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Chapter 25 - Konahrik
A few days later, Yssha and her team had collected the last two of the Skyrim Dragon Priest masks. According to what Qolaas had told her, the next step was to find Bromjunaar Sanctuary, which was somewhere in what was now called Labyrinthian.
She sighed as they dismounted from Odahviing in Labryrinthian's central courtyard. "I am not looking forward to finding this final mask. Getting the lesser ones was difficult enough."
"I don't know," Marcurio said. "Qolaas did say you'd get Konahrik by placing the eight Skyrim masks on a special pedestal in Bromjumaar Sanctuary, which you'd get into by using a tenth mask, a wooden one, in a particular spot in Bromjumaar itself."
"Which sounds entirely too simple, given the difficulty of obtaining any of the other masks, either in Skyrim or on Solstheim." Yssha sighed. "And she did say Konahrik's very existence was only a rumor in the priesthood, so it is possible - perhaps likely - it does not even exist. But that is not a chance I care to take. So we explore for this wooden mask, prepared for trouble all the way."
"Of course," Marcurio agreed with a grin. "Aren't we always? But I hope you're wrong, and Qolaas is right."
Yssha flicked her ears. "Honestly, so do I. This is one time I would very much like to be wrong, since it would mean not having to fight a teleporting dragon priest." She let out a low yowl. "I hate those."
Marcurio chuckled. "We know, and so do we. So let's look around for this wooden mask, starting here on the entry plaza."
The four of them were veterans of such searches, staying in pairs, but searching thoroughly no longer took as much time as it had at first, and it wasn't long before Nevan and Serana called the other two into a low dome of a building not far from where they'd landed.
Yssha and Marcurio joined them, to find a skeleton and a note beside a wooden mask. Nevan handed her the note, chuckling. "You won't believe this, thuri!"
"It seemed like an easy enough job. Groz and me done plenty like it before. Some chinless Breton wants bodyguards for a trip into the mountains. Fine. Easy clink for us.
"He goes on about this twice-forsaken mask of his the whole way, of course. Got a pretty good laugh when Groz snatched it and put it on her face - he threatened to fire us for that one. Not smart out here on your own, he realized that right fast and shut up about not paying.
"So we get here, he thumbs through some papers and mutters to himself - never you mind that me and Groz had to cut through ten stinking trolls just to get him here - and without so much as a warning, poof. He's put on that mask and vanished. Could have put my hands on his throat one moment, the next he's not so much as thin air.
"Well, after a while we didn't know what to do, and Groz picks her gear up to head home, when he poofs back, that mask in his hand. Begs us not to leave, says he needs us to wait, this is what he's paying us for. Then puts the mask back on his sorry face and he's gone again. I'd seen cloaks do invisibility before, but a few swings of my fist proved he wasn't pulling that one. Nothing there to hit.
"He shows up again, tells us he just needs more time. Has to figure out something about other masks, and vanishes again. That was yesterday, and I'm done with twiddling my thumbs and writing letters to myself. We're leaving come sunrise, and if he shows up again I promise Azura I'm putting this dagger through his chest to keep him in one place. We'll pull more loot off him dead than he could have paid alive. But not the mask. That cursed thing can stay and rot with him and the trolls right here."
And so it had, assuming the wooden mask on the floor was the one mentioned in the note. That seemed reasonable, so she picked it up. "Hold on to me, and we will see if this work s as the Black Books did. I would much prefer not to face a Dragon Priest without you."
When the three others were all touching her, Yssha put on the mask ... and found herself alone, in a small stone chamber with a pedestal holding nine blank "heads", clearly intended to hold masks. Otherwise, it was nothing but bare space, with no exits.
They had considered the possibility of her being without her team, but that didn't mean she'd have to fight alone, if it came to that. She had the Summon Person spell, the Call of Valor shout, the spell that would summon Arniel Gane, and others that would conjure atronachs. She much preferred to stick with material weapons when she could, though. Or she could probably retreat simply by taking off the mask.
Hmm. Test that first, before touching the pedestal. So she removed the wooden mask, and indeed, reappeared in the domed building. "Just testing," she assured her team. "It may be as well you could not accompany me; the Sanctuary is quite small. It is also doorless, so except for the mask pedestal, nothing but a stone cube." She grinned. "I will return, and see what happens when I put the masks on the pedestals."
With that, she put the mask back on, and reappeared in the Sanctuary. She removed her pack and removed a mask - Otar's, as it happened - and approached the pedestal. She hoped that either the masks didn't have to be placed in any particular order, or that there was some way of telling which one belonged where, because otherwise it could take a very long time ... hours, maybe.
She removed the mask again, to rejoin her team. "A question, for whoever can answer it. I have eight masks, and eight possible positions for each. I am assuming the ninth, central, position is for Konahrik, so ... if I must place each mask at random, how long would it take me? We may need additional supplies."
Nevan snorted. "Eight factorial? Unless you can find a clue or two, give it up. That's 40,320 possibilities. Months at best, and that's if you're meticulous about recording each combination you've tried, so you don't repeat."
Yssha winced. "I will check for clues, then. I doubt even Dragon Priests would have the patience to try so many combinations. I had thought perhaps a few hours ... but mathematics is not my strong point. Thank you, vahriin."
Back in the Sanctuary, she gave the mask heads very careful scrutiny. This had been built by Nords, so there should be some sort of clue, especially since it was the most difficult puzzle she had encountered. Something like a Reveal Clue spell would be nice, but she wasn't sure such a thing was even possible. Ah, well.
