~O~
Dragonborn
Traveling up the frozen mountains to the Serpentstones proved to be more of a nuisance to Anja than a challenge. And as always, she had to leave her horse behind because the creature was simply cowardly beyond all comprehension. That and she didn't want to risk her steed freezing and have her spend money buying another.
Once she arrived at the top of the mountain, she could hear the familiar hissing sound of the Ice Wraith ahead. She spotted the magical anomaly swimming about in the air. Anja approached it, drawing out her sword with a scowl on her face.
"Come on then!" she yelled, to the creature.
The Ice Wraith was attracted to the sound of her voice and started moving in her direction. Anja stood in a perfect stance, but when the Wraith was just close enough, a memory flashed through her mind; she saw her sister, younger and innocent, laughing in delight with Akhos. Her features fell with anguish.
"Elli..."
The Ice Wraith screeched and snapped its sharp teeth, slicing her across the face. Anja cried out in pain and swung her sword, slicing through the icy body of the creature. The Ice Wraith shrieked and collapsed, writhing uncontrollably on the ground. Anja wiped some of the blood from her cheek and began to mercilessly stomp the creature until it became nothing more than ash at her feet. She panted a little, heart racing from the attack. But her features twisted and she let out a small moan.
After collecting herself, she retrieved one of the sharp teeth from the ashes and ventured back to Windhelm. When she attempted to work her way back to the Palace of the Kings, she was stopped by two men wearing tan robes and eerie bone masks.
""You there! You're the one they call Dragonborn?" one of them demanded.
Anja sighed, her spirits lessened from her encounter with the Wraith. "Yes, I am Dragonborn." she said, impatiently.
The other man snorted. "Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver. The True Dragonborn comes... You are but his shadow."
Anja rolled her eyes. "The Greybeards seem to think so."
"Then it is too late. The lie has already taken root in the hearts of men," the first man said. "So we shall expose them to the falseness in their hearts by tearing out yours, Deceiver!"
Anja scowled and brushed passed them. "Get out of my way. I have more important things to worry about."
"You cannot escape the truth!" they called after her. "You cannot escape the True Dragonborn! When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None will stand to oppose him!"
They suddenly produced flames from their hands and one fired a shot, narrowly missing Anja's head. It caused a stir of alarm from those around her, but more importantly, it just pissed her off now. She whirled with a furious glare on her face.
"You want to play?" she spat. "Fine! Let's PLAY!"
Several people scattered, some calling for the guards as the men in robes laughed mockingly.
"The unworthy flee before the Master's power." the second man sneered. "No matter! None of you can escape the True Dragonborn's justice!"
It was chaos as Anja struggled to fight off their magic attacks. She saw a flash of violet and felt the heat of something beside her.
Atronach.
A Flame Atronach appeared at her side; a female humanoid made entirely of glowing flames and wearing elaborate black metal armor. It seemed to smile brightly at her, though it had no eyes, but a dark mouth curved up in a smile of pleasure.
Anja swung her sword, deflecting a blast of fire it released. The flames licked the sides of her face, searing her skin.
"I've fought dragons with more breath in them!" she shouted.
"My Master has more power than you can know!"
That's enough of this 'Master' shit for one day... Anja opened her mouth and focused on her Voice, uttering FUS RO DAH at the men in robes. The power of her Thu'um sent them flying through the air and striking the stone walls of Windhelm. The Shout alarmed the people around her, who watched the scene in amazement. They whispered "Dragonborn" several times, but Anja was more worried about why these men had tried to attack her. She furiously approached one of them. The other was broken in several different positions, blood oozing from his mask. He wasn't moving.
"Who are you?" she demanded, "Who sent you to kill me?"
The man choked and coughed before laughing weakly. "Miraak has come back to Nirn... He is the True Dragonborn."
"Speak quickly and I will ease your passing!" Anja commanded, grabbing him by the robes.
The man laughed, but it died down into dying gurgles and he was still. Anja scowled furiously and flung his corpse to the ground. She began to root through a knapsack on his belt and removed a few things; one of them was a letter. She frowned and opened it up.
Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search. Kill the False Dragonborn known as Anja Bjansen before she reaches Solstheim.
Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased.
Anja snarled and clenched the letter tightly in her hand, crumbling it.
She returned to the palace and Galmar looked rather surprised to see her walking inside. "You're alive. I owe Ulfric a drink. I have to admit, I didn't think we'd be seeing you again. I misjudged you. You're definitely Stormcloak material," he said.
