First, sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I'm gonna be honest with you guys, I've started to tire of this story, but I'm not quitting!
I just needed a little break, hence the story 'Memories of the Lost', which also was an idea given to me by my good friend Bloodrayne666, check out her stories if you haven't already. It's her version of Monalisa that I use and her stories that I count as canon, even if I haven caught up with them.
With that out of the way, on with the story!
Mutants Misplaced
Chapter 36
High Hrothgar
With the team back together again, there was one less problem for the mutants and their friend. There was still more though, but they had to wait until after they had gotten some rest. After clearing out the dead bodies of the slaughtered bandits from the first floor on the remaining tower, the group made camp for the remainder of the night, as they needed the rest.
While they relaxed, they exchanged information, telling each other what had happened since Raph had taken of with Mona.
Hearing everything that Raph and Mona had been through, from them being attacked by Lokdrogyol and meeting the Khajiit, to them reaching Windhelm and treating Raph's broken leg. When they were told of the horrific murder-scene that Mona had discovered, they were sickened by the crime, and understood why she was so intent to go after the ones responsible. Family has always been something that Mona values very highly, but she didn't deny that what she did was rash and irresponsible, just like Raph's actions that lead to all of that, which he didn't deny.
However, the couple were perhaps the most amazed, when they heard of Tyroth's achievements, having not only bested the dragon in combat, but outright killed it. But they were even more shocked hearing that Tyroth also had absorbed Lokdrogyol's soul, and that the beast was now threatening to take over Tyroth's body whenever he slept. He had, in fact, not slept as much as wink for several days, and it was starting to get to him. Only through sheer will and support of his friends had he managed to stay awake, despite being exhausted.
Once everyone had gotten some understanding about everything so far, some checked the tower and remaining dead bandits for stuff they could use, and they managed to gather a decent amount of both gold and potions, not to mention food and various trinkets and baubles that might prove valuable.
During that time, Mona walked over to Sephie, wanting to talk to her, since they had been through a rather unique incident when Sephie tried to bite Mona. It wasn't without anxiety that Mona approached her friend turned vampire.
"Hey, Sephie." she said. "Can we talk?".
Sephie looked at Mona, wondering what she should do, still feeling guilty about what she almost did, but she couldn't avoid the consequences indefinitely.
"I suppose. Look, Mona, I'm… I'm really sorry about when I attacked you, I just couldn't help it."
"It's okay, Sephie, I understand. You weren't yourself at the time, I know how that feels, I haven't quite been myself these last few days either. And it wasn't your fault, I should have been a little more careful."
"But it was I that wanted a hug, you were only trying to help me."
"And I'll keep helping you, you're my best friend after all. And as far as I've been able to tell, you seem to have been able to keep that thirst in check since then."
"I've had some help, especially from Tyroth. He used his magic to suppress it to a degree, but it's still there and making itself known. I actually was close to biting a guy not long ago, so I think that his spell is starting to wear off."
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be able to help you again. And I promise that we'll cure you."
"Thanks, Mona. But, to tell you the truth, I'm actually a lot more worried about Tyroth." said Sephie while looking at her lover with an anxious look on her face.
"I'm having a hard time believing that something like that happened, so you're not the only one."
"I really hope that these Greybeards can help him."
"You and me both, Sephie, you and me both."
Meanwhile, the others were going over the items they had found, checking what kind of liquids were in the bottles to be sure that there weren't any poisons. Mikey however, was more interested in the trinkets instead. Several rings, a few small gems, some books with strange symbols on the cover and a black metal dagger. He reckoned that they could either sell or trade them for a decent amount, but there was one specific item that he was curious about. An elongated gem the size of his finger, that was almost completely black in colour with a hue of dark purple at the edges. It was something with it that just fascinated the youngest turtle.
"What you got there, Mikey?" Tyroth asked when he saw Mikey eyeing the gem in his hand.
"A gem of some kind. Wonder what it's worth. Got any guesses?" he said as he handed the gem to the dragon. But as soon as Tyroth touched it, he instantly pulled back his hand, looking horrified. Mikey didn't understand what was going on, but when he tried to give Tyroth the gem again, the dragon snapped at him.
"Keep that thing away from me!"
"What's going on?" Leo asked, as he and the others had also heard Tyroth's outburst.
"I don't know, bro. He just freaked out." said Mikey. "All I did, was trying to give him this gem I found."
"That's no ordinary gem stone, it's a black soul-gem." said Devina after taking one quick look at the stone.
"A black… soul… gem?"
"Dare I ask what that means?" asked Donnie.
"Soul-gems are special crystals that can hold souls of living creatures. Different sizes of gems can hold different sizes of souls, but black soul-gem can also hold the souls of sentient creatures, such as humans, elves or even us. And from the look of this one, I think it might actually hold someone's soul."
"Why would anyone want to take any soul? What use would that be to anyone?" asked Sephie as she embraced her love to give him some comfort.
"Unfortunately, souls are required to make enchanted items, like the staff the bandit leader used. The stronger the soul, the stronger the enchantment, and some even have to be recharged from time to time, requiring additional souls. The souls of people, or black souls as they are also called, are the most potent ones."
