Trials of Hircine VI

"Huh, you think only Boss will get the reward, or all of us?" The non drinking archer asks.

"I..." Ranbor starts to say before his face begins to freeze up and starts clutching at his throat before the rest of his body freezes and he topples over onto his side.

"What's going on with Ranbor?!" The non drinking archer asks the other archer, only to realize he's suffered the same fate as a look of horror fills the frozen archer's face.

Sensing danger, the archer immediately leaps to the side, dodging an arrow that would have hit him in the back.

Instead, the arrow strikes the paralyzed archer in the chest, the force knocking him onto his back as he let's out a strangled wheeze of pain.

The other archer is quick to take cover behind the market stall, as several more arrows find their way to the paralyzed and undefended bandits, killing them swiftly as the archer remains pinned.

"I just need to make it to Bos-" The archer starts to reassure himself that he has a chance at survival when several long icicles pierce through the thin wooden planks of the market stall.

Most of which only succeed in grazing the the bandit, but one unfortunate icicle hit its mark and pierced straight through his light armor and I'm imbedded itself in his stomach, making him drop his weapon as he grips the projectile protruding from his abdomen.

"FUCK!!!" The bandit shouts in pain as there's little else for him to do.

A figure emerges from cover, making their way over to the wounded bandit, kicking away the bow he was reaching for before using one final ice spear attack, tearing through the man's head and nailing him to the street beneath him.

"Huh... Didn't know if putting a paralysis potion into a wine bottle would actually work... Took a bit longer to take effect than I thought, though..." The orc tells himself as he begins looting the bodies and making his way further into the city.

"Boss? Did you hear that scream?" A bandit wielding a great sword asks the bandit chief.

"Shut up, let's get in the temple." The bandit chief orders as he enters the temple. Going to the shrine of Stendar, before kneeling down and praying.

"Guard the door, don't let him in until I'm done!" The bandit chief barks out, sending his men outside before starting his prayer.

"Oh, merciful Stendar... Grant your humble servant the strength to vanquish the abominations that hunt the citizens of Nirn.. In your divine name I pray... Amen..."

The bandit chief prays as a divine, silvery light emanates from the shrine and envelopes his body in a warm, ethereal glow.

His face as if at peace, he slowly removes his steel chest piece and shoulder pads, revealing a silver tattoo of a hand over his heart.

It glows and pulsates with energy, as if absorbing the divine blessing of Stendar.

The bandit chief keeps on his armored pants, boots, and grieves, but pulls out a strange silvery substance inside a bottle, that he then pours over the blades of his great axe as he begins to hear sounds of fighting outside the temple.

Instead of falling of the blade, it seems to fuse with it, making it even more reflective.

Making the dirty and disheveled bandit chief look almost divine as he basks in the afterglow of Stendar's blessing.

His moment of reviry ends when a body is thrown through the doors of the temple and a lightly armored orc makes his way into the temple.

"*Huff...* Useless pawns will always be useless..." The bandit chief says with disgust as he ends his prayer and turns away from the shrine to face the orc.

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After kicking the bandit through the Temple doors I'm greeted with a strange sight.

A buff, glowing Breton is kneeling shirtless with a silver great axe, who mumbles something inaudibly before standing up and turning around to face me. Readying his weapon as he stares at me with disgust and hatred burning in his eyes.

"What did I do to piss you off?... Aside from killing all your men." I ask as I hear the sound of boss battle music starting to play.

"Your mere existence is an affront to me, abomination!" The man shouts before charging forward at an incredible speed, allowing me to catch a glimpse of a glowing silver tattoo of a hand over his heart.

He brings his great axe across from the left to the right with a ferocious blow that I'm barely able to deflect with the flat of my blade and use the force to launch myself to the side.

"Ooh? You're one of those nutjobs!" I taunt him as I dodge another strike that splits apart a pew.

"Stand still and die like the dog you are!" He shouts lunging forward with another heavy strike which I just barely manage to dive out of the way of.

"Does anyone actually do that?" I shoot back, sliding underneath another heavy blow before bringing my blade across his side leaving a shallow cut just below his ribs.

However the Silverhand only closes his eyes for a moment as I see his divine glow dim slightly as the wound heals right before my eyes and I see the shrine to Stendar glow once more as the blessing seems to be rebuffed and his divine glow returns to full strength.

"You will die this day!" He shouts before charging at me once more with his inhuman speed.

"Now that's just not fair..." I say dejectedly as I dip to the side as the great axe slashes past me and I feel a sharp sting as the blade knicks my arm and takes a hunk of my health and I feel nauseous for a bit and barely bring my blade up to take the next blow that knocks me back into a pew.

"You fucker..." I curse as I pull myself out of the splintered mess before seeing my bent sword and dropping it to my side.