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Arc 8 Chapter XVI: Coup Upon The Niben
🕑 Added 2024-10-21 20:00:28 +0000 UTCA/n: Did I rush it too much, or is this aight? I require the feedbacks, they feed me!
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(General POV)
"Jeffrey, I don't think those are traders." One of the gate guards said to his companion in a perfect deadpan.
"Oh, reaaally?" Jeffrey looked at him like he was an idiot "What gave it away? The obvious 'stealth cloaks'" He drawled with airquotes "Or the fact that a hammer wielding redhead is walking to our bloody gate without any plans of stopping?"
"I think your negative outlook on life is really bringing your energy down." The other guard shook his head sadly "Optimism would make you shine much brighter, my friend!"
Jeffrey rolls his eyes "Oh here we go again."
"So you two are really just going to ignore the small army down there?" A third voice suddenly interjects "Khajiit is confused."
""Wha-?!""
Both guards drop like puppets with their strings cut as their heads are smashed against each other, leaving behind one very confused and disappointed cat man who was currently shaking his head in disgust "Ma'zaro regrets ever coming to this city."
Down below the gatehouse, Minthara was just about to begin charging her hammer with Magicka for a bit of extra weight when the gates slowly begun opening, the mechanisms within the building clicking and clanking rapidly as both the reinforced wooden gate and the iron bars before it were removed from her path.
She most definitely did not pout at this.
"Ah" She froze as a familiar voice came from above her "If it isn't my first follower!"
"Scorch." She greeted him tersely.
"Sup bitch." The bird waved a wing.
Eye twitching, Minthara took a deep breath and counted to five "What is the state of the city?"
"Mild panic and minor riots." Scorch recited as he landed on her shoulder and she waved for her people to follow "Most of the guards supposed to protect the place are corrupt cunts currently trying to suppress any looting at the docks, the rest have been turning coats in our favor, what with the Legate Council now willing to work with us and all."
"Weren't you supposed to do your part stealthily?" Minthara quirks an eyebrow, slight mockery in her tone "Why exactly is the city panicking?"
"Pops is doing something in the cathedral, the whole city shook for at least ten seconds." Scorch shrugs his wings "Probably the gold bitch being annoying."
It takes her a moment to remember what that name meant and her eyes visibly narrow "We should go and help him then."
"Nope." The flaming bird clicks his beak.
"What do you mean nope?" She grinds out "It could be a trap!"
"Yeah and since the church is still intact he probably doesn't need our help." Scorch rolls his eyes "Come on, we have a job to do and if he was in any real danger I'd know."
"There could be wards against that." Minthara points out as they enter the city and are met with a force of some one hundred warriors clad in mismatched equipment.
"Soul fragment." Scorch deadpans at her "Trust me, I'd know."
Any further conversation is interrupted as a man of average height and lacking strength walks out from the group "The Lady Minthara, I presume?" What looked to be the owner of a successful business asked.
"That depends." Minthara holds back a sneer at the obvious attempt to sound more cultured than he was "Who is asking?"
The man bows dramatically "Janus Caro, the... organizer behind our little uprising you could say."
Before Minthara can voice her disgust with the pathetic behavior, two more people walk over to them, one looking like a war veteran and the other an officer.
The veteran claps Janus on the back, almost sending the man onto the ground "What are you scheming? We have a job to do." He scoffs and looks to Minthara, hand instinctually moving into a legionary salute "Retired Captain Gravus, ma'am."
The third man visibly sneers at the 'organizer' before offering a respectful incline of the head to Minthara "My lady, Legate Fortunus, at your service."
"Legate Minthara, at least for the purposes of this outing." She responds back clippedly "You have a place where we can plan or are we just going to continue gathering gawkers?" She pointedly nudges her chin in the direction of a bunch of citizens whose curiosity overcame their panic.
"We have managed to secure a large manor that should be able to house our forces for a while." Janus interjects with forced politeness "We can plan there in peace."
The scathing look the living legend gives him at the continued attempts at currying favor immediately makes him regret opening his mouth, but thankfully she only makes a vaguely irritated noise instead of braining him on the spot and speaks "Fine, lead the way."
A shudder of magical and Daedric power blankets the city, perceptible only to her acute senses, and she almost decides to rush to the cathedral then and there but good sense wins out in the end 'Best get this out of the way so I can make sure Reyvin didn't get himself murdered like an idiot.'
Her eyes move to Janus, who was attempting to lead them but was too slow to actually do it and just ended up trailing after the Legate 'Maybe I should just get rid of this one, he is wasting too much time.'