"I've killed the Ice Wraith, but now I have bigger problems to worry about."
Ulfric exited a room and listened to what was being said.
"And what would that be?" Galmar asked her.
"Someone from Solstheim tried to have me killed." Anja told him. "I need to get there."
Galmar nodded his head. "Yes, I suppose that is important..." he replied. "Well, before we go, I think it's time we made this official; You ready to take the Oath?"
"What do you mean, 'Oath'?"
"Before you're one of us, you must swear fealty to Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, future High King of Skyrim," Galmar explained. "You must also pledge unswerving loyalty to your fellow Stormcloaks, to Skyrim and to her people. You can stick a sword through an Imperial any day you want. But that doesn't make you a Stormcloak. We're not just fighting Imperials. We're fighting to restore Skyrim to her glory and give her the king she deserves."
Anja smiled somewhat. "Okay. I'm ready."
"That's the spirit." Galmar praised. "By swearing this oath you become one of us. A heroine of the people. A true daughter of Skyrim. A Stormcloak. Repeat after me. 'I do swear my blood and honor to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak'..."
Anja noticed Ulfric watching the scene and repeated what Galmar said.
"...'Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim'."
Again, Anja repeated the Oath.
"'As Talos is my witness, may this oath bind me to death and beyond'...even to my lord as to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms'."
Once more, it was repeated.
"'All hail the Stormcloaks, the true sons and daughters of Skyrim'!" Galmar declared.
Anja nodded her head. Truth be told, his words did touch her.
"Thank you. But I must go." she said.
"Do what you must," Galmar told her. "We will be here when you return."
When Anja departed, Ulfric walked up to Galmar. "You owe me a drink, Galmar." he said. "The woman has much more spirit in her than I would have believed I'd see in anyone. She's...much more than the Dragonborn fate has destined of her."
Galmar sighed and turned. "I still say she's got no respect for her superiors."
"Maybe so. But she'll come around."
Galmar arched his brows at him.
Ulfric frowned and shrugged. "What?"
"Nothing." Galmar shook his head and walked off.
Meanwhile, Anja walked to the docks, questioning Argonians until she found the Northern Maiden and its captain, Gjalund Salt-Sage. He looked up and seemed a bit haunted by something, but Anja didn't question it. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the man started first.
"If you're looking for passage to Solstheim, too bad. I'm not going back there anymore." he snapped.
"I take it you're Gjalund?" Anja queried.
Gjalund frowned suspiciously. "Sure. Yeah. That's me. Why? Who sent you?"
"No one did." Anja argued. "But I was attacked by some weird little men - cultists of some Dragon sect who tried to kill me. They had a note stating they boarded your vessel."
Gjalund's eyes widened and he held out a hand. "Now hold on! That wasn't my fault... I didn't know they were going to attack anybody!" he insisted. His eyes fell and he seemed confused, perhaps even disoriented. "I don't even know how I got here."
"What are you talking about?" Anja asked, weary.
"It's hard to explain..." Gjalund said, "I remember those people with the masks coming on board, then... Next thing I remember, I was here and they were gone. That's not right, losing whole days like that. There's been something strange going on there for a while, but after this... I'm done. I'm not going back to Solstheim."
"I need to get there."
Gjalund scowled at her. "Have you been listening to me? I'm not going back there."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not buying the amnesia," Anja snapped, leaning forward and hissing near his ear. "People are out there trying to kill me. So you either take me there, or I just stay here all night with you. You take your pick, my friend."
Gjalund backed away insistently with fear in his face. "Hold on, now. I'm just a simple sailor. I never wanted to get mixed up in any of this. Alright, I'll take you. But we leave immediately."
Anja nodded. "Thank you. I'll be more than happy to pay you."
"Damn right, you're paying me." Gjalund snapped, taking the gold when she offered it.
Anja watched as they readied the ship for departure. She approached Gjalund with an apologetic look.
"Listen, I didn't mean to shake you up like that," she said, gently. "I've been a bit tense since I lost my sister."
Gjalund was counting her gold and he seemed to soften a little. "I'm sorry to hear that." he replied. "We've all lost those close to us at some point. If not from dragons, beasts, Daedra, or this damned war, it's something else. Perhaps I should have been more willing to listen, especially to the Dragonborn."
Anja chuckled a little. "I guess you heard too?"
"There isn't many who can Shout around these parts." he laughed.
Anja laughed with him. "Yes. Besides Ulfric, I suppose."
