Chapter 11: Promises to keep
-11th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
Kunviinhil had brought me a bit away from Whiterun, because she and I didn't want to arouse suspicion. Thus, I walked towards Whiterun on my own. When I arrived there, the city looked as busy as ever. Merchants were all over the place, trying to sell their stuff. Some of the people here cast me a greeting, while others were more busy with yelling at each other for going before their turn. After a small walk, I arrived at Jorrvaskr. When I opened the door, everyone in the hall shifted their gaze at me. I saw mixed emotions on their faces. Some, like Farkas and Vilkas, were glad to see me. Others, like Torvar, didn't really mind if I was here or not. I saw Aela giving me a sorrowful look. What happened?
"Hello Saviik, it's been awhile." Vilkas said, approaching me.
"Indeed. How have you been? And where's Skjor?" I realized the pained look on their faces. After some silence, Aela spoke up.
"Skjor is dead…" I saw her shedding a tear. I was shocked beyond belief.
"He was angry at you, and we tried to calm him down. Eventually, he told us that he was going to hunt some Silver Hand. We followed after him, and in one of their hideouts," She paused, before continuing. "we found his corpse. He's already cremated… He had a note with him, which told about how stupid he found himself for being angry at your decision. Deep down, he respected it." Vilkas said quietly. Skjor, dead… He was a mighty warrior, I have no doubt about that. I hope he can find peace in the Hunting Grounds of Hircine. However, I do not feel a lot of empathy for him, because I haven't known him as good as the rest of the lot here. Still, I need to talk to Kodlak.
"Kodlak sent me a letter. He wants to speak with me." Vilkas nodded.
"Go then Saviik." I nodded and walked downstairs. At the end of the hall, I saw Kodlak sitting in his chair, thinking things through. When he spotted me, he gave me a smile.
"Ah, you came." I nodded with a smile of my own.
"You wanted to see me." He nodded.
"Yes, Dragonborn, have a seat." I began to sit on the chair I saw Vilkas sitting on when I first came here.
"How are you Saviik?" He asked.
"I'm fine actually. I've been doing a lot of things after I had my argument with Skjor… I've been trying to find a way to defeat Alduin. A lot of training of the Thu'um comes with that. Also, I'm studying a strange artifact at the College of Winterhold." Skjor nodded.
"I was already thinking that you might be busy, but I'm happy that you still came after all the things that happened. Our hearts are full of grief, and my own weeps at the loss of Skjor. You do not know him as good as I do, but I know that he respected you. Remember that." I nodded.
"Especially Aela was mortified by the loss of Skjor. I think they had a relationship with each other." I didn't know that. Damn, this is extremely sad. I wish I could save Skjor…
"In any case, I want you to do something for me." I looked at him.
"And that is?" He spoke again.
"Have you heard the story of how we became Werewolves?" I began to think.
"Wasn't it a curse bestowed upon the ancient Companions?" Kodlak nodded.
"The reality is more complicated than that." So, what is the truth then?
"What is the truth?" Kodlak took a deep breath. Finally, he spoke.
"The Companions are nearly five thousand years old. This matter of Beastblood has only troubled us for a few hundred. One of my predecessors was a good but short-sighted man. He made a bargain with the Witches of Glenmoril Coven. If the companions would hunt in the name of their lord, Hircine, we would be granted great power." And that power was the gift of Lycanthropy.
"And you became Werewolves?" Kodlak nodded.
"They did not believe that the change would be permanent. The Witches offered payment, like anyone else. But we had been deceived." First of all, it is stupid to bargain for the power of a Daedric Prince. I know that firsthand. That guy was stupid to make a bargain.
"Those Witches deserve punishment for their trickery. Still, it was stupid of that predecessor of yours." Kodlak nodded thoughtfully.
"We'll get to that. It's not so simple as just killing then, though. The disease, you see, affects not only our bodies, but it also seeps into your soul. Upon death, Werewolves are claimed by Hircine for his Hunting Grounds." I already knew that.
"For some, this is a paradise. They want nothing more than to chase prey with their master for eternity. And that is their choice. But I am still a true Nord. And I wish for Sovngarde as my spirit home." I can understand that.
"Is there a way to cure yourself?" I then asked.
"That's what I've spent my twilight years to find out. And now I've found the answer. The Witches' magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won't give it willingly, but we can extract their foul powers by force. I want you to seek them out. I want you to bring me their heads, the seat of their abilities. From here, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity. However, I do not know where their coven is." That really sucks then.
"But I do know of someone who might know where it is. His name is Sinding, and he works in Falkreath." I nodded, while standing up.
"I will do what I can." Kodlak began to smile.
"May Talos and Ysgramor guide you, lad." I gave a salute while walking towards the exit. I need to go to Falkreath.
….
-14th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
After a few days of travelling, I arrived in the town of Falkreath, the capital of Falkreath Hold. When I arrived there, a guard asked me if I saw a dog. Don't know what he wants with a dog, but unfortunately for him, I didn't see a dog. Falkreath was a very quiet town. Not a lot happens here. When I arrived at the graveyard however, I saw a grieving couple and an Altmer priest. I listened to the priest his prayers.
"The God Arkay was once like us, bound to winding mortality. But he willingly gave up this existence that we might better understand the vagaries of life and death. It is through the ebb and flow of this cosmic tide that we find renewal and, in the end, peace. May the spirit of Lavinia and all those who have left this world and its suffering know the beloved serenity of Aetherius. And may we one day join them in eternity." The Altmer priest then left, while the couple wept. I approached the man.
"My condolences…" I said. The man sniffed, but nodded.
"Who died, if I may ask?" I asked afterwards.
"Our daughter, our little girl. She hadn't seen her tenth winter." The poor kid…
"Who did this?" The man's expression turned even more sorrowful.
"Sinding. Came through as a laborer. Seemed like a decent man. He's stewing in the pit while we're figuring out what we're going to do with him, if you got the stomach to look at him. What could drive a man to do something like this?" Sinding? Is he a murderer?
"How did she die?" I asked.
"She was… he ripped her apart. Like a sabre cat kills a deer. We barely found enough of her to bury. Excuse me, I don't want to talk about this anymore." I nodded.
"I'll leave you in peace." I said. I walked towards the Falkreath barracks and then went towards the jails. I looked around, seeing a guard vast asleep. I then noticed a particular weird jail with water in it. I approached it and there a Nord stood, with a look of shame and regret on his face. He only had ragged trousers on. He walked towards me.
"Come to gawk at the monster?" He asked shamefully.
"No, Kodlak sent me to you. However, you do have a story to tell. I heard you killed a little girl." Sinding looked at the ground.
"Believe me, it wasn't anything I ever intended to do. I just… lost control." He smells like Farkas. Could he be… a Werewolf?
"I tried to tell them, but none of them believed me." He had tears in his eyes. He didn't have control of him transformation…
"It's all on account of this blasted ring!" Ring?
"What ring?" I asked. He showed me a weird ring
"This is the Ring of Hircine. I was told it could let me control my transformations. Perhaps it used to, but I'll never know. Hircine didn't care for me taking it, and threw a curse on it. I put it on, and the changes just came to me. I could never guess when. It could be at the worst times. Like… with the little girl." So he is a Werewolf.