After several minutes' inspection, she smiled to herself. The clues were far less obvious than the usual ones, but tiny scratches in the heads' "mouth" areas proved to be engraving in the dragon script instead, and at that point it became easy. As she placed the masks, she realized for the first time that six of the eight names meant things most people saw as at least mildly negative. The two exceptions were Morokei, or Glorious, and Otar, which wasn't a Dovahzul word.
As she mused, the central, and highest, "head" began to shimmer, and a tusked golden mask appeared. Konahrik, or Warlord ... despite the tusks, it was oddly attractive, as well as being the only one she hadn't had to fight its eponymous priest for, which made it unique in more ways than one.
But now that she had all the masks, from both Skyrim and Solstheim, what should she do with them? She'd have to think on that. Keeping them from being used was highly desirable, but she didn't simply want to leave them here, along with the ones from Solstheim; they were also an important part of history, and they should be both seen and studied. Still, leaving them here until she decided their ultimate destination wouldn't be a bad idea.
By the next morning, she'd decided. The masks weren't the only things in her collections that were either too valuable, too dangerous, or both, to be in any except the most secure locations. That meant a place only accessible by dragon, which in turn meant a trip to Skuldafn to discuss plans with Seridur. Although, she reminded herself, technically speaking, Skuldafn was part of Eastmarch, so a talk with Jarl Brunwulf was in order first.
When she passed on her plans, Marcurio shook his head. "I'd rather not go on that particular trip, love. It doesn't sound like anything you'd need me for, anyway, and despite my gratitude ... well, I'd rather not see Seridur any more than I absolutely have to."
Yssha nodded. "I do understand, beloved. Most of it will be discussing reconstruction and new construction, but I cannot promise it will not go beyond that."
Nevan grinned. "I'd like to beg off, too, if you don't mind. Not for Marcurio's reason, of course, but we've got some final tests on a couple of prototypes set for this morning down in Blackreach that Serana and I'd really like to be there for."
Yssha chuckle-purred. "Feel free, fahdonne. A courtesy visit to Jarl Brunwulf - something I really should have done earlier - and a construction discussion with Seridur are not things I need combat assistance with. But what kind of prototypes, may I ask?"
Nevan and Serana exchanged grins. "If you insist," Nevan replied, "but I'd rather you didn't. If one of 'em works, we'll show you when you get home. If none do, well ... it'd be pretty embarrassing, and we'll want another month or so to fix problems."
Yssha chuckled again. "Very well, I will not pry."
"Thanks, thuri." Nevan grinned.
Odahviing landed on the Windhelm causeway and Yssha dismounted, approaching the city gates. Very unlike her first time here, the guards opened the gates without her having to ask, and offered to send a messenger to the Palace of the Kings to alert the Jarl to her arrival. She agreed, but told them she would be delayed a bit in the Temple of Talos - which would give Brunwulf a bit of time to prepare.
And she truly enjoyed her time in the Temple. Even if they had nothing specific to commune about, she found his Temple presence both reassuring and refreshing, as she had even as a youngster. It was like ... like bathing in emotional sunshine. When she felt she'd given Brunwulf enough time, she left the Temple reluctantly, and went to the Palace of the Kings.
She strode past the deposed rulers and stewards in the Throne Room, who were a bit less hostile than when she, her team, and the Legion leaders had killed Ulfric and Galmar. Still not friendly, she thought, but then, that was unlikely ever to happen.
When she approached the throne, Brunwulf was sitting straighter than usual for a Jarl, which made her smile as she bowed.
He stood and returned the bow, then gestured to the throne. "If you would, Stormcrown?"
"I would prefer not, Jarl Brunwulf. I am here to ask a favor, not take over." She stepped aside, and he resumed the throne.
"What favor is that, then? I can almost guarantee I'll grant it, unless it's totally unreasonable."
"I ... " Yssha was hesitant. "I know what Skuldafn means to Eastmarch, but it is ... not in ruins, exactly, but not as it should be, either. And it is unreachable, except by dragon. I would like to restore it, and once my heir is old enough to take over the ground part of Skyhold, use it as my capital for the sky part." She paused. "I realize that is a great deal to ask, Jarl Brunwulf, but - "
Brunwulf chuckled. "You want to make an inaccessible part of Eastmarch your capital, Dovahkiin? And rebuild it?" He cuckled. "Granted, with my blessings. Add to Skuldafn's legends, and if you can make it visible from elsewhere in the Hold, I'd be in your debt."
"That last I cannot promise, but if it can be done, I will. I thank you for your generosity."
"My pleasure. Is there anything else I can offer you?"
"Thank you, but no. If you agreed, my plans were to go there and see what will be needed. On my first visit, I was too preoccupied with fighting to pay proper attention to the structure itself."
"I've seen it, but only from dragonback," Brunwulf said. "It looks pretty rough, and I think I saw a couple of draugr. They weren't moving, so perhaps they were among those you killed."
Yssha swore to herself. She'd forgotten, when she sent Seridur there, that she and Marcurio hadn't bothered killing anything that wasn't trying to stop them from getting to Sovngarde! "I must go," she said hastily. "Before anything else, I must finish clearing the draugr out. We knew we would not be leaving the way we went in, so we did not truly clear the ruins. I must do so before someone goes there not expecting trouble."
With that, she hurried out of the city and mounted Odahviing. "Skuldafn, please, quickly."