476 Breaking the Siege

Sorry for the past couple of days, things got a bit exhausting on my end as I am preparing for my Postgraduate Course for the Master's degree.

Also, a Double Chapter!

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(Part 1)

"Master Krilon. What do you think?" Kareem asked.

"There are life signals." Jon replied.

"Survivors?"

"Necromancers."

The wrecked ship belonged to Rihad and it was a war galley. Such a behemoth won't be sent out for trade but only for combat or escort. Jon locked on the living signals then shot out a terrifying black spell. That spell was Dark Magic imbued with the energies drawn from Oblivion, that unholy energy struck the ship in front of then some screams were heard before the wreckage crumbles.

What caused the Necromancers hiding in the ship to scream and wail was not the power of the spell but rather the effect. The weaponized energy of Oblivion can cause serious harms like Blindness, nasty Paralysis and the list goes on. The spell was called [Daedric Nova].

Jon made [Pride] grab those Necromancers up as he pulled them closer to the ship and put them under the effect of the spell [Bind]. The power of that mysterious Master was displayed again in front of the Redguards and he gained their utmost respect.

With the help of [Lust] hidden under his hand, Jon questioned the Necromancers and knew that they were sent after the Governor of Rihad who escaped once the siege started.

"So Lady Farah couldn't hold her position. Humph! That's what you get from the Forebears." Kareem spoke in disdain but he soon reflected upon what he said when he realized that the ones he talked about were other Redguards in distress.

From what was said afterward, that Governor lady was killed and they waited here for someone from the cult to pick them once the siege is over. Other information indicated that the Worm Cell attacking Rihad is strong and led by a woman named Dalilah.

Isha showed a reaction hearing the name of Dalilah once again a week after knowing the truth. As it seemed, the woman that plotted her brother's demise is a few miles away north.

"Jon." She spoke.

"I know." He replied not caring that his name was heard by Kareem or not.

He twisted his hand and the necks of those Necromancers were twisted by Telekinesis. He then turned their corpses to Ash along with the other Zombies in the water.

"We are hastening our speed." Jon spoke.

"Agreed." Kareem nodded, "Pick the wind, we have two nights to reach Rihad. Let's make it one."

As Kareem rallied his sailors, Jon patted Isha's back and spoke.

"Will leave her for you but let's act according to plan. Keep a straight head." He said.

"I know." She said and walked away.

Jon left her and was about to return to his business but he was intercepted by Beth.

"That ship, it is not the same from my vision." She said.

"It would be a lame vision if that's all what it has to offer." Jon replied.

He was about to leave her and walk away but she spoke.

"I understand now what you meant." She said.

"??"

"About the Past and Future. You said that seeing the Future wouldn't matter unlike seeing the past." She said.

"I didn't say that." Jon said.

"I know. You said that seeing the Future leaves questions but seeing the past gives answers." She corrected herself.

"Indeed." Jon agreed this time.

"What you meant is that no matter what Future we see, it is not valid until we know what it is from seeing the Past." She concluded.

Jon smiled and nodded.

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"Good answer."

"So the ship, the swords and the second part of the vision. I must look in the Past."

"Good luck."

***

Not too long after, Rihad was seen across the horizon. The city was burning and many people took on the boats to escape into the Sea.

"Such a thing!" Jon frowned.

The Worm Cult was attacking with all its might in Rihad just like Stros M'kai and completely unlike Hew's Bane. There was a strategic meaning for that. Stros M'kai is the gate to Summerset and Rihad is the gate to Cyrodiil. Controlling them means controlling the southern borders.

"Prepare to land! We will strike them down." Kareem gave the orders and the warriors were being lined on the deck.

Jon came beside him to act his court mage and stood in line. As the fleet of Stros M'kai got closer to Rihad, they could see what kind of monstrosity did the Worm Cult create this time.

They saw a number of giant centipedes made of bone as climbing the city wall and clinging to it then the zombies and other undead used these centipedes as a ladder.

The scene was straight out of a horror movie as the defenders on the walls Rihad were putting their all against the final assault of the undead. After their Governor abandoned them, things must have kept going south.

"What will you do?" Jon asked Kareem.