"You're a Werewolf. I already thought so when Kodlak told me that you might know the location of the Glenmoril Witches' Cave." Sinding's eyes widened.
"Listen traveler. I don't want this curse anymore. If you help me, I will help you find those witches." That's a fine agreement. He may have killed a child, but can you blame someone who didn't have control of himself? Always Daedric Princes…
"Alright, what do you want me to do?" I asked.
"I've been looking for a way to appease Hircine. There's a certain beast in this lands. Large, majestic. It's said that Hircine will commune with whoever slays it. I tracked it into these woods, but then I had that… accident with the child. I want to beg his forgiveness. Give him back the ring. But while I'm stuck here, the beast wanders free. Please kill the beast, and help me get forgiveness." I nodded. He gave me the ring and I put it on.
"Mmm, the ring doesn't feel weird… Sinding!" I looked alarmed, seeing Sinding suddenly changing into a Werewolf. I saw him climbing out of the pit, and I angrily sighed.
"This sucks…" I muttered. The only one who might know where he goes now is Hircine himself. I need to kill the beast.
….
It was night, the aurora shone brightly, and in one of the small ponds in the forest, I saw a white stag drinking there. He never noticed my Ice Spike coming. With a thud, he fell to the ground, not moving anymore. I approached the kill. Suddenly the soul of the stag appeared and spoke to me in a masculine voice.
"Well met, hunter." He said. He must be Hircine. Another Daedra… it just can't be helped I guess.
"Are you Hircine?" I asked.
"I am the spirit of the hunt, just one glimpse of the glorious stalker that your kind calls Hircine." Conclusion: Hircine, Daedric Prince of the Hunt.
"There's a curse on this ring, as you already know. Can you lift the curse?" I asked. I bet he wants something from me.
"I may consider it, but you must first do a service for my glory. The one who stole it has fled to what he calls his sanctuary. It is called Bloated Man's Grotto. Just as a bear who climbs a tree to escape the hunt, but only ends up trapping himself, he is trapped. Seek out this rogue shifter. Tear the skin from his body, and give it as an offering to me." Well, fuck him. I'm not going to kill Sinding.
"He had a reason for getting that ring. It is because of you that he killed that little girl. If there's anyone to blame, it's you. I will not kill him. He has done me no wrong." I stated firmly.
"There's no retribution in the hunt. It is not vengeance I seek, but the blood course of a living hunt. There are others who gladly accept my favor. They will hunt while you delay, your choice. Besides, don't you feel the adrenaline rush when you fight someone strong? It's like facing prey that fights back. My ring not only works for Werewolves, but also for people with other hidden aspects in their body…" Just when he said that, I felt a sharp pain in my body.
"Rnnnraaagrrhhr… Hircine!" I roared. I will not succumb to this again. It helped me in the past against Malkoran, and I went like this when I fought Alduin, but I cannot control it, so I won't use it, yet. However, it was easier said than done, because that ring was firmly stuck on my finger. While I struggled, I looked at my reflection in the pond. I looked in shock, seeing my normal blue eyes turning Dragon-like, with a reptile-like pupil. I looked at my hands, seeing weird turquoise markings and golden claws appearing. Finally I managed to get the ring off, and I turned back to normal.
"What the fuck!" I looked around, noticing that Hircine was gone.
"Fuck, I need to get to Sinding! There's no time to think about what just happened.
….
I quickly raced towards the cave, which was on the other side of the mountains where Lake Ilinata was.
"Sinding…" I muttered with a sigh. I went inside, and I immediately noticed that the sky was blood red. Also, there was a huge red moon in the sky, just like the Bloodmoon Prophecy on Solstheim. Thank the Nerevarine… I saw a mortally injured Khajiit sitting by a campfire.
"Has the Bloodmoon called you, fellow hunter?" He asked.
"What happened here?" I asked.
"The prey is strong, stronger than the hunters. But more will come. Bring him down, for the glories of Lord Hircine." I saw the Khajiit slowly dying. It is disgusting that these people hunt for sport, and to appease a fucking asshole called Hircine. I walked further and when I saw a small cliff in front of me, I saw a Werewolf standing on it. It was Sinding.
"You!" He said in a very deep voice.
"I've been told to kill you." I said apologetically. I'm not going to kill him.
"And I would deserve it, wouldn't I? I can't stop you if that's what you want to do. Hircine is too powerful. But if you spare me, I promise you that I will help you towards the Glenmoril Witches, and after that. I will be a powerful ally. Then, I will promise to never return to civilized life. I know now that I cannot live among people." I shook my head.
"Sinding, I may know a way of curing you of your Lycantropy, but we need to get to the Glenmoril Witches. I will spare your life. You can live between everyone again. Eventually, Stendarr's mercy will also fall upon you. Just do good things in your life." I smiled. Sinding smiled back.
"Thank the gods. Now let's deal with these other hunters. We hunt together!" Now let's see if these hunters like being prey this time. I ran towards Sinding and together, we approached a group of hunters.
"What the?! We've been betrayed! Look out!" One of them exclaimed, while grabbing his bow.
"WULD!" With speed beyond his comprehension, I stabbed Dawnbreaker in his chest.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" I incinerated another hunter to ashes. Even his iron sword got melted by the intense flames. I looked in front of me, seeing Sinding tearing the rest of the lot apart. We rushed further through the grotto, while killing more and more hunters. Sinding easily tore them apart with razor sharp claws, while I was gracefully dancing through the enemies with Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane.
"SU GRAH DUN!" While using the Shout's power, I began to attack the hunters using a flurry of slashes that connected with each other. Limbs, heads and blood flew all around and I even managed to vertically bisect the halves of someone's spine during my attacks.
I began to spit out blood that managed to get in my mouth. I saw all those lifeless bodies on the ground. This maybe was quite cruel what I did, but they hunted for sport, which is a better thing to do when you are in the Hunting Grounds. So, I guess it's alright. I bet the lot of them just insulted nature by killing a lot of creatures for sport. I'm surprised they never went after a Dragon, but I think they're too weak to take one on.
"Your sword skills are amazing." Sinding praised. Well, I got amazing teachers. We noticed that these were the last of the hunters, and Sinding then turned to me.
"Thank you for your help, I will help you in your quest to cure Lycanthropy in the Companions. Anyway, what is your name? You can Shout, so does that make you Dragonborn?" I nodded.
"The name's Saviik. I'm indeed Dragonborn." We then walked out of the cave and there he stood, Hircine.
"Impressive about what you did." He said with a laugh. I growled.
"I defy you and your vile tasks." The stag smirked.
"So you may think. By bringing down my other hunters, you managed to turn the chase inside out. And they were no base prey. You continue to amuse and impress. No wonder Mephala has taken a liking to you. She seems very obsessed with you. You should feel proud to get liked that much by a Daedra."My heart skipped a beat.
"What do you know…" I growled harshly. Hircine laughed.
"You are very courageous to defy so many Princes. But that will not stop them. They are after you. Now, go forth!" I growled, while the stag disappeared again. I angrily gave Sinding the ring back.
"Here, put it on." Sinding's eyes widened.
"But…" He began, but I cut him off.
"He promised, and if there's one thing I learned about Daedra, is that they fulfill their promises. Just put it on, and you can control the transformation. You won't need it when you don't have Lycanthropy anymore." And together, we began to walk towards the Glenmoril Witches' cave.
