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Chapter Four Act Six: A Mortal's Touch


Collygon

1,792 views

Hey guys!

 

Collygon here, bringing you a Frost of Ages entry that is actually on time! Oh yeah! Haha, joke's aside, I hope you enjoy it. Also A Bond Never Broken Part 2 will be out in 2 weeks, for those curious.

 

I'll also be out for a few days, so I'll respond to comments when I return ❤️ 

 

Let's begin.

 

Previously on: The Frost of Ages

Spoiler

(From: Chapter Four Act Four: Untold Truths)

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Sheogorath: Have you ever heard of null, Talen?

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Sheogorath: I didn’t think so. It’s the afterlife when there is no afterlife. It is, by the very definition of the word, nothing.

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Sheogorath: If you take nothing and fill it with everything, then you can create anything.

Talen: That sounds… malicious. Even from someone like you.

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Sheogorath: Your caution is understandable. You shouldn’t trust me easily.

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Sheogorath: You shouldn’t trust her so easily either.

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Talen: Who are you-

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Taeyva: Talen!

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(From: Chapter Four Act Four: Untold Truths)

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Gerruck: No. We are not. And you will never take me. Never.

Alduin: Oh, but I will. It is only a matter of time.

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Alduin: You grow weaker by the day. You know this.

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Gerruck: No. No no no!

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(From: Chapter Four Act Four: Untold Truths)

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Elyvaea: Where am I?

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Elyvaea: Seems I’m not through yet after all.

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(From: Chapter Four Act Five: The Spiderling)

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Castalia: It's over, Erinye! Stop!

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Erinye: I don’t take orders from you. You’ve done your part already. Null is created and almost full. You’re worthless now.

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Castalia: Then let’s end thi-

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Castalia: Guuh…

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Erinye: Yes. Let’s end this.

 

Spoiler

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Torund: You’re just going to drop it then?

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Torund: I still don’t get your relationship with him, but I don’t trust him. Or any of them, for that matter.

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Torund: We shouldn’t let him off the hook.

Taeyva stares at the rippling blue water around her as she slides her fingers down the matted, soaked fur of a large werewolf beside her. She traces his stare, watching a fish dart just below the surface.

The rising of the Blood Moon only gave her more responsibilities. Her wolves are scattered all over Nirn, and many are getting into more trouble than they should. This one crawled into the valley whimpering with multiple cuts and bruises. He’s the third one just this morning.

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Taeyva: Easy now…

Taeyva squeezes her fingers lightly around the wolf’s arm. She can sense his agitation as the fish begins to distance itself.

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Taeyva: Alright, go ahead.

The wolf immediately pounces into the water as Taeyva drops her hand. She smiles briefly before facing Torund.

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Taeyva: We’re not. Talen is keeping secrets, but I don’t think it’s from you and me exclusively. If there is a Daedric Lord meeting with him, I imagine it’d threaten Talen to maintain secrecy from everyone.

Torund tightens his jaw, shaking his head with an unconvinced sigh.

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Torund: That still doesn’t change the fact that we left him alone. You said his wife was a vampire. How do we know he isn’t working with Bal?

Taeyva: I’ll admit, I’m going with my gut on this. But after our experience in the marsh I don’t believe he’d do that.

Taeyva sloshes out of the pond. She flicks her feet, shaking off the water that drenches her boots.

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Taeyva: But if a Daedric Lord is influencing him, then it certainly isn’t to our benefit. Talen may be brave, but he is weak-willed. It won’t take much to convince him.

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Torund: That’s exactly what worries me. The others trust him too much. They think he’s a capable middleman, but in reality, he barely knows you and me.

Torund sighs. He’d much rather be out in the woods right now, hunting or killing or just punching a tree even. All of this is just… politics.

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Torund: The point is that this is barely an alliance at all. If we’re not careful, it’s going to snap.

Taeyva smirks, but quickly returns to a frown.

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Taeyva: I agree. We just ne-

Taeyva catches a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye.

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Her shoulders tense, anticipating confrontation, but soon relax when she takes notice of the figure.

Taeyva: Oh great…

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Torund: What is it? Is i- oh.

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Davey struts down the hill, repeating advice he’d gotten from Mike over and over under his breath.

Davey: Shoulders back. Smile. Cool and collected. Yeah, that’s me. The chillest of chill.

