Here we are again with Out From the Dark and Into the Cold!
Let me start off with saying that I am terribly sorry for the long delay between the last chapter and this one. I almost finished this chapter when school had a sudden rise in difficulty leading to me having to focus more on studying and homework. I left a note somewhere in this chapter to mark the position where I was forced to stop and focus more on school. And then my summer job happened. I wish I had more time than I did to work on this than I did during my Summer Break, but my days were busy and I had little to no time to work on this . Once again, I am so so sorry about the delay.
A little disclaimer for this chapter and chapters in the future. Any dragon speak (or Dovahzul) will be translated using the Thuum .org Legacy Translator. Dovahzul will also be bolded to differentiate it from normal speaking. Dragon Shouts in particular will in ALL CAPS AND BOLDED.
Before any of that though, I believe it to be prudent to answer a question.
coduss: You are right about all of that. I even read about the same thing before I even started and realized that it would be a problem. Given that I'm using Akatosh as a plot point to get the ball rolling, I realized that he would need to be much more powerful than his canon self. Hence why I specified at the end of the first chapter that he was actually a multidimensional being who is the God of Time for everywhere. This implies that he is much more powerful than his canon self and while he still played Lorkan's game, his power was much more immense than every other god to begin with. After Lorkan's trick his power level would still be leagues above the Aedra, but AT LEAST on par with the Daedra. Hope this answers your question! Thanks for asking! I'll actually probably address this in the story when the opportunity presents itself
Now enough of that and onto the story.
The dragon let out a deafening roar and due to Cadmus' proximity, his left eardrum burst causing blood to start to pool inside it.
Cadmus cried out in pain and from what little he could hear, a good number of people did as well. He rolled off the block and ended up with his back on the ground and eyes to the sky. The sight was possibly one of the more terrifying things he's ever seen.
Boulders were falling from the sky, bigger than any stones that the Giants of Sen's Fortress used. He remembered being crushed by said boulders more times then he was willing to admit.
He watched one fall and crush the head of the executioner who was already lying down in agony.
Somewhere deep inside Cadmus, he recognized the twisted irony.
Something glinted beside the now headless body of the executioner and Cadmus knew exactly what it was. Awkwardly getting to his feet, he ran over to it. The grey steel of the axe, dripping with Stormcloak blood was half buried underneath it's owner's body. He quickly pushed the body off and held the blade so it was pointing straight up. He brought his bound hands to it and once he lined it up so he wouldn't end up cutting himself, he pushed down onto the blade, cutting the rope in the process.
Rubbing his wrists, Cadmus stood up and quickly looked around for anyone still alive. Catching a glimpse of Ralof slipping into a lower to his left, he ran towards that.
Ralof turned around and caught sight of the Dragonborn sprinting for the open door. "Hurry up friend! We can't risk keeping the door open longer!"
The Stormcloak ducked inside the door likely making room for Cadmus' unrelenting movement. Not a second afterwards, He dove inside as a cacophonous thud. As Ralof slammed the door, the Kalameet look-a-like touched down outside facing the door.
His eyes widened. "Everyone move out of the way of door! NOW!"
Cadmus grabbed the wounded Stromcloak woman in the way and rolled away with her close to his chest. Just in the nick of time too as a stream of fire disintegrated the door and flooded the ground floor of the tower in a dance of orange and red.
The end of the onslaught came just as quickly as the beginning and the sound of beating wings signaled the departure of the dragon.
Ulfric, who was to the right of the door, looked upon the fiery destruction with a critical eye. His oddly smooth yet commanding voice was then heard for the first time. "We can't stay here!" He pointed at a somewhat unharmed male Stormcloak. "I need you to go to the top of the tower and see if there are any routes of escape". The man quickly hobbled up the stairs without complaint. Ulfric then turned to Ralof, who was to his right. "Do we have anything that can heal her wounds?" He pointed at the woman in Cadmus' arms.
