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I, Draugr chapter 17
🕑 Added 2024-07-12 03:48:07 +0000 UTCPacking the bags was swift, yet quiet. Hildr could tell that despite her earlier excitement, Gretel did not feel good about just leaving all of a sudden.
Her glances towards their granny's room told Hildr everything… But at the same time, she could do nothing.
The elderly lady was gone. Making her remember them, sometimes, took too much effort.
Effort that, several minutes later, would go to waste as she swiftly forget them once more.
Other times she'd just sit on her chair, staring vacantly at nothing, for hours on end. It was… depressing.
"We can say goodbye, if you want." Despite herself, Hildr still offers her little sister the option. She herself couldn't do it, despite the letters she already scribbled down.
One would, perhaps even uselessly, rest upon the table of the kitchen where they shared many cries of joy and loving memories. Perhaps, it will be opened, read, then forgotten.
Much to her surprise, Gretel shakes her head, her eyes slightly red as she stares towards the locked door of a certain room, "It'll just hurt more."
Hildr sighs through her nostrils, "She'll be taken care off." Despite her dislike of Falkreath, there was one thing that she found good about it.
They favored and treated the elders with the utmost respect and care. Her neighbors will surely do everything in their power to take care of her grandma in their absence.
The letters she wrote are for them, so to make them aware of the situation.
"We'll still come visit." Hildr promises, gently resting a hand on her sister's head and running her fingers along her wild and untamed rust-colored hair. "Once I settle down in the college, I'll come pick you up and we can come visit for a bit, alright?"
A low and quiet nod is her answer. It is more than enough to satisfy her.
So, quietly, Hildr grabs the heavy bags filled with their sparse belonging and led the way out of the door. Under the cover of the night, she leaves the letters she wrote for the neighbors right before their door before loading her bags on the horse.
Mounting it, her lone eyes moves towards her small home of two decades. Despite the sadness deep within her gaze, she now felt… Free.
Free of her curse. Free of the home where she lived in a constant state of fear of losing control, of doing everything in her power to grow stronger, but also care and love for her younger sister.
A breath leaves her lips, her shoulders sag, and the reins of her horse are flapped as Gretel hugs her from behind.
The horse trots down the street, and Hildr allows one of her hands to rest on Gretel's, sharing their sadness and giving her the comfort she needs. Her job as an older sister, one she takes up with pride.
It is quiet for a while, but then Gretel speaks up, "Say, big sis…" Hildr hums, showing that she was listening, "I just thought of something." Well, that is either going to be bad, or annoying.
"And what might that be?"
When she speaks up again, Hildr could hear the amusement in Gretel's voice, "The beast the Jarl feared, the Dragon, is gone… And so are the idiots that he hired." Hildr raises her good brow at her sister's words.
"So?"
A giggle, "How bad do you think he is going to freak out when he learns of this?" The older sister pauses, her lone eye blinking slowly, before a smile slowly cracks on her usually stern face.
Laughter bubbles forth, and Gretel joins in, both sharing in the delight of the suffering of the Jarl of Falkreath.
Deep down, Hildr feared for Falkreath, as it did recently lose a great deal of soldiers.
While also a merchant city that stands before another entrance to Skyrim through the mountain chain, Falkreath never rose to be as enormous as Helgen. It lacks massively in comparison.
It lacks manpower, and due to their old ways, they also rarely seek help, only doing so when truly terrified and desperate like with the Dragon issue.
Alas, she couldn't do anything about these sort of things. Politics is one of the things she'll never willingly step into.
Soon, her horse leaves past one of the gates of Falkreath, and she directs it towards the temporary camp of her two new… friends. She could call them that after they literally fought against a gargantuan Dragon together.
And came here to save her sister from those sick bastards. For that, she'll forever be grateful.
The light of a fire helped her find the temporary camp in the forest with ease, a light smile crossing her face when her eyes land on the tall and beautiful form of Aurelia.
The literal Dragonborn. Ain't that one hell of a shock..
Warm eyes flick towards them, and a gentle smile spreads across the woman's face as she stops tending to the fire. "I hope everything has gone well." Hildr nods, a light smile on her own face as she dismounts her horse and helps Gretel get down.
"It'll take a bit to get used to this change, but… I guess that's obvious." Aurelia nods with an understanding look on her face.
"When I started traveling, it took me months to get used to just being constantly on the road." The silver haired woman hums out, a light nostalgic look in her eyes, "Now, it's taking me a while to get used to just sitting in one place."