Taeyva and Torund stare at him in irritated silence. Even as he comes to a halt beside them, their expressions remain as blank as stone. Davey chuckles awkwardly and clears his throat.

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Davey: Eh, heh. Hey. Uh…

His eyes side to side at each of them. Spotting no noticeable reaction, Davey bites his lip and focuses on Taeyva.

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Davey: I just noticed gorgeous you look without clothes- er, no! I mean, well, yes. But-

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Torund: Ugh…

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Davey ignores the groan and shakes his head. He pauses, steadying himself, and tries again.

Davey: Ignore that. What I want to say is that your nice to, uh, look at.

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Davey: Not just that though, obviously. When you do talk, I think it’s cool.

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Torund: Uh, Taeyva?

Both Taeyva’s and Torund’s eyes go wide as they take notice simultaneously. Davey scrunches his brow then whips around as Taeyva faintly gasps.

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Davey: What’s goin- Oh shit.

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Hunched over and panting, General Tullius and Elisif barely keep on their feet. It takes a brief moment of stunned silence for either of them to get a word out.

General Tullius: Ah… Greetings…

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General Tullius: I believe we have you to thank for this?

 

Spoiler

As Elisif and General Tullius were rushed inside the fort, Taeyva gave a brief thanks to her wolf before running after them. After entering, the leaders were immediately gathered inside the lounge as Tullius and Elisif were carefully sat in the chairs beside the fire.

Mike stopped Davey before entering and offered a half-hearted, cringing smile.

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Mike: So… that was a disaster.

Davey chuckles, but it doesn’t seem genuine.

Davey: Yeah, it really was.

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Davey: I’m usually so confident, you know? With her I just get so flustered.

Mike: You’re trying too hard, bud. She won’t be wooed by words. You need to impress her your own way.

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Davey: You know… I think you’re right.

 

Inside…

 

Dennis: A hoard of dragons led by one man was summoned by the High Priestess of the Temple? Am I getting that right?

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Dennis: What about the men with you? You mentioned two soldiers escaped the city with you.

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Tullius: No. They hardly made it out of the Blue Palace. Following the wolf seemed too strange to them, or maybe they were too afraid. I don’t know.

Tullius concludes with a despondent huff.

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Taeyva: I’m sorry. If I had more power, I could have spoken through him directly. Perhaps that would have convinced them.

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Elisif, who has yet to raise her head after taking a seat, mutters under her breath.

Elisif: It matters not anymore.

Tullius sighs.

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Tullius: Forgive her. She grieves. But you need not offer an apology. If not for you and your wolf, we’d have died. Something about it kept the dragons away, I-

Before Tullius can continue, Carcette cuts in with a loud scoff.

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Carcette: You were saved by my good graces, General. Not this daedra worshipper and some wolf.

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Carcette: Bear in mind that had I allowed her a fraction more of her power, you’d all surely be dead.

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Taeyva: If you had any say in the matter at all, they’d all be dead. Don’t claim ownership over me.

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Isran shuts his eyes with a heavy groan.

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Talen: Cut it out, all of you. The point is they are safe. That’s what matters.

Tullius: That’s not all that matters!

Tullius leaps to a stand, facing Taeyva.

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Tullius: I believe this one. She saved us, not any of you. More lives could have been saved if she was stronger, so how do we achieve that?

Carcette raises her fist and snarls at the General.

Carcette: You know nothing of what you speak, Tullius! She is evil. An omen! I will not allow it.

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Dennis: Keeper, please. Maybe it’s time we actually discuss this.

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Celann: I agree. Taeyva’s proven herself multiple times now. We at least owe her a real discussion.

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Isran: They have a point, Carcette.

Carcette: No!

Carcette’s body stiffens as she firmly points to the floor. Her lips curl as her eyes narrow like a snakes. She glares at the men around her, grinding her teeth audibly.

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Carcette: This is my decision only! I chained her; her powers belong to me!

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Carcette: I will not budge on this. Her chains will never be removed.

Carcette glances over the myriad of expressions around her, most aghast, a few of scorn. She clenches her teeth and shakes her head once last time before storming out of the room.

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Carcette: Any further suggestion of freeing this daedra worshipper will be considered a betrayal to the Vigilant.

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Dennis: Carcette, wait!