….
-15th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
What is wrong with me? I still have no idea about that hidden power… Just what the heck is it?! I don't recall Talos, and any other Dragonborn having this kind of power. Am I special in that regard? I need to know the answers.
"You don't seem to be the type to ponder so much about something." Sinding suddenly said, while walking next to me.
"Trust me, I think about a lot of things." I replied. Sinding chuckled. After a while, we finally approached the cave Sinding told me about.
"Alright, time to slay some monsters." I said.
"You're intending to kill them all?" I nodded.
"Those creatures probably caused pain to others numerous times. I'm going to avenge those people." Sinding nodded.
"I'm with you." I looked at Sinding, seeing him change back to his Werewolf form, thanks to the Ring of Hircine. We then stepped inside the cave. It was a dark cave, but there was a bowl with fire standing on some pillars every now and then. When we arrived in the center of the cave, we immediately got greeted by five Hagravens with blood red eyes. I hate Hagravens… especially because of that prank Sanguine pulled on me.
"So a fresh Companion arrives at our den." One of them said in a hoarse voice.
"I will claim your heads and use them to cure the Companions of Lycanthropy. Your sinister and evil agreements will end today." I grabbed Dawnbreaker, while Sinding stood ready.
"You won't leave this cave alive. We know you, Saviik Dragonfist. Our fortunetelling says that you'll be on the brink of death soon. I'm sure it is about this confrontation." The five of them gave an evil smirk, while I just smirked back.
"Many times I was on the brink of death, but I always managed to survive. Just like today." I stood ready in an offensive position, sword raised. When I noticed four of the Witches disappearing with their magic, I quickly reacted.
"WULD NAH KEST!" In the blink of an eye, I was in front of the extremely surprised and ugly Glenmoril Witch.
"Raaarrgghh!" I roared, while thrusting Dawnbreaker through her heart. Thanks to my momentum and the sharpness of the blade, I easily tore through her ribcage. I yanked my sword out of her and then doing a vertical strike against her neck. The head fell on the floor, with the body following soon after. I grabbed the head, while placing it on a nearby rock.
"I bet the rest of the Witches have scattered around the cave. Place their heads on this rock, so that the blood can flow out of it." Sinding nodded and with a mighty howl, he ran towards one of the narrow passages, disappearing in the darkness. I quietly walked through the passage closest to me, making sure I was as quiet as possible. Wait, this could help me.
"Laas Yah Nir." I whispered. I immediately saw four presences in different open rooms in the cave. Sinding was vastly approaching one and I then heard a loud roar and a shrieking Witch. While only seeing the auras, I saw Sinding completely tearing the Witch apart. I quickly decided to walk further and when I arrived at the end of the passage, I saw a lake and the Glenmoril Witch behind it. Sure enough, I had to dive out of the way to dodge some Fireball Spells.
"TIID KLO!" I roared. I saw the Fireballs slowly approaching and while using Dawnbreaker at the right moment, I sliced through the incoming Fireballs. Not that it helped killing the Witch though, I just thought it was a cool thing to do. I quickly ran to the side, following the path around the small lake while the Shout power was still active. Just when I arrived in front of her, the power dissipated and the Hagraven extended her claws.
"Die Companion!" She screamed, while lunging at me. I blocked the attack and I heard a loud clang from her nails colliding with Dawnbreaker. Those claws are dense! She lunged at me again, but I took a step back.
"IIS SLEN NUS!" She got completely encased in ice, looking like a statue. She fell to the ground, not moving. I then held Dawnbreaker with two hands, while placing it on the ice that protected her neck.
"Raarghh!" With a yell and a powerful vertical swing, I chopped of her head. I quickly grabbed it and walked back towards the main room. When I arrived there, I saw Sinding holding two heads in his claws.
"Well done Sinding. Now, only the last one remains." We walked through the only passage we still haven't walked through and when we arrived in the room at the end, we suddenly got assaulted by loads of Skeevers.
"SU GRAH DUN!" I roared, while also grabbing Dragonbane. While dual wielding these two blades, I began to dance around the Skeevers while striking them with precise and serene slashes that connected with each other, striking fear and chaos into your enemies.
"Grr, how dare you hurt my sisters!" The Witch roared. Wait, did she mean the Skeevers, or her actual sisters?
"This is your punishment for deceiving people." The Witch growled, while raising her hands.
"Eat these fireballs!" She readied her Fireball spells, but I was faster.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" I roared, pointing at her abdomen. Using the destructive power of fire, I completely burned her body, except her head, to ashes. I grabbed the head while walking back to the main room. When I arrived there, I put all of the heads in a spare bag I had with me.
"Sinding, let's go back to Whiterun." Sinding nodded while loyally following me.
….
-19th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
When I arrived in Whiterun with Sinding, the town was in uproar. Stalls were destroyed, corpses of Silver Hand were all over the place and worst of all, I saw people with shocked expressions, as if someone important here died. I quickly rushed towards Jorrvaskr, and immediately Torvar ran up to me, who was all bloodied. I didn't even have to ask what happened.
"The Silver Hand… They finally had the nerve to attack Jorrvaskr. We got most of them, but I think a few stragglers made it out." Those Silver Hand… I walked further until I came across Vilkas. Suddenly he raised his greatsword and began to attack me!
"Vilkas, what the fuck!" I yelled, while raising Dawnbreaker and blocking a powerful strike.
"Where have you been?!" Doesn't he know?"
"I was doing Kodlak's bidding!" I yelled, while dodging another attack.
"I hope it was important, because you weren't here to defend him!" He stopped attacking me, while collapsing to the ground. He was crying.
"The Silver Hand, they finally found enough courage to attack Jorrvaskr, and Whiterun along the way. We fought them off… but, the old man, Kodlak, is dead." I was speechless… Kodlak Whitemane, the Harbinger of the Companions, killed by those Silver Hand. He can't even go to Sovngarde… Damn it! I picked Vilkas up.
"Was anyone else hurt?" I asked. Vilkas shook his head.
"No, but they made off with all of our fragments of Wuuthrad." This is escalating far too quickly. I saw Vilkas boiling in anger.
"But we are going to reclaim them! We will bring the battle to their chief camp. There will be none left living to tell their stories. Only songs of Jorrvaskr will be sung. We will avenge Kodlak… And they will know terror before the end." Those Silver Hand just attacked us out of nowhere. Skjor was already dead, and I don't recall the rest actively hunting Silver Hand. I will go there for the fragments of Wuuthrad, but I don't think Kodlak wants us to do genocide. I will honor his wishes. Unlike the Thalmor and Forsworn, the Silver Hand mostly consist of people who lost family members thanks to Werewolves, I think. They do not look like people who want supremacy over the Companions. This is purely an act of hatred, and I must stop this.
"I will go there for the fragments of Wuuthrad, but we will not take unnecessary lives. Kodlak never wanted that and you know that as good as I do." Vilkas angrily sighed.
"You're right…" He muttered. He looked at me straight in the eye again.
"Let's go get the horses." He said. I looked at Sinding.
"Stay here with the heads." Sinding nodded. I then walked out of Jorrvaskr.
….
-22th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
We arrived at their base of operations called Driftshade Refuge. Immediately, we got attacked and I didn't even have a chance to react, because Vilkas had already killed them. He's so full of anger and grief, I feel sorry for him. I'm sad too, but I didn't know Kodlak as good as him. After we killed some more Silver Hand, I saw Vilkas angrily running forward.