Hildr could guess why, "Guess you can't really leave the area, with the whole Dragon business going on…"
Aurelia nods with a tired sigh, "It's a massive responsibility. And you saw that I am not really up to par just yet, since we were nearly bested by the Dragon from before…" Yeah…
Hildr is very confident in the Familiar she raised since young, and she put her all to Conjure him and empower him as much as possible, yet that Dragon still made her Familiar look like an insect.
It was… Humbling. And terrifying.
"And you're dealing with that by yourself?" Having to face Dragon after Dragon, with some perhaps even stronger than the one they just fought…
"Well, I have Leo with me." Aurelia hums, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with a warm smile on her lips. "He's… I don't think I could've gotten this far without him. I am very grateful for that." Then, as soon as she finishes saying that, her face darkens into a near murderous scowl, "If only he'd stop being such a massive headache…"
Huh… No wonder he gets along so well with Gretel. Just, he was far worse. Far, far worse.
Like Gretel, but with Magic, and a thousand times more unhinged.
"Speaking off…" Said little sister speaks up, her gaze curiously flicking around the campsite, "Where is he?"
Aurelia blinks.
Then, very slowly, she turns to look around the campsite. Horses, Hildr, Gretel, Aurelia.
The only living beings there- Oh wait, the idiot is an Undead.
Once his absence is noted, Aurelia just sighs, "He's… close. I hope… I was just talking with him, after all-"
BOOM!
xxxXXXxxx
"Where the fuck did he come from?! Kill him already!"
"How did he get past the damn doors?! They have a password!"
"Hmm… Clap your cheeks, I will."
"What the fuck is he even spouting?! And why won't he die!?"
"Just keep throwing your spells at him, Festus!"
"Can't you see I am doing that, and that it's useless?!"
"Big ahh forehead, you have."
"He's talking so weird! What the fuck is he?!"
"Babette! You have to-"
"Blow this shit up, Yoda will."
"Wait wha-"
"Thermonuclear wolves, I gift."
Awoooo!
xxxXXXxxx
I lay there, sprawled in the smoking crater of my own making, and let out a content sigh.
Now that was satisfying.
The fight against the big ass Dragon wasn't really satisfying. It made me feel weak and inadequate, which is annoying. Even with the Draconic Chant, I could barely pose as a threat to that giant.
Plus, somehow, I did not get any Souls from when we dealt with those Argonians, which were kind of a disappointment.
I came here expecting to fight some powerful Werecrocodiles, but all the hype was stolen by the giant Dragon, and when they did try to attack us, it was all over in the blink of an eye.
I guess I just gave them too much credit.
Still, while it irks me that I got nothing from them, likely due to Hircine wanting to keep them complete so he could torture them, I decided to just switch target to… Something else.
Mainly, the Dark Brotherhood. I thought my research for the door leading to their hideout would be like finding a needle in a haystack… But then these dumb-fucks just decided to be very obvious.
How? They literally hid their goddamn hideout in a valley with very dense mist.
Pretty sure the mist was done by magic, perhaps by Babette herself since she is a Vampire and I feel like that would be one of their power-sets.
Plus, now that she is dead, the mist is clearing up very quickly, so there's that.
Either way, I got a good harvest by clearing out these fuckers.
[A Soul has been absorbed!] x6
[A Greater Soul has been absorbed!]
Six normal Souls, and a Greater Soul from Babette herself. For being a very old Vampire, she was laughably weak. Wonder why...
Now… Maybe I should Evolve my Conjuration Spell? Aside from the wolves, the other two Summons are… Pathetic.
One is the usual Bound Sword Conjuration Spell like in the game, but I really have no use for it.
As for the arrow… I literally have a damn artillery shot in the form of the Arcane Cannon, so that puny arrow is even more useless than the damn sword.
Not that I should complain. What I have now is better than the undead creatures I had before.
Necromancy is good and all, but not that good when I am currently in a place where the dead are worshiped and meant to be left the fuck alone.
So yeah, Arkay is still a homie.
Or, instead of focusing on the Conjuration Spell, I can power up Anodyne and evolve it. The healing capabilities are quite strong – Aurelia said that it's way stronger than the Prayer of Healing Spell that she uses – so I can focus on making its scale far greater.
Perhaps it'll come with a massive cost, but I do have some massive reserves currently.
Yeah, I'll use five of the six normal Souls I have to Evolve Anodyne. Might as well.