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Taeyva watches Dennis chase after the Keeper, her eyes full of scorn.

Taeyva: You’ll come to regret this, Carcette.

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As the tension lingers, Tullius clears his throat awkwardly.

Tullius: I, uh, feel like I may have caused that.

Isran huffs and shakes his head, offering a meek smile.

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Isran: Trust me, it was gonna happen one way or another. Welcome to the alliance.

 

Spoiler

Dennis: Carcette, wait!

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Dennis rushes after the Keeper, earning a few odd looks from his comrades in the dining room. He brushes them off, chasing faster as Carcette picks up her pace.

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Carcette: Dennis, no.

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Dennis: We have to talk about this, Carcette. At least the two of us!

At this Carcette halts. Dennis watches her shoulders rise and fall with a begrudging sigh, though she does not turn around.

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Dennis: You don’t hold sole responsibility over her, Carcette. I found her. I handed her over to you when every part of my being tried to not. She was a child, Keeper.

Dennis pauses for a moment to gage her reaction. Carcette hardly offers one, standing rigid, but at least still. At least she is willing to hear him out.

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Dennis takes a deep breath and continues.

Dennis: We both know what she is. It’s not like serving Hircine was her choice. She was born into this.

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Dennis: I don’t agree with Daedra worship either but look around us. Daedra have helped us more than Stendarr ever has. Maybe not all of them are bad. I think-

Carcette suddenly whips around and slams Dennis against the wall. She digs her forearm into his chest, glaring up at him with eyes livid.

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Dennis: Wha-

Carcette: I am taking a calculated risk, Dennis.

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Carcette: You are letting guilt cloud your judgement. You forget what kind of person she is. Do you truly think forgiveness is in her repertoire?

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Carcette: I can assure you; it is not. Those chains are the only thing keeping me alive. I give her powers back and she has no use for me. I’d be forfeiting my life for something I refuse to believe in.

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Carcette drops her arm. Dennis slumps over and catches his breath, aghast.

Carcette: There is no outcome in this war that will fulfill my beliefs, I accept that. But that does not mean I should give up on the values I live my life on.

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Carcette: I allow all of you to do the same, and I advise you to. This world is already lost, but that does not mean we should lose ourselves.

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Carcette turns and marches away.

Carcette: I will not speak of this again.

As she leaves, Dennis watches her in silence. Whether he feels dejection or contempt, he doesn’t quite know.

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But he is now sure of what he needs to do.

 

Spoiler

Celann: It needs to be addressed, sooner rather than later, preferably.

After the conflict, Isran pulled Tullius, Celann, and Talen aside and brought them to the upper floor. Tullius was given a change of clothes before the group was directed to a single table off in the back corner of the room. As they gathered around and took their seats, Isran immediately brought up Taeyva and the topic of her release. Celann was quick to agree, while Tullius and Talen sat quietly.

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Celann: Carcette is stubborn and adamant to her beliefs, but she has to respect the will of the group, right?

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Celann: Most of the Dawnguard support Taeyva, and Dennis told me that even some of the Vigilant’s opinions are being swayed.

Isran: Maybe so, but a vote isn’t something Carcette will respect.

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Isran: If Taeyva is to be freed, it won’t be by the Keeper. Can anyone else do it?

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Celann: Dennis can, as well as a few other high ranked Vigilants. But that isn’t the problem. Freeing Taeyva could force a mutiny within the Vigilant and that’s the last thing we need.

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Tullius: Your numbers are thin here already. Would Taeyva’s power be worth losing a portion of them?

Isran: I don’t think any of us really know. But this isn’t about strength, it’s about loyalty and respect. Do we think Taeyva has proven herself worthy of those?

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Celann: I think we can trust her, yes. She’s done nothing but help and we have not returned the favor…

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“Sheogroath…”

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“At your service…”

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“You shouldn’t trust me so easily...”

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“You shouldn’t trust her so easily either…”

Isran: Talen!

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Talen snaps out of the dream to see the three leaders staring at him expectantly.

Talen: Uh… Sorry. What’s the question?

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Isran sighs loudly while Tullius eyes him queerly. Celann on the other hand, repeats the question calmly.

Celann: We think we know your answer, but still. Do you think Taeyva can be trusted?

