk toiling there and it seemed that none of them were slaves. The banners and other symbols of VashMargu were evident in many places, including on the outer walls where many warriors were gathered to defend the city.

 

From what?

 

From a great army of zombies, skelombies (animated skeletons encased in body shaped pale glowing energy fields), undead fleshgolems and various forms of spectral undead. A great lich king led them riding upon a mighty skeletal undead horse. The undead army was mighty and the zombies, the skelombies, were of many peoples and animals. They easily outnumbered those who were in the city and they were spanning out as they approached the outer walls.

 

Then, with a flicker, the loop began again. The zombie army was once more further back in the distance.

 

Lord Maharg shook his head in wonder. "Such a powerful magical spell, a daedric like magic but not truly daedric, is making sure that the enemy army never quite reaches the wall but the spell is fading and every time the loop starts again, the undead army is slightly closer to the city. I do not know how I know, but this is not the ancient Ayleid city that we seek. Most strange that this is the second set of Ayleid structures except that the Gold White Towers were not actually built by the Ayleids but by the Altmer."

 

They could all feel the edge of the field of time distortion, of time manipulation. It was not a comfortable sensation but did not feel dangerous. The question was, how would they deal with this situation for the time field and the city blocked their path. They could not go any further forward unless they dealt with the spell and the undead army. But how? Dealing with time magic or with powerful spells was tricky but both together was going to be very tricky to deal with.

[Maharg67]

-34-

 

GATHERING FORCES IN THE COLOVIAN HIGHLANDS

SEEKING THE LOST AYLEID CITY

 

Mattru of the Mothers in person had come with the expedition and it was her skills and knowledge that allowed the expedition to go into the time loop. They moved rapidly towards the city and the time loop spell began to fragment around them as it could not take the newcomers being there. Strange and disturbing but not dangerous sensations passed through the group. Then they were at one of the big gates of the outer wall and they were being allowed through. Even as the gate closed, the time looping spell ended.

 

But instead of attacking, the undead army crumbled away into true death. The sudden surge of energies triggered by the collapse of the major spell had been to much for the necromancic magic that had created and then directed them. Even the liches were destroyed, so powerful had been the looping spell, and Mattru announced it had been meant to do just that. A trap had been set up but had not been triggered, waiting until Mattru came and did so with out really meaning to do so.

 

Lord Maharg was not fooled and neither were Addalla or Mattru or others. The destruction of the one army of the undead had not taken away the sense of a powerful evil lurking in the background. It was still there even if it was not directly approaching them. Lord Maharg was the one to meet with Duke Guire, an Ayleid human hybrid much respected by his people. The duke was also a scholar and a mage of much skill. He was also deeply concerned about the situation the city was in. They met on the battlements of the outer wall.

 

Despite the effect of the time loop putting the city into a form of slowed down time, the city was running out of important resources. Now there was concern that the area between the smaller outer and big inner walls was quite vulnerable to a major enemy attack and from there was the last remaining supply of food coming from.

 

While over a hundred years had passed outside of the city, only a few minutes had passed in and just around the city.

 

Lord Maharg shook his head in wonder. "Who would have even considered it, another White Gold Tower and another Imperial City hidden away here, deep beneath the ground."

 

The duke sighed. "You astonish us. We considered our White Gold Tower to be the only one and our Imperial City also to be unique. You say you have come looking for a hidden Ayleid city of great size. Why do you not consider this to be the one?"

 

"For the ancient city we seek is one of great evil." Lord Maharg sighed. "Instinct drives us, and influence of the Nine, as much as logic and knowledge do. Do you mind if I go into the Gold White Tower?"

 

The duke shrugged. "Of course, if you can get in, for it has remained locked to all of us for a very long time. We call this city Imperiaroona as you call that other city by the name of Imperiarna. The Emperor and Imperial Court of the Cyrodilin Empire, somebody told me that they can go into that other White Gold Tower."

 

It was Mattru who shook her head. "The Cyrodilin Imperials think they have gained access to the real interior of their White Gold Tower but in truth they have only gained access to a false dimensional realm. The real interior is both hidden and locked from them."

 

The duke nodded. "We have gained accedss to the false interior. It is very handy for housing our City Councils, archives, high court and such like. From there watchers can observe out over the walls and also the sky for anybody who approaches."

 

Which was when Lord Maharg spoke. "You mean like the flight of dragons now flying towards us. Do not panic for they mean us no harm. It appears that something most amazing and unique has happened. The dragons have risen to help protect the Cyrodilin Empire for the first time in a very, very long time but not just the Empire. They have pledged to protect this city also from both obvious and less obvious threats. So, Duke Guire, how long have you been a member of the Mythic Dawn?"

 

Duke Guire scowled. "Mehrunes Dagon will burn you and all those like you, the kaedra monsters who are destroying the Realm of Oblivion." Then he shimmered red and began to turn into a Mythic Dawn warrior with special armour, shield and a sword. Addalla stepped up behind him and killed him so the duke fell dead to the floor of the battlements.

 

Other Mythic Dawn warriors emerged from hiding and rushed forward in magical armour. Mehrunes Dagon was driving them to their beserker death and they had no choice but to attack. Perhaps at that moment they began to truly understand what fools they had been in choosing to follow, to sacrifice so much for, such a monstrous deity.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

I am going to have this story locked but hopefully I will return one day with a better version of it. Continuing annoying health problems and other issues have cut down on the amount of time and energy I have to spend on writing. I need to focus more on fewer pieces. As it is I have ceased to do any fanfic on the Bethesda official forum so I can focus more on Druid's Garden.