The Elder Scrolls of the Dead
…
Chapter 1: Prosperity
Saeko Busujima awoke with a sharp gasp and intake of air, her eyes snapping open and her vision was blurry and unfocused. Then a pair of strong arms firmly yet gently pushed the young woman back down. Thinking this was an attempt on her life, Saeko struck out blindly and was reward with the sound of her fist striking something with a sharp crack followed by a yelp of pain.
Flailing about, Saeko then heard a voice shout, "Doctor! She's waking up! And she's mean!" Then the sound of feet pounding the ground was heard in Saeko's ears and another pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down harder.
"Easy, friend! Easy! You're among friends!" an aged yet soothing voice said to her. Relaxing slightly, Saeko allowed herself to lay back down and her vision began to clear and swimming into her vision was an old man with short cut grey hair that was thinning at the crown and a friendly smile was on his bearded lips.
"There now, calmer are we?" the old man asked with a friendly smile.
"Who… Who are you?" Saeko asked her voice feeling sluggish and slurry.
"Name's Miller, I'm the doctor of Prosperity and you're in my clinic," the old man told her. "We found you and your friends a mile out from town, unconscious by your car," he then said.
"Where are my friends?" Saeko asked in a worried voice.
"They're resting right now. You were the first to wake up," Doctor Miller said. "Can you sit up?" he then asked.
As if to answer the question, Saeko slowly rose to sitting position, rubbing her eyes and it was then she noticed that she was clad in some rough spun clothes and she looked at the Doctor who smiled disarmingly at her and said, "Don't worry. Your clothes and belonging are in the locker by the bed. Just needed to examine you for any injuries."
Saeko nodded, accepting the answer as she then took stock of the room. It looked a little ramshackle, seemingly made from whatever scrap wood and metal could be found. Sunlight stream in through the barred window, providing natural light. The bed she lay on looked aged and more than a little dirty and Saeko didn't want to think about whatever may be living in the mattress.
"Okay, just need to do some checks on you. Make sure your mind and motor functions are still working," Doctor Miller said as he pulled out a worn looking pencil before telling Saeko, "Just look where the pencil goes." He then moved the pencil in slow motions, up and down, side to side and even diagonally and Saeko's eyes followed the movements with ease.
"Well, your reflexes seem sharp. Now time to ask you some questions," Doctor Miller stated. "If I were to throw a baseball at you, what would you do?" he asked.
"Catch it, or move," Saeko said almost automatically.
"Alright. Next question: what is two plus two?"
"Four," came Saeko's near automatic response.
"Alright final question: what's the earliest memory you have? Anything at all," Miller said to Saeko who thought about it briefly before answering.
"My first time training in kendo under my father, Master Hayate Busujima. It was early morning and I was dressed in training robes," the indigo haired girl said to the Doctor. "The training was gruelling and tiring. I almost threw up at the end because I was so exhausted," she added.
"Okay, that answers that," Doctor Miller said with a satisfied looking smile on his face. "Seems you've got a clean bill of health, young lady," he added. "What's your name?" he then asked.
"Saeko Busujima," came the indigo haired girl's response.
"Saeko? That's a funny name and a little unfortunate sounding," the doctor remarked.
"How is it unfortunate sounding?" Saeko enquired.
"Some raiders describes themselves as Psycho, mostly because they take the chem Psycho to give them a boost in battle," the doctor explained to her. "Your name has that unfortunate meaning behind it," he then said.
"I see," Saeko said with a nod of her head. "Where are my friends? Where am I even?" she then asked.
"Your friends are in the next rooms over," Doctor Miller replied. "As for where you are, you're in the Town of Prosperity, a couple dozen miles south of the Commonwealth's border," he then said.
"Commonwealth? Where is that?" Saeko asked.
Doctor Miller frowned a little at this and said, "The Commonwealth… of Massachusetts." Saeko's eyes widened in recognition.
"Massachusetts… that's in America, yes?" she asked.
"Always has been. Or what's left of America anyway," the doctor said grimly.
"What's left? What happened?" Saeko asked wondering if she had somehow been transported to America through some unknown means.
"Hmm. Might need to re-evaluate that test again. Make sure you're still thinking straight," Doctor Miller remarked. "Lot of folk seem to be losing their memories lately," he then said grimly.
"Losing their memories?" Saeko parroted. "Is something wrong with the town?" she asked.
