Building Alliances III

"Oh, yes you will, and you will do it now! You can take up your grievance with Aerandil. Now, step aside." Oronar orders as another guard give a cursory look at what must be a common argument between the two.

"This is madness I tell you, madness! I was given specific orders to interrogate this prisoner, and that's exactly what I am doing!" Gaenor argues.

"Damn it, Gaenor! We have orders from Elenwen to transfer this prisoner! Now back away or you're going on report." Oronar threatens, apparently using his trump card as Gaenor quickly acquiesces.

"Very well then, but Aerandil will have your head, not mine." Gaenor gives one final retort before backing off in dissatisfaction.

"You may release your prisoner from his shackles and leave at once. I advise you to move quickly as my friend can get a little… Testy." Oronar says giving Gaenor a smug look.

"Then I will take my leave." I say with a slight nod before going to check Korst's shackles.

"Yes, I suggest you do that immediately." Oronar recommends.

I open Korst's shackles, causing him to fall limp to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you… Let me… Let me see if I can walk… So dizzy…" Korst says, fumbling on the blood-soaked floor. Doing well to conceal the fact there seems to be a shiv he pulled from a small crevice in the wall behind him, glaring at Gaenor as he stands on his own.

"What are you looking at you Nord dog? I should have just killed you when I had the chance." Gaenor says drawing his weapon.

"Gaenor! I'm warning you, stop!" Oronar says theatrically, though I notice he has drawn his weapon and has aimed it toward me.

"FUS!" I shout pushing Oronar and Gaenor back a couple feet before I raise my hand launching a torrent of flame towards their faces.

"Strike now!" I shout as I hear an alarm ring throughout the prison.

Korst, who moments before seemed to be at death's door, seems to have been revived as he lunges at Gaenor like a man possessed repeatedly stabbing him in the face and throat with his shive.

Cienna and Falco split off to take one each of the two guards left in the room while Oronar casts a warding spell blocking my flames before they can do any serious damage.

I pull out two throwing daggers, tossing them at Oronar while the flame still lingers on his shimmering shield, they slice through the thin mana barrier like butter, knocking Oronar back another step.

I hear the death gurgles of Gaenor who falls to Korst's shiv before Korst rushes over to a chest I assume holds his gear as he pulls out a great axe which he uses to attack Oronar from the side, breaking his ward allowing me to throw ice spike after ice spike at him, piercing his mages clothes and fatally wounding him.

With that, me and Korst give each other a nod before breaking off to assist Falco and Cienna in taking care of their guards.

With three competent fighters and me as magical support, we quickly dispatch the guards in the room. Korst begins rifling through the chest to pull out his armor, donning it quickly as we guard the entrance before rushing up the staircase taking care of the lone guard at the halfway point between the upper floor and lower dungeons. Where we are welcomed by the sounds of combat as the company makes its way through the prison's main entrance.

Halindil is fighting fiercely to hold off my troops, but seeing as how the Thalmor are now evenly matched in numbers with our rise from the lower levels we dive into the fray.

"Damn you, Gora! You're a fool to think we wouldn't recognize you if you strolled right into one of our bases!" Halindil shouts throwing a firebolt in my direction, which I am just barely able to avoid.

I toss an ice spike right at him, but he knocks it aside with another of his fire bolts before pushing back Lydia with a massive torrent of flame.

Knocking her to her knees, but she pushes slowly forward, forcing Halindil to focus all his attention on her while I see Inigo stalking up behind him.

I throw one final ice spike in Halindil's general direction, to keep his focus on us while relieving a little pressure from Lydia.

And it works, Halindil moves a hand from attacking Lydia to knock away my incoming ice spike, only for Inigo to strike in that critical moment, twirling with a flurry of blows, stabbing Halindil in several vital organs with a small bit sharp dagger, before he even knows what hit him.

With their leader out of the battle, the rest of the Thalmor quickly fall to my men, leaving only a dying Halindil lying on the floor, glaring at me with immense hatred.

"You may have won today, but it is too late! I already sent a message telling the Dominion that you and those Hammerfell mongrels are here too! The Dominion will raze all who oppose our rule to ash, you- Kergh!" Halindil rants before I make my fist into an icy spiked blade and drive it into his neck ending his life along with his mad rambling.

"I hate it when they monologue." I say before turning to my crew.

I noticed a few light injuries, luckily nothing too serious, before I ordered, "Alright, those who've been in a fight before know the drill, loot any and everything that isn't nailed down. I'll help get Valerius' men back to where they belong."

I receive a mix of nods, salutes, and cheers, as I leave the prison with Korst, Falco, and Cienna.

Once outside Cienna cheers in their victory.

"You two! What the hell are you doing here! By Talos, we're all lucky to be alive!" Korst exclaims, still in disbelief at his rescue.

"Valerius sent us to find you and bring you home. Did you think we would let you rot in there?" Falco answers with a smile.