Simon was lost. At least lost was the rather non-threatening way to put it. The trees were all merging into one at that point and it was getting dark. He had lost his rather expensive horse to an ogre earlier and was now stuck returning to the capital on foot. Before the ogre, he wandered onto an old, abandoned path that led deep into the woods. Almost everything he owned was on that horse. Now he was going to have to replenish his supplies. That was after he found his way back to the city.
Tired now, the Nord stopped and looked up in frustration. As he was cursing the Nine, he heard a low groan coming from his left. If he knew anything, that was never good. He had become familiar with similar groans in the undercroft of the Bravil temple. He looked over in the direction the sound came from and readied his sword. The orange Dwemer metal glimmered in the dappled light as it wavered in his grasp.
A shriek now pierced the air. It wasn't high pitched and sounded vicious, like the author of the sound was trying a war cry instead. It had made him jump at first, but then, he was running towards it. Hot blood ran through his veins as his pace quickened. Coming out of the forest, he could see a large ruin made out of white marble. In front of an ornate door was a figure clad in white armor and about six zombies. Most of them were headless and pieces were falling off of them. Before he could think, Simon was in the thick of the small battle going on. He cut the arm off of one before meeting the side of his new ally.
"Are you all right?" he asked while eyeing the incoming zombies.
"Yeah just fine." They muttered from their hood. One of the undead foes attempted to grab at the stranger, but the hooded warrior maneuvered under the decaying arm and wrenched their short sword into its chest. It stumbled backwards in death and several more took its place. Simon in the meanwhile was busy taking down the armless one in front of him. One by one, the zombies fell to the two wanderers. The mystery person Simon helped pulled their sword out of one of the zombies then went straight for the door to the ruin.
Before they could open it, Simon called out to them. "Do you need something?" was their blunt answer. He could now see a pair of dark turquoise eyes from under the gray hood. They were accusing, but they were also soft at the same time.
"I was just wondering if you wanted some help. I mean since you had a hard time with those zombies right then."
The eyes continued to stare at him. "That's where you're mistaken. I didn't need your help. You were the one to butt in when nobody asked you to." They turned back to the door and pulled the heavy block of stone from its resting place. "If you're coming, hurry up. I've gotta close this again." Simon ran towards the opening and waited. When the slab was back in its place, the corridor was washed in darkness.
"Do you have a torch?"
"Why would I have a torch? The darker the better."
"Hmm. Fine." The person was already ahead of him by the time he started walking. The ruin was tight and clod, making Simon claustrophobic, but at this point there was leaving. Not until this stranger was done. When he caught up to them, they were out of the corridor and looking out over a large room. In the middle of the room was a raised walkway leading to some downward stairs. On the ground below them there were stone benches lined up against the wall.
The stranger looked over Simon. "We're going to have to go to those benches there."
"Why there?"
"I caught a glimpse of an Alyeid statue over there. I know a person who'd pay a lot for one of those."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Let's hurry though." The stranger started walking towards the stairs in a hurried pace. They seemed to be eager to get to their loot and get out.
About half way across the walkway, the stranger looked as if they were wobbling. There was a sharp sound of stone rubbing together, then from his vantage point from the end of the walkway, Simon could see the middle start to collapse. Quickly, the stone fell to the ground with the armor clad figure trying to grab hold of something to keep themselves from falling. Thinking that they might have gotten hurt, Simon rushed to the place that had fallen.
"Are you okay?"
There was a pause before he could hear some shuffling in the rubble. "A bit bruised but fine. Can you make the jump across?"
"Probably. I'll meet you down there." He got up to gage the distance, now seeing how far it was. Backing up, the Nord readied himself. With all the grace of a troll, he hurled himself across, only to tumble when he landed. He got up, brushed himself off, and continued. The stairs down were not unlike the first corridor he found himself in only minutes earlier. As he was proceeding down, he was waiting for one of the steps to give in like the walk way did. However, they were solid and quickly Simon reached the bottom.