Ralof shook his head. "We usually leave the magic to the mages and any potions we had were confiscated when we were captured".
The Jarl swore under his breath. He walked over to the Stormcloak woman being held close by Cadmus. Kneeling before them both, he spoke. "What is your name sister?"
She coughed up a bit of blood before answering. "Minen Ghost-Gale, my Jarl". She was holding her side in pain, Ulfric noted.
"I'm sorry to say this Minen, but we don't have the supplies to heal you. You are likely to die soon."
Minen smiled weakly showing that her smile was stained with her blood. "I figured as much. If I'm going to be a burden then you can just leave me here at the mercy of the dragon."
Cadmus interjected. "How much do you weigh Minen?"
She turned to face him, mouth slightly parted in confusion. "Wha... 150 pounds last time I checked"
He nodded and looked at Ulfric. "I can carry her out of here".
Ulfric didn't look convinced. "Are you willing to carry her for hours on end until we find a potion or a healer? Are you willing to risk both your health and hers?"
The Pyromancer nodded. "I wear armour that weighs over double of what she weighs without a problem". He picked her up bridal style. "When we find my belongings, I'll even show you."
The Jarl went to say something but was interrupted by the sound of stones hitting stone and the telltale noise of the dragon breathing fire. Everyone looked up towards the noise and saw that the upper floor had broken into large stones and was currently on a literal crash course toward them.
No words were needed for the four of them to rush onto the staircase away from the falling debris. The boulders slammed into the ground floor crushing anything that survived the fire from earlier. Any trace of the original floor was gone and replacing it was rocks charred black from the dragon and what seemed like a bundle of white sticks.
Ralof peered at the bundle. "Those are human bones. I think they belong to the one you sent upstairs, my Jarl."
Ulfric swore again. "I wish we could give him a proper burial, but now is not the time nor the place". He started up the stairs. "With the boulders blocking the door the only option left is to go up"
The remaining three looked at each other and shrugged before following after him. Ralof caught up the quickest and questioned Ulfric. "Jarl Ulfric, what exactly is the plan once we get to the top? The fall will be too great for us to survive and the door is blocked. We are trapped in here unless we dig through the rubble." Ulfric stopped mid-step causing Ralof to bump into his back. "What's wrong Jarl Ulfric?"
"Ralof. You are a good man and even a better soldier". He moved out of everyone's view to reveal a hole in the tower, most likely caused by the dragon when it destroyed the second floor. "But you should know by now that I always have a plan".
Cadmus quipped from the back. "Except when it comes to night time ambushes it seems."
The Jarl of Windhelm peered through the hole with one hand on the wall, stabilizing him. "I personally blame you for that". His eyes stopped their movement on a building right across from them. "There". He pointed to the caved-in roof of the building. "We'll have to jump across to make it". The man looked at Cadmus. "Will you be ok jumping with her or shall we try tossing her down into my arms?"
He shifted Minen's body in his arms. "I trust myself to hold her more than I trust myself to toss her"
Ulfric nodded and backed up to the edge of the steps. There wasn't much room for a running start, about a meter and a half. "I don't think there is enough room for you to be able to make it across". He then perked up a bit. "But I do have an idea" He outstretched his arms to Cadmus. "I have a way to get both her and me over safely".
The former Undead placed Minen in his arms. "I trust that you do Ulfric."
He held her the same way that Cadmus did and placed himself in a runners stance. "Hold on". The Leader of the Rebellion whispered. Eyes pointing forward and filled with determination, he shouted. "WULD!"
To Cadmus it looked like Ulfric's body had simply disappeared, but an audible thud answered his unspoken question of where they went.
Looking out the hole and down to the destroyed building, he saw that Ulfric and Minen had safely made it across. "Are you two alright?" He shouted down at them.
The Jarl quickly checked Minen for injuries. "She was able to withstand the sprint! Hurry up and get down here before the dragon realizes that someone here can use Thu'um!"
