Skyrim: Solo Stories
Chapter 1: Veerili, the Necro-Queen
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved except for Veerili
Sigurd sighed as he set the axe down next to the log pile and picked up the firewood he'd just finished chopping. Gathering them into a stable bundle he turned and gasped in shock and surprise to find a woman standing in front of him in a black dress with a large-brimmed hat.
"Veerili! Oh, you startled me!" Sigurd said, his words coming out brief pants.
"Sorry Sigurd, I didn't mean to. You seemed so involved in your work that I just couldn't help watching," The woman, Veerili, replied.
She tipped her hat back to reveal a pale face with black eyes.
"What brings you back to Whiterun so soon? I thought you were going to be spending a few months up North in Haafingar?" Sigurd asked as he walked past her.
She tilted her head as she considered his question. "I was, but then I decided I liked Whiterun better. Just something about Breezehome that's more… homely,"
Sigurd chuckled as he approached the door to Belethor's shop, he went to kick it open with his feet before Veerili stepped forward and opened it for him.
"Thanks, Belethor wanted to talk to you. He said he'd gotten a book he'd never heard of before. Thought you might know more about it," Sigurd told her.
"Veerili! Welcome back, welcome back!" Belethor called as he saw the two entering his store.
"Hello Belethor, Sigurd just told me about this book of yours?"
He nodded and reached down under his counter before producing the tome. "Yes… I've showed it to Farengar, and he's never seen anything like it before. I thought you'd know more about it since you've been all over Skyrim,"
Veerili took the tome in hand and opened, flipping through the pages as she skimmed it briefly. "I know this one," she said.
"You do!? Oh, thank goodness. I was worried I'd have to send it off somewhere to get appraised. Can you tell me what it's worth?" Belethor asked her.
"More trouble than gold," Veerili answered absently as she continued to scan the pages.
"What? What do you mean?" Sigurd asked her.
"This book is a how-to guide on mass reanimation. Necromancers from far and wide would clamor over each other to get their hands on this book," Veerili explained as she slammed it shut with one hand.
"How do you know that?" Belethor asked.
"I wrote it."
The two men looked at each other then back to her "You did? Why would you do such a thing?" Sigurd asked.
"I needed a way to keep my notes. I thought it was safe in Proudspire Manor, but unfortunately the guards in Solitude are an incompetent lot and it was stolen when someone broke in there a few months ago. I had assumed the book lost, sold off to who knows who and how many times down the line. I already knew what was inside, so it wasn't of any concern to me where it ended up,"
"But if what you're saying is true, this book could be the start of a major problem!" Belethor exclaimed.
"It could've, and it might have. But it seems that wasn't the case. It's back in my possession now. Here," She reached into a pouch on her belt and tossed handful of gold coins on the table.
"Consider that the fee for services rendered to return my stolen book to me, we'll make an adventurer out of you yet Belethor," she said with a smile before she swiped her hand and a tear in the air opened. She put the book inside and swiped her hand again, closing it.
"I'll never get used to you doing that," Belethor told her.
"Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, was there anything else I could help with today?" She asked.
Belethor shook his head, "No, that was all I had. Anything here you'd probably consider junk compared to the things you've seen."
Veerili gave him a small smile, "Oh Belethor, let's not forget who sold me my first tome hm? I owe your shop a great deal. Just say the word and I'd be happy to lend any aid, financial or otherwise."
Belethor went to reply when the sound of a bell echoed to them.
"What's that?" Veerili asked as she looked up, as if she could see the source of the sound through the walls of the shop.
"The alarm, something's coming towards the city," Belethor answered as he moved toward the door and started to lock it.
Veerili made an incurious sounding noise before walking to the backdoor. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay safe you two!" She called back to them as she left through the backdoor and locked it behind her with a wave of her hand.
"Now then, what have we today?" She asked as she strolled through the side-street towards the main gate.
The civilians of Whiterun ran past her in a panic as they rushed to make it back to their homes and safety. The guards rushed past her in the same direction she was headed, making their way to the main gate.
As she came close, she saw about a dozen guards were gathered on and around the gate. Irileth was there as well, giving instructions to the guards.
"Irileth!" Veerili called as she approached.
Irileth turned and seemed to relax as she saw who it was "Veerili! Thank the gods you're here. We have a problem on our hands."
"So I see, what's going on?"
"A large troupe of bandits is making their way towards the city as we speak. They number two dozen," Irileth explained.
"Two dozen bandits hm? That's quite a force."
Irileth nodded agreement. "We were going to try and hold them at the gate, I can't promise much for the outlying farms and those who live outside the walls. I've sent a detachment to round them up and bring them inside. They'll take shelter inside the inn."
"A good plan, but wholly unnecessary," Veerili told her.
"What? Do you have another idea?" Irileth asked her.
"I do, you stay here and watch. Make sure no one comes down from the wall other than to meet that detachment and bring in the farmers. Am I clear?"
Irileth was hesitant, she was technically in command here, but she knew what Veerili was capable of. And that was what convinced her. She sighed and nodded "Very well."
"Good! I'll be back in a few minutes," Veerili told her with a smile before strolling out of the gate.
As she left the city walls, she made her way down the semi-circular path leading down from the city proper and to the outlying fields that surrounded Whiterun. Off in the distance she saw a mass of humanoid figures moving towards the city.
"That must be the bandits," she said to herself as she strolled through the outer gate. She saw guards up ahead that were leading civilians into the city.
