I open my eyes to see the room around me. I turn over and sit up on the bed, I look around and see Chase and Avery...
"Hey... where is everyone?" I ask.
Chase sits up and looks at me. "Well Jaird is downstairs. As for Amelia... she left," Chase replies.
"Amelia Left? Why" I ask.
"Check the table." Chase says while lying back down.
I walk to the table to find a note.
I am sorry I left in such a hurry
but I knew that I could not continue
I am afraid that my destiny does not lie within Shadowglem
I wish you luck in your dangerous quest
and for Chase I left my tomes may they serve you well Chase
I hope you see from your return I will await in solitude for you
Goodbye and goodluck.
The note ends and as It does a sense of sorrow comes over me. I feel like a part of my soul has been dispatched. I slide the note into my satchel and continue to wake Avery and Chase up.
"I don't want to be a pretty lady!" Avery shouts.
"Wha... What?" I ask in confusion.
"Oh... uhm nothing," Avery replies.
"So you two ready?" I ask.
"I have been ready since we started," Avery states.
"I am ready as i'll ever be," Chase replies.
Avery and Chase stand up grabbing their gear as we continue down the stairs into the inns bar. I turn my head towards the bar stools to see Jaird Choking back another ale. He turns to me the intoxication evident in his eyes.
"Well if it aint my favorite Pals," Jaird said besotted.
I take the seat next to him, smelling the foul oder of alcohol in the air around him. He looks at me and smiles his face in a drunken stupor.
"You having a little something to drink eh Jaird?" I ask.
"Oh nothing to heavy... I only had..." Jaird starts counting bottles, " Four or five".
"Jaird why are you drinking, you know where we are going today." Avery says.
"You know what... I think when I might die... I deserve a drink..." Jaird replies.
"Are you gonna be able to travel?" Chase asks.
"Give me... a minute," Jaird says while pushing away his previous drink.
Chase looks down at his wristwatch "Look we got roughly 1 hour, can you pull yourself together by then?"
"I'll be ready by then... Just give me a minute." Jaird replies while slowly bringing himself from intoxication.
Jaird stands up out of the stool and grabs his bag off the ground, he hoists it over his shoulder and we start walking towards the door.
"Hey you gonna pay for these?" The bartender asks.
Jaird turns his head towards him "Put it on my tab" Jaird says.
We all walk out of the bar and through the streets of Solitude, with each step I can feel the weight of the world collapsing my shoulders. I may never see Solitude again, this might be my last visit to somewhere not completely hostile. What if we fail? What if Alduin kills me... No I wont let my mothers death go unavenged. I wont let Skyrim die.
We continue down the streets finally making it to the docks. Lauren and her soldiers are there waiting for our arrival. We all walk toward the ship and to our surprise Amelia is waiting there for us.
"I had to see you off." She said while walking up to Chase.
"Amelia I have to tell you something," Chase says.
"You dont have to say it," Amelia says.
Amelia pulls him forward and kisses him, he holds her tight. He pulls his head away.
"Dont worry Amelia... I will return," Chase says.
"You better... Infact you have to" Amelia replies smiling.
Chase lets go of her and she takes a step back turning to me.
"You come back, all of you come back." Amelia says to me.
"Dont worry, I'll make sure these two dolts alive," Avery says while putting his arms around us.
Amelia smiles and walks off towards the town district. We turn to Lauren who is waiting for us to board the ship.
"So... This is it, we are finally doing it." Chase says.
"You all ready?" I say.
"I think we are about as ready as anyone can be when they might die." Avery says.
I take a deep breath and we continue onto the ship. Each step across the wooden floor of the ship makes a loud footstep.
"If you will all follow me, I will lead you to your sleeping quarters," Lauren says.
We all follow her down the stairs of the ship entering into the sleeping quarters of the ship its not much but... its a ship so it works. In the room is four hammocks and a winder at the back.
"Well I will leave you to yourselves," Lauren says while walking back up the stairs.
I place my satchel onto my hammock and sit beside it.
"So... this is roomy," I say.
"Yeah its nice." Avery says while dropping his bag.
"Guess I can start fishing again." Chase says smiling.
