Hey guys, Its The StoryBook Tree. I'm starting this new elder-scrolls idea that came to me a while back and i've improved it over time.
This is the story of the last hero chosen by the gods AND devils to save everything from evil in its purest form in the 6th era. The world has changed a lot since the days of Dovahkiin and you WILL notice a few things like... A huge wall around black-marsh. No more Empire. Barely any mages left in the world, and a few more huge surprises in store. Read on to learn whats happened to your beloved Tamriel in your absence and how this last chosen one is going to save the world from something far worse than even his heroic ancestors could never have imagined. More terrible than Jagar Tharn, The ghost of the king of Dagger-fall, Dagoth Ur, Merhunes Dagon, Molog Baal, and even the dreaded devourer of worlds; Alduin, first-born of Akatosh(Ironically son of Mara). Read on to hear the story of Octavian Cairn.
I sat on the wall with Meyla overlooking the plain where to the west we could faintly see the desert. A few trees dotted the prairie here and there but it was mostly flat grassland. Today was my sixteenth birthday and I don't like big celebrations. Meyla was my childhood best friend. There wasn't anything romantic between us, not yet anyway. She had a thin frame and fair skin with auburn hair. She was tall but one of her most predominant features was her long thin pointy ears. She had a long thin face with slanted features and shiny amber eyes. She was Beautiful.
Our legs hanged over the great wall that surrounded Plain-View. We gazed at the sunset and all of its radiant beauty. "Hey Octavian. I never got to tell you, Happy birthday. I got this for you." She reached over to her other side and picked up a long curved object wrapped in bark-paper and handed it to me.
I gazed at it bewilderingly and she giggled. "Its alright if you open it, no-ones looking." She chuckled.
I smiled at her jest. "I found where it was originally folded over and started to unwrap it. I pulled layer after layer of paper off and I began to get an idea of what it might be.
I pulled the last sheet off and saw the item. It was a beautifully crafted bow made of strong oak with decorative swirls at the tips of the handle and the tips where the string is notched.
"Its amazing!" I stated in a Thankful tone.
She giggled again and flashed those bright amber eyes. "Thanks. It took me 3 days of work but its finally done. Where my people come from, its custom to give a person a bow on their 16th birthday when they enter adulthood."
"Thank you Meyla. I really appreciate it." I looked out on the horizon. "Do you ever wonder whats out there? Out In the world I mean. Isn't there a large expanse far beyond the wall?"
"Of-course I wonder whats out there. The farthest I've ever gone beyond the wall is that tree over there." She pointed to a large oak on the edge of vision. "All I've seen past there is more prairie. But the deer speak of a forest far off of the prairie, that leads to the ancient Fallen city."
"The deer?" I asked.
"I am a wood elf, my people carry the ancestral ability to communicate with animals... and call on their aid in times of need. There's an old story my grandmother told me, about old Valenwood, before the Fallen Empire, when Wood elves first made land there from a far off land and made a pact with all animals. Its a long story. I don't know if you want to hear it."
"That sounds interesting. Tell me, we've got about an hour until sundown." I pleaded.
"Ok. Ok. The story goes like this...
She told him of Daring captain Caldrey and his first in command Aarondor who sailed away from a dying homeland to the promise of a new home for the elves. She told him of Caldreys sacrafice, his life. She told him of aarondor who founded the first settlement and scuttled the ship and turned it into Caldreys tomb. Aarondor, the hero all wood elf men strive to be, he was besieged by beastfolk of all manor on all sides but he still led the Wood elves to victory.
In the end there was peace because of a common enemy: The conquesting Ailids to the north in the heartland. Together the Elvish Colonists, The Beastfolk, and the very animals themselves fought against the invading Ailids. The Eaglin and Hawkvirn taught the wood elves how to see into the distance and how to fire a bow with pinpoint accuracy. During the war, the Elves and the Beastfolk grew closer together at the uniting of a common purpose, the beastfolk learned of elven culture and the Elves learned of nature, the world, and the grand creator; Magnus. Finally, partially as an extension friendship and necessity,
the beastfolk invited the elves to move into their huge city-housing migratory trees with them; where they still live today.
After the war ended and the Ailids driven out of Valenwood, the Beast Kingdoms and Nelshiin(Old Aldmeri for "new home"), the home of the elves were close allies they united under one banner when the son of Aarondor, Caldrey the second, fell in love with Imanin, the daughter of the beastfolks queen; Nelvinin. She was Kalphin, a close relative of modern Kajiits only adapted for life in valenwood. They married and created the Newleaf Confederation. Imanin gave birth to two children, the first mixes in recorded history and twins, Kallini and Tsun. Kallini was a rogue from childhood and she founded the order of the wood rangers, which still exist to this day.