Cadmus put that term in his back pocket of things to ask about later and prepared to jump. In the distance, he could see the dragon flying around the other side of the other tower. Since time was of the essence, he back stepped and immediately broke into a run, which quickly turned into a jump that landed him inside the roofless building.
A shift in the wind made Cadmus' mind go blank. He cupped his hands to his mouth to amplify his voice. "Hurry!"
Ralof understood the danger considering he had a clear view of what was coming and ended up not getting a running start. This almost cost him dearly, but thankfully his body clipped the inside edge of a still standing wooden beam of what would have held the roof. His entire body spun in the air multiple times before suddenly stopping with his back impacting the ground.
A very loud wheeze reverberated past his teeth. "Shor's bones. I think MY bones are broken".
Cadmus offered his hand to the man who weakly grabbed it. He yanked up causing the Stromcloak to shot to his feet. "I don't have to carry you now too do I?"
The blue garbed man patted his chest. "I should be fine to continue". He walked past him with a slight limp. "I wouldn't mind chugging potions like mead after we find them, however, no matter how strange they taste."
Ulfric, who was still carrying Minen, and Cadmus hurried after the unevenly walking man. Following him to a hole that led to the first floor, they looked at him.
He sighed. "Talos help me." Then in a slow literal painful process, on Ralof's part, he sat down on the edge of it and inched himself off. The Jarl and Dragonborn swiftly hopped down afterwords.
Running outside the destroyed building, they came to the scene of Hadvar ripping out a wooden shard from an old man's leg while Rucia was calling out to a boy that was frozen in the open.
"Haming! Get out of open! Right now!" She screamed at the boy.
Suddenly, Ulfric put the still injured Minen in his arms and ran over to where Rucia was standing. Everyone looked up and noticed the red-eyed dragon descending down towards the child. It seems Ulfric was the first to notice and instantly knew the child would never get out in time. The Imperial Captain was mid-step when Ulfric stormed past her with a swiftness Cadmus had only seen in a choice few times in Lordran.
He made it to the child just before the dragon touched down. Twisting around and grabbing the child in one fluid motion, he shouted once again. "WULD!" Rucia was clearly not expecting this to happen considering she failed to move entirely out of the way and ended up getting ran over by a blur that thankfully made both of them get tossed behind the safety of the burning house.
The flying beast roared and fly over the house and landed before them all. Red eyes pulsed with fiery hatred and pupils narrowing into an image of death. Like a predator toying with its prey, it took a step forward toward the group. Everyone gave into their baser instincts and stepped back to maintain their old distance.
Everyone excluding Cadmus that is.
The Pyromancer stood his ground unflinching even as the dragon's snout was with arm's distance. Minen herself was trying to follow the others example by burying her face into Cadmus' left breast, which had a strangely warm mound near it.
The lizard turned its eyes from the majority to focus on the single one that dared defy him. Red meeting silver, both studying each other in a way not many could comprehend. Neither moved a muscle at that moment until the dragon let out a huff of warm air through it's nose. It then, to the surprise of most of them there, started to speak.
"Hi lost miin do kendov." It growled in a way that signified that it was male. "Gein tol lost luft dinok vothni faas. Gein tol lost luft dovah ahrk lahney." he breathed in near his face, obviously taking in his scent. "Hi pook do krilaan." He then took a another step, closing in on Cadmus with his mouth open to swallow him and Minen whole.
Cadmus turned away and tossed Minen back towards the group who was still frozen in place. She tumbled through the dirt before resting before Hadvar's feet. He was sorry for doing that given that she has been showing signs of broken ribs, but getting eaten alive by a dragon wasn't a pleasant experience.
He sadly had a bit of expertise in that area.
As soon as the dragon's front teeth touched his exposed backside, an intense burning exploded from his left breast. The feeling of the gargantuan teeth left causing Cadmus to turn around to face the beast once again.