"The walls, we need to secure them then force the undead to retreat somehow but… Wait! What is that over there?" Kareem noticed something and pointed a little bit to the east.

"Hm? Well I'll be damned." Jon couldn't help but exclaim.

Behind the undead army, a new player came to the rescue of Rihad and that was none other than the Empire. Black battle standards of carrying a red dragon and seven swords declaring the identity of the seventh Imperial Legion marching beyond its borders deep into Hammerfell.

"Those bastards!" Kareem didn't like the sight of the Imperials.

"Don't worry about them. I'm not sure about Rihad but your presence and actions shall determine the political outcome if you play your cards right." Jon said.

"You have an idea, Master Krilon?"

"I do. I can Teleport you and your Elite squad to the wall right now, Isha will accompany you just in case. The armor I have you has the function to draw energy out of other artifacts, if you couple that with the [Soul Sword], you will move like a radiant war machine. You game?"

Kareem nodded. He then started calling for names and gathered twenty of his special guards. Isha joined them and Jon cast a large Teleportation Array taking them in a blink of light to the central post on the wall.

"Mirren, Miranda. You two know what to do."

"Search and destroy. It is somehow my favorite game right now." Mirren murmured.

"Let's go." Miranda said and the two teleported to the battlefield covertly.

"Nefertiti, look for that woman called Dalilah." Nefertiti acted reluctantly like a teenager but Jon ignored her.

"What about me?" Beth ran to him.

Jon thought for a while then called Jax out of the Cube.

"Look after Jax, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Jon said.

Jax and Beth were confused thinking that Jon was confused but rather he confused them on purpose saying confusing stuff.

Meanwhile, Jon arrived at the Forefront of the ship that was charging to the shore. He could see the Seventh Imperial Legion marching and attacking the Cultists from behind.

*BUZZ!*

The Imperial War Trumpet sounded across the horizon marking the arrival of the Imperial aid. Not sure if the Redguards of Rihad asked for aid, this meant that a huge stone was being thrown into Jon's plans.

"But competing against me in music is a no-no." Jon said snapping his fingers.

With the length of the sides of the ship he is on, two lines of large war drums made of green transparent Magicka appeared.

"Let's hear it."

With his command, the [Bardic Knowledge] power was activated and he chose something from his memories.

*DRUM* *DRUMDRUM*

And the heaven shock with the sound of his spectral drums. The strong sound startled all the fronts but as soon as it sounded, Kareem and his men were beginning their assault on the wall. He did as Jon told him by activating the Armor's enchantment with the [Soul Sword] and stole all the limelight from the Imperial battalion that just arrived.

"Very well!"

As the ship touched the shore, the enemies were finally in the range of Jon's magic. He aimed his staff forward and maximized the output of his Magicka shooting out a stream of Lightning towards the first giant bone centipedes clinging on the city wall. The lightning obliterated it and bounced off to the other.

The blasting power of Jon's raw magic kept sweeping through the wall destroying every bone centipede on the eastern wall in mere seconds. Followed his destruction was the cheers of a thousand fresh warriors willing to jump off the ships and take down every last Necromancer with their swords.

Their wishes were fulfilled in less than a minute later as they were finally safe to land. They got down, formed lines and secured the beach outside Rihad.

"To his Lordship!"

"Destroy those dead walkers!"

The formation of soldiers moved smoothly thanks to the commanding officers and the military discipline of the Warband. Jon moved on his own spearheading the undead as if he is walking into a park. He cast [Paladin's Cloak], [Holy Ward] and conjured a number of Winged Twilights around himself. He also was moving around while casting spells like [Sun Ray] and [Ashen Flame].

By his eyes, he focused his attention on a band of Necromancer staying not too far in the back or in the fray. Jon's movements were swift and reached them in with the intention to kill every last one of them except one.

Perhaps too used to death lurking around them, they didn't notice it sneak at them. Once Jon got closer, his movements became strange and they felt something.

"Shit!"

"Who is that?"

The saw a shadow of a man coming at them but in just a second, it disappeared.

"Where did it go?"

The Necromancers were confused looking around and lost focus on the two sides of the battle against the incoming Legion and Rihad. But by the next second, they felt something fall down.

Looking back to where that shadow appeared first, they saw one of their ranks that talked just now was cut two clean vertical halves.