Stopping to look at the grander room spread out before him, Simon noticed a greenish glow towards the edge of the back wall. He moved closer to it, and upon further examination, it moved. The stranger now came up over the rubble. Crouching low, they pulled out their sword a crept up on the light. They raised their sword for a downward slash, but the glow now manifested itself as some sort of human like ghoul. It reached out for them, forcing their sword arm down. It seemed as if Simon would have to step in once again.
Before he could reach the two, the stranger pulled thier sword back then plunged it into the ghoul. It gave a loud, ear piercing shriek before slowly dropping to the ground. Simon helped the stranger up and asked, "What was that thing?"
"A wraith. Do you see a statue anywhere?"
Simon looked around the room. Finally he caught sight of a large pointed statue with a blue gem glowing in the middle of it. Quickly he brought it back to the stranger who had a bag ready. Slipping the statue in carefully, the stranger got up and started back the way they came.
…
It was dark by the time the two exited the Alyeid ruin. Going towards a slab of marble, the stranger sat down and started a fire. "Where are you going?"
"Finding my way back to the road." Simon answered anxiously.
"Don't be a s'wit. It's already night out. You'd have an easier time in the morning."
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all." All too quickly, he rushed to the fire. He sat quietly, as his new friend took of their armor. Now that their face was revealed, Simon could get a good look at them.
Their turquoise eyes were large and clear, and their sharper features betrayed an almost Nordic lineage. Their hair was light blonde and cropped to the chin. A sapphire earring dangled from the left ear. In all, they were very feminine.
Curiosity now piqued, Simon was getting a bit nervous again. "Since I'm here, what's your name?"
"Lene. How 'bout you?" She asked. Her chin rested in her hand and her eyes were closed.
"Simon… Simon Wavechaser. Where are we anyways? I got lost earlier and couldn't find my way back to the road."
"A small Alyeid ruin called Culotte, a bit south of the Imperial City." The young woman flopped over in exhaustion. It was now becoming obvious how tired she was.
Simon's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Are you heading there tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Can I come with you?"
Lene looked over to him with tired eyes. "Sure, whatever. Just how did you get lost anyhow?"
"I… uh, took a wrong turn then lot my horse. I found myself going down an old hunting trail, and when I turned back, I had no idea where I was."
"Well that's too bad. Good thing I know where we are." Lene yawned and looked up at the starry sky. "At least it's not raining."
"That's true."
"We should probably get some sleep. We have bit to go before we reach the city." The girl was right. Sleep sounded good right about then and was much needed. He waited for the fire to go out then finally dozed off.
...
Lene woke up to bright sun light right in her eyes. While it was slightly uncomfortable, it served well in waking her up. Next to her head was the sack the statue was stashed in. A wave of relief washed over her. Nothing had bothered to try take a statue.
A loud snore erupted next to her. Looking over, Lene had found that Simon wasn't gone either. Now that it was bright out she could get a good look at him. He was bit more colorful than your average Nord. His hair was a light ginger and his skin was a bit sunburned. Most peculiar of all, however, was a scar on his jaw. It started near his left cheek and went all the down to the bottom of his jaw. The wound, while healing, must have been painful; Lene thought to herself. She poked him the arm in a halfhearted attempt to wake him up. Simon groaned and rolled over a bit. It wouldn't take him long to wake up. In the meanwhile she would just have to pack her things.
Simon lurched upwards. His eyes were groggy and he yawned. "How long did I sleep?"
"It was about midnight when we went to bed, and it's about six now. So about six hours."
"Well that'd have to do." The two got up and started to the path.
"Yes it will. Let's hurry though. Goblins have been known to move into these ruins after the undead have been cleared."
Simon was taken aback. "Are you serious about that?" he said, not sure whether to believe that or not. He learned the hard way that most rumors weren't true.
Lene looked back at him with a sort offended look on her face. "Of course it is. Some of the ruins I've cleared out myself have goblins in them now." She turned back to walking through the woods and Simon hurried quickly behind. Their walk to the main road was brief. Lene could see a look of confusion plastered on Simon's face. "This is the Yellow Road. If we head north, we'll make it to the capital."