[Anodyne]
A simple yet effective Healing Spell. A small dome of Holy Magick that heals any ally within while also burning any Undead or Dark creature in its vicinity.
Modification/s: Radius Up! x5
(5/5)
Spell 'Anodyne' has been Maxed!
Spell 'Anodyne' has Evolved!
[Sanctuary]
A grand field overflowing with Holy Light, deployed with the caster at its epicenter. Injuries are healed at an accelerated rate within, Undead are set alight with Sunfire, and allies physical parameters are greatly empowered within its radius.
(0/10)
Hey, that's pretty good. Insanely so.
In fact, I think I can now focus on other things and just keep this Spell as it is for a long while.
Though, now that I think about it, I wonder if there are any Dragon Words that I can use to pair up with this Spell to further empower it.
…Can't wait to annoy the shit outta Aurelia with this powerful Holy Spell cast by an Undead of all things.
My cackle is interrupted by a loud cough, making me perk up and turn my head to look towards the edge of the still smoking crater I am laying down in.
"Oh, hello Aurelia!" I wave cheerfully at the visibly annoyed and exasperated woman, Hildr and Gretel by her side, both sisters staring at the large crater and ruins with shock on their faces. "I was just helping some friends renovate! Ain't I kind?!"
Her knuckles pop so loudly that I hear them from all the way over her. Her right eyebrow also visibly twitches, "What. Did. You. Do." Oh my…
"Blew something the fuck up, it seems…" Gretel helpfully adds, then winces when Hildr bonks her on the head for swearing.
"I'll have you know that this looks far better than what they had before." I state towards the young lady with a very charitable and kind tone of voice.
Aurelia looks like she is about to assault me. "Leo."
I sigh and stand up, "You see, I was bored, so I thought to myself… 'Why don't I go visit some old friends of mine?' – And it was quite easy to find them too! Hiding their headquarters in a valley with thick mist all over. So edgy."
Perhaps it's magical mist that fucks up the senses, hence why they were never found until now, and said mist could not affect me since my senses are magical. I guess.
"I… What friends?!" Aurelia asks, utterly exasperated and dragging her hands along her face.
Hildr, instead, whispers a faint, "Ain't no fucking way…" And gives me a very shocked look.
"Why, the Dark Brotherhood, of course!" They should have been glad Yoda went to visit them, but nope. They freaked the fuck out, started firing arrows and try to attack me, one even went all Werewolf on me – sorry Hircine – and then Spells started flying alongside screams and…
Well, Thermonuclear Wolves.
Didn't know I could power them up by pumping more Magicka into them… Hence, the crater.
"The… The Dark Brotherhood?" The cute Dragonborn repeats, all of her anger fading away and replaced by utter disbelief.
"I did hear that they saw some weird activity around here…" Hildr muses, "No one really did anything because… Well, the mist around here messed with the senses, and their bounties weren't that high to make wasting manpower worth it."
Huh, so they were basically a joke? Not that different from the game, then. I only did their Quests for the money, body slamming the Emperor, and the money I would get from doing exactly that.
"How did you defeat them?" Aurelia asks as I stand up and dust myself off.
"What makes you think they were even a challenge?" She blinks in surprise at my words. "That's the thing about Assassins. They are only good because you don't know they are coming, don't know they have been studying you, and have several plans prepared for the mission."
Alas, they had no plan in mind in how to deal with the great Yoda.
"Hence, when taken by surprise, they are mostly fumbling fools with some passable skills." They really had utmost confidence in their enchanted door, so had no contingency plan in case someone gets past that and attacks them.
Still, now that I think about it, Cicero is still out there… A problem for the future. If it even becomes one.
"I guess so…" Aurelia hums, then bends down and offers me a hand to get out of the crater, which I gratefully accept and let her pull me up with laughable ease. "Still, could you not do these risky things without saying anything?"
"But then you'd never allow me to do them!"
"Obviously!" Aurelia shrieks as I sag my shoulders, and if I could, I'd pout her way, "The first time we met you went around Riverwood assaulting and traumatizing people at night, Leo!"
"Huh… I wonder if they found that hogtied Wood Elf yet…" I muse despite Aurelia's protests, making her actively sob and nearly collapse to her knees.
Hildr just looks at me like I am a peculiar creature, "You are one weird motherfucker…"
"Why, thank you!"
"That ain't a compliment…"
"As I say quite often… Sheoggorath would be proud."