He had jumped backwards with labored breath as if it was exhausted. Upon seeing him the burning from his breast increased making Cadmus grasp it in pain. What he ended up grasping though, was the chunk of zircon that Akatosh had given him. The heat was so much that it traveled through his coat and burned his hand in retaliation.
The ruby red eyes of the dragon zeroed in on the mound that he was holding. It seemed that he knew exactly what it was if the bloodcurdling growl he gave off was any indication. "Bormah". He heard it whisper before it flapped its wings to return to the front end of town.
With the dragon's disappearance came a now pleasurable feeling of cold from the zircon stone that he had. Cadmus sank to his knees in relief.
Ulfric was the first one to break from the metaphorical spell and run over to the Pyromancer.
He heard the Jarl's footsteps however and rose his hand for him to stop. "I'm fine". He rose and faced the man. "Just a little overwhelmed". He lied. In truth, it was because of the zircon that he went down. It was unexplainable. He felt fine during his exchange with the dragon, but afterwards he just felt utterly drained. He could only compare it to the one time he wore and wielded his heaviest armour and weapons while he was running up the multiple stairs of Anor Londo while constantly dodging arrows and spears.
The Leader of the Rebellion hesitated for a moment, but nodded and turned to care for Minen.
With him now facing the group, he noticed that Ralof was between Hadvar and Rucia who were both trying to talk to him. "Look Ralof-" Rucia started.
"We did all we could for you" Hadvar finished. That caught the Stormcloak's attention from what Cadmus could see. "I was in charge of the list of prisoners caught at Darkwater Crossing you know. When I saw your name, I immediately brought it up with Rucia given that she is the Captain of the Legion stationed here as well as our friend, to see if we could make an exception for you. Tullius discovered our plot and made sure that you would meet the block like the rest". He narrowed his eyes and poked Ralof in the chest. "we tried to move Sovengarde and Nirn for you and it almost got us two in the lineup as well, but damn it, us three are still friends. No matter our sides".
Ralof tried to stand there in his previous impassive stance, but he was definitely cracking. A muffled groan came from his throat and his body fidgeted before he threw his arm to the sides, as if waiting for an embrace. "Oh damn it all to Oblivion! Embrace this foolish Nord and be done with it!"
The two tackled him into a crushing three-way hug. Each one bearing their own stupid grin.
The moment was somewhat ruined when Ulfric stood up with an unmoving Minen in his arms. "While I sincerely do think that your moment was beautiful, we need to get moving now more than ever". He looked at the path where he had rescued the child from. "This is the most traversable path, I doubt that the dragon will let us go a second time". He shot a pointed look at Cadmus, which clearly said that they would be talking about that later. "So that leaves this path" He spoke, looking at the rubble-filled road.
Hadvar looked at Ulfric as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head. "It will take too long. By the time we all get past both heaps, the dragon will be upon us once more!"
The Jarl smirked and handed Minen to Ralof this time. "While Thu'um does have a multitude of combat uses, it still has many everyday uses." He cracked his neck. "Such as removing debris".
"FUS RO DAH!"
It was as if the essence of power had somehow formed from those three words and exploded outwards towards the line of rubble. The blueish wave of force impacted the wall and absolutely obliterated it into tiny particles of dust.
Cadmus stared at the cloud of what used to be the barrier in amazement. If the people of this world were able to cause such damage with just a shout then he was in trouble.
Ulfric beckoned everyone over. "Quickly! Across the courtyard!"
The Imperial pair stood still as Cadmus and Ralof ran past them into the courtyard. Ralof did stop however, when he noticed they weren't following him. "What's the matter with you two! This may be our only chance!"
Rucia shook her head. "We can't. General Tullius will want us to join the defense." As if to punctuate her point, the beast roared in the distance.