"How long will we have to walk?"
"Only for about an hour and half. Then we'll head west on the Red Ring Road until we get to the bridge that actually leads into the city."
"So, we'll be there around mid-morning, right?"
Lene nodded her head in conformation. "About. Unless of course we're accosted by bandits or wolves or something. I kind of doubt that though." They walked pleasantly in silence for about half an hour before Lene was lost in her thoughts.
"Hey, why were you out there in the first place?"
Lene looked over to him as if she forgot she wasn't alone. "I go through these ruins professionally."
"Is that so? Isn't dangerous?" Simon gave her a weak smile.
"It can be. But if you're going to protest, I suggest not to. That scar on your jaw says that you've had just as hard of time as I have." She grinned, hoping that he understood that she didn't take his comment personally.
The Nord chuckled. "You noticed then?"
"It's hard not to."
"That's true, I guess."
"Where'd you get it anyways?" Lene asked with an inquisitive tone.
"I got it on my way to Leyawiin. I was attacked by a Khajiit bandit."
Lene shuddered at the thought. "Only goes to show that you can't really trust them."
"I have to disagree with you there. The ones I've met were all rather nice people. Aside from the few that walk a disgraceful path, they're just like the rest of us." Simon said. He was still smiling, though he seemed a bit quieter now.
The rest of the walk to the Red Ring Road was uneventful. When they got to the fork however, Lene stopped. The forest was bit thicker here. The brush was hanging over the sides of the unkempt cobblestones. Looking towards the side, she hushed Simon. "There's something on the other side of that bush."
Simon nodded his head then let Lene get closer. When she pulled the bush apart to get better look, she gasped. Thinking something was wrong, he rushed up to her side. Past the bushes, he could see a stone platform, made of a similar material to Culotte. Vines and moss were growing on the platform as a green light shone up through the trees.
"What is that?"
"An Alyeid well."
"What does it do?"
"It gathers up magical energy. The Alyeids used up a lot of magika, so these would replenish the body's natural reserves."
"Not very interesting, but okay…" Simon answered as Lene ran towards the well. She stopped before the green light and put her hand through it. She tensed up and jerked her hand back. "Are you all right?"
"Just fine. It was all warm and tingly for a moment." Simon, now seeing that it was all right came up onto the platform, rushed up to her. A low growl was emitted from the other side of the well. Lene obviously didn't hear it, as she was still examining the green light. A furry snout now protruded out of the underbrush and in an instant Simon was upon a large brown bear.
The bear snarled at him. It was frothing at the mouth and a crazy glint was in the creature's tiny eyes. It scratched and lunged for him, but he shoved his sword into the bear's chest. The fur was thick and Simon had a time hard pushing the metal blade in. Lene now aware of the situation, jumped on top of the bear and rammed her own blade into the base of its skull. It howled with pain, but quickly toppled over on its side. Ever cautious, the girl pulled her sword out then backed away to the road. Simon had trouble pulling his own sword out of the large mass of fur before him. When he managed to get back to the path, Lene was already far ahead of him. The Nord sprinted to catch up to her.
"Is something the matter?"
"Not really. I'm just eager to get there." She turned back to the road in front of her and kept walking.
…
Lene stopped right before the gates to the Imperial City to let Simon get a proper look at how immense they were. She however was ready to just leave him there, but she had other plans.
"Are you done?"
He looked back at Lene with a satisfied face. "Yeah."
"Good. I need you to follow me around a bit more."
"What about the statue?"
"The buyer is a high elf living in the Talos Plaza district." Lene said as she walked through the gates. "It should be around here somewhere."
They walked a bit of ways into the city, finally coming upon a large plaza. In the middle was a large statue of a dragon rearing up and roaring. Lene went to one of large manors and waited for her friend to follow. He was distracted by everything taking place in the city. Only a few years before, Lene probably would have taken her time finding the manor, but now she didn't bother. The sights and sounds of capital were old and boring.