Gjalund's smile disappeared. "Yes..."
He glanced up and noticed that Anja had Twilight on the ship. "The horse can't - "
"The horse stays."
"But I'm just - "
"He stays. End of discussion."
"Okay, but I'm not cleaning horse vomit."
O
Middas, 8th of Heartfire, 4E 201
I am on my way to where Gjalund calls Raven Rock, a Dunmer settlement that started as Imperial before they had abandoned it. I've only ever been to Morrowind a few times in my life, but Raven Rock is a mystery to me. I hope to find the answers to the reason this man named Miraak wants me dead. And why he claims to be Dragonborn. The Greybeards informed me that only one Dragonborn would live in a lifetime. It's unusual to hear such, but perhaps it merits investigation.
Forgive me, sister. My search for you must wait...
"Well, here we are. This is Raven Rock. Can't say I'm all that glad to see it again. Good luck. Maybe you can figure out what's going on around here."
Anja could see towering walls ahead of them on the island as well as banners for House Redoran. When the ship arrived at the docks, Gjalund's workers busied themselves with tying it down. An older Dunmer approached them, but didn't seem to notice Anja yet.
"I was starting to wonder what happened to you." he said, addressing Gjalund.
The captain grimaced a little. "We, uh... we were delayed by bad weather." he told him, "Before you even ask... yes, I have the supplies you requested. But..."
"But what?" the Dunmer asked.
"This load cost me double what we had agreed on, Adril. Nothing I can do about it."
Adril groaned a little. "Damn it, Gjalund. You know we don't have that much coin."
Gjalund sighed and shook his head. "Look, the East Empire Company didn't give me a choice. They've raised their prices again, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"After all these years, they're gouging us for every last drake we have. Let me talk to Lleril. I'll see what we can do."
"All right, Adril. Don't worry about rushing it. Just pay me when you can."
Adril noticed Anja as she stepped off of the ship and regarded her suspiciously. "I don't recognize you, so I'll assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock, outlander," he said, "State your intentions."
"I'm here because I was attacked." she said. "Do you know someone named Miraak?"
Adril squinted a little in thought. "Miraak?" he repeated. He considered this for a while and he looked as though he was troubled by it. "Miraak... I... I'm not sure that I do. I... I'm unsure. I swear I know the name, but cannot place it."
"Are you sure?" Anja asked. "I just need to know anything."
"I don't think so. I'm not... The name has something to do with the Earth Stone, I think. But I'm not sure what."
Anja had no idea what he was talking about, so she simply left the docks with a sigh. "Thanks anyway."
"We'll be watching you!" Adril called after her.
Anja rolled her eyes. "Psychotic old - " She cut herself off when she bumped into a Dunmer in golden armor.
"Watch it!" the Dunmer snapped.
Anja smiled sarcastically. "My, so polite."
She walked through the small settlement until she spotted a towering stone in the distance. There wasn't anyone else around and it seemed to be abandoned. She squinted and noticed movement among the towering stone before approaching it. Several Dunmer walked by, working and collecting stones for what appeared to be some sort of shrine. She even saw a human man working among them dressed in a Blacksmith's apron. There was an Orc there as well, all working with pickaxes, hammers and various other tools.
"Hey, do you think you can help me-Okay, nevermind..." Anja had attempted to talk to a passing Dunmer, but was ignored.
She tried talking to the workers, but no one acknowledged her.
"Can anyone speak to me?" she snapped, thrusting her arms out in disbelief.
The workers seemed to toil in a peculiar, relaxed state, their eyes distant and far away. Anja stopped in front of a Dunmer and leaned close, studying her face. She didn't appear to notice Anja at all, but her lips seemed to form words that sounded transe-like and distant.
"Here in his shrine, that they have forgotten. Here do we toil, that we might remember..." she mumbled.
All around Anja, the workers were chanting together.
"...By night we reclaim, what by day was stolen. Far from ourselves, he grows ever near to us..."
"...Our eyes once were blinded, now through him do we see. Our hands once were idle, now through them does he speak..."
"...And when the world shall listen, and when the world shall see, and when the world remembers, that world will cease to be..."
Anja looked at the stone and approached it. When she did, her necklace glowed a soft red. Anja glanced down at it in surprise. So Elli's necklace worked after all. Could there really be Daedra activity to this shrine being created? She wasn't sure how she could tell.
"You there..."
