[ROLEPLAY] Expedition

[u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Her eyes dart beneath the fabric as she groans in pain. The Earth buzzes around her bare feet and she feels his feet tread towards her. Mita blocks, colliding against her opponent’s spear as a grin curls up her features. She’s found her edge again as she maneuvers about her target as if she wasn’t blinded, though she takes more hits than she normally would and is far more precise with her strikes. Nothing can interrupt her focus.

---

A curse echoes up the tower, gracing whoever lurks above as the spell fails once again. Mita, out of impatience, takes to scaling a vine. “Titus!” She calls, threatening in her tone though she attempts to be nice. Her foot slips, but she catches herself as she continues climbing and ordering, “Fyr?” She calls. She pulls herself onto the level, looking about for anyone present. “Titus!” She screams, “I know you’re here! I feel you here!” Mita continues, stomping about the tower in a worried frenzy. “Goddamnit!” She mutters. A fur boot impatiently taps as she readjusts a fur lined hunter’s cowl that wraps around her body.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"I'm fine," Mita reassures, taking a pause and composing herself before continuing with a sigh. "Endrys," She begins, shaking her head, "My spies said they saw you with him not too long ago. What was he like? He's gone Titus. Just up and vanished. Threw off the crown and walked away," Mita takes another deep breath, "but that's not important," she shakes her head, obviously distraught by her friend's disappearance.

"You're going to help me fix it all. I'm so close Titus," she says with wild darting eyes as she places his hands on his shoulders cautiously. "Everything I've tried hasn't worked. It's just in my grasp. I can almost feel it..."

"He was corrupted by Order, that's why he killed all of those people. Dralsi came to visit me and she was attacked by them. And I heard it Titus. I felt it. Just like I sensed the Totem on you all of those years ago. Only worse."

"We're going to Skyrim. You know what I'm looking for and you know where it is. Best you show me and go with me in case I can't find my way back," Mita drops her hands to the sides, sore and exhausted, that awful song playing in her head.

[u/mewtwo928 → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Titus nodded. Her spies were pretty good if they had seen that. Or perhaps it was because they had gone to the roof of his mansion. Regardless, that she was here, meant she did not think he was in league with Endrys. In fact, Endrys’ state had worried Titus, too—he was certainly not the man he used to be.

Titus was hesitant as she placed a hand on his shoulders, recalling what she’d done before. He listens to what she has to say. “The Elder Scroll. Perhaps it will help. First we should stop by the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, though—they might have some incites into reading the scrolls.”

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/mewtwo928]

"I know what I am doing Titus," she nearly grabs the man's robes and shakes him. "I know that's the kind of arrogance that makes the gods angry but I don't care. I don't have time for an old man with balls down to his knees to tell me to shave bark off of a tree and dance with moths." Mita cocks her head to the side, "See? I've been studying."

"Let's not waste any time. Cast the spell. Let's be done with it."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Titus frowns, stepping back from her, still not trusting her enough to let her touch him. "Alright," he says simply. The next moment, they are standing on a surprisingly sturdy bridge of dwemer metal. "This way." Unphased by the blowing snow and bitter winds, he makes his way towards the giant brass doors.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/mewtwo928]

"Let's get this over with. I'm just about as pleased as you are." Mita takes a deep breath, recovering from a spell of dizziness that was brought upon by the transportation. A faint hum is heard in the wind and Mita's expression warms, dimples kissing a fur hood. "Do you hear that Titus! I can hear it!" She says as she bolts for the door, throwing herself into whatever might be behind them.

[u/mewtwo928 → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

When Mita enters, the ruin, Titus is standing there, quirking an eyebrow. His instruments are out. Destiny, he supposes--perhaps it is, in a sense. The Elder Scrolls, by nature, are prophetic.

---

"Wow, such a shame the Chimer killed ​_them_​ all off," Mita states as her head trains on the lofty ceilings. "Or, at least, we'd like to think the Chimer killed them. Easier to grasp." Mita draws her spear and carefully walks about the ruin, following the sweet singing

---

"They sorta killed themselves off," Titus replies. "They became the skin of the First Numidium." He starts forward. Then he can hear a clicking sound. A spider. Simple enough to handle.