"It's what I'm trying to find out myself," Doctor Miller replied. "Ah, but you don't need to hear about my problems. Let's get you dressed and see about your friends," he said with a friendly smile.
Saeko nodded reluctantly as she slowly stood to her feet, swaying slightly as a wave of dizziness threatened to overcome her. Staying still for a moment for her equilibrium to adjust, Saeko then spotted the locker and walked over to it. The doctor left the room to give her some privacy. Saeko quickly stripped off what she was wearing and redressed herself in her modified school uniform. Sheathing her bokken by her side, Saeko then left the room to see Doctor Miller waiting for her. His aged brown eyes widened a little at seeing her attire and he said, "Quite a sight. If I were fifty years younger." He gave a chuckle and added, "Well, now that you're dressed, let's see your friends."
Leading Saeko down the passage, Doctor Miller opened a door and let Saeko inside and within the room laying almost unconscious on mattresses were Saeko's companions and two other people that she did not recognise; the first was a man who looked very well-built and healthy looking as any man had a right to be with short-cut silver-blonde locks of hair and pale skin that was littered with scars. The second was a woman who looked the same age as Shizuka with deep fiery red hair done in twin buns that hung low almost brushing her shoulders.
"Who are those two?" Saeko asked Doctor Miller who shrugged and replied, "They were found beside you and your friends. You don't recognise them?" Saeko shook her head in response before looking to Takashi to wake him up.
Takashi awoke with a groan and he gave a tired smile which Saeko returned with her own. "Is it time for school already?" the young man joked, his voice thick and slurry.
"Good morning to you too, Komuro," Saeko said to him. "Seems we've somehow landed in America," she told him.
"America?" Takashi now looked much more awake. "How is that even possible?" he asked as he sat up on the mattress he lay on.
"I don't know," Saeko admitted to him. "All I remember was that we were driving through the streets of Tokonosu then there was that strange man standing in the middle of the road and that's it," she said as she wracked her memory of what had happened.
"Where are the others?" Takashi asked before he noticed Doctor Miller. "Who are you?"
"Name's Miller. I'm the doctor of this town," the aged man replied. "We found you and your friends a mile out from town and brought you all in to be treated," he explained.
"Ah, thank you very much, Doctor. I'm sorry if my friends and I have inconvenienced you by taking us into your care," Takashi said with a bow of his head.
"It's alright, young man," Doctor Miller said with a grandfatherly smile. "Let's see if your friends are ready to wake up too, shall we?" he suggested.
The rest of the group began to wake up. Takashi was quickly beside Rei checking her over and talking to her. Saeko tried not to let the sight annoy her, but it was a little annoying at watching Takashi fuss over Rei. Thankfully, Saeko was mature enough to not let her annoyance show, although she glanced at Takashi and Rei occasionally.
"What does everyone remember last?" Takashi as he gathered the group around him.
"We were driving through the streets of Tokonosu. Duh," Saya snapped out irately. "Then we saw this strange man standing in the middle of the road," she then said as she frowned, trying to remember the one she spoke of.
"So, where is it that we have landed?" Kohta asked.
"We've somehow landed in America, or what's left of it according to Doctor Miller," Saeko told the chubby boy.
"America? So, is this what's left of the world when They came?" Kohta enquired.
"I don't know. I haven't asked," Saeko told the marksman of the group.
"So, any idea who those two are?" Rei asked as she looked at two still unconscious strangers.
"No idea," Saeko said to her. "They were found beside us when the townsfolk found us and our car outside their town," she added.
"What's the name of this town?" Kohta asked.
"Prosperity."
"Prosperity, huh?" Saya had a contemplative look on her face. "Sounds like they're trying to sell the image of this place being prosperous," she stated dryly.
"Even so, until we know more about this town, we'll have withhold judgement," Takashi said. "These townsfolk didn't have to take us in, but they did so anyway. We must be grateful to them," he added.
"Yeah, but look at this place," Saya remarked as she looked around. "Everything around here looks like it's made of pure tetanus!" she exclaimed.
"Stop it, Takagi!" Rei scolded the pinkette. "There's no need to be rude!" she further said.
Takashi sighed as it looked like there might be an argument between Rei and Saya.
Then the two strangers began to stir awake. The man was the first to wake and did so silently. His eyes opened to reveal deep blue almost purple eyes that looked the curtain of the sky when approaching night-time. The red haired woke with a groan and her eyes were a deep emerald green that shone with warmth and kindness.