Tsun wasn't interested in such things, he enjoyed diplomacy, learning, and the comfort of his library. After Caldrey the second passed Tsun took his place as the High Lord of the Newleaf Confederation.
Tsun was lord when they made contact with the Altmer Colonies when Altmer explorers passed through the region. He was also lord when the Nords made land in skyrim and he weas part of the force that finally brought the at that time, oppressive daedra worshiping Ailidic Empire to its knees. He was the lord that convinced the Falmer elves to tolerate the Nords but in the end, not even his silver tongue could prevent war. His rule was long and prosperous and his life was extraordinarily long because of his mixed heritage but all things must come to an end and his reign was no different.
He had an heir but it did not stop his generals from tearing his beautiful creation apart. His quote on his deathbed was:
"I found Newleaf but a sapling, I leave it a great tree with a trunk that could stand I know it won't. For time is the lord of death and nothing under its watchful eye may last forever. My only regret is that my life is the only gift I have left to give to my people.".
He wrote a book on how to be a good ruler and left quotes as the compliment of his royal scribes. All INTELLIGENT wood elf rulers read it before beginning their service. Even other races read it, it was that good. I-" Meyla was interrupted by shouting and gunfire in the distance.
"Whats that?" I wondered out loud. Meyla squinted and gasped as she portrayed a look of pure fear.
"Orcs! A horde is coming! A HORDE IS COMING!" meyla shouted to the watchmen at the tower. The watchman froze and then rushed to the rope that rung his huge bell in pulled it 3 times, as was code for an orcish horde. I looked out again to the horizon and the shady figures were becoming clearer. They were orcs, and this was a huge horde! Maybe even Dragon-tail size. I prayed to the divine it wasn't. As the image became clearer I saw that they had huge orciphalcum cannons made to shatter walls. We wouldn't stand a chance.
Our only hope was to abandon the settlement and run for Hammerfell. In the distance I saw a huge orc in a decorative headdress ride in on a horse as black as night to the front of the horde. I heard him shout because his voice was as loud as thunder.
"Ablanoove geldenblak!" I knew what he was saying. I wish I didn't. He said "Today! We take this city!" And after the orcs cheered and began to sprint toward the walls.
The city was in complete Turmoil, Guards came rushing out of the guard house, Rifles in hand and helmets on with their leather steel-plated armor. The orcs continued their rapid advance. I had to go find my family. We needed to evacuate. Grab everything of value and run. Meya had a similar train of thought. We were running down the stairs cut into the wall down onto street level as the guards were running up. They lined up shoulder to shoulder perfectly on the wall and aimed their rifles out towards the orcs. The officer ran up the stairs last unsheathing his officers saber. He stationed himself behind the line with his saber raised up ready to swing down.
"Wait... Wait..." We heard him shout at the guards. Then we heard the rumbling of the orc charge on the opposite side of the wall. Then the officer(Who's name is Calmin)
swung down his saber, cutting the air, and yelled:
"Fire!"
The shots rang out through the vibrant air and there was some increased yelling on the other side of the wall. That must mean they at-least killed some on the first line, well, Orcs didn't usually have lines. They massed together to overwhelm. Thats been their strategy for thousands of years and it hasn't changed yet. Three guards were running past us with a huge piece of timber. One of them stopped long enough to look at me and meyla fearfully and told us to run then he sprinted to his comrades and helped prop up the timber.
That didn't stop the massive siege cannon unfortunately. It blasted the large wooden gates to splinters and tore the guards apart. They didn't have time to time slowed. I felt something in me. Something long buried, just shouting to be released. It was a kind of power i'd never felt before. I saw the shot speeding toward me and meyla. Only it was slow. It was huge, like the size of me in a fetal position, and was made of solid orciphalcum. I had time to study it. It looked like a large tetrahedron from the way it was chiseled. Then I looked over to meyla and she with her quicker elvish reflexes began to recoil as she saw the ball. I then realized my situation.
I swept her up using the same strength I found in my self and walked out of the way of the shot. Then I took a deep breath as meya turned to look at me in this slow motion.
First a slow bewilderment then time started speeding up and the shot with it. It impacted a building far behind is where the road made a right turn and went onto the main street.
The building collapsed onto the street leaving rubble. The rest of the cities guard rushed to the scene and took refuge behind the rubble and used it as a wall itself. The guard on the wall were being shot down, their bodies falling off the wall one by one. Their bodies partially splattered when the hit the streets. I recognized one of the bodies: Captain Calmin.