---

"So I've heard," Mita mutters, spearing the spider easily and watching the oil pool on the ground, satisfied as she struts onwards. It is then she realizes she didn't bring armor in her haste. Best she be more careful. She brings a crackling spell to her fingers

---

"I'll take point," says Titus, noting her lack of armour. He begins to delve further into the ruin. Oil glistens on the ground around fallen spiders. Someone's been here? Casting detect life, he sees nothing. When they get to the doors, however, they see some corpses, skeletons at this point. But clearly Khajiit, surrounded by skooma bottles.

---

"Fucking cats," Mita gripes, kicking the corpse from her path, bumping into a pipe that echoes loudly, resounding throughout the cavern. "I can't let you do that," Mita says, butting to stand beside him. "Have you not witnessed my pride before, dear Titus?" She chuckles, albeit awkwardly as two spiders are heard in the distance.(edited)

---

Khajiit; he doesn't have any real thoughts about them anymore. The last time he looked upon his wife seems ages ago. "Skooma addicts, no wonder," he mutters. "There are liable to be falmer and Centurions. Surely you know how risky that is?" he says. "Though ,perhaps..." He strikes the mallet against the tuning fork against his mallet, touching the lower part of the tines. The spiders stop making noise.

---

"Genius!" Mita congratulates, listening for the pitch. Perhaps she could use it later. "Falmer, nasty things," Mita curses under her breath.

---

"You're taking me to read an Elder Scroll, Titus. Armor is the least of our worries."

---

"Tonal architecture, the legacy of the dwemer. And the falmer...the ruthlessness of the dwemer. I met a snow elf once, did I tell you? His name was Gelebor." They continue on their way, the spiders following them obediently.

---

"You did," she smiles, fondly remembering that eve. "You also told me you'd take me hunting in Cyrodiil at my wedding. Though I suppose this will have to do," she eyes the spiders following them, slightly shaken by their pleasant nature. Yet, she'd seen far more obscure things happen. A Falmer then descends from a pod carved out from what was once a pipe, the disgusting smell that wafted off of the fallen elves causing Mita's stomach to churn, she wasted no time stabbing it in it's abdomen and removing it from its pathetic state. However, where there was one, there were undoubtedly more.

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"After we take care of Order, I know a nice place near Chorrol that my father and I used to hunt at," he replies. As the falmer appear, Titus shouts.

"FUS RO DAH!" Falmer and a chaurus go flying. Titus rises into the air, conjuring flame and flinging it at the creatures. The two certainly make good time--elite mage and elite spearwoman they are.

---

"You'll have to teach me how to shout," Mita proposes, her spear finding the the spine of a Falmer jumping down. He is impaled from tailbone to his crooked neck and Mita must remove the body by sliding it off with the aid of her foot. She is slower than she was in her prime, moon sugar, alcohol, and malnutrition would do that to a person, but what she lacked in her finesse was a sense of primal, cunning hatred that influenced everything she did.

They reach a quiet spot in their journey. Mita clears her throat. "Do you think I can read these?" Mita queries, "You think the Gods will let me live?"

---

"If the Elder Scrolls wants you to read it, you will be able to, and you will live," he replies. "And I believe it wants you to. Though as I have said, it may blind you. However, you mentioned you know the moth and bark ritual. The gypsy moths should help."

---

"I know ​_of_​ it," Mita chuckles, "But I'm not going to partake in it. Does that make me stupid? I don't know. I don't really care at this point," Mita shrugs, though anyone could tell she ​_did_​ actually care and was scared out of her wits. Despite this anxiety, she firmly states, "I'm going to read the Scroll because ​_I_​ want to. A piece of a dead god does not tell ​_me_​ what to do. Some say they're a fragment of Aka. Excuse me," she says amicably, "But I see no reason to worship a God that, from time to time, doubts his own existence."

They stumble upon yet another Falmer encampment, Mita taking lead and jumping thoughtlessly into the battle in her haste

[u/mewtwo928 → u/mewtwo928]

"Stupid, no, bold and perhaps foolish, yes," he replies. "I think they are a fragment of creation. At least, that is what I've found in my studies. All guesswork, really."

