User:Darkom/Fabula de Viro Part Four

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Fabula de Viro

By Darkom Nightblossom

Part 4 (In Progress)


Verto


Viro heard the squishing noise of boots in mud outside his tent. He no longer slept deeply enough to be woken by someone’s voice; he heard them long before they got the chance to talk. He recognized the weight of the person by their stride, and figured it could only be Desideratus.

“Good morning, my friend.” Viro addressed the man outside the tent with a flat tone. The nord responded in turn, opening Viro’s tent flaps and revealing the grey morning “Morning. The Procer wants to see you, he says it’s urgent.”

“Lanok? What does he want?” Viro asked, standing up and slipping his feet into his boots. He fastened the leather straps and stood up, still shirtless in his tent. He wore the black pants that he was sleeping in.

“No idea, but I’ll bet it has something to do with your advancement. You’ve been here long enough now.” Desideratus responded.

Viro fished his black cloth shirt out of his trunk, and then his black leather gauntlets. He put them both on and walked outside.

“Really? Guess I can fight any of the other Coepi, the test is still a fight to the death, right?” Viro asked casually.

“Right.” Desideratus stepped out of the tent entrance and stood beside Viro in the crisp morning. A light drizzle fell from the clouds, and the ground was muddy, more so than the inside of Viro’s tent, puddles dotted the encampment. Worms and other insects were abundant, out of the moist ground to find clean air. Viro narrowly avoided stepping on one as he walked through the camp.

Fen was strangely empty; most trainees were inside their tents, waiting for the day to start. Some were probably still sleeping. Some of the more serious recruits were already up doing their morning exercises. Viro passed by one he recognized, Callian was halfway through his morning routine, doing handstands on a tree branch.

“Morning Callian, how are the exercises going?” Viro called out, not cheerfully, but with a definite undertone of joy.

Callian looked up from the branch, noticed Viro, and flipped down to the ground. He landed feet first on one of the drier spots of the swamp floor, bending his knees to absorb the impact.

“Greetings, Viro, Desideratus. Where are you headed so early in the morning, shouldn’t you be doing your warm-up too?” Callian wore no shirt, but had his traditional black leather greaves and boots, his gauntlets were missing too. His halberd was leaning against the tree he recently vacated, carefully placed to keep it clean.

“Yes, well, Lanok requested I see him immediately, can’t keep the Procer waiting, can we?” Viro said with a familiar, almost friendly tone.

“Ah, yes. Well, good luck, he doesn’t call you for idle conversation.”

“Indeed, so if you don’t mind, we’ll keep going.” Desideratus broke in, Callian looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and turned back to his tree.

“See you later, Viro. Let me know what he wanted.” Callian leaped back to his branch with a flourish, landing on the balls of his feet.

“Bye.” Viro started walking once more, leaving Callian behind, towards the bridge that crossed the small creek that ran through the camp. He heard the planks groan as Desideratus stepped over them. He had already broken one bridge with his massive weight, and he was being careful not to do it again. Viro saw the aura of a feather spell encompass the nord as he too heard the boards. Viro gave a small chuckle.

“What?” Desideratus asked with a small laugh.

“Nothing, nothing.” Viro said jovially, as he followed the man over the bridge and up the hill that led to the large tent belonging to the leader of the sanctuary. It was dark purple, with the insignia of the organization stitched on the top, a circle, a black background with the right half of a golden skull, cut by a crescent moon silhouette.

Desideratus opened the flap for Viro, but did not step inside. It was dark inside, but several candles lit up much of the tent, Viro could tell it was lavishly furnished. Large, wood cabinets and tables, and a plush looking bed; Viro never liked how Lanok decorated, too lavish and extravagant for Viro’s taste. Lanok himself sat in a thick cushioned arm chair in the corner, a candle illuminating his dark face. The redguard stood up and addressed Viro.

“Good morning, initiate. I trust your training is going well?” Lanok had short black hair, a large nose, and small ears. He wore a dark silk shirt and black pants that looked much like Viro’s, only superior. Viro guessed that would be due to the fact his pant’s thread count was equivalent to that of many of the tents here in camp. Lanok wore an akavari katana at his right hip; Viro assumed he was left handed.

“Yes, sir; top of my contingent of Coepi. Of course, I owe it all to you and the teachers here.” The warrior-assassin enjoyed compliments deeply; he had been in power far too long.

“Good, good. I called you here for a very important reason, two important reasons, actually.”

“Ah,” Viro started to talk, but Lanok cut him off.

“Yes, as I’m sure you know, Lupus, one of our most potent Magister, the one that greeted you when you first came here, left on a mission to find an expert on mysticism. To help you with your, ah, talent.”