"That's sick! How can anyone do that?" said Mona.
"Well, it is unethical to use black souls, so only the lowest of society does it. But the hard truth is that without souls, it's impossible to craft magic equipment, normal magic energy just isn't enough. And if it is to any kind of relief for you, once you use a soul for an enchantment, it will be released into some form of afterlife called the Soul Cairn. So, you actually use a piece of the soul's energy, rather than the soul itself. But in the end, you still have to place a soul trap-spell on something and then kill it to take their soul."
"That explains what the gem is, but not why Tyroth reacted to it." said Leo and turned to the dragon, who had managed to calm down.
"When I touched it, I saw… things… images… the memories of the soul within. Including the death of the person and the trapping of the soul."
"That must have been horrible to experience. No wonder that you freaked out." said Raph.
"I've never heard of anyone able to see the memories of a soul in a soul-gem." said Devina. "You must be very sensitive, or maybe it's because of the dragon's soul you carry."
"I don't know, but I do know that there is no innocent soul inside that stone. It is that of the former leader of the bandits we killed, the one before the bastard that we found here. And it was a woman, but… she was just as monstrous as her successor, slaughtering people and eating their remains. She took this idiot as her lover, and he killed her and sealed her soul inside the gem, keeping it as trophy of sorts."
"Just what kinds of fiends are there in this place?" said Mona. "The world is far better of without them."
"Ditto." said Mikey. "But what do I do with this freakish thing?"
"I'll take it, might be useful some day." said Devina.
"You might as well take that black dagger as well," said Tyroth. "it was the weapon used to kill the previous leader and trap her soul."
"Well, I'm gonna have nightmares after this, I just know it." complained the youngest turtle, as he cautiously handed the gem and dagger to Devina, who tucked them away in her bag.
Early the next morning, just before sunrise, the group left the towers and journeyed along the base of the mountain, towards Ivarstead. Keeping a slightly higher pace than usual, it only took a couple of hours for them to reach the village. It was a nice and homey place, with an inn, a lumbermill and a couple of houses, but the group didn't enter the village, they didn't have the time, not when they were so close. They kept to the base of the mountain until they found the path up to the top.
The path didn't spiral around the mountain like some had imagined, instead it slowly zigzagged on one side, occasionally going down a couple of feet before going back up. As they got higher up, the green moss and flowers got more and more covered by frost and snow. Scattered along the path, were numerous small shrines, that seemed to as old as the ruins the mutants had stumbled upon. There were also a lot of mountain goats and the occasional wolf, but all animals kept their distance from the group.
After a long and tiring walk, they finally reached the temple High Hrothgar. It was an impressive building, with a stairway leading up to it, only to be split in two by a tower at the front of the temple walls. Each of the two smaller stairways lead to a door, with some form of etching in the stone above, that looked vaguely like something dragon related. Wisps of snow blew across the structure as a gust of wind passed by.
"I'm guessing this is the place." said Sephie as they walked up to the doors.
"I really hope so. I do not want find out that we're on the wrong mountain, and have to walk all the way back down again." said Mikey.
"No, this is the place. I've been up here a few times over the years, but I've never been inside. The Greybeards are not especially fond of visitors." said Devina.
"They aren't hostile, are they?" asked Leo.
"Oh, no, they are a peaceful order, who wants to live in isolation and practice their philosophy, the Way of the Voice. Occasionally they take in someone new to make sure that there is a next generation. Other than that, they only let the Dragonborn inside. Whoever that maybe."
"Let's hope they can make an exception for us, so you guys don't have to stay out here and freeze." said Tyroth as he pushed open the door leading into the temple.
The inside was composed of light grey stone for the floor and almost black for the walls, pillars and ornaments. It had a high ceiling and an open and empty room right after the entrance, the pillars and walls had similar carvings and etchings to the one on the outside. At the back of the open room, there were a small but wide stairway that lead to a pair of doors, and there were two sidepaths, one to the right and one to the left. Large brazier by the pillars cast warm light over the centre of the room.
As they closed the door behind them, four robed figures appeared from the sides and walked into the middle of the room. The robes were of a dark-grey fabric with hoods that covered their heads down to their foreheads, and had silver trims. All four men had grey beards, up to five inches long, though some had slightly shorter.
One of the robed men approached the group. He was easily distinguishable from the others because of his beard being tied into a simple knot.
"So, there is a second Dragonborn, and one that had our master's himself call you here, no less. But, who among you is the one summoned?"
"That would be me. The name's Tyroth, and we came here seeking help."
"Is that so? If our master would summon you, he must have a good reason, but I do not understand what kind of help you are referring to. As it is, we have no proof that you even are the Dragonborn."
"Does the fact that I killed a dragon, unwillingly took his soul and now that soul is trying to take over my body from within my soul, answer both of those questions? If not, just tell me where to find this master of yours, maybe he'll be more helpful."
The robed men looked at each other, it was obvious that this was something that even they did not know what to do about. After exchanging looks for a few moments, they nodded to each other and the one with the knot in his beard once again spoke.