*Swoosh*

A presence was felt from the other side. Looking towards it, the saw another one of their ranks look with daze at himself checking if he is fine. It didn't feel like anything wrong with him so he looked up with a relieved face, but in the next second, he felt nothing.

The second Necromancer fell on the ground being cut in four quarters X shaped.

"Retreat! Assass…"

The one who was just speaking got his point of view altered then darkened. The others saw his head fly like a leaf and land quietly on the ground.

No matter what, this was the most three terrifying deaths those Necromancers ever saw. They didn't speak afterward knowing that if they did, they'll attract the killer's attention.

They exchanged a few looks with their eyes and as elites in their field, they knew exactly what to do. In a split of a second, they all turned around firing [Corpse Explosion] at every undead in their vicinity.

They scanned the place carefully afterward and found no traces of any assassin. Still, a slight killing intent was felt and they realized where they messed up.

They were standing in a circle all aiming their staves and weapons outward. Currently, there is only one place the assassin might be in. One idea came to mind and one idea scared the living ghosts out of their flesh vessels.

"Don't look back!" That was the idea.

**********

(Part 2)

Do not move, do not breathe, do not look back! These were the thoughts that this particular Worm Cell thought of.

They have already offended the assassin by moving all at once and he didn't kill them yet, one wrong move and that face with a dreadful smile behind them will send them to damnation.

Only an idiot would try to… yes! There was such an idiot among them.

"Get the fuck off…" A Worm Knight carried a big made turned around and moved his weapon up only to freeze in his place.

*Swoosh*

By the next second, all the legs were cut. The fell on the ground screaming and writhing from pain as they became a bunch of crippled criminals.

Jon walked from their midst and looked at his handy work.

"Hiding the Aura… now that's a terrifying art."

An Aura is the energization of Presence, hiding the Aura meant not using it but in the case of this technique, it meant thinning its shape to the finest possible. The Aura Slash technique which can be used to launch a ribbon of energy for some meters ahead now turned much sharper and unimaginably hidden.

The teachings of the Book of Circles and Cyrus' commentaries on it were the reason how Jon reached such finesse in his swordplay.

{Dalilah! Guide me to her, you get to live.} Jon spoke directly to the minds of the crippled Cultists.

They felt fear but they were still rational despite their state. One of them took out a dagger and stabbed himself.

"To the Worm King!"

Jon watched the cultist kill himself and remembered how crazy can those guys be.

"Okay!" Jon waved the [Ebony Blade] a few times and cut the arms of the remaining Necromancers.

They screamed, shouted and prayed for the Worm King to smite them down and claim their souls.

{No legs, no arms! I presume that death is a good option indeed. Now, where is Dalilah?}

Jon had to use [Lust] to gain information about the enemies again and this time, he was pointed to the edge of the battlefield.

Over there, a team of Imperial Legionnaires was advancing in an organized formation taking ground and leaving the bombardment for the Imperial Battlemages.

On the other side, the Necromancers were holding their ground well under the command of Redguard woman carrying a saber and casting magic. It was Dalilah.

Seeing Jon walking towards them, both the Imperials and the Cultists felt threatened by him.

"Get rid of that!" An Imperial officer ordered three of the Battlemages to handle the walking Battlemage in full Ebony.

"Now!"

Known for their ferocious style, the Imperial Battlemages excelled in both long and close-ranged combat. In a second, the three female Battlemages Teleported around Jon from three directions and attacked him with their staves.

Not sure when or how, the three were beaten in the most merciless way possible. One received a punch right in the face, the other was blasted by Jon's imagination and the last one in front of Jon found herself on the ground under his feet as he stepped over her.

Jon raised his staff and aimed it at the Necromancers, a raw blast of fire erupted taking down half of the Worm Cell.

"In the name of Prince Kareem, ruler of Stros M'kai. I, the Court Wizard of Stros M'kai, hereby arrest you. Show resistance and you'll regret it." Jon said.

The atmosphere froze all of a sudden. Jon's spell just now was strong enough to obliterate a city wall.

Did the Governor of Stros M'kai really have such an individual under him?