Hildr blinks. Gretel snorts. Then the older sister nods and turns away, "Yeah, I'm gonna regret sticking around with you guys."
"Give me one week, and you'll have white hair."
Gretel nods, "A few days, if we team up." I give the little girl a look, then we share a nod and fist-bump.
"Hircine is lucky to have you." I praise, and the girl smugly puffs out her chest with a proud, adorable grin.
"Of course he is!" Heh, prideful much?
Aurelia whines from behind me, "Lord Arkay, have mercy on me…"
I, of course, decide to not have any.
So, very cheerfully, I turn around to face her, "Did you forget that he blessed me?"
Aurelia actively starts crying at that point.
xxxXXXxxx
"I don't like the look of those clouds…" I perk up and turn towards Hildr, looking away from Aurelia who is currently munching on her third Dragon Soul of the morning.
In the end, we decided it was best to hurry back to Whiterun than waste time going towards Rorikstead so to grab the Dragon Soul near there.
Due to how massive Skyrim is here, it would've been a massive waste of time just going there then back to Whiterun. Plus, we have Gretel with us.
I'd rather make it so that she can go to sleep in a bed instead of having to camp outside, and Aurelia is already starting to look travel weary since we've been on the road non-stop.
I turn my gaze in the direction Hildr is looking towards and 'frown' myself at the sight of the pitch black clouds flashing with lighting in the far distance.
Didn't even notice them until the sun started rising...
"Yeah, I don't like that either." Fuck, is it happening already?
Did the Dragons finally wake up Krosis? If so, we may need to hurry up.
"Aurelia!" I shout, drawing the woman's attention as she startles slightly, the dense wisps of energy around her having finally faded. "We need to go! Now!"
Her gaze flicks towards the storm in the distance, her gaze narrowing dangerously as she swiftly rushes to her horse to mount it.
Hildr picks up Gretel and has her sit on her lap, "You know what's the cause of the storm?" She asks as I flap the reins of my own horse, making it neigh and start to move.
"Unfortunately." I grunt out, "I was hoping it wouldn't happen yet, but the Dragons clearly woke the fucker up."
And the worst thing is that Krosis ain't even the only Dragon Priest with a sarcophagus that is out in the open.
"It reminds me of the storm that covered Helgen…" Aurelia whispers with worried eyes, "Without the giant flaming meteors, that is." That's just Alduin being excessive.
With a frown on her beautiful face, Hildr turns towards me, "I have an inkling on what the Dragons could have woken up, as I read books about them…" Yeah, she's hoping that her inkling is wrong.
Alas, it ain't. "The Dragon Priest Krosis. He is a powerful Frost Mage, and surely also a Necromancer to boot." I pause slightly, "Each Dragon Priest also wears a powerful Enchanted Mask that bears their name, but I am unsure of what the enchantment on Krosis's mask does."
After all, I doubt it boosts Archery, Lockpicking and Alchemy here… So perhaps it might boost his Frost Magic, which might be troublesome.
"Fuck…" Hildr curses under her breath.
"Yeah, sorry. Didn't think he'd wake up right when we're coming back." I apologize, but she waves me off with a light smile.
"It's fine. This is a good opportunity for me to test the boons Lord Hircine granted my Familiar."
"Oh, yeah…" I muse and tilt my hood covered head, "What did he gift you?"
My question brings a very eager and excited grin on Hildr's face, "Twenty years worth of growth for my Familiar, and some abilities I'll have to go through with it when I conjure it again."
I hum and rub my chin, "We could buy you a Magistone Staff, if it makes your Conjuration stronger." I offer, throwing a look towards the frowning Aurelia.
Her frown relaxes lightly, and a smile crosses her lips as she nods, "It can be our way to repay you for the help you offered against the Dragon."
Hildr flushes shyly with a light smile on her face, "I'd rather not impose on your generosity. Plus, I barely did anything."
"Your Familiar punched a fucking Dragon in the face, woman." She flushes harder, "Pretty sure it also put that fucker in a choke-hold?" I muse aloud, my memory is a bit spotty due to how chaotic that fight was.
Snorting, Gretel leans forward to grin my way, "On behalf of my sister, I shall graciously accept your gift!" Huffing, Hildr bonks Gretel on the head, but the woman does throw a very grateful smile our way.
Magistone staffs clearly cost a lot, and I doubt she can afford one right now, but she definitely deserves it. I wouldn't mind having her as a friend, especially for Aurelia.