“Lupus? Has he returned?” Viro asked, he was excited at the notion of someone finally coming to explain to how he was able to see magic.

“No, not yet; but he has sent word ahead. He has found someone, but it took him longer than he had expected. The man he originally had in mind had fled the country; no one knew his whereabouts, only he was being targeted by necromancers. Lupus found someone in the mages guild that, ah, knew about us already.” Viro could tell Lanok was uncomfortable, his most trusted man had failed in locating the original target, and a relative stranger now had to come to Fen.

“Then he will be coming here?” Viro asked.

“No, not here; he is not yet trusted. You will be meeting him in a secure location at the edge of the Black Marsh. He is an Argonian mystic, and an ancient member of the Mages guild, hundreds of years old.” Lanok explained in a unexciting tone.

“Hundreds of years? How can he live that long?” Viro asked, forgetting for a moment the current issue.

“Argonians naturally live longer than most other races, but this one has used magic to prolong his life even longer. That is how Lupus found him, rumors of his age abounded, it is said he was a child during the crowning of Emperor Pelagius the first.”

“What?! That was over four hundred years ago!” Viro was shocked, how anyone could live that long, even with magical supplementation. He had heard of elves and Akavirians, like the potentates that once ruled that lived for hundreds of years, but never a man or beast. Viro never did understand magic very well.

“Regardless, that is why we are bringing him to the rendezvous point, and you are to go there soon. Preferably sometime today or tomorrow.” Lanok shrugged and then looked Viro into the eye as he gave him his instructions.

“I am to go alone? To leave the camp?” Viro had never been allowed to leave the camp, and never gone to as much as the outer regions alone. He understood how some green members might have wanted to run; the thought had never crossed his mind.

“No, and that brings me to my second point. Bralos, the Coepi who you met while you were both being treated by Alumna, is to go with you. She has decided he is well, but we need to know for certain. I want you to report on whether or not he is ready to begin training once more. We know you will be honest, considering your connection with the elf.”

Viro was stunned. Bralos had been bedridden during the entire course of Viro’s training. Viro’s superior officers had told him that Bralos’ combat skills were great, but he had lost his advancement fight by chance. His opponent was lucky, not skilled, and he had died on a mission a few weeks before. Viro was happy Bralos would be able to train again, he was derisive at his condition, and he was eager to get back to training, Viro knew. It made Viro recall the incident which caused Bralos’ prolonged treatment with a grimace.

Lanok saw Viro’s face contort, and thought he had said something wrong “What? Do you want someone else, it doesn’t have to be Bralos, I just figured…”

“No, its fine,” Viro said, cutting off the man’s apology “I would be more than happy to, when should I leave, and where do I go?”

“Ah, you should leave as soon as you two are ready, and I have provided Bralos with a map already. He knows the swamp better than you, and I thought it would be better for me to break the news to him.”

“Yes, thank you. I will go now, if you do not mind.” Viro stepped back, towards the entrance of the tent.

“Mhm.” Lanok said, dismissing Viro by returning to his seat.

“Well?” Desideratus asked Viro as he left the tent.

“Lupus has returned, I must go to the rendezvous point to meet the mysticism expert he brought. With Bralos…”

“Bralos? He is well, then?” Desideratus was as surprised as Viro. He followed Viro as he walked back down the hill, to the medical tent where Viro assumed Bralos was.

“Yes.” Viro crossed the bridge, and saw the faint glow on the walls that showed Desideratus had cast a feather spell once more. It was a reddish yellow color that Viro knew by now, he had practiced recognizing spells by the color and location of their glow. He sighed ‘A mixed blessing. I hope this Argonian can do something to remove the cons of the situation, while retaining the pros I am so used to…’


Bralos sat up in bed, a wide grin on his face. Alumna and Lillian had a mixture of pleasure and confusion on their kind faces, seeing Bralos so happy was unnerving, but they were glad to know he was alright. Bralos could think only of the upcoming mission, and the return of his training. He simply couldn’t wait any longer; the past month had been torture.

All bandages were off him, and he wore his favorite outfit from before his failed attempt at rank advancement, a black robe with a gold skull over the breast. On his nightstand were several scrolls and books of spells, which he had been studying to prepare for the fast approaching trek into the outside world. Bralos had not been out of the camp for over three months.

He removed his covers and stood when he heard the tent flap open, his smile growing wider at his complete lack of pain. Viro and Desideratus walked in, looking sullen, but they immediately brightened when they saw Bralos, utterly healed.

“Hello.” Bralos greeted them gaily.