Talen is caught off guard. He knows the answer they expect, yet he suddenly can’t find the confidence to say it. He slumps back in his chair, his shoulders suddenly heavy.

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Talen: I…

His voice trails off. Does he trust Taeyva? She hasn’t given him reason not to, but it’s not like her knows her well. The whole reason Isran and Celann trust him is because he supposedly knows her better than anyone else, and yet…

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Talen can feel their impatient stares. They expect an answer soon. No, not soon. Now. He’s had more than enough time to figure this out. Every time the question comes up, Sheogorath’s warning plays in his mind. But can he trust Sheogorath? Of course not. For the same reasons he can’t trust Taeyva…

Talen looks up.

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Talen: No.

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Talen: I don’t think we can trust her.

 

Spoiler

The sun has just left its peak as it descends into the afternoon, warming the cool, Skyrim air. Davey strides through the bloom in Dayspring Canyon, paying little attention to the beautiful calm around him. He tried the pond first, only to find it empty. The werewolf from earlier was gone too, leaving no trace aside from some fishbones littered on the shore. No sign of Taeyva at all.

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Davey saw her, along with Torund, stomp out of the meeting room shortly after Dennis had left, rushing after Carcette. He didn’t hear much, but he didn’t have to; Carcette’s shout was telling enough. When Taeyva stomped out shortly after, Davey knew everything he needed. They don’t take her side, or even trust her, even though she’s only given them reason to.  Bias may blind him a little, but Davey isn’t alone in his opinion. Most of the Dawnguard support her, though they are too afraid to approach her about it. She’s intimidating, for sure. And her solitary personality isn’t inviting either. But she just needs a helping hand.

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Davey spots Torund up ahead, watching him approach with the same cold expression that never seems to change. Davey gulps. That’s the other reason Taeyva doesn’t have friends here. If looks could kill, Torund wouldn’t even carry that war hammer. Well, no… he certainly still would. In fact, if he could kill with looks, he’d probably appear a lot more approachable. Easier to smash faces in that way.

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 It takes a moment for Davey to realize they’re just staring at one another. He clears his throat and hikes up to him.

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Davey: Hey, is Taeyva h-

As soon as Davey opens his mouth, Torund interrupts him with an obnoxious grunt.

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Torund: She wants to be alone, Davey.

Davey shifts his footing and peeks over Torund’s shoulder, down the path outside the canyon.

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Davey: So, did she go outside, or…?

Davey grimaces as Torund’s lips curl in contempt.

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Torund: What fucking part of alone did you not understand?

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Torund: You think I’m here enjoying the air? I’ll break your nose if you follow her outs-

Davey quickly raises his arms in mock surrender, however still taking a cautious step back.

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Davey: Woah, easy, bud. Believe me, I know you’ll do just that and more.

He isn’t sure if his remark made Torund more or less angry. As Torund takes a step forward and clutches his arm aggressively, he figures it out.

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Torund: Then do what’s good for you and go. You’re not going to get what you’re after with her.

Davey glances to the ground as he lowers his arms. That kind of stung. Probably because Torund is right. But that’s not the reason he came here. Davey sucks in a breath and faces Torund once more.

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Davey: She needs a friend, man.

For a brief moment, Torund’s expression wavers.

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It’s not that he changed it, but rather it lessened. Less animosity, less anger. Whatever it is, Davey managed to make some impact on him, and that’s all he needs to continue.

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Davey: You two are here, but you’re not really a part of us. Always sticking to yourselves and avoiding unnecessary contact. I can’t say I blame you because no one else is really making the effort either.

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Davey: Believe me, I know what it’s like. At least a little. And yeah, I do like her, so maybe it seems like I’m after something else, but-

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Torund cuts him off with a loud sigh. Davey tenses up, expecting to be denied again. Instead, Torund rolls his eyes and gestures over his shoulder.

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Torund: Out the canyon, up the hill. She won’t be happy to see you though.

Davey smiles, ignoring the last part.

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Davey: Thanks.

 

Spoiler

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Davey finds himself frozen when he finds her. Taeyva sits at the edge of a pond, her fingers twirling, as restoration magic flickers in her grip. He’s only been here for a few seconds and he’s already heard her sigh twice.

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Davey: Taeyva?

She turns around quickly with a sharp gasp.

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As she notices Davey, the shock fades in replace of yet another sigh.