"Vilkas!" I yelled, but suddenly my vision went white. I shook my head and when I could see again, I was shocked.
"Mother, why are you here! And why is the chamber blue?!" My mother looked like an ethereal spirit. How the hell did my mother appear in front of me?!
"Hello to you too Saviik." She said. She began to look around.
"It seems my Mysticism isn't as good as Quaranir's. Well, he's way older than I so he has more experience, obviously." She looked at me again with a soft smile.
"I've found the location of the Dwemer Ruin called Mzulft." Suddenly my map got a marking on it. I've no idea how she managed that.
"Please Saviik, go there as soon as you can. We've got quite some problems with Ancano and we need the Staff of Magnus." I nodded.
"Don't worry mom, but first I need to do this Companion business. Is Lydia still at the College?" She shook her head.
"No, she left, because her Jarl needed to see her." I nodded. Probably some business that's not important to me.
"Take care Saviik. Mommy loves you." She blew me a kiss, while finally disappearing. I just shook my head. Did that really happen?
"Well, at least I've got new information. Anyway, I need to find Vilkas." I quickly rushed through the building, finding lots of corpses of Silver Hand. He seemed already far ahead. After quite a run, I found Vilkas. He already had the fragments of Wuuthrad, but it seemed he also had annihilated all of the members. I gave him an angry look.
"What have I told you?!" Vilkas glared back at me.
"I know! It's just… Kodlak deserves justice." He said firmly.
"Well, we cannot change what happened. Let's go back." We walked out of the building while not speaking to each other.
….
-25th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
The others have probably prepared Kodlak's funeral by now." Vilkas said, while arriving at Jorrvaskr. I nodded. We walked towards the Skyforge and there I saw a lot of people. Not only Companions, but also normal citizens. Kodlak was lying on the Skyforge, ready to be cremated.
"Who will start?" Eorlund asked, who seemed to act like the priest.
"I'll do it." Aela said quietly. "Before the ancient flame. We grieve. At this loss, we weep. For the fallen, we shout. And for ourselves. We take our leave." The other Companion members repeated her, while shedding a few tears. I too felt a tear streaming down my face. These kinds of things make me really emotional. Suddenly Aela stood in front of me with an unlit torch.
"Kodlak always told us that when he was going to be cremated, it was with your fire." Did he respected me that much? I just nodded and grabbed the torch.
"Yol." A small burst of flame erupted out of my mouth, lighting the torch. I then began to burn the wood on top of Kodlak. We all looked at the burning body, still grieving the loss. I need to honor his wish by making Sovngarde his home, but how? I heard Aela speak again.
"His spirit has departed. Members of the Circle, let's withdraw to the Underforge, to grieve our loss together." I, Aela, Vilkas and Farkas walked towards the Underforge. Suddenly I got stopped by Eorlund.
"I have a small favor to ask of you." I began to listen.
"There's another piece of Wuuthrad, that Kodlak always kept close to himself. Would you go to his chambers and bring it back to me?" I nodded.
"I will." I then walked towards the sleeping hall of Jorrvaskr. I began to think about Kodlak again. The old man everyone respected. I barely knew him, yet he wanted me to do all those tasks. I arrived at his chamber that was well furnished. I opened one of the dressers and there I saw a fragment, and Kodlak's journal. I began to read it. It seems that Lycanthropy can be cured by doing a ritual in the Tomb of Ysgramor. Kodlak can be saved… I need to tell the Circle this as soon as possible! I began to run towards Eorlund.
"You're back." He said. I nodded. I gave him Kodlak's fragment.
"Thank you. Your Shield-siblings have withdrawn towards the Underforge, with that man named Sinding. I think they're waiting for you." Again, I nodded before walking back towards the Underforge. When I arrived there, I heard them arguing.
"The old man had one wish before he died, and he didn't get it. It's as simple as that." Vilkas said.
"Being moon-born is not so much of a curse as you might think, Vilkas." Aela retorted.
"That's fine for you, but he wanted to be clean. He wanted to meet Ysgramor and know the glories of Sovngarde. But all that was taken from him." Vilkas said.
"And you've avenged him." Aela said.
"Kodlak did not care about vengeance." Wow, never expected that to come out of Farkas.
"No, Farkas, he didn't. But that's not what this is about. We should be honoring Kodlak, no matter our own thoughts on the blood." Vilkas stated.
"You're right. It's what he wanted and he deserves to have it." I then spoke up.
"There is a way to cleanse his soul of Lycanthropy." They all looked at me.
"We need to go to the Tomb of Ysgramor. There, we can cleanse him of his beastblood by doing a ritual with one of the Glenmoril Witches' heads." Aela looked at me.
"We can't even enter the tomb without Wuuthrad, and it's in pieces, like it has been for a thousand years." Suddenly Eorlund arrived.
"And Dragons were just stories. And the elves once ruled Skyrim. Just because something is, doesn't mean it must be." He walked towards us and to our great surprised, we saw that he had Wuuthrad behind his back.
"The blade is a weapon, a tool. Tools are meant to be broken, and repaired. This is the first time I had all of the pieces, thanks to our Shield-Brother here." I smiled.
"The flames of a hero can reforge the shattered. The flames of Kodlak shall fuel the rebirth of Wuuthrad. And now it will take you to meet him once more. As the one who brought the fragments, I think Saviik should be the one to carry Wuuthrad into battle." I shook my head.
"No, Vilkas is the one, so he has a piece of Kodlak with him." Vilkas looked surprised, but nodded eventually. He then took the battle-axe from Eorlund.
"Now, we need to go towards the Tomb of Ysgramor, which seems amazingly far north. Also, I need to do some other things too so while you are journeying, I'll be travelling across Skyrim to do some errands." The others looked surprised.
"Like what?" Sinding asked.
"Finding the Staff of Magnus. Don't bother asking me what it is. I've no idea either." Aela suddenly laughed.
"And how do you expect to easily go through Skyrim in a matter of hours?" I smirked.
"I'll just ask a friend." They all looked confused.
"First, let's go out of Whiterun." We all walked out of Whiterun and when we arrived a bit away from the city, I looked at them again.
"Watch this." I looked at the sky. This might be stupid, because Alduin and other Dragons will definitely hear it, but I have to do it.
"KUN VIIN HIL!" I Shouted at the sky. Large shockwaves echoed through the air, and after ten seconds I saw her approaching. I then noticed that she was literally dive bombing towards me! I quickly jumped out of the way, while she landed in front of us.
"Thanks for almost killing me…" I muttered with a sigh. Kunviinhil laughed, while looking at the rest of the people.
"I smell Lycantrhopy on all of you. Are these your friends?" She asked me. I nodded.
"Yes. We need to go towards the Tomb of Ysgramor, but I need you to bring me towards a place called Mzulft right now. My mom said that I need the Staff as soon as possible, because of problems with a certain Thalmor." I looked at Aela, Vilkas, Farkas and Sinding, who looked speechless.
"I will meet you there." I then looked back at Kunviinhil.
"Could you bring me there?" Of course, Kunviinhil began to eye me seductively while lowering her head.
"Hop on little boy, come ride me." I growled while beginning to sit on her neck. I saw Sinding snickering, while the rest was still in shock.