“Um, hello.” Viro said, still having mixed feelings about Bralos’ new condition, he had not visited in him in over a week, at Alumna’s request.

“I see you are doing better.” Desideratus said, an edge of cheerfulness creeping into his customarily serious tone.

“Indeed he is,” Alumna said, approaching the group “Legs, arms, bones, internal organs, all fine now. His magicka and stamina are at their proper levels, that of before he was injured, and he seems stronger than ever.” She finished with a smile.

“Yes, I feel great.” Bralos said, flexing his arm, his flat black robe creasing at the elbow neatly. The garment had been recently pressed, prepared for the impending mission.

“Good to hear,” Viro said “I trust Lanok informed you of the meeting, then?”

“Yes,” Bralos replied “We are to meet Lupus and the Argonian mystic at a small safe house just over the border of Argonia. There, you will be examined and your gift interpreted. Then, with a firm plan of action concerning the issue; you, Lupus, and I will return here to begin your special training.” His tone became serious, as if he was addressing a drill sergeant.

“Well, that was more than even I knew, but it sounds about right. We have been given clearance to leave any time you’re ready.” Viro finished, not mentioning his second task of determining the nature of Bralos’ wellness. He assumed neither of them would have anything to worry about.

“Alright, then I need to get a few things, then we can go straight there.” Bralos finished his statement, then turned back to his bed and crouched down. He retrieved a small chest from under the bed and opened its dark wooden lid. Inside, Viro saw several garments of clothing, several bottles containing liquids of varying color, and a few weapons. Bralos pulled out a silver short sword, a couple bottles of dark green potion, and a ring which Viro saw had a faint glow. It was the same glow Viro saw when someone cast a fortify skill spell, so he assumed the ring was enchanted thusly. It was Viro’s first time seeing an enchanted object.

Bralos fixed the sword to his black leather belt, tucking the bottles into individual pockets sewn into the robe just above his hip, and placed the ring on his finger. Viro noticed the glow extended to Bralos’ body, shining brightest around his head. Viro concluded the fortify enchantment was something of the magical nature, and noted the experience in case the Mystic asked him about it later.

“Ready.” Bralos said, standing back up.

“Then off we go.” Viro said, smiling as he held the tent flap open. Bralos left first, followed by Viro. The remaining three in the tent were left alone, watching the pair walk away through the closing opening.

“A new generation of agents and leaders is coming. The golden age of the Kings has begun…” Desideratus said, rhetorically. Alumna nodded, and Lillian had an expression mixed between fear and awe.


“Check the map again; you are sure it’s this way, right?” Bralos asked, swatting a particularly large mosquito that had been hovering inches from his dark bluish-grey nose.

“Yes, we have been travelling due east the whole time, just like we’re supposed to. It should be about a mile ahead and to the north, on the edge of a marsh-lake.” Viro responded, studying the carefully drawn map, whose edges were Leyawiin to the west and just east of the Argonian city of Gideon. Almost every body of water larger than a pond was shown so that you could find you location based on their shapes. Viro admired the craftsmanship; the cartographer must be very skilled.

“I have lived in a swamp for a quarter-year now, and I still despise them. I don’t know how any non-Argonians in the Black Marsh can live.” Bralos continued complaining, he was fastidious about his robe, using several spells to keep it dry and clean. Their glow gave Viro a headache if he looked at Bralos too long.

Viro decided not to reply, so Bralos continued “If the person we’re going to see is a mystic couldn’t he teleport us?” Viro was glad to talk about something other than swamps for a moment, and was fairly experienced in the realms of mysticism, so he took his chance to change the subject “I’m sure he would have to know the location we were at, and that defeats the purpose of us all going to a safe house.” Viro tried not to be condescending.

“True, but many spells allow for an outside medium to transmit us, like a ring or book, and he could use it to teleport us without knowing our location. I’m certain the organization has at least one thing like that in camp.” Bralos countered.

“Or Lupus could do it.” Viro said, casually dropping the subject, siding with Bralos after having lost the small debate.

They walked in relative silence after that. The conversation giving Bralos the opportunity to realize Viro didn’t want to hear how many bugs and leaves were collecting in his hair, which had returned to the rogue knot Viro first saw him in.

Viro was much more at home navigating forests and wilderness than Bralos, having grown up with it Valenwood. The assassination business had been prevalent there, too. The Dark Brotherhood re-accepted Viro in Cyrodiil after he lost the favor of the Bosmeric branch. Viro almost dazed off into memories when he tripped on a root, and almost fell into the acrid waters of the marsh. ‘Got to keep moving.’