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Davey: Mind if I, uh, join you?

Taeyva turns around without a response, instead offering an annoyed huff. Davey understands it as a no but approaches anyway.

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Taeyva: Damn it, Torund. You had one fucking job.

Davey plops onto the ledge beside her. He tries to give her a smile, only to be met with the back of her head.

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He suppresses the sigh, smiling anyway, and tries to ease into a conversation.

Davey: This is a nice pond.

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Davey: Really blue, and uh… and wet.

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Davey: Did you pick it for a reason?

Taeyva continues to cold-shoulder him, blatantly crossing her arms as well.

Taeyva: It’s a pond, Davey.

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Davey: Well yeah, I just…

His voice trails off as he slouches over in defeat. This isn’t going well. Every time he opens his mouth around her it’s the same stupid flustering. He thought he was good under pressure…

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Davey: I don’t know. I’m sorry for-

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Movement catches Davey’s eye. As he looks up, his heart leaps.

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An elk casually trots down the hill towards the pond, either oblivious or indifferent to the two humans occupying it already. Davey smiles and carefully moves to his feet, easing his feet into the water carefully to avoid a loud splash.

Taeyva glances at him, hoping he is just leaving. Instead, her brows furrow as Davey extends his hand slowly.

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Taeyva: What are you doing?

Davey cautiously inches through the water, hand extended before him delicately.

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Davey: My father taught me this. Elk may be skittish, but they’re still approachable.

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Davey: With enough practice and even more caution, you can get close enough to pet them.

Taeyva scoffs lightly.

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Taeyva: You do know who I am, right?

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Taeyva: Prophet of Hircine? Awakener of the Blood Moon? Elk really aren’t all that interesting to me.

Davey smiles warmly, expecting her to say something like that.

Davey: For now.

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Davey stops momentarily as the Elk raises its head. They lock eyes for a moment, but the Elk doesn’t flee. Davey takes another step.

Davey: You just need to appreciate them like I do.

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Davey: They are beautiful, gentle creatures, who…

Davey inches forward some more.

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Davey: …when offered just a tiny bit of love…

Davey stops just before he reaches the Elk. They ogle one another for a short moment. Then, when the Elk snorts softly, Davey reaches over and runs his fingers through it’s soft fur.

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Davey: …will return it tenfold.

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Taeyva rolls her eyes.

Taeyva: Davey, I can literally speak with nature. With a wave of my hand, I could’ve commanded that Elk to let you pet it. How is this supposed to impress me?

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Davey grins and faces her.

Davey: That’s true, but let me ask you this…

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Davey: Have you ever pet an Elk not by using your powers, but by being yourself?

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Davey’s heart lifts as Taeyva is suddenly speechless. She stares at him blankly, silently, then the ground.

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Taeyva: I… I don’t think…

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Davey: Here’s your chance.

Taeyva gulps.

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Davey: See, you’re not just a Prophet of Hircine. You’re not some Daedra worshipper.

Taeyva carefully drops off the ledge and eases into the pond. With slow, anxious steps, she scoots over toward Davey and the elk.

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Davey: You’re Taeyva. You’re you. And that’s the person this elk is letting pet it.

Taeyva steps over to the side, extending a shaking hand. Davey watches with a warm smile, caressing the elk to keep it calm.

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Taeyva: This is… it’s new for me.

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Davey: Yeah, but it’s also not.

Taeyva lets out a breath, perplexed by her own anxiety, and pushes her hand forward. As it sinks into the elk’s soft fur, her instincts rush to awaken her powers, but she stops herself. She doesn’t need to do that.

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Taeyva smiles, which then shifts to a chuckle, and then a laugh. A sense of joy she never thought possible surges through her as a tear slides down her cheek.

Taeyva: I didn’t think it was possible.

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Davey just smiles, he doesn’t need to saying anything. Taeyva sniffles and runs her fingers through the elk’s fur, both laughing and crying softly at the same time.

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Taeyva: Thank you.

 

Spoiler

Argus: We needed her still, Erinye! You acted outside your orders!

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Argus clenches his fists, trying to maintain complacency. It isn’t often he loses his temper, but when he does, Erinye always seems to be at the root of it.

