Shatter the Shield (Ended)

"Want to try and find a farmer that'll let us stay the day or take our chances with a cave?"

Alaric stood in thought for a moment before answering, since they couldn't really do anything until the horses arrived. "For now, let's just ride. I can travel during the day right now, especially since I fed on the meal at the inn, but I don't think we should go to a cave. No, no caves, that is what they'll suspect. The farmer is easier as well... all it takes is a little... seduction."

The padded clopping of hooves soon alerted him to their horses approaching. He had wrapped their feet to try to silence their movement, and it worked to some degree, but not a whole lot. "Come, sister. Let us ride swiftly, we must get away from here lest we go to serve Sithis earlier than planned..."

"Just a scratch," she said, brushing him off as they chased after rapidly disappearing shadows. It was brusque of her, but little niceties would only slow them down. "Save it for when we're bleeding out."

Further down, they were beset upon by skeletons wielding the weapons they were buried with. They wasted in no time in attacking the group, but Redaria pushed ahead, deflecting a few blows aim towards her as she ran by.

Assessing the threat, the guards engaged the undead, one saying over his shoulder, "Just keep going - we can take care of our own. Just kill that son of bitch for messing with the wrong city!"

(Can you guys take it down a notch? One of us is forced to play using a cellphone, y'know. Considering the difference in post lengths, he needs more time than what you guys are giving to type.)

Once he knew that the newly risen skeletons were going to be taken care of, Aventus practically ran down the pathway, casting short stints of detect undead in an attempt to pinpoint Alaric. He was having little success, but that just fueled his anger and speed.

The spell finally caught as he neared the end of the passageway, a purplish haze appearing above and directly ahead of him. "Got ya," he breathed out heavily, the night of combat and running catching up to him.

He sent out another magelight to light up his path and immediately skidded to a halt, nearly colliding with the end of the tunnel. He tried to catch his breath as he studied the wall. It didn't take him long to recognize that a hole had been plugged in the wall. Aventus growled in anger. "I swear to Stendarr, when I catch them..."

The Imperial pooled his magicka in preparation for a telekinesis spell, slowly reaching out with his magic and grabbing the obstacle. He tried to move it, only for it to barely budge. He mentally cursed at himself for not practicing the spell very often and tried it again, putting more power behind the attempt. This time it slowly started to lift away from the opening. With one final burst of magic, it fell far enough away from the opening to allow people through.

He panted in exhaustion and pulled out the magicka potion to take another sip. He raised it to his mouth, only to find it empty. "Shit."

Aventus tucked it back in his clothes and waited for the others to catch up. If he went up now without any magicka, he would be killed in seconds.

(Who is on the phone, so I know I'm not going too fast?)

Alaric saw the boulder move and come off of the hole. He was already on his horse, but decided to send them a little gift. He held his hand over the entry and sent a bout of intense flames down toward what could only be the vigilants. "Damn they're persistent!" he cursed aloud. "Come sister! We must go now!" he kicked his horse into a gallop. He knew Dar'savi would follow.

(Dreamweaver. He went to bed though. ;_; )

The Imperial barely had time to react before the flames came rushing into the tunnel. He dove to the wall in front of him so that the flames would soar harmlessly over him. Grunting from the rough landing, he pulled himself up against the stone and tried to ignore the growing ache of fatigue. With another detect life spell, he knew that chasing after the assassins was a lost cause at that point. They were riding away on horses, something the Vigilants were incapable of keeping up with.

Aventus decided to let his body rest until Redaria or Ian showed up. There was no hurry now. Just the after effects of adrenalin and his simmering rage that the vampire had escaped.

Dar'savi indeed followed her brother on her horse. As anyone who has practiced thier stelth would tell. the battle not fought is the best kind of battle.

Petrified, his eyes darted between the two skeletons engaged in brutal combat with the guards. He watched as Redaira steamrolled through the enemy lines and pave herself a way through, frightened, that she may have gotten herself hurt in the process. Unarmed, he hesitantly approached the mayhem, desperately trying to find a way through. He feet shifted sporadically as he dance in place waiting for the opportune moment to make a dash for it.

He remembered the shield he had strapped to his pack and gripped the handle firmly as he pulled it out in front of his chest. His palms began to sweat as he shakily stood behind the guards, blowing shards of auburn hair out of his face.

With all the courage he could muster he made a go-for-broke charge through the enemy blockade.
The horinzontal tilt and glimmer of steel was seen in the corner of his grassy eyes. His heart skipped a beat. Instinctively he raised his shield in an attempt to protect himself. Ian had no experience using a shield and he had an improper footing to allow his stance to absorb the near-fatal blow.

The shield swallowed the shockwave of the force executed by the swing. The brute impact hurled the youthful boy into a stone crevice in the wall. A painful cry escaped his lungs as dust swirled around the area where he landed.

Eyes clenched tight he gritted his teeth in agony as he rolled his head to the side, his vision fading as his last glimpse caught a skeleton approaching to finish him off in his vulnerable state. He blinked tbrough the frail window of his sight and saw a vision of blood-red thread in the distance.

Master...Redaira...I...tried...

His heart grew still as his vision slowly began to fade.

A flash of fire in the distance told her there was trouble, but when the sound of following footsteps left her ears for too long, she took a cursory glance backwards to see if Ian was still at her heels. He was not. Instead, she saw him thrown against a crevice – slumping over as if… Maybe she could have caught up with the assassins and take them into the light for the bloody justice they deserved, but even if the catch was guaranteed, they were not worth wasting another’s life over.

Growling in frustration, she turned around, running with all the speed she could muster. She scooped up a rock along the way and with a well aimed throw – she caught the skeleton on its head, temporarily disorientating it as it turned around to cross blades. Too late; she was upon it like a judge’s gavel, coming down with enough power to snap bones like twigs. The undead minion was reduced to a pile of shattered pieces – and its compatriot would be swift to follow under the guards’ combined efforts.