"Of course, Gretel can repay me by making sure to annoy the Companions as much as possible." I offer, making Hildr snort and her little sister cackle like a maniac.
"You are asking for something that I was already going to do!" There's a reason on why I like this brat so much.
With a chuckle, I turn towards Aurelia, "Right, what did you gain from the Dragon Soul you just gobbled up?" The previous two gave her some very specialized boosts, by her own words.
One made her feel like her very body go tougher, while the second one made her feel as light as a feather. No new Dragon Words though, sadly enough.
With a hum, Aurelia tilts her head and closes her eyes, "It feels like I am overflowing with Magicka." She reveals, surprising me a great deal. "Can Dragons even use Magic?"
That… Can they? They resort to their Dragon Words to breathe fire or other elements, but could they cast Spells and learn magic if they put their mind to it?
They are prideful, so maybe some would do it, or might be goaded into trying it…
"Now that's a good and interesting question…" A Dragon that wields Magic sounds terrifying, honestly.
"Speaking of having a lot of Magicka…" With a hum, Aurelia lifts her right hand, then points two of her fingers towards our horses and chants out a low yet echoing, "Bless!" That engulfs the horses in blinding golden light.
They neigh in what seems like excitement before they start speeding up.
Then they keep speeding up.
And speeding up.
"Whee-" Goes Gretel, arms in the air and long rust-colored hair flying in the air alongside her sister's as the horses just reach insane speeds without trouble.
"I could have made the Spell even stronger!" Aurelia shouts in the air, a near cackle to her cheerful voice that reminds me of my own cackles.
Oh God, I am infecting her with my insanity… That's hot.
Alas, the excitement and rush of the horses incredible speed does not last long. Barely a few minutes.
Large fires and pillars of smoke enter our line of sight, all around the main road leading up to Whiterun.
Walls of sharp wooden stakes, broken weapons and large craters all over the place. The few houses that used to be outside now lay in smoking ruins.
"The air smells awful here…" Gretel mutters under her breath as my gaze roves around to take in the destruction of the surrounding area.
It's like there was an invasion, not a Dragon attack…
The walls of Whiterun seem battered, having seemingly withstood the attacks of several Spells that managed to leave some scars on the walls, but aside from that the only real damage I see are the ruined houses.
The fields seem to be mostly untouched, so that's good…
The sky above rumbles with lighting, some enormous bolts even crashing down not far from us in loud and powerful explosive blasts of heat and force that send molten shrapnel flying in all directions… The Storm Call Shout.
Slowly, I dismount from my neighing horse and throw a glance towards Aurelia.
Her hands are balled into tight fists, and she's biting down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, her gaze hateful and filled with pure rage.
"Aurelia…" I reach out, but I hesitate to touch her as she lets out a low, hissing breath.
"I can feel the filth of Necromancy in the surrounding air…" She growls out as I draw my hand back and sigh softly.
Instead, I turn to look towards Hildr, "Let's hurry inside. I'd rather not put Gretel into any danger." The woman nods gratefully, and I lead the way up the road leading to the reinforced main gates of Whiterun.
They don't look damaged, and the surrounding near the front of the gate are quite clean, showing that the battle never reached this area.
"Halt!" A voice shouts from above the walls, a near dozen men appearing and drawing their bows towards us, though one of them halts and draws his bow back, "Stand down! It's the Dragonborn!"
The declaration was soon followed by an "Open the gates!" Shout, then by the loud groan of metal creaking as the large gates slowly part open.
I pause when I see the state beyond the gate. More wooden stakes and walls made to impede the approach of marching soldiers and the likes.
And all around are dozens upon dozens of soldiers, with some Companions mixed in with them.
"Leonidas!" A shout makes me perk up, the huge form of Farkas jumping over a wooden wall to approach us, his fat ass being the one behind the call. "It's good to see you in one piece, my friend!"
He laughs happily, looking very much alright as he claps a hand on my shoulder without care of his strength. Pretty sure he just dislocated that bitch.
"I'd say the same, but it seems you all had an… eventful night." Farkas's laughter turns into a rueful chuckle, his gaze growing serious and mildly worried.
Still, he nods towards Hildr as a greeting, "Best we go in. I'm sure the Jarl is expecting you." I nod and follow after the towering man, then large gates swiftly slamming shut behind us.
Hanging a bit behind, I slow down enough that I am walking right next to Aurelia, her gaze downcast and focused on the ground, "Go relax. I'll handle things here." I tell her, making her perk up lightly.