He trusted her to eliminate Boethiah, that was it. The Prophet’s intervention was anticipated, but it shouldn’t have gotten in the way. And it didn’t. Erinye had every opportunity to avoid confrontation, but she did not. Now their only connection to the Dragonborn, and subsequently, Nirn’s destruction, is gone.

Erinye scoffs.

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Erinye: It was bound to happen sooner or later. Null is nearly filled anyway; she’s done her part.

Argus breaths in sharply. It’s always about Null with her. She’s so blinded by her own goals that she forgets it’s by Lord Molag Bal’s permission she is even allowed to have them.

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Argus: Your duty is to our Lord Molag Bal first and foremost, Erinye. It is by his good graces that he even allows you the possibility of ascending.

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Erinye huffs and looks away. Thousands of years of life and the child in her remains, Argus thinks to himself.

Argus: Look, you have to make up for this somehow.

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Argus: Castalia was the only one who knew the world’s timeline. Without her, we have no idea when Nirn is destined to be destroyed.

Erinye sighs impudently and rolls her eyes.

Erinye: Will you relax? I have a backup plan.

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Argus narrows his eyes and leans atop the table.

Argus: Which is?

She smirks.

Erinye: There’s a soul in Null that has quite the influence on the Dragonborn. Castalia set everything up for us already.

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Erinye: According to her, he’ll be moving in the north, through Dawnstar then Windhelm. Castalia said Windhelm will be his biggest obstacle, he’ll be slow; distracted. I don’t know why or how, but that’s not important.

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Erinye: We distract him with the soul, then I use Malefic to destroy that draconic soul in him. Simple.

Whether Argus likes the plan or not, Erinye cannot tell. He rubs his chin and breaths in deeply, peering off into nowhere, deep in thought.

After a moment, he nods.

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Argus: I see. If you think that’ll work, then make it happen. How soon can you retrieve that soul?

Erinye shrugs.

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Erinye: Null is huge. Even with its heart in our control, finding a single, specific soul will take time. But I can get it done. What about you?

Argus frowns.

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Argus: Our Lord is losing. Many Princes have allied with Hircine in favor of Nirn’s protection. Mephala and Sheogorath have also suddenly disappeared. After our loss in Riften, our grasp on Nirn is frail.

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Argus: Furthermore, the Wild Prophet’s wolves have been killing my operatives. None can even get close to Dayspring Canyon.

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Erinye: That shouldn’t surprise you. That’s her territory. Guerilla tactics won’t work there.

Argus nods and turns around. He leans over the table and grunts.

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Argus: I realize that now. However, their alliance barely holds together. Their divided groups are just waiting for the other to screw up and give them an excuse to kill one another.

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Argus: I can’t try to eliminate them entirely, especially considering the circumstances in Riften. I can only assume that if things become dire, they’ll employ that same power again. My only choice is to exploit them.

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Erinye: And how do you plan on doing that?

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Argus turns around.

Argus: The Wild Prophet will gladly let the Vigilant die, maybe even kill them herself.

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Argus expresses a rare grin, pulling one out of Erinye as well.

Argus: I’ll just give her a helping hand.

 

Spoiler

The silence perpetrates the city of Solitude. Before a massive city, now a mass grave, Solitude is home only to those who brought upon its calamity.

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Olivia had a restless night. The bed had lumps like bones and the covers felt strangling. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flames. She saw the bodies in the crowd collapsing as they were torn apart by the inferno. How their bones were crushed under rubble and their skin literally boiled. She heard Frier plead to her before dying, one last time.

She doesn’t remember falling asleep, but she remembers waking up. It’s still early. Gerruck’s door shut softly a few minutes ago, followed shortly by the low grumbling of a dragon outside. She heard their wings send shingles flying off the rooftops as they took flight just after. She isn’t sure where they are going. But that isn’t the strange thing that has kept her in her room this long.

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It just sits there, legs coiled in the air. Olivia had not noticed it before.

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But that’s because she wasn’t meant to. It wouldn’t show itself willingly, not without her permission. And she wouldn’t give it permission, no. There was no choice or command given.

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This is dead.

 

   *      *     *

 

Olivia leaves her room, shaken. She wants to feel relief, but all that weighs on her is dread. She had thought Castalia stopped watching after the Sermon. But that spider clearly shows otherwise. Has she been watching the entire time? If so, why stop? Either she’s seen all she needs to, or something happened to her. Neither thought brings Olivia ease.