Ralof shook in anger. "Listen to yourselves! Look at that thing! What are you going to do to it? Try to give it a stomachache when he eats you!" He glared. "As much as it hurts me to say this as a Nord, but you should leave and live to fight another day." The Stormcloak then turned with the injured in arms and ran to his leader.
Hadvar sighed. "He's right. Nothing we're throwing at the dragon is harming it. I doubt that we could do any better".
His partner smiled. "And they don't have the key to the Keep do they."
The Imperial laughed. "That they do not." He turned to the old man. "Lift your arms. We'll each take one". He then looked at Haming. "Stick close to us Haming, no matter what happens."
They carried the elderly man over across the courtyard just in time to see Ulfric use his Thu'um against the last pile of debris. The pair stopped beside Ralof.
"The Voice really does amaze me". Hadvar spoke getting Ralof's attention.
He smiled. "Glad you could see reason after all." He looked at his old friend. "We'll talk more after we escape from this deathtrap".
Nothing was said as the fairly large group ran across to last building that was standing in the entire town. Since Cadmus and Ulfric were leading the group, they were the ones to rip the doors open and hold them for everyone else.
The remainder of the group wasted no time filing into the stone Keep. With everyone inside the leaders twisted inside and slammed the doors behind them.
They both turned and noticed a corpse of a man wearing nothing, but his undergarments in a pool of blood and a man wearing the recognizable blue armour of the Stormcloaks sitting on the only chair in the room. He did seem to be a little bit too skinny to be a Stormcloak compared to the other men that he had seen. Then it hit him.
"Lokir? Is that you?" Cadmus questioned the man.
Lokir nodded with a smile on his face. "Glad to see you all could make it." He nodded his head towards the body at his feet. "This guy and I had the same idea to run here as soon as the dragon landed, but one of the archers didn't notice the dragon first and shot him. He gave me permission to take his armour before he died." He looked at the Stormcloaks in the room. "I hope that eases your minds."
Ulfric gave him a quick nod. "Given the circumstances, I'll allow you to keep the armour." He went towards the door that lead deeper into the Keep. Pulling it and pushing it had no effect. "Shit. Locked." The Jarl looked back at the group. "I can't risk using my Thu'um without possibly putting a hole in the wall and bringing the keep down so if anyone has lockpicks, I suggest you use them."
Hadvar reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple iron key. "This should open it." He then tossed it into the man's awaiting hand.
With the door unlocked, the group filed through and went around the bend to the stairs. At the bottom, they entered into a hallway where they could see figures at the other end. Lokir had somehow ended up out in front of the group and was a third down the hall when Cadmus heard a creaking sound coming from above.
His arm shot out and seized Lokir's arm before pulling him backwards. "Look out!" Lokir was sent tumbling.
Not even a second later, the ceiling fell down where Lokir had been previously standing. Unfortunately, it had blocked the way through the hall.
Lokir stared at what was almost his cause of death unblinkingly. Cadmus then extended his hand towards the man, breaking him out of his stupor. "I believe that I owe you one." He told the Pyromancer as he was pulled up.
"Don't mention it". He patted the thief's bicep.
They all turned to the only option available to them. A wooden door to their right.
Ralof put his ear to the door. He looked at the others. "Voices"
Ulfric nodded and turned towards the Imperial Captain. "What's on the other side of this door?"
"This should be the door to the supply room if I'm not mistaken. There should be potions in there for our injured." She answered the man. "Odd's are that the voices belong to some of my soldiers searching for supplies." Her form went towards the door. "I'll make sure that don't attack you on sight"
Rucia opened the door and quietly entered the room.
Moments passed as the only thing that the group could hear was murmurs, marching, and then finally the slamming of a door.
The Imperial woman came back into view and waved them in. Cadmus was the first inside and was given a red phial of liquid by Rucia. "Give this to the Stormcloak woman. It will help her wounds."