"We, Seventh Imperial Legion, announce that the Worm Cultist known as Dalilah is under our arrest." The Imperial Officer stood forward and aimed his sword to the woman at the core of the Necromancers' formation.

"How dare you talk? Imperial Legion you said? Fine, you scum are under arrest as well." Jon aimed his staff towards the Imperials.

"..."

Speechless, the Imperials and the Necromancers understood that the Mage is strong but to arrest a Work Cell and an Imperial Team all by himself in one go, there were limits on how far can one be unreasonable.

Jon even raised a hand and send a signal to the sky. A few seconds later, over two hundred Redguards on horsebacks came and circled the Imperials and the Necromancers.

On the battlefield, the Hunding Chargers were unstoppable dividing themselves under five teams of two hundred each, one team was there just two support Jon and the other four were sweeping through the battlefield killing the Undead and the Necromancers.

On the other hand, the slow Seventh Imperial Legion had less than a thousand mostly infinities with diverse roles and a team of cavalry on standby.

Once the team of cavalry supporting Jon circled the Imperial Arrest Team and Main Worm Cell, two movements happened on the battlefield. The Imperial Cavalry team moved towards Jon and in response, Kareem and Isha joined the nearest team and headed towards Jon too. The Imperials arrived first.

At the forefront of the Imperial Cavalry, a woman in full Ebony Legion Armor jumped off her horse and walked alone with absolute confidence between the Hunding Chargers then headed towards Jon.

Jon let [Pride] float on its own while aiming at the Necromancers then advanced to the woman.

She looked left and right at the tensed situation that will spark in a three-way slaughter in just one second then she saw the destruction caused by Jon's spell as well as the three battlemages trampled by Jon. Lastly, she turned to the Imperial Officer in charge of the Arrest Team.

"Well done." She said.

Seeing his pissed off commander, the Officer felt like a mountain is falling on his head.

Finally, she looked at Jon.

"And you are?" She asked.

"None Of Your Business." Jon replied then added, "The Third."

"He is the Court Wizard of Stros M'kai." The officer said.

"Far from your home, islander." She said without lifting her eyes off Jon.

"Say that again, Imperial." Jon replied.

In truth, the woman was terrifyingly strong. She would make her Legion shiver in fear if her mood turned dire and quite frankly, they weren't worried about Jon with that woman around.

Still, Jon had an equal presence to that woman and he wasn't even putting effort.

By that time, Kareem and Isha arrived. Jon could notice the woman Dalilah getting a pale face and hiding herself behind her followers. It was all useless as Nefertiti was in her shadow.

Kareem jumped off his horse and walked beside Jon. Jon intentionally stepped backward to give him the Limelight. Supported by the [Soul Sword] and his mystical armor, Kareem withstood the Imperial woman's Aura and looked majestic in front of her.

"Imperial scum, you are trespassing." He spoke.

"And I assume you are the Governor of Stros M'kai." She spoke

"And you are?"

The woman took off her helm and showed her face. She looked like a regular middle-aged Imperial with black hair and normal appearance. Nothing was too impressive about her looks despite her powers being the real deal.

"General Cassia, Commander of the Seventh Imperial Legion under his Imperial Majesty, Titus Mede II." She said.

"Kareem son of Ghazi, Governor of Stros M'kai. Why are you trespassing the borders?"

"An Imperial Decree came out ordering the Seventh Legion to secure the borders with Hammerfell due to the recent Undead Crisis, interfere in defending the innocents, save lives and investigate the Worm Cult."

"Imperial lies!" Kareem seemed not to be accepting what the General said.

He was right, the Imperial would only act this generous in a Forebears territory just to suck up for the Redguards and find an excuse to return to Hammerfell.

"I think the Crowns should focus on themselves. Why are you out of your territory, Governor Kareem? Did you take your army and abandon your people?" She asked.

"Nonsense! It is by the blessing of HoonDing that he sent us the Sword of A'tor and blessed us with our Court Wizard so we emerge victorious over evil." Kareem said.

His proud manner of speech was that of a Crown, the most traditional faction in Hammerfell.

"Impossible!"

It wasn't General Cassia who exclaimed but rather someone from the ranks of the Necromancers.

Everyone looked at whoever spoke and the situation turned chaotic in a split of a second once that person made eye contact with Isha.