As if feeling the sword hanging above his neck, Janus felt the sudden need to get his legs moving, an instinct he followed much to his good fortune.
They reached their destination before the hour was out, drawing eyes wherever they went bunt not yet managing to alert the disorganized guards still loyal to the Count, and yet by the time they marched at the keep, news of their presence had spread throughout the whole city, for both good and ill.
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(On the other end of the city)
Marius Caro shivered violently as he finally managed to leave the underground passages between his keep and the Cathedral of Zenithar. Merely being in the presence of the true gods was enough to come close to knocking him out on the spot, he did wonder why they were yet to make their presence known but he knew better than to question them.
The thought of the elf actually surviving wormed its way into his mind but he dismissed it immediately, he may have participated in the slaying of Alduin but he was no god nor was he of a divine nature. A mere mortal could never stand up to both the masters of light and darkness.
His guards saluted him as he approached, but he ignored them in favor of staring at the skies. The sun was already almost setting, meaning he must have spent more time in the tunnels than he originally thought...
'Maybe I truly was knocked out?' Marius pondered before shaking his head and looking to the elite guard "Has anything of note occurred during my absence?"
"There was a minor tremor in the city, my lord." The soldier saluted "There is some minor panic in the city but the guard is already moving in to suppress them."
Before he could question him further, another of his elite guards ran up to him from the direction of the inner keep "My lord!" The man not quite shouted "Fighters Guild Champion Ma'qoharo awaits you in your study, he says the news he has are urgent!"
"Very well, lead the way." Marius nods, tone terse, before turning to the other ones "The rest of you shore up the defenses and raise everyone to high alert, I don't want any surprises today."
"As you wish my lord." The man bows, not bothering to question the sudden paranoia, and jogs away to the barracks.
The doors of Marius' study are shoved open as the master of the house enters his domain, the Khajiit waiting within and chatting with an opulently robed Altmer immediately perks up "You are here Marius." The cat man nods "Khajiit has... unfortunate news."
"Ma'qoharo." Marius nods and turns to the elf "Thaniel."
"Count." The Thalmor emissary greets back "Your Khajiit has refused to inform me of the reason behind his urgency, please do tell him to enlighten us."
"Khajiit will not give information to a possible flight risk." Ma'qoharo, grown and bread by the Thalmor for the sole purpose of war and infiltration, sneers at his once master "There is a breach in the city, Marius."
"A breach?" Marius narrows his eyes "And you did not think to alert my guards?"
"The city is close to rioting, or so Khajiit believes." Ma'qoharo retorts "And only a small force has entered through the western gate, one we cannot defeat with power alone."
Unwilling to share his achievment in summoning the gods just yet, Marius stares at the cat man "Elaborate."
"Ma'qoharo's kin has informed him of that the Legate Council has followed your predictions, and had their families liberated." The Khajiit sneers "Your distant cousin Janus has survived your attempt to silence him and is pathetically scrambling for support to take your position."
"The fact that the little peasant is even permitted to live in the same city as me is a privilege." Marius scoffs "I see I was mistaken in granting it."
"He expects the Dagoth will reward him for obeying him." Ma'qoharo points out "The elf has headed to the cathedral..." He adds leadingly.
"The Dagoth has been dealt with" Marius refuses to believe otherwise, garnering a downright astonished reaction from the Thalmor agent "And yet you still look like you have more news to share."
"Marius is right." The Khajiit nods "A red haired Nord woman wielding an enchanted hammer has been sighted throughout the city, some five hundred warriors following her to where you kept the Legates' families."
Marius' eyes narrow into pinpricks as he remembers that very same description from the Elder Council session mere days prior "I see..." He mutters "It would seem Titus has grown tired of playing pretend."
"We should flee." Thaniel immediately points out "Dead Dagoth or no, we cannot face a demigod."
"Khajiit agrees that we can not face her fairly." Ma'qoharo nods "So he suggest we prepare a trap."
-----
(Minthara's POV)
"I've seen bigger." I barely hold back a snort as Lydia deadpans at the size of Leyawiin's keep.
"Cyordiilic lords tend to live in massive manors where they can show their opulence while still retaining a high degree of comfort." Alor helpfully points out "The keeps are thus usually kept only for actual defensive purposes."
"Better to spend one's time in comfort than waste away in a cold keep I say." Marco nods along "Just imagine living in one of those border forts in Skyrim." He makes a point of pretend shivering as he says that.
Immediately earning an elbow jab from an amused Junia.
"This is it." Janus, the annoying little shit, needlessly says "I am not strong enough to follow you inside, so all I can do is wish you good fortune."