She took no notice of the other one and instead kneeled down to Ian, taking hold of the collar of his shirt. “Wake up,” she said, a hard edge seeping into her voice.

When he didn’t reply immediately, she pressed a hand against his chest, eyes closing as she willed to existence the soothing glow of restorative magic. The golden, ethereal energy ebbed to and fro like waves, warm like the morning sun as it seeped out from her hand and into his still body. Just in case.

Thump, thump... thump, thump....thump, thump!

His hearts strings were plucked by the tantalizing vibrations of pulsating divine magic.

New air whistled throughout his lungs and his chest tremored slightly. Deep inhalation pumped the flow of oxygen throughout his whole body as one blood-washed eyelid lifted into the heights of existence. The crimson-emerald jewel spied a familiar sight. Sanguine-stained teeth revealed a bloody, yet gentle smile.

"I guess I'll be able to try some of Master Aventus's mead after all. " Ian chuckled painfully, rubbing the back of his head where it had collided with the stone corner. " I almost got worried for a 'sec there hehe..."

That was always Ian's nature. Even when scared half to death, he was always able to find a bright to foil the darkest of moments. Ian mantained his cheerful grin, but with a keen eye, Redaira might have noticed the tell-tale sign of fear in his trembling fingers.

She exhaled, releasing a breath reigned in from anticipation. He was fine. Dazed, but otherwise relatively unharmed. The rattle of collapsing bones told her of the other minion’s death. Relatively speaking, they were in good shape.

But the assassins got away. This was no victory. If only they had managed to save the woman – whatever her name was – this whole escapade would not have been a waste. All they had gleaned were the killer’s factions, and their motive could not be ascertained for sure. As far as she knew, they just killed because they could. No real reasoning behind it. They were little less than animals – predators who robbed life for the reason of exercise.

Her fist clenched tightly against her leg, and all of her thoughts were upon making them pay. Damned crazies. The Dark Brotherhood was a bunch of foolhardy bastards with their heads stuck up their asses from swollen egos. They make a few kills, and suddenly, they’ve got the gall to excuse their bloody murders on the side of justice. Justice. Those that fed on blood will choke on blood – that was how it must be.

Evil arrived in cycle of death and rebirth, and every time it was struck down, there would always be a guaranteed recrudescence to beat back. They would get theirs in time. One doesn’t simply live forever – but however they died, she wished them tenfold of the pain they had afflicted upon their victims.

But for now – she would be content. Ian had been spared under the Divines' grace.

“You’ll be fine,” she said softly, half in reassurance on her part. “But there will be no mead. Aventus can drown himself in a barrel for all I care, but you are still a child.”

(Yay! I have my PC now! No more stupid phone posts! )

Ian's brow wiggled like a caterpillar inching it's way to a green meal. His smile dove deep down to the wrinkles or his hairless chin. He sneezed as the debris from the crypt tickled his nose. The reak of the deceased did not bode well with young Ian.

"But Aventus said I'll never be able to grow a magnicent beard like his if I all I am is a milk-drinker!" Ian exclaimed as he rubbed his irritated nose.

"Speaking of Aventus..."

His eyes beamed like searchlights as they hunted for his Master Aventus's whereabouts. The uncertainty of his friend's life has nibbling away at his conscience.

"Gah! Master Aventus! We can't leave him alone with those ...those things!"

Ian sprung to his feet like a leaping leopard, and hurried off towards Aventus.

Ian's eyes lit up like solar flares as he breathed a sigh of relief, noticing Master Aventus was resting easy amongst the gravel with no serious injuries.

"Master Aventus! I'm glad you're safe! You shouldn't go charging off alone like that..if you do, I'm going to have to start charging you for all those healing potions you use." Ian chuckled, his childish aura buzzing like a bee.

(Awesome! I‘m happy to hear that you got your computer back. Hopefully nothing bad happens to it for the rest of your time using it!)

Aventus had reined in his anger enough to greet Ian’s energetic appearance with a smile. He was glad that the newest member of the group was alive and relatively unharmed. “I’ll only be concerned if you start charging for magicka potions, and of course I’m fine! You can’t have as spectacular of a beard as mine and be harmed by cowardly assassins! The Eight wouldn‘t allow it!”

He laughed heartily at his own joke before attempting to power past his fatigue and stand, forcing back a groan of exhaustion as he did so. His pride not allowing him to show the younger man just how exhausted he was. “Don‘t tell Redaria I said that,” he said with another laugh, righting himself. “Now, why don’t we head out? I‘ve got some mead calling my name, and I‘m sure the dead would like to return to their rest.”

"Tell me what?" she asked, eyes hard as she carefully watched Aventus. Hands glowing, she helped him steady himself - the magic working its way to provide a burst of energy. He couldn't hide his exhaustion from her.

She was still dour from lost prey; hunting the hunters, after all, was poetic justice at its finest. She wanted nothing more to reduce that utterly complacent Altmer to a pile of ash easily dispersed by a mere exhale of the wind. And the Khajiit? She only hoped that the cat was a thrall. But no thrall came up with ideas by themselves. They were both servants of Sithis - or otherwise known as indiscriminate murderers.

Aventus was right - it was time to let the dead return to their still existence. Seething about what cannot be undone would only agitate her further with nothing to justify it.

"Nevermind," she said. "Just try not to get too drunk - and don't let Ian have any mead. He's too young."

She made for the exit, eyes heavy as she fought against fatigue. The initial rush of panic that had carried her here was gone and the previous weariness superimposed itself with force. A long, restful sleep would do her some good.

(That'll be it unless someone has something else to say.)