"Leo, wait-" I don't and simply skip ahead, motioning for Hildr and Gretel to follow after me as I do so.
The area is full of guards, so the two stick close by me as the soldiers in orange part around Farkas while moving logs of wood or sharpening stakes left and right.
It's the fact that there is no tension in the air that makes me respect these fuckers a lot. There's just anticipation.
They aren't worried about the next possible attack, no- They are literally fucking hoping that it comes.
Farkas leads to a small home instead of Dragonsreach, with a pair of guards standing by the small doors and tilting their head in greeting when we step past.
The inside is empty, with only a large table with candles on the side and a map at the center, and behind the table is Jarl Balgruuf himself.
His bearded face perks up, then brightens at the sight of me and Farkas walking in. "Leonidas! It is good to see you!" I chuckle and nod towards the Jarl, then turn to Farkas.
"Could you show my friends Jorrvaskr? The little girl really wants to become a Companion." My words make the big man's face light up like a Christmas tree, which I find funny.
"Of course!" He slams his fist against his chest with enough force to kill a lesser human, a big goofy grin on his face, "A friend of yours is a friend of mine!"
Another chuckle escapes me before I turn to Hildr and give her a nod. She gives me a kind and grateful smile as she holds the vibrating and excited Gretel who is ready to cause chaos.
I shall pray for Farkas's survival.
I watch them depart from the small building that seems to be a sort of strategy room of sort, then turn back to face the quietly and patiently waiting Jarl.
Then my eyes drifts toward a fellow hooded Magician hanging behind me.
I pause… Then, of course, I couldn't help my dumb self.
"Oh! Hide yo' Spells there's a broke Magician in the building!" I cackle, rudely pointing towards Farengar with a finger.
The Court Mage twitches, teeth visibly gritting as his crossed arms grow tenser and his shoulders rise up. "You…" The Jarl, of course, just sighs and face-palms.
"The Jarl really asked for the pocket-change of one of his kids to hire ya, didn't he?" I swagger up to the table with another cackle, making Farengar looks like he is ready to get a murder charge.
Luckily, the Jarl comes to his aid, "Please, don't antagonize my Court Mage, Leonidas." I shrug innocently even as Farengar keeps glaring holes through me. "Also, you have my deepest thanks for the warning you gave me before you departed. We were able to respond so quickly because of that."
I sigh and turn serious myself, "I had just hoped that my warning would have turned out to be useless, but alas…" I shake my head, "Can you tell me what exactly happened?"
Balgruuf nods and straightens himself, "It happened late at night. A Shout was used to conjure the storm that is still present above our heads, then some manner of Spell was used to bring forth an army of at least a thousand undead beings."
I pause at that. "Out of nowhere?"
The Jarl nods, "Out of nowhere indeed." That's… How? Conjured from the Soul Cairn, perhaps? "Luckily, they proved to be very weak. Only the mages among them gave us some trouble, but in the end we barely suffered any casualties."
This… "I don't like it." I let out my thoughts without shame.
Surprisingly, Farengar steps forward with a nod and sigh, "We fear that it was but a probing blow. A way to test us." Or maybe to draw out the Dragonborn.
"Any Dragons?" I question, mostly to quickly get the headcount of anything that we'll have to face.
"Three in total. None joined the initial fight, and we haven't seen them fly around either so far."
Three, staying together… Yeah, they must be weak then. Perhaps around Mirmulnir's level if not a bit lower or higher than that.
"We stand no chance in a battle of attrition." I drawl out as I cross my arms, "Our only chance of victory is going straight for the one behind it all… But the city cannot be left unguarded."
The Jarl nods with a frown, "I can put together a squad of strong warriors and mages without a problem-"
"Me and Aurelia will be more than enough." I cut off the Jarl's offer, but my voice show how grateful I am for it, "Our enemy is a powerful undead. A Dragon Priest – a powerful mage that gained the recognition and favor of a Dragon – by the name of Krosis, from the Merethic Era."
"Aurelia is a Paladin of Arkay, the bane of all Undead beings, so we'll have an edge." One that we must tip over in our favor if we want to achieve a victory.
Balgruuf chews on one of his nails in thought and worry, only to sigh in defeat after a few seconds, "We're going to help you as much as we can, then."
If I could, I'd be grinning right now. "We'll need help to reach the fucker… The problem is this Spell that conjures an entire army."