"Y-you have a Dragon as steed?" Farkas asked in disbelief. Kunviinhil began to growl.
"Listen mortal, never call me a steed again… If you do, I will rip you apart without you even noticing." Farkas gulped, while Aela and Vilkas laughed. I waved them goodbye, while ascending with Kunviinhil.
….
"So, you've finally found the location of Magnus' Staff?" Kunviinhil asked, while soaring through the sky.
"Well, I don't know if it is there, but mom told me that the Synod was going there. They are probably already looking around the ruin. I hope they're prepared." Kunviinhil sighed.
"Ah the old Dwemer… They meddled with things they barely understood. Still, they were the most advanced race of their time, but not the most powerful. We Dov were the strongest. We don't need fancy technology to live." I chuckled.
"And what makes the Dragons more powerful?" I asked. Kunviinhil giggled.
"First of all, we Dov have the most experience in life. Secondly, we are way more in tune with nature, Magicka and especially time. Last but not least, we were the most powerful race of Tamriel. Only because there weren't many Dov compared to the amount of mortals, were we defeated in the war. Also because they somehow were able to use the Thu'um, but only the Nords were able to use it." Well, Dragons remain Dragons I guess, with their proud and arrogant nature.
"Still a tad arrogant are you Kun." I laughed, while petting her head. She smirked.
"You are just the same. You have a reckless and sometimes arrogant attitude. Don't deny it, it's in your blood." She said.
"Maybe… Anyway, how do Dov reproduce? Dragons weren't with many, did it take long to raise a kiddo?" Kunviinhil gigged.
"We Dov are a warlike race. Most times we fought harsh battles over territory, destroying a lot of land in the process. Most of us didn't have time to raise children. There weren't many female Dov either. Mostly males were born. Also, female Dov are picky, we want the most powerful of the Dov to mate with. Most of the females didn't even bother giving the males a glance. They weren't really impressed. However, even Dov can feel love, and when a female Dovah wants a particular male, they won't stop. It's like you've set your eyes on a valuable treasure." That's a lot of information to digest.
"So basically, females thought they were better than males, and that's why they didn't mate a lot?" Kunviinhil was surprised of my conclusion.
"Well, if you put it that way, yes. Males were just the same however, too proud to admit that they love someone. We females are much better in proclaiming our love for someone." And I thought male Dragons had to express their love with a marriage proposal haha. It seems Dragon society is the complete opposite.
"Did you chase after Odahviing to get him?" Kunviinhil nodded.
"I did, trying to get his attention. He was Alduin's general, slightly below Paarthurnax, so it was easy for me to get to him. Alduin is my best friend after all. Eventually, Odahviing and I became a couple, having lustful sex every night…" I don't need to hear that part.
"And you didn't become pregnant?" Kunviinhil shook his head.
"We Dov can control our ovulation, so we decide when we want a child or not." Ehm, okay…
"Do Dragons lay eggs?" I then asked.
"Yep." Was Kun's only reply. I just nodded. Well, don't really know what got to me when I asked about this subject. Suddenly Kun began to descend and we arrived at a Dwemer gate.
"Here it is, that's what your map says anyway." I hopped off her, while pushing the door.
"I'll be waiting here." Kun said, while walking towards a tree and deciding to rest under it.
"Alright, see you later." I then closed the door behind me and immediately I saw a mortally wounded man in Mage robes.
"Crystal… gone… Find… Paratus… in Oculory…" The man then fell still. What the heck happened to him? I searched through his pockets, finding a key and a research log. I grabbed both things and I began to scroll through the research log. It told something about a crystal, but I have no idea what it means. I decided to open the door in front of me with the key and with a loud creak, the huge metal door opened. I walked further, passing pipes with steam coming out of it. The ruin was mostly made of stone and a weird Dwemer alloy. I don't know what it's composed of, but it is quite strong metal. I then came across a pressure plate, and decided to walk past it. I saw more pipes with weird pump like devices. Next to the walls, I saw lots of pots and plates made of metal. It seemed that they even lived in these halls. Suddenly I saw a Dwemer spider approaching me, ready to attack. I quickly grabbed Dawnbreaker and with a powerful downward slash, I broke the thing. I walked further, coming across weird crystals and some more Dwarven spiders. Some of them even shoot electricity! It's amazing that the Dwemer were able to make this. The ruin then ended up in a narrow cave passage and when I walked towards the end of it, I saw an angry Chaurus Reaper eating from a dead Synod researcher. I immediately bombarded it with Fireball spells, because I don't want that poison in my system. After that little errand, I walked further, coming across more Chaurus. Those beasts are really annoying and dangerous. One bite and I can get seriously wounded. When I finally arrived in the Dwemer ruin again, I fought off some Dwemer Spheres. I decided to conjure some Storm Atronachs to assist me, and they began to float in front of me. They quickly destroyed the machines that roamed the ruin and after a bit of walking I came across a door with a dead Falmer and two destroyed Dwarven spiders. I opened the door in front of me, leading towards the Mzulft boilery. I saw lots of destroyed machines and a lot of steam coming out of the cracks on the floor and walls. This time my Atronachs detected Falmer and they quickly bombarded the blind Elves with shock spells. I didn't even have to do anything anymore. I am quite pleased with that, because I don't want to get hit with the poison they have coated on their arrows and swords. I walked further, going through a Falmer cave. Of course, my Atronachs quickly took care of them, also killing the damn Chaurus. The way further took extremely long and I felt like I was daydreaming until I realized I was in a large room with multiple doors. One was locked, while the other only contained treasure. There was one door however that was open and led to some sort of mini arena. I opened the door in front of me and it was a big mistake. There was a fucking active Dwemer Centurion standing there! There were a lot of dead Falmer lying on the floor, probably killed by the thing. My Atronachs quickly attacked the giant machine, but they were easily broken in half by the sheer power of the thing. I rolled to the side, avoiding a swipe of its hammer. This was by no means a normal enemy. The Centurion's footsteps echoed throughout the ruin. I was about to attack it with fire, when it suddenly emitted steam out of its mask. I felt the boiling steam touching me, burning me alive.
"Aaaagghh!" I yelled in pain, while using my arms to protect my face. I didn't have time to recover, when I felt the impact of the hammer against my chest. I felt a crack. With a grunt, I pushed myself off the ground, ignoring the pain in my chest. The Centurion approached me again, while I grabbed the Ebony Blade. The machine swept its hammer towards me, which I quickly dodged. The impact of it against the wall made the room shake. A powerful crack formed on the wall. I quickly used the opportunity to slice one of the hinges, making the leg looser attached to the main body. I noticed the thing turning and trying to swing its axe towards me.
"FUS RO DAH!" Using the power of my Shout, the leg began to twist from the sheer pressure. With a powerful slash, I cut through the metal, severing its leg. I jumped out of the way, seeing the Centurion falling down in front of me. However, the fight was by no means over. The Centurion tried to hit me with its hammer and axe, but I was at a safe distance. I quickly used the opportunity to cast healing spells on myself, healing my broken rib and burn marks. When I was done, I suddenly realized that the Centurion was readying red light in its core. Was it going to explode? Shit!
"Oh no you don't! YOL TOOR SHUL!" A stream of fire erupted from my mouth, washing over the Dwemer Centurion and heating the metal drastically. Drops of molten alloy dripped off it and I quickly used the opportunity to attack.