"Bah." Captain Gravus scoffs "Let's get this done." And shoves past him followed by the big Khajiit, the guards atop the keep already noticing our approach.
I cracked my knuckles and grasped Dovakren, no one was here to ruin my fun this time.
(Alor's POV)
'The poor fools probably never even dreamed of a fate like this.' I muse as I follow after the Dragon Banner as we step into the burning keep, the many towers and crenulations still sizzling with bright golden flames akin to those of the sun itself.
The defenders tried peppering us with bolts and arrows and even a stationary ballista atop a tower but the keep was disgustingly bereft of wards and protections, leaving my flames to ravage the area with abandon, further fueled by Lady Minthara's winds.
Their deaths were swift at least, none of them able to resist magic long enough to make it agonizing.
The halls of the keep fell just as quickly, dozens of plate clad guardians falling before our ranks with an almost suspicious ease as we pushed deeper and deeper to our destination.
Another tremor shook the city as we were just finished with cutting down another small force, the power only a few of us could feel much purer in form and aura, Aedric without a doubt.
My distraction almost cost one of my guards their life as the large chamber we walked into exploded into action, a large Khajiit accompanied by an Altmer calling out some kind of command and effectively drowning the great chamber in crossbow bolts.
That a few of the Dragon Banner died and the Count of Bruma was injured in the ambush truly enraged our leader, and she fell upon the enemy with an unusual fury, completely ignoring the sneering Count's posturing, her hammer breaking enemy soldiers in half with each swing.
It was almost by coincidence that I noticed her entourage mostly consisting of the local rebels while the rest of our forces were distracted by other flanking attacks... curious.
As my eyes narrowed and I deflected yet another hail of munitions, I knew that there was no such thing as coincidence. Our Khajiit looked suspiciously similar to the one leading the enemy after all...
(Minthara's POV)
"Traitorous brother, Ma'qoharo curses your soul!" The greatsword wielding cat man kicked at his apparent brother, sending him sprawling but leaving his ally too open.
The Altmer, no doubt a Thalmor, tried hitting me with a lightning beam, but I knew enough wards to deflect it with ease and seeing the poor little bastard stagger forward with the effort I decided to end him quickly, throwing my voice below him and growling "YOL!"
The ground below the elf lit up and exploded in dragon fire, not even leaving ashes behind.
Count Marius' eyes widened as he watched the battle unfold, and one of his stronger allies die in an instant, his face paled and he turned to flee 'As if I would ever permit that.'
Only my instincts made me twist around and block a greatsword going for my head, the large Khajiit marked with a Fighters Guild emblem growling furiously, a noise I dismissed at first but quickly understood was some kind of secret language.
My instincts suddenly screamed at me, and I saw the Khajiit who followed as here, Ma'zaro or something, suddenly rush at me with the obvious intention of aiding his brother, his eyes empty and vacant as he followed some kind of imprinted command.
'I guess I could spare him and see what was going o-'
I did not even get to finish the thought as a silver spear pushed through his throat and detonated his head with a blaze of golden fire, Alor's armored form twisting to dislodge the weapon as the snow elf turned to the other Khajiit brother.
Who was already turned into a hedgehog of crossbow bolts as two whitecloaks from Reyvin's army emptied a full clip of their crossbows into him.
(Marius Caro's POV)
'Shit, shit, shit!' I curse repeatedly in my head as I rush to the secret passages 'They were not supposed to be that powerful!'
Thaniel assured me his runes were powerful, only to have them literally waved away by the bloody Falmer who followed Dagoth everywhere in the Imperial City.
I manage to unlatch the lock and begin pushing at the passage, only to feel it suddenly yanked from my grip and a sudden pressure at my throat. Looking up and being met with two furious embers, I felt my bowels loosen and despair take my soul.
"Hello Marius." A cold voice rasped.
(Minthara's POV)
"My lady." Alor inclines his head "The enemy leader appears to have fled."
"Motherfu-" I cut myself off with a growl as I see the empty space once occupied by the little bastard "Scorch, can you find him?"
The bird looks just about ready to respond but is interrupted as a familiar feeling spreads through the entire keep, the barred door Marius fled through getting smashed open as Reyvin walked in, what looked to be a priest of Zenithar slung over his shoulder and a choking rebel Count wriggling in his free hand, his gauntleted hand clutching the little bastard's throat.
"Hope I am not too late to the party?" I heard him speak, even as I noticed a light rasp in his voice.
Needless to say, the few of Marius' loyalists that yet lived quickly disarmed.
The city was ours.
