I'm honestly surprised with how quickly I'm coming up with the plot off the top of my head. I haven't felt this inspired to write in a while. And now that I've got all of this week's assignments out of the way, I actually have some more time to write. Though it doesn't help that I'm sick with a cold.
Luckily, I have a long thanksgiving weekend, and next week, I only have two days of class.
Naruto's P.O.V.
I can't believe it. There's just no way that this place can possibly be Winterhold. Winterhold was a huge city, looking out over the sea. This place is just...dead.
"Hey, moron, what's got you so spooked?" Sasuke elbows me in the gut, dragging me forcefully out of my thoughts.
I look around at the desolate village that is all that's left of the city, the rest of it just...gone. "This...is just so wrong. Winterhold is supposed to be huge, a magnificent city to rival even Solitude. This place..."
"It would seem that this place was victim to a great catastrophe in the two hundred years that have passed." Itachi is right about that though I would call that something of an understatement. It's not his fault, though. There's no way that he would know what this place looked like two hundred years ago.
There are no people along the street as we pass by the inn, but up ahead, there is a stone bridge that leads up into the air. I point towards the stone bridge. "There, that's where the college is."
"Very well, let's investigate." Itachi turns towards the bridge, no fear at all in his step as he approaches the center of all magical learning in Skyrim.
I'll admit to being a little wary of the mages, but I know that it's only the necromancers that you really have to be careful with. Still, since I have no talent for magic, myself, I've never had a reason to go any closer to the college than this. And it doesn't help that standing on the bridge is one of the college mages. Well, it's a little different than I remember, but those are definitely college robes...
Itachi, undaunted by the mage in front of us, steps forward, only for the Altmer to stop him. "Who are you to approach the College of Winterhold?"
"We come seeking counsel with the Arch-Mage." Itachi moves smoothly towards her.
She looks him up and down, frowning. "The Arch-Mage is busy. Too busy for the affairs of outsiders."
He remains undaunted by her rather terrifying tone. "And what would it take to convince you otherwise?"
"Perhaps...a show of skill?" She flicks her wrist and holds a ball of light above her palm. "We do not often allow outsiders entry into the college. However, if you prove your own skill with magic, you will be allowed inside the walls."
"I see." That could be a problem, seeing as I sure don't know any magic, and I haven't seen either of these two use it either. But with a wave of his hand, several small orbs of light float around Itachi. Illusion magic...? "Will this suffice?"
She nods, then looks around him to set eyes on the two of us. "And these two...?"
"My younger brother and a traveling companion." Itachi seems to sense an issue approaching, so he heads her off. "We were sent here by a girl named Kaea. She said that you would know that name."
"Kaea?" Her eyes widen. "You have seen Arch-Mage Aren's daughter?"
"Daughter?" Now, I'm confused. "Is the Arch-Mage her mother?"
The Altmer's eyes turn sharply to me. "Arch-Mage Savos Aren is a man. He took the girl in as an infant, and she has been raised among us nearly her entire life. But it has been nearly a year since anyone from the college has set eyes on her. We have heard whispers and rumors, but the Arch-Mage's daughter remains absent."
Itachi nods his head. "My apologies. When last we saw her, she was in Whiterun. It had just been attacked by a dragon, and if I were to guess, I would say that she is unlikely to still be within the city."
"Yes...I would assume so." The high elf draws herself up proudly."I am Faralda, one of the mages here at the college. And if Lady Kaea wishes for you to see the Arch-Mage, then I will be sure to inform him of your arrival." She turns away from us and walks over the bridge and off towards the giant structure at the end of the precarious walking structure.
Sasuke scoffs at the high elf's back. "I suppose that's her way of saying 'Come in, we don't bite'?"
"It would be wise to take it as such." Itachi steps forward, ignoring the rickety old bridge that looks like it could give way at any moment and send us plummeting hundreds of feet to our death. He's pretty fearless, I'll give him that. I wonder if he has any Nordic blood in him...