"Raaargh!" I made a vertically slash, breaking the thing in half, right through the core. Thanks to the fact that the metal became soft from the heat, it was fairly easy to do. I gave a huge sigh in relief.
"Never make a Dwemer Centurion angry, I guess." I saw a chest on a table behind the Centurion and I began to open it. There was a key in it, maybe to open the door that was locked in the big room. I walked back towards that particular gate and while using the key, I managed to open the door. Suddenly I saw something shiny on a dead Falmer. I decided to grab it and it seemed to be a weird crystal like thingy. The now dead Synod member said something about a crystal. Maybe this is the one he means? I then walked through the door, walking up a set of stairs and coming across another locked door. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind the door.
"G…avros? Is that you? I'd almost given up hope. Let me get the door…" The door in front of me then opened, and I saw an Imperial Synod Mage standing in front of me, looking extremely surprised. Suddenly he raised his hands, igniting fire spells. I still had the Ebony Blade in my hand, and stood in an offensive stance.
"What are you doing?! What've you done with Gavros!?" I think Gavros is the dead researcher at the beginning of this ruin.
"Your friend Gavros was on the verge of dying when I found him." I said, while sheathing my blade. As I already thought, he stopped generating Magicka.
"It was the Falmer wasn't it? Curse them! They've ruined everything! If Gavros is gone there's no hope. He was supposed to return with the crystal… Without that, our efforts are wasted. And you, if you're here for treasure, or wisdom, or anything, I'm afraid you've wasted your time." Well, I have the crystal, but I want to know what this is all about.
"It didn't work the first time. I tried to tell Gavros, but he wouldn't listen. 'No, it won't be too cold!' he said. Well, I was right wasn't I? Focused completely wrong by the time we got here! The cold had warped it. Gavros had to cart it all the way to Cyrodiil. Left the rest of us here to fend off the damnable Falmer." Mmm, this is interesting.
"I'm looking for the Staff of Magnus, and I was hoping that you would be able to help me." The man shook his head.
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. I need the crystal to do anything useful, and I don't have it." They sought information about the Staff, so why can't he help me? I need to get the info.
"What's the crystal for?" I then asked.
"It was a brilliant idea, really. Mostly mine, though Gavros took the credit. Secret, though. Official Synod business. Can't talk about it." What a dick. I grabbed the crystal from my back. His eyes widened.
"You found… how in the world?" He asked in disbelief. "That's it! That's it! I don't know who you are, but you've just saved this little project! In fact, who are you anyway?" Okay, I will introduce myself.
"The name's Saviik. I'm the Dovahkiin and a member of the College of Winterhold." I said.
"You are what? Dovakien?" I shook my head.
"Dragonborn…" I muttered with a sigh.
"Aha… and you're with the College?" I nodded.
"Savos wouldn't even grant us an audience when we came to you, but now you come here expecting something from me? I don't much like this, I tell you. But you've saved my skin, so maybe I can overlook the past now." Good, that's what I want to hear.
"This is profitable for us both. I can get the Staff of Magnus, or at least the location, so I can save Tamriel, and you can continue on with your project for the Elder Council." The man nodded.
"Come on, I'll explain on the way. My name is Paratus by the way." I began to follow him.
"No matter what Gavros said, this was my idea first. The Council is going to know that when I get back. I was the one who thought of using this… this Oculory. I don't know what the Dwarves called it. Something unpronounceable, I'm sure." The competition for the Elder Council's praise is quite fierce, it seems.
"From all our research, it seems they were intent on discerning the nature of the divine." We began to walk up a smooth, spiraling staircase.
"This machinery, all of it, was designed to collect starlight, and then… I'm not sure. Split it, somehow? It was my idea to replace one of the key elements with our focusing crystal. Months of enchantments went into it. Let's just hope they got it right this time." I hope so too. When we arrived at the top, I saw a device with lots of reflectors on the ceiling. One was pointing light towards the middle of the machine.
"Here it is. Magnificent, isn't it? Took an incredible amount of work to get it running again. Now I'm hoping it'll all be worth it. Place the crystal in the central apparatus, and we can start the process for focusing it." I placed the crystal in the machine and it suddenly began to move. Light began to reflect on the ceiling, intended on the reflectors there. It seems that the ceiling consists of an inner, middle and outer ring, able to move. Maybe those buttons on top of a device for controlling it can be useful with this? Paratus spoke again.
"Now the crystal needs to be focused. It was created so far away, we knew some adjustments would have to be made. Heating and cooling the crystal will cause it to expand or contract, which will change how the light passes through it. You'll need to do spells for that. Being from the College, I assume you know them already." Are you a retard? Of course I know them. I bet he's going to do nothing. Stupid fool. I began to cast the Flames and Frostbite spell on the crystal, and I noticed that the lights were moving. I walked back towards the control panel, while pushing some buttons to move the ceiling. After some thinking with how the puzzle works, I finally managed to let the lights shine on all the reflectors. The lights made a triangular angle with the focusing crystal and the main reflector in the middle of the ceiling.
"Years of work, finally going to pay off…" Paratus muttered. He probably didn't do anything. I saw a map of the upper side of Tamriel forming on the wall in front of the control panel.
"But what's this? These results… They're not right at all what they should be. This projection should be lit up by the night sky… Something is creating an incredible amount of interference." Probably the Eye of Magnus.
"Something in Winterhold… it looks like." Suddenly he grabbed me quite forcefully, and I quickly pushed him away. What the fuck is he doing?!
"Hey, what the fuck man!?" I was extremely surprised, and angry.
"What are you playing at! Is this some attempt to stall my work?! So, what is it! What have you done?!" What an idiot.
"Are you dumb?! I did what you told me to do!" I said fiercely.
"Do you know what we were attempting? Are you here to make sure your plan worked, that our efforts have been for nothing?! Well, explain yourself!" What a retard.
"I want the Staff of Magnus, that's all. How can you expect me to know what I'm doing while this is the first time I've seen a thing like this?! Did something go wrong then? You said something about that it should've lit up the night sky." Paratus looked even more angry.
"Go wrong! Go wrong! Everything is wrong! Everything! Whatever you have at that College has completely interfered with our work here! How did you do it!" This is extremely annoying.
"But I haven't done anything! I swear!" I said.
"But there must be something you're doing. There's no other explanation…" And immediately you blame me!? Idiot…
"You have something at your College, don't you? Something immensely powerful. Beyond anything I'd anticipated. What is it?" I think he means the Eye of Magnus.
"The Eye of Magnus, probably." I muttered.
"The Eye of Magnus? Well, I suppose if it means what I think it does. Well, that's interesting." Whoa, he finally calmed down, a bit.
"Can you help me find the Staff of Magnus, or not?" I then asked.
"Yes, the Staff, interesting… I can't explain any details. That would be giving away many secrets the Synod have learned over the years." Not that I want to hear that anyway. I looked at the map, seeing a dot being highlighted in Skyrim. Wait a minute… isn't that Labyrinthian?!
"Also, I doubt you'd be able to comprehend the details." Okay, now I am insulted. I looked at him with a fierce glare.
"I probably know more about magic than you or any of the Synod. You only care about politics." He ignored me.