Farengar nods, "Weak it may be, but if it can cast multiple times then it'll be a problem."
"Yes, but such a powerful Spell must have a drawback. Some sort of limiter, or…" I hum and cup my chin, "What if it's not actually a Spell?"
Farengar stills, "Ancient Spells from the Merethic Era could be that powerful… But an Artifact with a Soul Gem could also be the answer!"
"A Soul Gem?" The Jarl questions, asking what I myself wanted to ask, but held back because like hell I'ma have Farengar hold one over me!
"Yes, my Jarl. Soul Gems are peculiar stones known to be able to absorb Souls themselves, or at least the energies that make them up."
"A powerful enough Soul Gem can hold dozens if not hundreds of Souls at once. If this Krosis were to wield a staff with a priceless Soul Gem upon it, then he'd be literally carrying a whole army with him!"
That… That makes a lot of fucking sense. So that's how Soul Gems are in this reality, huh? Peculiar.
"So…" The Jarl starts, a light grin spreading across his bearded face, "What we must do is force him to bring out his whole army at once." Even with the risk of an immense wave of undead falling upon Whiterun, the Jarl seems ready and eager to throw down.
"Question is, how do we do that?" Farengar questions with a hum.
So, it's my time to shine. "That's easy!" Both man perk up and turn towards me. "We make him panic."
"Panic?" The Jarl parrots, "How could we do that?"
I shrug, "He is sure to be prideful, and he'll expect that his show of force will make us cower away like turtles curling back in their shell, for him to tear apart little by little. His name – Krosis – means Sorrow, so perhaps he'll want to spread exactly that."
"So, instead of just hiding away… We'll just march towards that motherfucker."
The two quietly stare at me for several seconds.
"You son of a bitch, I'm in."
Balgruuf snorts at Farengar's words. "That is a very Nord-like plan, Leonidas."
"The best way is the dumbass way."
"Truer words have only come out of the mouth of a drunk Nord."
"When are Nords not drunk?"
"When they fuck." Farengar answers my question.
I slowly turn towards him.
He shrugs.
"It's so that they can remember it, then brag about it."
I…
I fucking love this place.
A.N. Ain't even gonna apologize this time for the wait.
Had to literally grab a fucking jet engine as a fan to stop myself from melting.
Either way, next is the ganging up on Krosis part. Probably two or three chapters? I think?
Also, hope y'all like Hildr and Gretel! They are here to stay, and I quite like writing them.
Next few chapters we'll also learn a bit about Aurelia's past and why she hates the Undead so much! And fluff!
Till then, take care ya lovely folks!
Toodles!
Comments
Deathknight134
Man, I can't wait for when Serana pops up and Leonidas and Aurelia spread their insanity to her too, kek. But this upcoming fight will be amazing~ Gotta grab all that Dragon Priest loot too~!
Rogue21
Leo is going to become the next Sheoggorath at this rate. Or bad lip reads yoda. My nuclear wolves be appon the.
Nicolette
Well, on the one hand I am sad for my fellow murderhobo friends. But on the other, that scene was pure gold with Leo once more proving why he deserves the title of The Trollmaster. Thanks for the chappie Musa!
James French
Thanks for the chappy!
SamuraiCheem
He won't. He'll get a Skill from a Daedric Prince that lets him be a flesh human for a while in the far future.
Bishop7053
I love how little fucks the nords give. When it comes to having a good time I'm surprised sheo and sanguine haven't blessed the whole province lol
Verdauga
;)
StarSmith
Oh I love this “Thermonuclear wolves, I gift.” Gave me a cramp in my side from laughing so hard.
StarSmith
Funny seeing you hear as well
Kurupt
When is he gonna get a full life body again?
Darkanlan
Looking forward to Gretel's POV adventures in Whiterun. She'll surely rope the other kids in town in her adventures and drive everyone insane. I'm betting Sheo will want to adopt her or give his blessing like Hircine did.
Kz3838
Oh my god I love it, the Nords being down to just charge at the enemy rather than turtle up is hilarious and I feel 100% on point. Also the "So, very cheerfully, I turn around to face her, 'Did you forget that he blessed me?'" had me wheezing. I really like how you explained Soul Gems here, and I am very curious to see what Krosis' mask does because if it does buff frost magic than it would be perfect for Leonidas. Stay safe out there and keep up the good work!
ExodiaTheForbiddenOne
Who’s kidneys are these ?