I follow behind Itachi, and it's his little brother who is a bit skittish about walking over the bridge. Of course, since Itachi is already nearly at the end, neither of us are about to let him leave us behind. I close my eyes briefly as I pass over the most dangerous looking part of the bridge, and somehow, I make it to the other side without falling to my death. Oh, thank Talos...I'm still alive.
With the bridge behind us, we follow Faralda into the inner ring of the College grounds. And as this is Winterhold, it doesn't surprise me that this place is covered in snow as well. Maybe they haven't figured out a spell to keep the cold out, yet. Though that would surprise me, since it seems like mages can do just about anything.
She points across the courtyard to a pair of large doors. "Arch-Mage Aren will be inside the Hall of the Elements. There is no lecture at the moment, but do your best to remain quiet. Students here may be working on delicate experiments, and nothing good can come of disturbing them." After her rather ominous warning, she turns and walks through the closest door, disappearing into one of the towers.
His eyes fixed on the large doors, Itachi strides forward without hesitation, pushing one of the doors open and disappearing inside. I move to follow, only for a girl with unnaturally pink hair to pop up beside me and tug on my arm. "Hi there! You're new, right!?"
"Uh...?" I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that question. "Well-"
"Come with me!" She pulls on my arm and drags me off towards another tower. And as I look behind me, I see a Khajiit about our age tugging Sasuke off as well.
What's going on here!?
Itachi's P.O.V.
Before the door slams shut, I witness my brother and the thief being dragged off by what looks to be a couple of the students here. Well...we've been here only minutes, and already they've gotten themselves into trouble... But if they believe that I will be the one rescuing them, they'll be sorely disappointed. If they can't extricate themselves from the clutches of a couple of eager students, then it simply means that they have to train themselves harder. Besides, this could be a good learning experience for Sasuke, he's never been interested in learning magic before, despite how incredibly useful it is.
I, however, have more important things to do than humor some students right now. Though I may seek out whoever is most gifted in illusion magic later, since I have a feeling that this issue is not going to be resolved quickly, if it is even possible. I have only ever heard the vaguest whisperings of Elder Scrolls, let alone anything of this nature. Therefore, I know full well that it might not be wise to hold out much hope of ever reversing this situation and returning to our own time.
Inside the large, circular room, decorated with a large glowing basin in the center, is an elderly dark elf. He must be Arch-Mage Aren... I approach him quietly, though I believe that he knows full well that I am here.
"You may come closer, boy. I'm hardly going to set you aflame." There is a soft chuckle in his voice, an almost sarcastic tone. And it would seem that the gray of his beard and the wrinkles on his brow belie his true nature.
I was never afraid of approaching him, cautious perhaps, but not afraid. Fear clouds one's judgment, but caution is necessary when dealing with someone possessing the powers I am certain that he has. Though I'm sure that introductions should be conducted. "Of course, sir. My name is Itachi Uchiha, and I am a member of the Dark Brotherhood. I was sent here by your...daughter, she suggested that I seek your help with a rather difficult matter."
"Did she now?" He turns to face me, an almost cynical expression on his face. "For her to send you here so soon after you have seen her, it must be something that she is incapable of fixing on her own."
"That would appear to be the case." I raise up the Elder Scroll for his perusal. "My brother and I were sent after the thief who took this scroll while en route to the White Gold Tower in the Imperial City. We apprehended the thief, but in the struggle, the scroll fell open, pouring whatever magic it possessed into the air. And when we awoke, we discovered it to be one hundred and ninety-three years removed from our own time."
Aren takes hold of the scroll, examining it cautiously. "You were able to view an Elder Scroll without being blinded?"
That's not quite the reaction I was expecting. "Well, for a moment, it did feel as though I were blinded, but I believe that was simply because the scroll emanated light as bright as the sun."