"Have you seen the Orrery in the Imperial City? It was the inspiration of this idea." My mom told me about it, but I can't recall the details.
"Instead of projecting the sky, we project all of Tamriel, and then harness the latent energies to overlay the positions of… What's important is that all of this work was designed to reveal to us sources of great magical power." A powerful magic artifact creates a distortion in the Magicka levels of Tamriel. Jeez, every Mage should know that.
"Purely to help safeguard the Empire of course." I began to laugh, while he looked at me.
"So you can what? Exterminate the Thalmor? With Titus Mede II sitting with his fat ass on the Ruby Throne, you will never be able to defeat them." Paratus growled at me.
"And what do you know!?" He smirked.
"More than you think." The Synod member was fuming, but then continued his explanation.
"And now, only two locations have been revealed to us. One is your College. The other… Well, that can only be Labyrinthian." I knew it. I saw him turning towards me.
"So, Mage of Winterhold, I've beaten you in your little game. Even if all you've said here are lies, I know you have something in Winterhold the Synod Council will be very interested in. So fine, trudge of to Labyrinthian in search of your Staff. I shall return to Cyrodiil and deliver my full report to the Council. This is not over, I assure you! We will get that artifact!" I gave him an annoyed look.
"Do I look like I give a fuck about your petty council? I've more important things to do, you crazy scientist." I said.
"Crazy? Crazy!? I think I've discovered here more than I could've hoped to." At the cost of your colleagues, wow…
"Your trickery won't confuse me!" I just sighed and walked away.
"Yeah, go away, go back to your petty endeavors." I turned back at him.
"You should thank me actually. Without me, you wouldn't even be able to finish this. And without me, you would be dead in a few months. Alduin would destroy even Cyrodiil and you along the way." Paratus smirked.
"Oh booboo! How scared am I!" I have enough of this.
"FUS!" Paratus looked alarmed but was too late to dodge the shockwave. His head bumped against the wall, and I saw him falling down, unconscious.
"I hope you have a nice little concussion, where you don't even remember what you were doing here, stupid piece of shit." I grabbed the focusing crystal and then I walked down the spiraling staircase. He won't need this thing anymore anyway. My mom can have it. When I walked through the hall, I noticed another door. Maybe it was a shortcut towards the surface. Suddenly time stopped again and I saw a Psijic member appearing.
"You have done well thus far, but trying times are ahead. It is imperative that you return to your College at once. You will be called on to take swift action. Rise to the challenge, and discover what you are capable of. You are on the right path, and you will prevail." Everything then went back to normal.
"My mom already warned me, but it seems it has escalated with Ancano. Stupid Thalmor." I quickly pushed open the door, while using my observatory key to open another door in front of me. I then arrived outside, on a cliff. I suddenly heard a loud roar and I quickly ran towards the end of the cliff. I immediately regretted it. A huge shockwave was blasted against the underside of the cliff and it began to break down. With a yelp, I fell down.
"FEIM!" I safely hit the ground, and I noticed Kunviinhil engaged in a fierce battle with a couple of Vampires and Death Hounds. The Vampires were trying to restrain Kunviinhil, but she easily swept them away and tore through them with her talons. She even managed to crush one in her jaws.
"Surrender beast! And swear your loyalty to Lord Harkon!" One of the Vampires yelled. Kunviinhil looked less than pleased.
"SU GRAH DUN!" She roared. I saw her moving her wings like blades extremely fast, cutting through the surrounding Vampires. In a matter of seconds, all of the Vampires and Death Hounds fell to the ground, dead.
"Wow…" I muttered. Kunviinhil then noticed me and smiled.
"And, how did it go?" She asked in her usual teasing tone.
"Almost got killed by a Dwemer Centurion, but I defeated it. Also, there was a man named Paratus whom I helped with solving a puzzle. A map was then highlighted with two locations showing the College of Winterhold, and Labyrinthian. Then time stopped and a member of the Psijic Order told me that I need to go towards the College." Kunviinhil nodded.
"I've sensed it. Someone is trying to control the power of the Eye. We need to stop this. Hop on." I quickly jumped on her neck, she began to ascend.
"I'll tell you a fact. That Psijic didn't exactly stop time." I was surprised.
"No?" I asked.
"Nope, they merely transport you temporarily towards a small dimension where time doesn't flow. Only the Thu'um and Aedric Magic can stop time." I nodded.
"Well, that certainly is interesting… Also, how the hell did you get attacked by Vampires?" I then asked.
"I've no idea. They suddenly attacked me, ordering me to swear allegiance to someone named Lord Harkon. Stupid Vampires…" She muttered. I just chuckled.
….
-26th of the Second Seed, 4th Era 202-
We were just above Winterhold when we noticed huge amounts of turquoise Magicka being generated in the College. Kunviinhil dropped me in front of the College, was going towards the highest part of the College and beginning to rest on it, out of everyone's reach. I immediately headed inside the Hall of the Elements. Immediately I saw a barrier of turquoise Magicka surging around the Eye of Magnus. Savos Aren, Mirabelle Ervine, my mom, my dad, Kaizen, that Daedroth and my pets were looking on, shocked. My pets turned around when they smelled me, and immediately they walked towards me, seeking attention. They were distraught.
"It's okay, I'm here." I turned towards my mom.
"What the heck happened?" My mom began to answer.
"While you were gone, Ancano began to spend more and more time studying the Orb. Eventually, this happened. He's casting some sort of ward, but we can't seem to break it." She said.
"I don't care what it is, I want it down now! I want to know what he's doing in there!" Savos looked at me.
"You know where to find the Staff of Magnus?!" I nodded.
"Excellent! I'd suggest we retrieve it now immediately, but right now we have more pressing matters. We need to bring down that barrier. Ancano is up to something and I intend to put a stop to it. Everyone, attack the barrier!" Savos, Mirabelle and my mom began to attack the barrier with spells, while the rest just looked on, helpless.
"Everyone, step aside." They looked surprised, but nodded.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" My flames began to break through the powerful barrier, to my great relief. I used everything I had to bring down that barrier, and I succeeded. We rushed through the main hall, seeing Ancano trying to control its power by channeling his magic with the Eye.
"Ancano! Stop this now! I command you!" Savos yelled. Ancano only smirked.
"You will all die!" Suddenly a powerful surge of Magicka erupted from the Eye, blasting everyone away. I lost conscious.
….
Ggggrrrr, those joorre again, trying to use an artifact much too powerful for them. They cannot even comprehend the Magicka it generates, so why do they think they would be able to control it? I ripped off another piece of meat from my latest kill, a mammoth. My thoughts kept lingering back to Saviik, the little pest that intends to slay me, how foolish. What does Kunviinhil see in him anyway?
"You look unsure, thuri. Is there something wrong?" I heard Odahviing ask.
"I was just thinking about the Eye of Magnus." I replied.
"And Saviik." I glared at him.
"I'm thinking about ways to kill him, yes." Odahviing laughed, but soon went quiet.
"My mate has taken quite a liking to him. He's my enemy, yet I do not wish to fight him." I looked surprised at him.
"You and I both know that fighting him is inevitable. I will make him and all of the mortals pay for their treachery." They brought this upon themselves.
"Thuri, do not become the being you once was. Ruling tyrannically will never solve anything. You've seen firsthand what would happen." I growled at him.