---

"I suppose I'll ask it," Mita smirks, taking a hit from a large Chaurus and falling back, downing a potion quickly as her breathing dangerously slows. She takes a moment to recover and returns to the fight, flinging fire about liberally, the warmth of the burning bodies an ​_odd_​ comfort in the freezing ruin(edited)

---

"You really like to live on the edge, don't you? Here, I think we need to both turn these levers at the same time." The levers are to open a door. Simple, really, though he supposes the dwemer didn't think the Falmer smart enough to use it to get out.

---

Mita chuckles, her laughs echoing off of the ceiling, "There is no use in half-assing life, Titus. All mortals meet their deaths unless they pledge themselves to a daedra or they take up the path of walking royalty," Mita's eyes lazily trail over his form, accusingly almost as she retreats to her respective lever, a conjuration spell for a bow already tickling her fingers. "Best I have what I want, no? Really, the world could end right now what with dragons, Titus! Dragons!" She exclaims, hefting the lever over, "and there could be something I wanted to do. Best not let that happen."

---

"True," he says. His conjuration spell brings forth a Seeker from Apocrypha, before he grips the lever and pulls as she does. "Maybe I should show you Akavir and Yokuda. I doubt after all this cold you want to see Atmora though." He chuckles. Falmer move forth, the Seeker distracting them by flinging spells and projecting a second Seeker.

---

Mita listens to the song these creatures bask in. She is intrigued by the sweet whispers they sing of secrets untold, but, nevertheless, the reek of a sinister origin.

Mita brings the bow to her grips, flinging arrows two at a time at her intended target as she consistently strafes about her vantage point. "Akavir? Yokuda?" She smiles, "I doubt my husband would be happy to hear that. Nor would Endr..." She pauses. It was uncomfortable speaking of who she considered to be a dead man. "Angoril would not be pleased. No," She shakes her head, concluding her statement as she misses the Falmer Shaman and curses.

---

"Oh, I thought you wanted to live on the edge, my friend," Titus replies. "Is he pleased with you reading an Elder Scroll, though?" She misses the Falmer shaman, whose spell is flung at Titus. It hits his ward, and dissipates into it, as he flings a spike of ice into its face. "Poor creatures. Forced into slavery by the dwemer, made into mindless creatures. Though not quite mindless. I studied them for a time."

---

Her lips purse to a fine line. "Angoril is a prick. He'll get over it. He always does," Mita frowns, her eyes trailing over the ice spike protruding from the creature's poor face. "Though, when we fought about this, he was much more... ​_Adamant_​," She shakes her head, reminding herself the focus on what she had to do. "I know, slavery is an awful thing." "I hear we are to traverse Blackreach, no?"

---

"Indeed," he replies. "Further down, I believe. And Endrys was seeking to end slavery. Though I worry the reaction from the Houses other than Hlaalu and Redoran. Slavery is, unfortunately, ingrained within their culture."

---

"I believe I spoke with him once on the matter after I had him with three glasses of wine and his wife on his lap, a cocky grin on his face," Mita smiles, the memories gilded, "I'm going to march to Tear soon to end that horrible ordeal, whether Endrys approves or not. I can't say I am a merciful, just mother if my people are in cages, no?" "I couldn't give a shit about their culture. Culture changes. I will change it. Or they will die."(edited)

---

"It's a shame this all happened as it did," Titus replies. "If only Order wasn't manipulating him. And if only he hadn't killed those people." Getting further in, he notices a gate, guarded by one centurion, the other lying in a pool of liquid, inert. Steam bellows from the animunculus as it steps forward. Titus strikes the tuning fork, but to no avail.

---

"If only. Now he must die. He is not as he was," Mita answers coolly, "Best we not consider him Endrys any longer should we ever cross his path."

When they approach the centurion, Mita sings the note, Titus strikes his fork. ​_"Shit."_​ Mita curses, summoning her bow and trying to find vantage. To no avail, she reverts to aiming upwards with her arrows, knowing the centurion has the upper ground. "I'll take the left flank," Mita calls, rounding the circular arena along the left side.

Suddenly, she drops the bow, a wall of fire leaping from her palms and tickling the brass legs of the automaton. She stops before her reserves completely dry up.

[ To be continued! Done on Slack for the sake of speed-posting ]