[center][b]Nightgate Inn[/b][/center]
[hr]
Of all the mercenaries, Jorwen was about to have the worst time of them all. While the Red-Bear distracted Dzuungits enough for Bharzak to get away, the fight between man and snow demon ended abruptly thanks to bear intervention. In the end, it was not the Red-Bear that emerged victorious, but rather, Dzuungits' recently freed mount. Bringing eight heavy limbs down on Jorwen, shield and blade fell away like twigs. If not for Dzuungits restraining his [i]Nanouk[/i], Jorwen would have surely been paste. 

The only lucky break for Jorwen was Dzuungits wanting to bring back a live trophy, one that not only hanged on his shield, but a humiliated champion of the defenders. Dzuungits would display this mountain of a human before the other first-guards, and after that, attach the crimson furred head beside Utu-ja's leathery one. This was how he would earn respect. All the other first-guards were first-guards from their homeland, and he, a former second-guard under the imbecilic Qafdgun, remained an outsider of the top echelon club. Some of his colleagues even dared to mock his head hunting, a tradition of Dzuungits' tribe since time immemorial. 

So wrapped up in his future, Dzuungits barely noticed that bombardments had resumed in the present. He remembered vaguely about instructions prior to leaving Windhelm; to recommence siege attacks when no signal of breakthrough was raised within the allotted timeframe. What was originally an ample timeframe now felt like the blink of an eye. Every second standing near the inn is a bigger death potential, so the cavalry commander was content with letting the Orc woman run off for now and focused on hoisting the red-maned brute onto his mount. Another projectile landed far too close for comfort. Dzuungits raised his frozen forearm to shield his face on instinct, but soon put it down, when he realized that a sturdy helmet visor made all but an eye slit well-protected. He shouted for the mage responsible for signaling, who, to his annoyance, had been slain by some lucky defender.

Dzuungits had to order a stop to the bombardment on his own. He designated others to clean up the inn grounds, and rode back to friendly lines with an anxious frown. He was going to have the head of whoever started slinging, and when he found out that it was the armiger leader, he was incline to do so literally. "Cease frost!" He marched to the armigers and their catapults. "You blind? We just took them!"

"Cease what?" The armiger officer paused.

"Freeze, [i]ikinaqtouk[/i], stop the triggering!"

"I think it meant 'cease fire', sir." A subordinate armiger suggested.

"Heh," the officer chuckled haughtily, "you snow beasts speak worse Cyrodilic than those ashlanders from the fifth cohort. I thought you wanted us to pound that inn into dust; was it because of that Nord on your bear? Scared about us scraping his beard so you can't make love to it?"

That was Dzuungits' limit. He couldn't understand the exact meaning behind every word, but the smug condescension was obvious; too obvious. The offending Dunmer's head was suddenly enveloped in a giant Kamal hand. A good shakedown was the original intent; to scare the armiger officer back down the chain of command. The armiger in question decided to escalate his peril by spitting at Dzuungit's helmet. In response, Dzuungits pulled the Dunmer's head out.

"Azura's tits..." Other Dunmers gasped or jumped; their obedience (and fear) suddenly intensified. 

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/w0XWwEk.png[/img]
[b]Occupied Windhelm[/b][/center]
[hr]
[color=BEC3C6]"The northern cave belongs to some [i]Falmers[/i]; they match the old..."[/color]

Dzuungits walked right in the middle of a meeting, at the Palace of Kings. The former great dining hall for Jarl Lodevemar has been re-purposed into a command center, with mages adjusting the atmosphere to match that of their homeland. Kamals can safely reside within these halls without their protective suits, and that was exactly how each meeting attendee appeared; true features shown without helmets or masks. One of the first-guards stopped their presentation, and many others stared, when Dzuungits threw the great doors open. They stared at the melting ice and slapdash bandages on his arm, stared at the bloody shield and sabre, and most importantly, stared at the stirring body he dragged behind.

[color=BEC3C6]"That was hardly a week."[/color] Tliskev was the first to open his mouth. [color=BEC3C6]"I knew Dzuungits would come back running, but I never thought he could retreat this fast; at least our latest first-guard's good for something."[/color]

Dzuungits clenched his teeth and fists. Unlike the insignificant Tamrielic entities, his fellow Kamals (especially officers) were not something to be trifled with. Dzuungits was confident that he would come up on top, if it was just him and Tliskev. After all, the other fellow was a mage, a bookkeeper and a glorified babysitter of their ash-faced allies. He wouldn't do it here and now, as Dzuungits still respected Hakkeam and a few others. 

[color=BEC3C6]"We have taken Nightgate Inn."[/color] Dzuungits simply stated. [color=BEC3C6]"The enemies there have been defeated."[/color] He paused to contemplate how much to report. There's too much detail for a full war council; it'll be better to give Hakkeam a personal briefing. [color=BEC3C6]"This is one of their champions; other natives call him the [i]Red-Bear[/i]."[/color] He turned and threw Jorwen onto the ground ahead, in open view of the war council. Jorwen was fast regaining his senses, meaning Dzuungits had to keep the Nord down with a boot on his skull. [color=BEC3C6]"The [i]Red-Bear[/i] only joined their defenses one day prior to our assault, but according to one prisoner, he is a renowned warrior among these lands."[/color]

Dzuungits held Jorwen up by his neck for everyone to see. [color=BEC3C6]"I plan for a public execution tomorrow, so that the people of Windhelm can witness their former hero's demise; this will teach them to never rebel against us."[/color] He then shoved the Nord back on the ground.

[color=BEC3C6]"Look at you, giving this mess of red a hero's execution."[/color] Tliskev immediately mocked. [color=BEC3C6]"If the armigers' reports are to be believed, then you would casually dispose of our own allied commanders, but go the full length to honor the foe's 'red bear'. Perhaps spending too much time around bears have given you strange paradigms."[/color]

Dzuungits sucked in a deep breath to keep himself calm. Because he couldn't clench his fists any tighter, he put his frustration onto his feet, and as a result, pressed down harder on Jorwen's head. [color=BEC3C6]"If there are no objections, I will go prepare for the captive's execution."[/color]

[color=beb9bf]"Objection."[/color] A hiss came from a shadowy corner on the far side of the hall. [color=beb9bf]"I have purposes to keep this magnificent human specimen alive, in the east."[/color]

[color=BEC3C6]"We have no transport ships for this."[/color] Hakkeam said.

[color=beb9bf]"You and I don't,"[/color] the shadowy voice slithered into the light, [color=beb9bf]"but our contractor does."[/color] 

Whatever case Dzuungits wanted to make for keeping his trophy head vanished upon seeing the figure in full light; he knew better than to oppose this individual.