We all laugh lightly yet the mood stays sour. This is not a happy day but then again when has there been a happy day since we started this quest. I walk towards the window, Wiping the glass with my sleeve I peer out the window seeing the waves around the ship and solitude in the background slowly becoming smaller. I walk up to the upper levels of the ship looking off in the distance to see thunder clouds... a storm just what we need.
I turn to Lauren who is steering the ship "Can this ship take a storm!" I shout.
"Aye, This ship has seen many a storm." Lauren replies.
I walk back down to the living quarters, Its starting to get dark outside so Chase is lighting an oil lantern. I walk to my hammock and lay down in it, I feel exhausted... I close my eyes and fall asleep. Tonight the dream I awake in is unlike any other...
I open my eyes to find myself on the top of a mountain, i look around me to see people dressed in black
and infront of me is a casket lowering into the ground, I stare at the casket wondering who's inside... is it me? But then I notice something laying on the top of the casket... the object is a green gem shard. Cut into the shape of a claw. For some reason this object is keeping my focus, I dont know how but this gem is important. I lean in to grab the gem and as I do I awake...
I open my eyes to hear the sound of lightning, I sit up swaying from side to side, the ship is rocking heavily back and forth. I stand up trying to keep balance. I walk toward the window at the back and see the vast waves smashing against the ship, And lightning bolts flashing in the sky. I walk towards the stairs and walk up them my balance is at a distant place now. I finally make it to the top and find myself already drenched from the rain. I turn to see Lauren standing in nearly the same place from when I fell asleep.
"Is there anything I can help with Lauren!" I shout.
"Not at the moment, Head back to your quarters!" Lauren shouts back.
I walk back down the stairs, this ship still making it nearly impossible to stand. I keep walking almost falling over at times. I finally make it back to my hammock and lay down I close my eyes and as I do I fall out of the hammock. The ship stops in place, A smash can be heard from above. Avery Chase and Jaird Spring from their hammocks and get to their feet.
"What was that?" Avery asks.
"I have no clue!" I reply.
We all make our way to the back window looking out it too see something large... Something green... then suddenly the ship gets smashed again almost making us all fall to the ground. We all run to the stairs and quickly climb them. On the deck we can see a giant green Tentacle stretched across the ship.
"KRAKEN!" Lauren shouts.
I stare to the side of the ship to see a giant fish like creature hugging to the side of the ship. Its mouth riddled with sharp teeth. Me and the others sprint to port. I draw my sword and go toward the Giant Tentacle and slash it multiple times cutting the flesh and hacking off the tentacle, The creature lets out a Roar of such a magnitude I stagger back.
"If it bleeds we can kill it!" I shout.
Avery takes his rifle out and shoots the Kraken hitting its eye. The roars continue to deafen.
"Keep firing, Keep firing!" Lauren shouts.
Some soldiers rush across the deck with rifles. Firing shot after shot into the creatures flesh.
Jaird rolls up a cannon and starts aiming it at the creature. Avery runs to it and starts loading in the iron ball. Jaird lights the fuse and the cannon ball is sent flying towards the Kraken smashing into its face. The deafening roars continue as we continue to fire. The Krakens tentacle manage's to take out two of the soldiers sending them flying into the water. The large green tentacle then smashes into the ship leaving wood and other shrapnel to go flying into the water. I turn to Chase to see him ignite his hands, He runs up the Krakens tentacle and starts shooting fireballs at its face, Chase gets on top of the Krakens head and starts swirling his hands turning a small flame into a wall of fire, He swoops it around him and plunges it down into its face. The deafening roars return once more as the Kraken franticly waves its tentacles around the ship, Chase starts running down the tentacle of the Kraken nearly falling into the water, Chase keeps running and finally jumps off onto the ship. The Kraken raises its tentacle and before it smashes it into the ship, One of the other ships of Laurens fleet Smashes into the side of the Kraken spewing blood out of the wound. The Kraken roars once more and slowly sinks into the ocean...
"Is it dead?" Avery asks.
"It better be," Chase replies.
"Chase that was... Amazing," I say.
"I dont know what came over me... I just killed that thing though!" Chase exlaimed.
I pat Chases shoulder and we all sit down on the ships deck.
I turn towards Lauren "Will this thing still make it?" I ask.
"Its seen worse days." Lauren replies.
The storm starts clearing and the sun shines through the clouds, The ship starts moving again and we are back on path towards Shadowglem...