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Gerruck: They’ll eliminate stragglers.

Olivia doesn’t greet Gerruck as she exits the inn. His back is turned to her as he speaks with one of the dragons. Their sight still makes Olivia shudder, but not nearly as much as Gerruck’s voice. It sounds deeper, more resounding. There’s even an echo as he speaks. It’s faint, but unmissable, as if his voice was reverberating right inside her ears.

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Gerruck: We’ll be moving east, to the remaining holds.

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Gerruck: Dawnstar first, then Windhelm. Once done, there won’t be enough to resist Nirn’s destruction.

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Olivia: Um, Gerruck?

He cuts himself off and faces Olivia. His expression is as blank as stone.

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Gerruck: Ah, Priestess, you’re finally awake.

Olivia squints at him. Priestess? He hasn’t called her that so casually before.

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Gerruck: It’s time to move on. Only two major holds remain.

Olivia gulps. He speaks so casually, as if the massacre around him has already passed his mind.

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Olivia: Gerruck… You don’t seem like yourself. Maybe we should slow down and-

Gerruck: No.

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Gerruck: We’ve wasted enough time already. I am fine.

Olivia tries to look him in the eye but finds herself unable.

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Olivia: I don’t feel like we’ve reached a resolution yet. At least, I haven’t… Coming to terms with this is difficult. Don’t you think?

Olivia looks up to find Gerruck already mounted atop the dragon’s neck. He looks at her blankly and gestures behind him.

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Gerruck: You can ride one of the others if you like, but it’d probably be safer with me.

Olivia furrows her brows in disbelief. Did he even hear her? She sighs, dropping the thought.

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Olivia: Maybe I could just stay here? I’d rather n-

Gerruck: No. Now get on.

Olivia takes a step back and stares at the man before her. The command was spoken intensely and without care. It makes it clear that she has no choice in the matter.

Olivia sucks in a breath and clambers atop the dragon’s neck. Her arms begin to shake as the dragon raises its head and her breaths come out raspy.

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Gerruck: Hold on tight.

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Gerruck: It’s time to bring this world to a close.

To be continued…

 

14 Comments


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I seriously need your story to be a book, so I could buy it and binge-read the whole thing. It's just too amazing. ?

Davey and the pond scene was so touching and bittersweet. Taeyva has been a "prophet" and "daedra worshiper" for such a long time that she almost forgot how to simply be human, without the binds of destiny, prophecy etc.

And there's also something so tragic about Garruck. It feels like he's resigned himself to his fate. ?

 

Once again - wonderful work and thank you so much for sharing it with us. ?

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Absolutely beautiful as always. Do you just wait for the elk/dragon/werewolf to do what you want and tai them in place or do you make your own animations for them? 

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I can't tell if its confusing or unsettling seeing the Daedric Prince of Madness so serious, whether he's putting on an act, or he's really showing himself behind the typical facade. Scary stuff, Colly! @_@;

The rest of its beautiful, and I can only imagine the pain of having to use so many actors, even if largely kept apart. Especially with dragons and their very... particular ai. Good stuff!

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Great job! I love your design of Argus.

It's such a clever way of using the orc race to create a daedra like character. His skin color looks super good with your ENB.

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Awesome!

I especially loved the part at the pond with Davey and Taeyva!

Who knew Davey had game!!

I didn't see that coming ?

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On 7/4/2019 at 2:06 PM, ther1pper said:

Another great chapter, the Elk scene was really well done too.

Thanks, r1p! I've been planning that Elk scene for months, since chapter 3 in fact. I'm overjoyed it hit the mark :) 

On 7/4/2019 at 7:58 PM, Devianna said:

I seriously need your story to be a book, so I could buy it and binge-read the whole thing. It's just too amazing. ?

Davey and the pond scene was so touching and bittersweet. Taeyva has been a "prophet" and "daedra worshiper" for such a long time that she almost forgot how to simply be human, without the binds of destiny, prophecy etc.

And there's also something so tragic about Garruck. It feels like he's resigned himself to his fate. ?

 

Once again - wonderful work and thank you so much for sharing it with us. ?

❤️ Awww, shucks. Thank you. That is seriously super sweet and means so much to me. I'm very happy the elk scene made an impact, it's something I have been planning for a very long time. Thank you ?

