Chương 421: Blue Fire in the Marsh
For hundreds of years, Tear City was controlled by the Great House Dres. Now and for the past 190 years, Tear became an Argonian territory.
Throughout history, Tear was the Purgatory of the Saxhleel race (Argonians) and House Dres was nothing but the bane of their kind. The slavery to the so-called lesser races was a common practice in the societies of the Elves and Houses like Dres and Telvanni were really invested in slavery.
When the Oblivion Crisis struck 200 years ago, the Empire was weakened and the Imperial Provence of Morrowind got its Defense Legion pulled back to Cyrodiil. Followed by the destruction of Vivec and the Red Year, Morrowind was one of the nations that suffered the most.
On the other hand, the Argonians pushed the Daedra back during the Oblivion Crisis and managed to establish their An-Xileel government that formed a strong army and went against Morrowind sacking it to Vvardenfell. Houses Dres, Telvanni and Hlaalu were hit badly in the process but House Redoran united the other houses in one Army and pushed the Argonian back beyond Mournhold to Deshaan.
The war may have ended but the southern half of Deshaan became a No Man's Land only with Narsis and Mournhold on a side and Tear on the other. The area in-between became desolate, swampy, waste and filled with baleful energy from all the death throughout the years.
Who thinks that the war between Morrowind and Black Marsh is over can't be more wrong. To make a statement, the Argonians would send a horde of their troops every year to fight the Dunmer just to make sure that Morrowind's power do not increase and to keep culling its strength.
That's why Tear City was an important Argonian stronghold and a strategic city-state. They weeded out every Dunmer trace and built their mud huts and pyramid temples all around the place. The city that was once their kind's nightmare became their shield and the Hist of Tear became a big tree that would produce a lot of sap daily.
The Hist is the one of the main pillars in the Argonian society. They are sentient trees with large trunks that provide the Argonians with mystical powers and take part in the leading of the society. The Hist trees also worship Sithis, the Spirit of the Great Chaos.
Aside from that, the Argonians are good at crafting jewelry and possess a natural resistance to disease, one of the reasons why their country was famous for using diseases as defensive measurements.
All in all, the Argonians were very wary and protective of what they hold. Tear City is their stronghold and the Hist is their spiritual guide.
A few weeks ago, the Governor of Tear made a connection with an Orc tribe that also had odds with the Dunmer. The Argonians and the Orcs agreed to take down Narsis to push the Dunmer back as their activities have increased in Deshaan and some were kidnapped. To make a mole inside the Dunmer, reached out to the inner politics and thought of using Dunmer to get rid of Dunmer and House Dres and Hlaalu were great candidates for the fight. By hiring a mole inside, they found out who is the supporter of Narsis and tried to eliminate her but she was too slimy. Their plans went in shambles until the Hist interfered and suggested to use an old disease. With some tricks, the plague was spread successfully and they waited for House Dres to take part in then trigger a hidden factor in the plague and create a breakout that would swallow the whole population of Narsis and would spread north. But that didn't work for some reason.
No matter what, the Argonians and the Hist of Tear wouldn't stop before they could carve a big scar on the Dunmer.
The thing they didn't see coming was someone crossing the infested marshlands and hiding among their numbers waiting for an opportunity to return the favor.
***
Tear's current architecture style is Argonian, the common folk would love in houses made of mud and the important buildings were built by stone on a style similar to the Aztec.
In the center of the city lied the Hist grove where a single towering tree standing on its roots with a very thick trunk that looked similar to the African Baobab tree. The tree was all-time guarded by the Root Preservers and Hist Menders. Argonians would come and visit it to lick its roots for healing purposes or drink the sap which causes various effects among it is switching gender.
At day, the Hist Grove have visitors and at night, the Hist Menders and the Hist Speaker work to maintain the tree and the sap pool beneath it.
One night, however, things were about to face a change. The Argonians were not aware of the beast among them veiled in shade.
At that night, the walls of Deshaan saw blue flickers of flame walking on the marsh. Looking closer, the shape resembled a skeleton or was rather one. That skeleton on blue fire ran to the wall like mad and targeted the gate.
"Something is wrong!"
"Stop that!"
The Argonian guards screamed in their Jel language and intended to shoot the running skeleton only to stop it by a few meters from the wall. The bike flames on the skeleton seemed to be hard to extinguish but that wasn't the time, they needed to inform their superiors.
Just as they were doing so, two more skeletons appeared and the same scenario repeated itself. Blue flames, skeletons, and shooting.
Four others appeared, the guards became anxious but their superiors were already here and magic was cast to stop the skeletons.
