From: 698cunliffecj@deanery.wigan.sch.uk (Christopher John Cunliffe)
Subject: [PORC]: The Prize

Tenaka turned away from Pilar as he heard the young Khajit cough. Breathing
a sigh of relief that the young man had survived his ordeal, he silently
looked him over. He knew that his survival was largely due to Pilar's
healing skills, just as he knew that his near death was due largely to his
interference. He waited for the young man to speak.

It did not happen, but a voice came from the Nord at his side: "Are you all
right?"

"Yes, thank you, milady. With a little rest, I will be right back to
action. Name's Skeetr, by the way. Do you know what happened?"

"Well met, Skeetr, and thank you for the use of your body," said Tenaka. "I
am Tenaka Khan, Dreadlord, and it is largely due to myself that you were in
danger in the first place. However, your assistance did save my life, and I
thank you for it. I am forever in your debt. This lovely young lady is
Pilar Kent and it is she who saved your life with her magic. The other
women around are Twilight, J'layah and Mea Culpa. You may have heard of
them – they are apparently quite well known in these parts. Rest here a
moment." Skeetr lay back and Tenaka left Pilar to attend to him. He walked
over to Twilight.

She was still looking at the same statue – the one that he had created from
the Archmage only moments before. The other two had looked at many
different ones, but she seemed strangely focussed on this particular
statue. "What is it?" he asked, realising that she must have found
something.

"This statue has a soul gem embedded in it, but the composition of the
statue is magical. And the magic is far too powerful for me to remove the
gem."

"I thank you for the compliment, my Lady, for the magic is of my creation.
If necessary, I could revive the man so that we can retrieve this prize.
But what is so important about a soul gem? They are easily found and
cheaply bought these days."

"I do not know. But I feel something from this one. I feel that I am
familiar with the soul entrapped within it, but I do not recognise it."

"What does it feel like?"

"I am strangely reminded of J'layah when I stand close to this statue."

Tenaka called her over. "J'layah," he said when she had crossed the room.
"Do you feel anything from this statue?"

"Yes," she replied. Tenaka smiled. She was subconsciously fingering the
hilt of the blade he had given her. "I did not notice before, but now I am
close to it, I do feel something. It feels like… my sister!"

"Then we must indeed retrieve the gem. Stand back."

Everybody moved away from the statue and Tenaka began to weave his magic.
He hoped that the mage's time inside his icy prison would have affected him
similarly to the way it had Skeetr. It would take him a little time to
weave a spell to bind him and cut off his magic after he was freed – time
he may not have. He looked at Twilight. She nodded at him. She realised the
problems that were inherent in this operation and was ready to counter
them. He felt the build up of power within her.

Suddenly he threw his hands forward and his magical fire flew towards the
statue. He absently noticed a shout from Skeetr – he clearly did not want
this mage to return. He saw through the corner of his eye Pilar telling him
that all would be well. He subconsciously noticed that Mea's attention had
also been directed at the three of them. The ball of magical fire hit the
statue squarely on the torso and the ice began to melt. As man's head was
freed, J'layah drew her enchanted katana and held it to the Archmage's
throat. Tenaka noticed a look of surprise on Twilight's face which was
surely mirrored on his own. J'layah had become far more aggressive since
the battle with the Orcs – this was not supposed to happen. The blade was
meant to earn her trust, not alter her personality. She must have been in
recent contact with a very powerful magic to have affected the enchantment
so. He felt the surge of power from Twilight. Now, not only did the man
have a Daedric katana at his throat – he could not move or use magic
either. 

"His medallion," said Twilight with a strained voice. The man was clearly
trying to overcome his imprisonment. "The soul gem is within his
medallion."

Tenaka walked up to the Mage and removed the jewellery from around his
neck. Now that he was so close to the gem, he also felt the pulse emanating
from it. Holding it in his hand, he turned to face the Archmage.

"This time," he said menacingly, "I shall ask the questions." He held up
his finger to the man's nose and allowed a tiny sliver of Antilight to
escape from his upraised hand. The Archmage gulped loudly at the sight. The
man nodded hurriedly, not wanting to disappoint the Dreadlord and this earn
his displeasure.

"Where did you acquire this gem?" Tenaka's voice was firm.

"It was g-g-g-given t-t-t-to m-m-m-me," said the man.

"By whom?"

"A one-eyed m-m-m-man."

"Name of?"

"H-H-H-Heeram Th-Th-Th-Thule."

"Does anybody have any further questions?" asked Tenaka, looking around the
room. "If so, please ask. If not, we should hurry. His apprentice has now
been gone a good long time, and the sooner we dispatch with this sorry
piece of garbage, the sooner we can move on."