"Get going! I'm going to hold off those bandits, but I can't promise anything if you're still out here once I get started!" She called to them.
The guards immediately recognized her and galvanized the civilians to move faster, they rushed through the outer gate as Veerili turned down the main road towards the Southern Watchtower in the distance. She saw the bandits were a mile from her now, passing the now abandoned watchtower.
She swept her hand through the air again and this time the rift that opened was much larger. Figures began to emerge from the rift, a little over a dozen skeletons carrying great axes, great swords, and war hammers emerged first, a small squadron of four skeletons carried simple iron swords, but had red, blue, green, and purple hoods over their skulls. Following them were five figures each wearing dragon bone or dragon scale armor. One carried a sword and shield, another a bow, the third a pair of axes, the fourth a Warhammer, and the fifth held a staff. This one turned back to Veerili and spoke.
"Mistress, are we to do battle with these fools?"
"We are Svengal, they number two dozen. How do you think we'd fare with our forces?" She asked him.
He considered the question for a moment, "Myself, Reida, and the mages could pelt them with projectiles to weaken them before Rendar, Livia, and Janus engage them in melee with the rest of the skeletons."
As they spoke three skeevers materialized around Veerili.
"Should I let the Ritual Stone take effect?"
"What is stored in it?" Svengal asked.
"A giant."
Svengal considered this then looked back at the forces approaching them. Seeing some were wearing Nordic Armor he nodded.
"I would recommend for it to be used Mistress. Will Durnehviir be joining us as well?"
"He could, the last I spoke with him the Soul Cairn was getting very lonely."
Svengal nodded again. "Then bring him out. We will show these fools not to trifle with you Mistress."
Veerili closed her eyes and smiled to herself, it was a small smile. And not one that showed joy, more amusement. A yellowish glow came about her body, and the ghost of a giant appeared behind her just off to the right. As this happened her necklace, that was hidden in the folds of her robe, her two rings, and her hat began to glow with a purple-energy that coalesced into the spectral form of a man.
"Does the living walk amongst the dead Mistress?" It asked her.
"Yes Olaf, they do, help the others deal with them, would you?" She asked him.
He bowed to her for a moment before standing up and unsheathing a spectral sword and stepping forward with the giant.
Lastly, Veerili drew in a deep breath before shouting loudly to the sky "Durn-eh-viir!"
A portal opened overhead, and the figure of a large, green dragon emerged from it, flying by overhead in a large circle before coming down to land near Veerili.
"You have summoned me once more to the land of the living, what purpose do you have for me this time Dovahkiin?" Durnehviir asked her.
"Helping a few friends with their bandit problem," she told him as she pointed down the road. "Their souls are yours as payment for helping me," she told him.
Durnehviir chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that echoed dully around him. "Very well, your offer is more than sufficient."
He took to the sky once more as the first of the bandits approached within earshot. Veerili stepped forward through the army of skeletons, zombies, and ghosts.
"Halt! You tread on the domain of Veerili, the Necro-queen. This is your one and only chance to escape with your lives."
The bandits looked at each other, then back at Veerili and her army of undead.
"What's a few bone walkers and rotting corpses going to do us huh?!" A voice called from the back.
A large Nord man stepped forward, wearing a long white-fur cloak with a Nordic Warhammer on his back. "She's one woman with a few dusty followers, we can take them! There's nothing we can't- "
He was cut off as Durnehviir flew past in a flash, taking the man in his jaw and flying away with him.
The others were stunned, in shock.
Veerili smiled again, this time it was a smile of joy. "Get them," she said simply.
The skeletons released a rattle in lieu of a battle cry as the mages lifted their hands and began to fire spheres of elemental energy. Svengal spun his staff in a few circles around him before firing a bolt of lightning that arced past the charging skeletons and chained amongst the bandits, frying most of them alive. A few arrows fired from Reida arced past the skeletons as well and took down a handful of bandits.
Soon, they were being overrun as the skeletons collided with their front line. Rendar took a blow on his shield before cutting down his attacker. Livia decapitated a pair of bandits that tried to charge her with one massive swing of her hammer, and Janus shattered the blade of a sword as it attempted to parry his axes. The ghost of the giant stomped forward and sent a majority of the remaining bandits sailing through the air with a swing of its massive club. The fight lasted only seconds before the undead slowly returned back to Veerili, bringing the belongings of the slain with them.
"Good, excellent work everyone. You all deserve a rest!"
She waved her hand through the air and the large rift appeared once more. The skeletons and her zombies returned while the Immortal Ghost of Olaf and her Skeever guards disappeared. The ghost dropped to a knee before fading and as she closed the rift Durnehviir landed before her once again.
"You have given me much Dovahkiin, our pact remains. Shout my name when you wish for me to fight by your side once more. For now, though, I must return. The Soul Cairn is exerting its hold over me once more."
"Fly true Durnehviir and know that I will call upon you when I need you," Veerili replied.
Durnehviir took to the sky once more and after circling overhead a few more times, faded from sight.
"Glad I didn't summon Karstaag, that would've been a waste of the charm," Veerili said to herself as she walked back to Whiterun.
She entered through the main gate and Irileth was standing there, waiting for her.
"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you're on our side?" Irileth asked her.
"Oh, I know. Now, let's get that gear sorted through so I can get lunch hm?" Veerili said with a grin as she walked toward Belethor's shop again.