Then it was eight. The situation started to become strange and the Argonians started to prepare for more assaults.
Sixteen skeletons. If this kept going on then it would become something very alarming.
Thirty two skeletons. Controlling such a number means the mage is quite capable. The city was alarmed.
Sixty four. By that time, no one hoped for more waves, just the idea of scouting what's down there became unbearable. Some skeletons even exploded on the gates.
One hundred and twenty eight. That's not a number any mage can make. The city is under attack and the whole town felt it. A bitter fight started but the An-Xileel wizards were not some weaklings.
Two hundred and fifty six. The situation was alarming, some guards waited for the wave to end and ran down the walls to see who is in the marsh before the next wave starts but only their screams in the darkness answered the ones on the city.
Five hundred and twelve. The whole town screamed in panic and the guards were all pulled on the walls. The mages started a defensive formation and prepare for a bitter fight. What kind of Magicka did the other party possess to be able to summon such an army?
Truth be told, that was Jon's limit but now all the Argonians were pulled to the walls right where he wants them to be.
The next wave was not a thousand skeleton but rather a flock of Cold Flame Atronaches that took various shapes. Some were birds, some were animals.
At the Hist Grove, the Root Preservers and the Hist Menders stood their grounds for their sacred duty is to guard the Hist. Around the areas surrounding the grove, things started to change.
Explosions and screams.
The Blue Flame Skeletons appeared inside the city and not even the Hist saw that one coming. The Root Preservers tensed up and got ready to fight whatever menace comes.
But menace was just too big. Behind the building, appeared a four meters giant clad in blue flames and holding a large spear.
"By Bark and Root! What is that?" The Root Preservers were just too terrified by the giant demon that appeared.
Fight it? How? The thing was just too big.
Those of them who could use magic aimed their hands forward a new cast whatever spell they could cast. Whatever kind of flame it is, Frost can at least put it down but... it was the opposite.
As the Root Preservers struggled, one of them turned tail and walked the other direction to where the Hist Menders were.
"Guard, what is it? Why don't you assist you bro..."
*Slash* *Slash* *Slash*
Nine Hist Menders were cut down on the spot without realizing what hit them. The Root Preserver that killed them had a large ebony blade on his shoulder.
"Still no more awakening? What a nasty blade!" He said as he walked towards the Hist veiled in his [Greed]. He stepped on a root and walked on it until he reached the trunk.
On his other hand, a small staff appeared, he made the staff's head touch the blade's side and dragged it fast all the way to the tip as if he is lighting a match. Instantly, the whole blade was caught on blue fire.
He pointed the tip at the tree and stabbed it all the way in.
He could feel his Magicka burning inside the tree. As he pulled out the blade, he narrowed his eyes.
{Excellent work, child!}
'Check.'
<Awakening: 5/10>
It seemed that stabbing the Hist tree has caused the blade to react better than what he expected. The blade was halfway awakened but its sharpness tore through the trunk as if tofu.
"Please don't take it personally. You shouldn't have attacked Narsis. I know it was you who caused the Llodos Plague to skip a stage and turned people into husks. Maybe it is the Hist Speaker who did so but still... this will send a clear message." Jon said and turned around but Nefertiti stopped him.
She possessed his ears and made him hear things.
"I see... so it is that way. The thing I call Shadow World is actually the Chaos World where this world is reflected on the Sea of Void which connects all worlds, times and realities. Which means the Chaos World is the side of Sithis. The no existence, the undoing, the Fate of Lyg Continent of the previous Kalpa. Why share your secrets with me? Your killer."
"I see. You sensed me. You think I should fear that? Sadly your words are wasted on me. I have one iron rule, 'Break what you Hit for the blame is one and the same'. You should have hit harder, Hist. Maybe your retribution wouldn't have come this way."
Jon walked away from the Hist burning by the blue flames. His appearance went unnoticed until the damage was done. Away from him, [Wrath] seemed to have slaughtered all the Root Preservers and began attacking the town.
"This is enough." Jon said.
The city was starting to burn in blue flames and the sky was died by the azure color.
Jon erased all evidence and escaped silently without teleporting to not be sensed or followed.
Now that the Hist if Tear is dead, the forest under its control is no longer supporting the Argonians and Southern Deshaan is accessible. Also, the Argonians will be busy with Tear and may force Galam to make a move in the open.
A week later, it all happened.
A force of Redoran Guards came looking for Krilon and the Old Woman.
Galam has kidnapped the Imperial Envoy and some other Dunmer nobles. He wants to exchange them for Krilon and the Old Woman.
~~~~~~~~~~
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