Turning around and spotting the unconscious form of Minen in Ralof's arms, he walked over. Ralof spotted him and the bottle. "Thank Talos! You found a healing potion. Quickly, pour it in her mouth and massage her throat." He laid the woman, but held her head up a bit.
Cadmus uncorked the bottle and opened Minen's mouth before pouring the contents inside. Closing her mouth as to not spill any potion, he then proceeded to rub his fingers on her throat to relax its muscles.
Unlike with his Estus, it didn't have an immediate effect. The Dragonborn looked at the Stormcloak. "Shouldn't have something happene-?"
He was cut off by the sound of coughing coming from beneath him. Snapping his gaze to Minen, he noticed that she wasn't immediately going to hold her side like had been before meaning that it likely healed.
She looked up at the two of them and grinned. "Took you guys long enough. Thought I was going to die there for a minute" She chuckled. The woman raised her arms to the men above. "Now help me up you bastards"
Ralof and Cadmus grasped her arms and hoisted her body to her feet.
"Those potions never cease to amaze me" The Riverwood man remarked. "If I had any talent for alchemy then I would produce them by the dozens!"
Hadvar then appeared from across the room where the others were waiting for them. "If you're quite done, we're ready to move." The men walked past him, but as Minen was beside him, his hand clamped on her shoulder. "If you're sure you're ready then you're going to need this." From a small sheath on his side, he produced an iron dagger.
Minen looked at the dagger and then back to Hadvar with a look. "Are you serious?"
The Imperial shrugged his shoulders. "There is some stale bread that you could use as a mace if you would prefer."
She grumbled a snatched the dagger from his hands before rejoining the rest of the group.
What she encounters is Rucia and Ulric hunched for a table. Coming closer she notices that a salt pile had been poured onto the table that currently had the Imperial Captain's finger running through it.
"Once we leave this room, we'll be back in the hallway we were in and then proceed downstairs to the torture room." She dragged her finger across making a makeshift map then she looked at Ulfric for a reaction.
He nodded. "Continue."
Her eyes widened. "You're not going to question me about the torture room?"
"Believe me, I know that information is one of the deciding factors in this war. I will not criticize you for things I have done as well." He straightened his back and crossed his arms. "As a Jarl and future King, it will do me no good to be labeled as a hypocrite."
Rucia stared at him in the eyes for a moment. "Very well" Turning back to the table she continued drawing lines through the salt. "After we get through the torture room we will pass the cells and come to a dead end." Her finger stopped abruptly. "This is just to trick escaping prisoners though. A section of the wall is completely loose and will collapse with good hit." She flicked the tiny wall of salt that formed when she stopped. "After that, we will enter a cave system that leads to some platforms and bridges that was constructed before even I was stationed here." Her finger traced three quarters of a square. "Then we simply lower a bridge we put in to keep the wildlife out and follow a natural stream out of the cave."
(This is where I had to stop as to focus more on the heavy course load I got at school, so don't be surprised in a drop in quality)
Cadmus nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me"
"Great." She stated. "Ulfric and I will lead the group in case we run into anymore of either of our forces, following us will be Hadvar then Cadmus and Lokir with Gunnar and Haming behind them. Covering our rear will then be Ralof and Minen." She looked around at the assembly of people. "Everyone understand?"
Seeing everyone nod, She took her position at the front with Ulfric.
Lokir looked at Gunnar who was still holding his leg even though the potion had already healed the hole in it.
"You okay there old man?"
Gunnar looked up at Lokir, giving him a sneer in the process. "Fit enough to beat your ass horse thief"
Said horse thief raised his hands in surrender and walked to his position in line. He felt a tugging on his pants and tilting his head downwards, he saw Haming motioning him to get to his level.
"Don't worry about him. He has a strong dislike for criminals and the fact that he was saved by criminals doesn't sit well with him" The child whispered into his ear.
Lokir ruffled Haming's hair. "I really didn't need an explanation, but thanks anyways kid".