"I've listened enough. I gave some of the joorre powerful artifacts to use, but every single one of them used those masks for their own gain! These people are no different! Do you feel that! They're trying to use the power of the Eye, something their petty minds cannot even begin to understand." No, I will bring back the glory days of the Dov. No one will stop me. Not even Saviik…
"You do not talk with conviction, like you used too. You're doubting your actions. Do not become like the Deyra, please. Do not make this a war." I growled again.
"You know nothing about war…" Odahviing went silent.
"You're thinking about your childhood, don't you? When your parents waged war against the Deyra and between themselves…" I looked at the sky. I honestly want to forget those memories.
"Please, don't use your childhood as an excuse that war is the only solution." I looked at him.
"We Dov wage war at all times." I replied.
"That's different. That's our society. What you did was genocide." I boiled in anger.
"Genocide!? My kin got slaughtered by mortals because they couldn't live with the fact that they weren't the strongest on this planet! And you tell me I was doing genocide!?" Odahviing sighed, while I turned away from him.
"Saviik doesn't want a war with you. He wants to help you. Kun told me." I looked at him again.
"Like he could ever help me. He's a disgrace. He's not even a Dovah and he already proclaims himself as one of us. He's weak, naïve, stupid and his sense of justice is disgusting." I smirked. Yes, that's what Saviik is.
"Yet you think about him all the time. There is something going on between you two… You tell everyone you hate him, but your actions say otherwise. If you hate him so much, why don't you just kill him now?" Didn't he ask this months ago too?
"Out of respect for Kun. I promised her." I replied.
"Mmm, I cannot argue with that. You almost killed him once, but you looked mortified when the attack you made yourself almost struck him. You've grown fond of him haven't you?" What?! What is he blabbering about!?
"What are you talking about?!" I demanded.
"You relate yourself to him. You envy him. You call him a pest, shatter his pride and easily defeat him, but you wish you had the same courage and determination as him. You wish you had that, so you could stand up to the rest of the Aedra." I was silent. Was it true what he said?
"To overcome those flaws, you began to develop a cruel and warlike nature, ruling Keizaal with an iron wing, your word was law. You believed that the Dov were the strongest, and that they should rule the weak, just like the victors of the war between the Aedra did. Eventually, you disappeared and re-emerged in this time. It only took one single little 'pest', to make you contradict your belief you've been fueling." How can he look so easily through me? Is it true, what he says? Am I ignoring reality? Am I ignoring my doubts? I don't know. I'm at a loss of words…
"You need him more than you realize, but you're too proud to admit it. Why be Alduin, if he can change you back to Alice?" With a burst of speed, I moved towards him and pushed my talon against his neck. He grunted.
"I DO NOT NEED HIM! You cannot change my opinion with your mind tricks. You're with me or against me, but I will rule this land again and no one will stop me, especially not the pest. And one thing, never ever call me ALICE EVER AGAIN!" I then let go of him, while continuing to eat, while Odahviing silently watched me.
….
Slowly, I opened my eyes. My head was pounding and felt extremely weak. When my senses finally returned to me, I heard a very distraught Kunviinhil.
"Saviik! Saviik!" I began to sit and I saw her sighing in relief.
"Are you alright?! I thought you were dead when I felt the explosion!" I stood up with a grunt and gave her a hug. I then looked around me, seeing lots of distraught faces and hearing the crying of… my mother? I saw my mom kneeling in front of someone. I ran towards her and kneeled next to her. Savos Aren was lying in front of me, dead.
"No, no!" My mom cried. Even if she didn't love him the way she loved my father, she still cared about him. My mom began to hug me, seeking comfort. I returned it. I saw my father and Kaizen giving me sympathetic smiles. The other Mages were shocked beyond belief. I looked at Kunviinhil, who was silently walking towards us. Everyone looked at her, very tense.
"I'm sorry for your loss, I know how it feels to lose someone in your life." The Mages looked surprised, but they seemed far more willing to trust a Dragon than any other mortal. My mom looked at me.
"That's your Dragon friend right?" I nodded.
"Yes, she helped me a lot in my journey." My mom sniffed.
"You have amazing friends…" I gave her a hug.
"I know…" Suddenly I saw a letter in his hand. I grabbed it.
"He wrote a letter…" I muttered. While everyone listened, I began to read it.
"Dear Anna,
I am sorry for my inappropriate behavior. I wished I was the one who made you smile that amazing smile you always have on your face in the presence of your family. I tried everything to show you my love for you, but it seemed I wasn't destined to be with you. I was foolish to blame Aquilius and your son for something you can't control. You've raised an amazing kid. He literally radiates the flawlessness you possess. Your eyes, your hair color, your curiosity, your affinity for magic, but he has the fighting spirit of his dad, the courage that goes together with recklessness, the conviction to achieve something and of course his skills with the blade. It tore me apart, seeing him walking around the College and knowing that he wasn't my kid. It only made it worse when he was the one who discovered the Eye of Magnus. I want you to give him something that he will need to get the Staff. It is in Labyrinthian, and I have a torc that will open the door towards Labyrinthian. Warn him that he must only open the door when he is able to survive Shalidor's Maze. Please do this for me.
My love for you is eternal, Savos Aren." My mom was sobbing uncontrollably, while holding my father tight. He was holding her in his arms, whispering words of comfort. So Savos didn't hate me at all… The poor man, trying to live on while seeing his object of affection in the arms of another man, I can understand why he was so cold towards me. I heard Kunviinhil also sniffing. I gave her a hug myself.
"It's alright Kun, it's alright…" She said nothing, she just wrapped her wings around me. My Clannfear also joined the hug and I saw Kunviinhil smiling at the two raptors. Suddenly I heard Tolfdir speak.
"Saviik, here." He gave me the torc Savos probably meant.
"Please go towards Labyrinthian. Help us avenge the death of Savos Aren and save this College. We will fight the Magic anomalies that have been appearing around Winterhold." I nodded.
"They're purely made of Aedric Magic. Please be careful." Kunviinhil said. Tolfdir nodded.
"We will, miss Dragon, we will." I stroked my pets before climbing on Kunviinhil again.
"I will be off towards Labyrinthian." With a mighty flap of her wings, Kunviinhil ascended.
….
Well, here's another chapter for the Legend of Saviik. I hope you've enjoyed reading this! You all probably did anyway XD
You've probably read that small reproduction scene. I had this idea for a long time. The females basically choose when they want a kid, so then their ovulation starts, they will go in heat and their desire for copulating increases drastically. Poor Saviik when Alduin feels the need haha (spoiler alert!). Oh, and one thing, Dragons are very protective of their offspring and mates, so you know that…
I hope you've enjoyed the little chat between Alduin and Odahviing. You've probably read that she was first named Alice. If I recall correctly, I've mentioned this once in an earlier chapter. I shall tell you this now: Alduin will remain Alduin by name. just like it was already mentioned, she hates her first name because it remembers her of her childhood.
Next in the Legend of Saviik, Saviik will travel towards Labyrinthian for the Staff, he will have a death battle with Morokei and then Ancano, and he will try to fulfil the wish Kodlak had. After that, it is time for Saviik to finally travel towards Blackreach, to get the Elder Scroll and learn the Thu'um that might be the key to defeat Alduin. Have a nice day… I already have the next chapter ready hehe XD