"I see." He scrutinizes me, before turning his attention back to the scroll. "Then I take it that you are from the past?"
"That is correct." His every mannerism is making me believe that this venture might very well end in failure. "I had hoped that here, we might find a way to return to our own time. Kaea seemed to believe that this might be the place most likely to contain the knowledge we need."
The Arch-Mage frowns. "If that is the case, then I am sorry. I do not possess intimate knowledge of the Elder Scrolls, and can only speculate about their powers. Our librarian may know more, but only those such as the Greybeards and Moth Priests have sufficient knowledge of the Elder Scrolls to say whether or not such a thing is possible."
"The Greybeards?" That sounds rather promising. "Who...and where are they?" If there is nothing here that can help us, then it sounds like these Greybeards should be our next destination.
Aren's eyes twinkle slightly. "Well now...I do believe that they are among my daughter's newest teachers. They, after all, know more about the Voice than any others. They have likely been teaching her to control her newfound Dragonborn abilities."
Now, things are starting to come together. There are, however, a few things that still make little sense. And all of them are centered around one person. "You call her your daughter...and yet, when we were with her in Whiterun, she claimed that she was the bastard child of a Jarl and his elven mistress."
Aren chuckles quietly. "So...the girl thought to reveal as much. Those here at the college are well aware that she is the illegitimate child of one of the Jarls, however, they have not been told which one. And as the child is sixteen years old, there are many who could have sired her, both Jarls past and present. However, she was born here at the college, and at the behest of her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her, I have raised her as my own. Though I have never hidden her parentage from her, as I believed, and still do, that she deserves to know who she is and where she comes from. Though, at the time, I had never expected her to be the Last Dragonborn, the one that the Nords sing so proudly of."
Now, there's something else that doesn't seem quite right. "And...how did you come to know that she is Dragonborn? I thought that she hasn't been seen here since before she discovered it."
"Well, I would not be a very good Arch-Mage if I couldn't keep a discreet eye on the child who insisted on running away to join the thieves in Riften, or who has been summoned to High Hrothgar by the Greybeards." He hums rather contentedly. "I have seen her slay dragons and daedra, make pacts with those who rule the planes of Oblivion, and even take coins from unsuspecting pockets to pass them off to the beggars that dot Skyrim's cities." And though nearly all of that is dangerous, blasphemous, or against the law, he still speaks of her fondly. There is clearly far more to this Dragonborn than meets the eye.
For now, though, it would seem that my next stop is to their librarian.
Sasuke's P.O.V.
After being pulled through two doors and down a flight of stairs, I yank my arm of of the Khajit's grip. "Who are you and what do you want with me!?"
"Oh, sorry bout that." He raises a furry hand to his head and rubs his ears. "Name's Kiba. I'm a mage here at the college."
"Yes, I gathered that." From what I can tell, Itachi, Naruto, and I are the only ones here who aren't with the college. "And what do you want with me?"
He grins, showing off rows of sharp teeth. "Well, I was watchin' you come in, and saw that other guy playing with illusion magic. So, I wanted ta see what you've got."
My eye twitches. "Well, I could put an arrow through you, if you'd like."
He blinks slowly. "Not a mage?" I shake my head. "Hm...or maybe not a mage, yet!" He grins like a wild beast. "Ya seem like ya would be fond of destruction magic."
"Destruction magic?" The thought of hurling fireballs around does hold some appeal, but with all the time I've spent with the Dark Brotherhood, I've just never explored the possibility of picking up some of the same skills as my brother. They just seem fartoo flashy for an assassin, though...maybe not for fighting dragons. "Why would you think that?"
"Ya just seem like a fiery person!" He laughs as a ball of fire swirls to life in his furry palm. "I can teach ya, if ya want. It's not hard like those prissies in the Hall of Countenance say it is. Ya just gotta want to create fire, and-" The fireball grows in size until it's as large as a small boulder. He tosses it over into the middle of the empty room and the fireball explodes in a shower of molten light. "Boom!"