Anja turned and was approached by a Dunmer in Telvanni robes. He seemed to stand with pride and almost arrogance; there were wrinkles around his eyes and cheeks and he had no hair on his head, though he had a long black beard. He was probably much older than Adril.
"You don't seem to be in quite the same state as the others here. Very interesting. May I ask what it is you're doing here?" he asked.
Anja was a little relieved that someone was speaking with her. "Well, I'm looking for Miraak. Do you know anyone by that name?"
The Telvanni Dunmer frowned thoughtfully. "Miraak... Miraak... It sounds familiar, and yet I can't quite place..." he murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Oh. Wait, I recall. But that makes very little sense. Miraak's been dead for thousands of years."
Anja laughed a little. "What does that mean?"
The Telvanni glanced at her. "I'm not sure, but it is fascinating, isn't it?" A smile lit his lips. "Perhaps it has some relation to what's going on here. Quite unexpected. I'm afraid I can't give you any answers. But there are ruins of an ancient temple of Miraak's toward the center of the island. If I were you, I'd look there."
Anja nodded. "Thanks. I'll do that."
The Telvanni turned to the stone without another word. He seemed intrigued by what was going on. Anja looked at him.
"What do you think they're doing?" she asked.
"Building something, clearly," he answered, with a bit of a snarky attitude. "And yet they don't seem to have much to say about it. I'm very interested to find out what happens when they finish."
Anja frowned up at him. "Have you thought of trying to stop them?"
The Dunmer looked affronted by that. "Certainly not! Doing so would interfere with whatever is going on, and I would be unable to see how this all turns out."
Anja snorted with disbelief. "Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm surprised an outsider has not heard of me," the Telvanni seemed boastful now. "I am Neloth and it is true that I normally prefer to stay home and conduct my research in peace. Everything's so much more convenient there. But, given that something seems to be taking control of the minds of all the inhabitants, I thought it worth investigating."
Anja considered this. "Neloth...right. So why aren't you affected like they are?" She gestured to the others.
"I have gone to some pains to ensure that I am immune to many forms of control." Neloth explained. "I cannot say for certain which is currently protecting me, but it bears further investigation at some point."
"Well...thanks for the tip." Anja said, "Is there an inn or something I can stop at."
Neloth looked beyond her and gestured toward Raven Rock. "The Retching Netch serves the purpose, dreadful name aside. Speak with Geldis Sadri."
Anja laughed a little. "Charming. Thanks again."
She made her way to the place in question and found a Dunmer behind the counter. He smiled cheerfully. This must have been Geldis.
"Welcome to the Retching Netch Cornerclub, home of the finest sujamma that will ever grace your lips." he announced, "What can I get you, outlander?"
"Well, I was hoping you might have a map of Solstheim with you I might use." Anja said. "I need to find out how to get to Miraak's temple."
"Right away!" Geldis said, bending down behind his counter.
Anja took a seat and her eyes wandered around the inn. "This place has quite a bizarre name."
Geldis appeared with a smile. "There's actually a funny story behind the name, friend," he told her. "A few years ago, I was walking down by the docks and I noticed a Dunmer staggering along with a bottle of sujamma in hand. He was one of my patrons, and liked to drink heavily, so I wasn't exactly surprised."
Anja chuckled. "That's not so bad."
Geldis held up a finger. "Ah, but you see this particular Dunmer was as naked as the day he was born and singing badly at the top of his lungs. As I'm watching this spectacle, a netch floats over the Bulwark towards him. The man looks straight up at the netch... yells 'have a drink' and tosses the bottle... and it never hit the ground."
Anja laughed. "What'd the netch do?"
"Well, the bottle broke on the netch, and it must have swallowed its contents because it started floating sort of tilted. Finally, it stopped and began to quiver. A few moments later, the foulest liquid to ever assail your nostrils spewed from its maw." He laughed and clapped his hands and Anja joined along. "I've seen plenty of drunks in my day, and I'll tell you right now that netch was sick."
"That's quite a story." Anja was still giggling a little.
"Well, best of luck to you, outlander." Geldis said.
Anja started to go, but paused and glanced back with a smile. "Well...a little drink won't hurt, I guess."
"That's the spirit!" Geldis cheered.
He offered her a cup filled with sujamma and Anja took a quick drink. She winced and smacked her lips.
"Whoo!"
Geldis grinned at her. "Good, right?"
"Yes, thank you." Anja payed him for the drink.
"I've seen many visitors come and go, but you... there's something about you that I like." Geldis replied, smiling. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Anja turned to go. "Thanks."
I hope I do too.