"DALILAH!"

Isha shouted and charged towards the woman she swore to cut to shreds.

"Isha, careful!" Jon called.

"Anchorite! Run!" The Necromancers ran to stand in between Isha and Dalilah to give Dalilah time to retreat.

"Fuck off!" Isha thrust the [Spear of Bitter Mercy] at those unfortunate enough to think they could withstand her.

All those who were in the way got their bodies torn to shreds by her Aura and Weapon.

Dalilah cast [Corpse Explosion] on the dying Necromancer to stop her from getting closer. Every Necromancer in her cell jumped at Isha to stop her and get their bodies to explode at point-blank once they die.

"Boethiah!" Isha shouted and called forth her Blessing of Boethiah.

A storm of elements surged up from her surroundings and blasted away anything that stood between her and Dalilah.

"Shit!" Dalilah didn't hesitate and summoned one of the premium undead from the Ghost World, a Worm Zombie Horse.

"You won't get away!" Isha stomped the ground with the bottom of her spear to Conjure a Storm Atronach Horse.

And the chase started.

Both the Atronach Horse and the Zombie Horse had endless stamina and insane speed, Dalilah blasted her way through the Chargers and the Legionnaires abandoning her Worm Cell and riding towards the mountain range up North.

"Chase! Arrest Dalilah!" General Cassia ordered her Legionaries.

"You are not going anywhere!" Kareem wanted to stop the Legion but Jon stopped him.

Kareem understood and changed the order.

"Support Isha!" He said and ran to his horse.

General Cassia tried to stop Kareem but Jon stood up to her, everyone else moved save for those two. Jon and General Cassia.

"Move!" She said.

"I'm sorry but you are under arrest." Jon replied.

"I'm an Imperial General."

"Still under arrest."

"You sure?"

"Under arrest."

"Hehehe!"

General Cassia drew her sword. It was an Ebony Gladius that she didn't carry anything other than it.

The Ebony Imperial gear was a monopoly in the Empire for the Generals and the High Officers, according to law, only select individuals can put such a gear.

Jon also was in full Ebony which provoked General Cassia a lot. His attitude was infuriating and his power seemed bottomless.

"Hya!"

She charged at Jon at an unimaginable speed. He only had his staff in his hand and his sword on his back. Once she aimed for his neck, he slightly moved to the side then held the [Ebony Blade] descending on the General with it.

She felt a great threat and her instincts made dodge, by the following instant, the Ebony Blade was cutting the ground where she stood.

Not wasting any time, Cassia jumped at Jon with a shoulder attack pushing him away before he could retrieve his sword. Seeing him barely retreated a step, she continued with another shoulder attack, then another.

Jon was too large for her to easily push but she found this method the only one working. But she didn't know what manner of sadistic smile Jon had as he let her push him.

"You are strong, but not fast." He said and moved his arm in speed she couldn't intercept punching General Cassia as she tried to push him with no means to dodge.

The punch landed on her face and struck her down to the ground, Jon sealed the dead by kicking the woman away like a soccer ball.

"Giving up, woman?" He asked.

Cassia struggled up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I underestimated you, Mage." She said.

"You shouldn't have."

"Hya!"

This time she attacked him with more discipline keeping to her style and not risking a move. Jon found her to be a tough shell to crack one he tried to retaliate but he managed to reach a stalemate with her. The two didn't want to go all out. If he killed s general, the Empire won't sit still and if she killed a Crown, Hammerfell won't let it pass.

In the end, Jon decided to break her leg by kicking a knee when she is focusing her weight on it. Once the opportunity came, he did what he aimed at but General Cassia was a careful opponent, she used her free leg to center herself on Jon's kick and used his force to launch herself in the air aiming a kick under his mask.

Her kick landed, she landed, the mask flew. She turned to stab Jon in the shoulder but faster than she could ever be, Jon held her sword by the blade and his mask from flying away. [Pride] was hovering above Cassia with s Lightning spell prepare if she thought about moving.

Jon's face appeared to Cassia. He had a light beard because he didn't shave while traveling and his hair was cut shorter to appear like a handsome young man.

Of course he didn't charm Cassia by his looks rather, she recognized this face very well.

"Kn… Knight Brother Jonrad?"

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