But I didn't notice these things at the time. It wasn't until I reminisced like i'm doing now do I remember the day vividly. I do remember meya looking at me with fear and curiosity for the feat i'd just accomplished.
I grabbed her hand and told her: "I don't know. Theres no time. We need to get our neighbors and evacuate." She swallowed hard and nodded. It wasn't long before the orcs were swarming into the city thought the gates and we were sprinting with them on our heels hearing their wild war cries that meant to put fear in your heart. That it did. We leaped over the rubble pile together and then the guards took aim and fired and then again and one last time before the orcs reached them and their cries still would haunt my nightmares to this day. We sprinted along the streets and we had to split to go to our separate homes. I sprinted along the main street hearing the shots scream above me reducing many of the buildings i'd known all my life to rubble that I could barely run fast enough to keep from burying me underneath.
I threw the door of my home open and found it empty of everything but one thing. Something I knew of but never thought i'd see. There was a note and a vilheimer rifle with some ammunition.
It read:
"I know you will be a great man one day my son, it is your destiny. We had no choice but to flee with your sister. I pray we see each-other again one day and I ask, my son, Do not stop fighting the good fight. I can feel it in my bones... Your choices were destined to shape tamriel itself."
I yelled at the fact they had abandoned me. My own family. But more artillery coming down so I needed to keep moving. I needed to go find meya. I used the shoulder strap and slung the rifle over my shoulder shoving the ammunition box in my over-coat pocket after loading the 3 rounds into the rifle. I ran out into the street and I heard her scream. Blood-piercing. It was meyla round the corner.
"Meyla!" I screamed and I ran round the corner and found her struggling against an orc 3 times her size. I pulled out my rifle and set it and fired on the orc. It got him in the heart and he collapsed over. I ran over to meya and helped her up.
"Thank you Octavian. I..." Then she did what I didn't expect She leaned in on me and our lips met. The first time we'd kissed. It felt amazing but we weren't out of the woods yet. We needed to run. I made us part and she looked into my eyes and mine into hers.
"We need to go. Now."
She nodded. I grabbed her hand and we ran up the street There was a passage that went through the armament storage by the wall under it and then we could make a break for the patches of trees in the distance. We ran through a square where a group of orcs had just arrived to begin their plundering. One yelled at us in an orcish tongue and they promptly surrounded us as we had nowhere to run.
They raised their swords but I pointed my loaded rifle at whichever one came the closest. Apparently none of them particularly wanted to die in a full on rush. We weren't worth that much trouble. Then a huge orc in full orciphalcum armor approached. He was awesome at 7'2 and his armor was at least 6 inches thick at the breastplate. It had withstood many gunshots as the tiny indentions of where the bullets had impacted. His helmet was a carved relief of the orcish god Malacaths face made of solid orciphalcum. The lifeless eyes hid an unimaginable berserk rage behind them. He had a huge halberd made of orciphalcum as well.
He advanced and I aimed my rifle at him and he continued his advance. I aimed at his mask and fired. It hit his masks eye and chipped and revealed a dark opening where his eye should have been. But it was empty. And something I didn't understand began to dawn on me and my eyes widened in fear. Then he picked up his pace and I fired again.
He swept me aside with his forearm and I tried block it with my rifle. This saved my rib-cage from being shattered but snapped the gun in two. I flew across the square and landed on my back. The monster picked up meyla by the throat. My ears rang and my vision blurred.
I couldn't focus. Then something just... Snapped. Everything came into focus in amazing detail. I clenched my fists in anger. I felt my insides were on fire but it didn't hurt, it was an angry burn. When I breathed flaming ash came out of my mouth, but my skin was cold. It felt frozen. I saw steam curling off my skin as I saw frost forming. I felt electricity crackling between my fingers. I stood up.
Time slowed down again and I advanced on the beast. He looked at me and threw meyla to the side where orcs threw a net over her unconscious form and watched this spectacle with interest.
It felt the area where its masks eye had been and then it pulled its halberd off its back and swung down. I stopped the halberd with both my hands. The power radiated within me. I forced it to condense in my palm and slowly pulled my right hand off the halberd and lightly placed it on his stomach region. It looked down on me with curiosity.
"Go back to Oblivion." I told it and released the power. It forced a blinding light of every color and split the monster in half. The suit was empty. There was no one inside it.
The orcs surrounding me began to back off then I heard horse clops behind me and turned around just in time to find an arrow in my shoulder. Then I became very tired but recognized the bowman as some female orc assassin with the chieftain riding his horse behind her. Then the world faded to black as I collapsed.
That's it for chapter 1. I'm having a lot of fun with this! Please leave a review and PM me if you have any questions. See ya guys next chapter!