"What you described, is beyond what we know. Our master, on the other hand, may be able to help you, but the path is a perilous one, as he resides on the very peak of this mountain. We ask that you let us help you prepare yourself by honing your Thu'um so that you can clear the raging weather that plagues the path."
"I appreciate the offer, but I don't know how to use the Thu'um. And-" Tyroth couldn't finish the sentence, for he suddenly got very dizzy and almost lost his balance. Only with the aid of Sephie and Donnie did he remain standing.
"Easy, big guy. Are you alright?" Donnie asked.
"...no, not entirely. I'm dead tired, but I think Lokdrogyol is starting to grow stronger. Not sure how much time I got left before he might be able to attack me when I'm awake."
"Can't you do something?" Sephie asked the Greybeards worried. She had hoped that they would have all the answers to Tyroth's plight. Having come this far and still not be able to do anything was agonizing.
"Only our master might be able to help, but the path can not be traversed without a well trained Thu'um."
"Just show me the way… and I'll get there one way or the other. A little harsh weather won't stop me." said Tyroth, as he regained his balance.
"Very well, if you intend to go through without aid, then so be it. Follow me."
Leading the group out through the doors in the back of the temple, they arrived in a large, snow-covered courtyard. A tall tower stood almost in the middle of it, and at the far end of it, were an open stone gate. Looking through the gateway, one could see a snowstorm raging further up the path.
"This is the path you need to follow, but the winds are strong and cut to the bone."
Tyroth didn't say anything, he simply looked at the obstacle in front of him. He was no stranger to blizzards, and he knew that you should never go out in one unless you had no other choice. Steeling himself, he started walking towards the gate and the storm that lay beyond it.
"Tyroth..." Sephie said.
"Stay here, Sephie. Even if you're resistant to cold, this might be more than you can handle, that goes for all of you." said Tyroth. "I won't be stopped by this, not when I'm so close."
"But what if you get hurt, or worse?"
"Don't worry, love. I'll be careful, I promise."
"Good luck, Big T." said Raph, as the dragon continued walking. Soon, he was out of sight.
"Come, young ones. Waiting out here in the cold will do you no good." said the monk. "His determination is strong, so stay inside until he returns."
The wind howled and snow obstructed Tyroth's line of sight as he made his way through the storm. He had folded his wings to avoid getting cold too fast, but also to not have to worry that the wind would throw him of the mountain.
Every step was an increasingly difficult task as he made his way closer to the top, his strength diminishing little by little. At one point, he could had sworn that he heard Lokdrogyol taunting him, but he had to pay it no mind, he couldn't afford any distractions.
Using his magic to try and raise his body temperature, Tyroth felt that his mana hadn't recovered as much as he had hoped, clearly sleep helped him recover more than he had realized. But a sudden movement ahead of him drew his attention from his thoughts. Trying to see through all the snow, it took a little while before he caught sight of whatever it was again.
Barely visible against the snow, was a serpentine creature, about as long and thick as a grown man's arm, with almost dragon-like scales and head. But what was most surprising about the creature, was that it flew a few feet above the ground and seemed to be made out of transparent ice. Moving through the air like a snake or eel through water, it slithered closer to Tyroth and then lunged itself at him.
Not being prepared to find such a creature, Tyroth wasn't able to react quick enough to avoid the attack, and the frozen beast sunk its ice fangs into his neck. Before Tyroth could even try to get it off him, it released its grip on him and moved away a few feet before attacking again. It was a fast and agile opponent and its small size made it even harder to hit.
Things went from bad to worse when more of the ice creature came from further up the path, some even seemed to manifest from the snow around Tyroth's feet. Soon he had dozens of them, biting him with their sharp teeth, while he tried to swat them away, but it was like trying to fight off a swarm of wasps.
Hoping to be able scare them away, he used his mana to increase his body temperature, making his body glow red as if it was on fire. But while it did cause the creatures to stop attacking, it was only for a short moment and they were on him like piranhas on a piece of meat. Desperately trying to increase the power, he felt how it got warmer and warmer.
Suddenly, the mana covering his body burst into flames and burned strong enough to melt the creatures instantly. The fire continued to burn even stronger each passing moment, protecting Tyroth against even the wind, yet his clothes and equipment remained untouched.
'Yet another new power, why do I keep getting these? How long will this continue?' he though. 'At least it took care of those things. Better hurry while this thing still works.'
Running, still surrounded by flames, he quickly made his way to the top, neither wind nor snow hindering him. Once he reached the top, and had cleared the storm, the fire faded away and he fell to his knees exhausted. Taking a few moments to catch his breath, he heard a powerful voice.
"Well met, Dragonborn. I am Paarthurnax."
Not very fun to witness the memories of someone dying and having their soul stuffed inside a pebble, or what do you guys say?
It took some time, but now the gang is finally at their destination, well one of them anyway. Next time we'll see if Paarthurnax can help poor Tyroth, that guy has had it rough.
And would you look at that. 100 reviews?! That's just awesome! Thank you so much for all your support, it really means a lot to me. Keep 'em coming and you'll be motivating me. Once again, thank you!