Shortly thereafter, they breached the door and filed into the hallway and proceeded down the stairs.
The sight wasn't one that was unfamiliar to Cadmus considering how his time in Lordran always started with. A trio of cells with some straw littering the floor for sleeping and nothing else. At least they're meant for nothing else, but it's not like prisoners, especially prisoners of war, were cared enough for commodities like a pot to piss in.
Looking away from the cages he noticed that everyone else was looking around the room for anything of use while being wary of the corpses of two Stormcloaks and two Imperials. The Imperials and one of the Stormcloaks were disarrayed around the floor while the other Stormcloak was propped up against a pillar in the middle of the room with a dagger jammed in his stomach.
He walked towards the one on the pillar and knelt before him. He yanked the dagger out and saw that little to know blood poured out.
"Poor bastard bled out". He whispered. Bleeding out was always one of Cadmus' least favourite was to die given the agonizingly long time it took to actually die. Give him a beheading any day.
He was broken from his musing by the rattling of bars. Looking to his left where the cells were, he noticed that it was Minen shaking the door of the middle cage.
"What are doing Minen?" He asked the Stormcloak woman.
She stopped shaking the bars to look over her shoulder. "There's gold in there and were going need some when we get out of here". Having made her point, Minen continued trying to rip the door off.
He stood up and walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder causing her to stop her shaking again.
"You want to try then?". He nodded. She stepped away giving him room for his attempt. "Best of luck getting that thing off. While you're busy doing that, I'm going to look for some lockpicks".
Cadmus smirked and grabbed the bars that made the door of the cage. "You really believe so little in me Minen?". He flexed his muscles and tore the door off like it was made of paper. "You just need faith". He tossed the door to the side and looked back at Minen to see her eyes wide and mouth open. "I'll take your silence for approval"
The Pyromancer looked around the interior and noticed the gold coins on the floor that was strewn about the straw. "Lucky me". He knelt down and grabbed one of the coins. 'I wonder if these are simply currency or act like the coins in Lordran do'. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt luckier whenever he held the coins that he found in Lordran. 'I'll just assume they do and grab any that I can find'. His fingers glided across the straw grabbing whatever gold he found until he discovered a problem.
"I don't have any pockets"
With a sigh he turned around and asked Minen if she could hold onto the gold for him.
Or, at least he would have if his eye didn't catch a glimpse of a box poking out from behind the body of a robed corpse.
It wasn't just any box though.
It was his Bottomless Box.
He nudged the body away and kicked it open. Inside of it was a darkness he likened to that of the Abyss, but only in colour. This inspired comfort and reliability while the Abyss could burn forever in the warmth of Gwyn's sun.
As a good friend once said: Praise the Sun.
He dropped the coins into the box before closing it and wrapping it around his body with the ever-present chains.
The Dragonborn turned around and walked out of the hole that he had made and saw that Minen had yet to move a muscle.
He put two fingers on her chin and proceeded to close her mouth for her. "No time for gawking, we still need to get out of here".
She nodded her head out of what seemed to be instinct rather than actual conscious movement.
It had been a few hours since they escaped the now smouldering ruin that was once Helgen.
They had followed Rucia's plan to the letter and had made it out of the underground tunnels with resistance only coming from giant spiders and a bear that Haming had accidentally woken up when he stepped too close to the edge of a slope and caused a rock to tumble down, which would have normally been fine, but given that they were in an enclosed space when it happened, the sound was only amplified.
There was strangely no Imperials or Stormcloaks in the tunnels aside from a few corpses. Rucia had claimed responsibility for that be telling everyone that the Imperials that she encountered in the storage room were sent ahead to get everyone to safety, Stormcloak and Imperial alike.
They had decided to all go to Riverwood to resupply and regroup before continuing onward to Whiterun where Ulfric and Rucia had mentioned that they needed to speak the Jarl of the city and land that they were currently in.