On 7/4/2019 at 9:51 PM, SpyVsPie said:

Absolutely beautiful as always. Do you just wait for the elk/dragon/werewolf to do what you want and tai them in place or do you make your own animations for them? 

Thanks so much! :D Yeah, I did wait for it to do what I wanted... 0/10, do not recommend. I disabled and respawned like 6 elk's for that scene, lol

On 7/5/2019 at 8:37 AM, Desvati said:

I can't tell if its confusing or unsettling seeing the Daedric Prince of Madness so serious, whether he's putting on an act, or he's really showing himself behind the typical facade. Scary stuff, Colly! @_@;

The rest of its beautiful, and I can only imagine the pain of having to use so many actors, even if largely kept apart. Especially with dragons and their very... particular ai. Good stuff!

Thanks you, Des! Yeah, I really hate myself for throwing in so many freaking characters sometimes... Haha, but I do what I can. And don't even get me started on using dragons, especially in Act One... Cramming those fat lizards inside solitude was a PAIN!

On 7/5/2019 at 1:11 PM, Deso561PL said:

?

?

On 7/5/2019 at 11:06 PM, Alter Native said:

Great job! I love your design of Argus.

It's such a clever way of using the orc race to create a daedra like character. His skin color looks super good with your ENB.

Thanks! Everyone seems to have a similar design style with daedra, so a while back I figured I should try something different. Thus, Argus an Erinye were born.

On 7/6/2019 at 9:38 PM, WANOBI12 said:

Awesome!

I especially loved the part at the pond with Davey and Taeyva!

Who knew Davey had game!!

I didn't see that coming ?

Thanks, Wanobi! I'm very happy that scene made an impact on so many of you. ^.^

On 7/7/2019 at 8:09 AM, bodabira 01 said:

I really, really enjoyed the read! :) 

Thank you, bodabira! :D 

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Another superb entry indeed. Not as spectacular in fight and twists than the previous one, but I still admired how you intertwined all those conflicting relationship between characters, developing them and creating suspense from the sole question of them being able to trust each other or not. Also liked the approach of Davey's character, quite human, making him easy to identify to, and then showing some unexpected depth since his talk with Torundr.

About the spider on the book, how did you rescale it btw ? :innocent:

 

Malicia : « They are all very interested in removing Taevya's chains 'cause they're having naughty thoughts. Carcette is a girl, so she's the only one not interested, uh. :classic_sleepy: »

On 7/5/2019 at 4:58 AM, Devianna said:

I seriously need your story to be a book, so I could buy it and binge-read the whole thing. It's just too amazing. ?

+1 On the book thing. I think there are quite some blogs here that have reached a quality level that would deserve a regular publication ; and yours definitely being among those. However authors' rights regarding screenshots are still to be defined. I'm still thinking at asking Bethesda about this. ?

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5 hours ago, Tirloque said:

However authors' rights regarding screenshots are still to be defined. I'm still thinking at asking Bethesda about this. ?

 

I must be psychic 'cause I can already tell you the answer ?

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11 hours ago, Tirloque said:

Another superb entry indeed. Not as spectacular in fight and twists than the previous one, but I still admired how you intertwined all those conflicting relationship between characters, developing them and creating suspense from the sole question of them being able to trust each other or not. Also liked the approach of Davey's character, quite human, making him easy to identify to, and then showing some unexpected depth since his talk with Torundr.

About the spider on the book, how did you rescale it btw ? :innocent:

 

Malicia : « They are all very interested in removing Taevya's chains 'cause they're having naughty thoughts. Carcette is a girl, so she's the only one not interested, uh. :classic_sleepy: »

+1 On the book thing. I think there are quite some blogs here that have reached a quality level that would deserve a regular publication ; and yours definitely being among those. However authors' rights regarding screenshots are still to be defined. I'm still thinking at asking Bethesda about this. ?

Thank you! I always find it difficult to balance action and character relationships, especially because I often want to include plenty of both in each entry. In this case, I knew I couldn't do that, so I went for a full on character development entry. I'm glad people still enjoyed it and that it made the right impact.

 

I rescaled the spider using jaxonz positioner :) 

 

I can't imagine my work being an actual publication, haha. But thank you. Being a published author used to be a big dream of mine. Maybe someday ?

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