I swallow nervously as I behold the destruction caused by his spell. "Is there...anything easier I could try?" Of course, that's probably easier said than done, considering that I've never used magic in my life.
He nods eagerly. "Yea' but first, drink this!" He shoves a bottle in my face and the contents swirl around. "It'll get yer magic flowin'!"
"If you say so..." I take the bottle gingerly and uncork the concoction. I take a whiff of it, and admittedly, it smells a lot better than the last thing I was offered. And even if it's poisoned, I should be fine. I would be a terrible assassin if I hadn't built up a resistance to poison. "Down the hatch..." I tip my head back and empty the bottle within a few gulps. And it certainly tastes fine.
Then, I start to feel strange. Kiba keeps grinning. "Usually we save those fer replenishin' our magic in a fight, but fer someone whose never used it before, I thought it might help ya out a bit."
I certainly feel different, almost...hot? I flick my fingers, and the heat grows, almost like an instinct. "What...do I do?"
"Don't ask me, yer already doin' it." Kiba snickers at me as I look down to my hands.
Fire. There are flames flickering over my fingertips. I raise my hands up, pointing them far away from any target, and as the heat within me increases, the flames start jumping out of control, until they spill from my fingers and shoot out into the middle of the room. Light flashes from the center of the room until the heat starts to disappear, and the fire dies down.
Kiba nods his head approvingly. "Perfect, yer already gettin' the idea. You'll hafta wait a minute between tries, but the more ya practice, the easier it'll get. Ye'll be roastin' trolls and giants before ya know it!"
I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to be running into battle against trolls and giants in the near future. But I suppose that it might not hurt to practice on some wolves. I saw some while we were on our way here, so if I go far enough outside the city, after sufficient practice, I might be able to clear a few wolves out of the mountains.
Naruto's P.O.V.
The girl with the bright pink hair finally stops pulling me after we've climbed like a hundred stairs, and into a small alcove with a bed, an alchemy table, and an enchanting table, along with a million books on the shelves, probably all to do with magic. She grins brightly and lets go of my arms. "So, what's your specialty!?"
"My...what?" I blink at her, not understanding what she's talking about.
She rolls her eyes slightly. "What kind of magic do you use?"
Suddenly, I feel rather stupid for asking. Of course she would assume that...I'm in a place where everyone studies magic. "Uh...I don't use any magic...at all. I've never had a talent for magic." I actually feel a bit bad when her face falls slightly.
But she perks right back up anyway. "That's okay, there are a couple of things you can do here even if you don't know magic." She points over at the alchemy table. "I can teach you some alchemy, if you like. I'm in the Restoration discipline, so I make alchemy a hobby. It's a lot easier to treat people if you make your own potions!"
She races for the bed and tugs out a huge chest underneath it. I raise an eyebrow, a little bewildered. "What's in the chest?"
She throws it open with a smile, revealing a plethora of flowers. "Alchemy ingredients. I've got some really generous suppliers. They bring me whatever ingredients they come across while they race across Skyrim. And they bring me a lot of rare stuff as well. I'd go get it myself, but..." She holds up what looks like a nearly beating heart. "Some things are just too dangerous for me to go and get myself. Like this daedra heart." She smiles painfully. "I might be good at healing, and even at driving a dagger into someone's brain, but I wouldn't want to take my chances fighting minor daedra."
I remember the stories from when I was a kid, hearing about the daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Gates to the planes of Oblivion opening everywhere, and daedra pouring out of them. The stories of them were terrifying, and anyone strong enough to fight them would be considered a hero. "So...how exactly am I supposed to learn alchemy? Do you have a recipe book or something?"
She grins slyly. "Do I have a recipe book?" She waves her hand towards the bookshelves. "I think I have a few..." As it all sinks in, her grin grows wider. "And just wait until I show you what I've got for enchanting."