Now it was night-time and Cadmus was keeping a lookout while the rest of the group slept on some piles of moss that they had found. He was currently reading a book called The Book of the Dragonborn that Lokir had grabbed back in the torture room. Since they had already put out the bonfire that they had made an hour or two ago, the only source of light for Cadmus to use came from the Fireball that was floating lazily a few centimeters above his right palm.
Within both of his palms were things that every pyromancer aside from possibly the Daughters of Chaos had. Fire Seeds. Fire Seeds were believed by his people to be a part of the First Flame that somehow solidified, but never lost it's power and potency. The practice of implanting Fire Seeds into one's body had started many years before he was born and it took more years than he had been alive for them to learn that the Fire Seed absolutely must be implanted in the users dominant hand between the bones of the middle and ring finger that connect to the wrist for the most versatile effect. He had been one of the few that was able to use both hands equally. An uncommon thing in Lordran that was called being ambidextrous according to Logan.
He had learned of a land during his time in Lordran that was mostly made of sand where almost all the woman that had Fire Seeds had them in both hands and apparently somewhere in their feet that allowed them to walk across the scorching hot sand without a problem and allow them to manipulate fire with leg movements. His friend and teacher Laurentius had once jokingly called them Fire Dancers.
He doubted he would laugh as much as he did then if he had a fire enhanced kick to the balls, but maybe that was just him.
Cadmus could say that the book was almost certainly in his grasp because of some sort of divine intervention. It detailed the events that lead to the rise of Alduin in the form of a poem and essentially told him that it was up to him to kill Alduin.
Nothing he didn't know already, but it only solidified the fact that Alduin of probably as big of a deal as Manus had been. By that, he meant that both certainly have the means to destroy the world as he knew.
He snapped the book shut when he heard one of the group rustle. Turning towards them, He saw Ulfric stand up and walk towards him.
"You've only been pretending to sleep haven't you?" He questioned the Jarl as he sat beside him.
Since he had yet to extinguish the Fireball, He saw Ulfric nod and give the fire a pointed look. "How come you never used that as we escape?"
Cadmus looked away from him and let out a small sigh. "I guess I was scared".
The Stormcloak rose an eyebrow. "Scared how?"
"The way I channel fire is through two small stones that were implanted in my hands from my parent's hands. My people think that they were once apart of something called The First Flame and I couldn't help but worry that being so far from it would cause them not to work, but as you can see". He waved the flame in front of his face. "That fear was unfounded".
"Ah yes, that's another thing I wanted to ask you Cadmus". Ulfric stated.
The Pyromancer gave a steady smile. "Ask away".
Ulfric smiled back. "You're not from Nirn, are you?"
The smile on Cadmus' face slipped. "What makes you say that?"
"It's something that black dragon said". Ulfric narrowed his eyes. "He said that you had fought dragons before, but dragons have been extinct for far too long for me to even consider that you are here because of a Dragon Break". The flame on Cadmus' hand flickered for a moment. "I didn't speak out in Helgen because of the situation, but..."
"You and I need to have a talk"
Translations
Hi lost miin do kendov. = You have the eyes of a warrior.
Gein tol lost luft dinok vothni faas. Gein tol lost luft dovah ahrk lahney. = One that has faced death without fear. One that has faced the dragons and lived.
Hi pook do krilaan. = You stink of bravery.
Bormah! = Father!
Holey Moley! 14 pages and only about 6 months between updates! Sorry once again for that.
Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and me trying to throw some humor in there. I am heavily debating on my earlier decision to try and have Elenwan be the other half of the pairing so if anyone has any suggestions then I would be happy to consider them.
Not quite sure when the next chapter will be done, but I have a bit of free time now that I'm done with my summer job so I'm guessing that it will likely be done by the end of the month or the beginning of the next one.
If you have any questions or criticisms, just drop that in the comment section and I'll see if I can address it in the next chapter.
Thank you so much for reading and I will see you in the chapter!