Outside of the door, a red Argonian greeted her. "Back again, Lene?" He gave chuckle, but to Lene it sounded more like a dry, throaty sound, not too unlike a person coughing up phlegm.
"Greetings to you too, Usheeja. Is Umbacano in?"
"That he is. Jollring will show up when you go in."
Lene thanked him with a smile. At this point, Simon decided to join her, but was stopped by the Argonian bodyguard. The Nord looked a bit nervous when Usheeja threatened him about getting too close to the manor. Lene sighed and pulled Simon out of the way. "This is a friend of mine. I was about to mention that he helped me retrieve the statue."
"Why should I care about that?"
"Because he has a right to go in and talk to your master. He was the one who found it in the first place." Usheeja frowned at Simon and mumbled something nobody could quite hear. Lene rushed the Nord inside before the Argonian could change his mind and waited at the door.
Another Nord, this one dressed in green silk and much older, came up to them. He gave them a knowing smile. "Umbacano is waiting upstairs for you. I'll show you up." Lene followed Jollring up to the stairs and waited for Simon to stop gawking at his surroundings. When he did follow, Lene went into the next room
Inside, there was a finely dressed, older High Elf sitting at a table. When he saw Lene, he smiled coyly and bade her to sit next to him. She politely greeted him then sat down.
"I see you've brought something with you, Lene?" he asked. Obviously he already had an idea of what was happening and was prepared for it.
"You know me too well." The girl muttered as she pulled the statue from the sack she had been carrying around all day. She placed it on the table carefully to let the elf gaze and admire it.
After a minute or two, he looked at her again. "You've done well. This is the fourth Ancestor you've brought to me. Now for your pay."
He got up from the table and went to a desk in the middle of the room. Lene sighed. She obviously didn't forget Simon, who still standing near the door. "About that, Umbacano. I need you to pay me about two hundred more than we agreed upon."
Umbacano gave her a quizzical look. "May I ask why?"
"My friend here was instrumental in retrieving the statue. I believe he should be paid as well." She turned and gave him a wink. He smiled at her in thanks. Simon would have to buy her a drink later.
Umbacano stalked up to the Nord hurriedly. "And who might you be?"
"Uh, Simon Wavechaser, sir."
"And how were you instrumental in bringing the Ancestor to me?"
"I helped clearing out the ruin…?" Simon looked a bit nervous. Umbacano sighed.
"No helping it then. Just next time, it's the normal five hundred gold. Got that?"
Lene smiled triumphantly. "You bet. Have a good day, Umbacano." She scurried out of the room, dragging Simon behind. When they got out to the street and away from Usheeja, Simon thanked her. "What are you going to do now?" He asked as she went into the Foaming Flask.
"Well, I'm spending the night here, then I'm going back out."
"Only the night?" Simon asked with a worried tone.
Lene looked back at him with a confused look. "Of course. This isn't my home anyways."
"Can't you stay here for a bit longer? I mean you could have been killed in those ruins."
"I was just fine! Like I said yesterday, I didn't need your help."
"Don't forget the bear. You never even knew it was in those bushes."
Lene huffed at the Nord. "If the bear decided to jump me, I would have been fine."
Simon thought otherwise. He didn't actually know who Lene was, but he just couldn't leave her alone. When she was done getting her room and left him, he finally came to a conclusion. Simon was going to stay and protect Lene.
AN: Wow, I never thought I'd get this published. It's kind of like I was playing around with the idea, but never thought it would actually happen... There was a time over the summer where I would play Oblivion almost every night. I got curious and looked up fan fiction. All stories seemed to have the same premise and to say the least I was a bit disappointed. So I came up with a story. Now to let everyone know, it doesn't just focus on the Oblivion Crisis. It goes a bit beyond that. More heroes come into light. they all have their tragic back stories, but thy're more than that. It won't be a heart breaker then suddenly turn into complete happiness. It wouldn't be realistic that way. I looked up most of the lore and did and am continuing to do a lot of research. Thanks for reading this! Please look forward to the next chapter!