"Where the hell am I?" the red haired green eyed woman asked before she noticed Saeko and her friends all looking at her. "Who are all of you?" she then asked.
"You first!" Saya snapped out rudely.
"Takagi!" Rei chided her.
"Triss. I'm Triss Merigold," the redhead replied in answer to Saya's words. "Where am I?" she questioned.
"America, or what's left of it according to the doctor who treated us all," Saeko said to her.
"America? Never heard of it before," Triss remarked before she looked at the silent man who had been watching the exchange. "Who are you?"
The man looked at the redhead for a moment before speaking. His voice was deep and almost sounded British to Saeko's ears. "I am called the Dragonborn," he said simply as though he were stating fact.
"That can't be your name," Shizuka commented.
"If you are asking for the name I was given at birth, then I do not have one," the stranger said neutrally.
"How could you not have a name?" Kohta asked perplexed at the man's words.
"I was an orphan. Founds on the steps of the orphanage as a baby," the man who identified himself as the Dragonborn replied blandly.
"You're an orphan?" Triss Merigold asked, her green eyes going soft with pity and everyone else had looks of sympathy in their eyes.
"I believe I just said so," the Dragonborn said dryly.
"But you have to have a name!" Saya protested. "You couldn't have been called, what, the Dragonborn your whole life!" she said as if trying to find some logical answer to the conundrum presented.
"I was not called the Dragonborn until I slew my first dragon and devoured its soul," the Dragonborn replied. "In the orphanage I was called Orphan Number 13, nothing else. No-one saw fit to give me a name," he said.
"That's… that's impossible!" Rei exclaimed looking bewildered and shocked. "How could anyone not give you a name?! Didn't the people who adopted you give you a name?" she asked.
"I was never adopted," the Dragonborn said simply. "When I turned thirteen, I was cast out of the orphanage to fend for myself. I spent the next five years in the north of Cyrodiil before making my way to Skyrim and it was there I was given the title of Dragonborn," he explained.
"No-one adopted you?" Takashi said in a small voice.
"I believe I just told everyone so," the Dragonborn said blandly.
"Right… moving along," Saya muttered looking bewildered at the details the Dragonborn had shared with them. "What do you two remember? What were you doing before waking up here?" she asked Triss and the Dragonborn.
"I had gone out to a tavern to relax," Triss replied. "I was sitting alone in a booth when this strange man calling himself Sheogorath Cheeseman approached me and offered to play a game with me," she said.
"I was stopping Ancano from misusing the Eye of Magnus," the Dragonborn said almost monotonously. "I managed to stop him, but a rift had opened, and I was pulled in. There I met Sheogorath as well," he added.
"You know this Sheogorath then?" Saeko asked.
"I met him once before, in the mind of Pelagius the Mad," the Dragonborn said. "After I restored Pelagius's mind to sanity, that was the last I saw of Sheogorath," he added.
"So, you know who he is then?" Triss asked.
"To a degree," the Dragonborn admitted. "He is the Daedric Prince of Madness," he then said for clarification.
"Daedric Prince? So, he's royalty of some sort?" Rei asked in interest.
"One could say that, from a certain point of view," the Dragonborn replied. "Sheogorath and the other Daedric Princes are essentially gods compared to mortal races," he said.
"There's more than one?" Kohta asked in a small voice.
"There are, but we are getting side-tracked with this topic," the Dragonborn stated. "After I was pulled into the rift created by the Eye, I encountered Sheogorath who offered to help me, saying he owed me a favour. I accepted, but it seems he's played a trick on me," he said grimly.
"So, what do we do now?" Alice asked speaking up since she awoke.
"Takashi?" Rei and everyone else looked at Takashi who sighed looking very put on the spot. It was then the Dragonborn spoke.
"I suggest we learn as much of this new land as possible and perhaps see about finding a way back home," the man said as he rose from his bed to stand to his feet. Everyone then noted just how tall he was; he seemed to tower over everyone like a giant and coupled his strong powerful looking physique added to the effect.
"Agreed," Saeko said quickly, getting over her surprise. "We need to learn as much as we can about this place and see what we can do to fit in so that we do not stand out from the locals," she told everyone.
The Dragonborn nodded and walked over to a nearby locker and opened it. He then gave a contemplative hum and said, "It appears I no longer have my belongings or even my sword."
Then Doctor Miller entered the room and saw everyone was awake. "Ah, you're all up and about, I see," he remarked.
The Dragonborn then looked at the aged man and asked him, "Excuse, but when you found me, were my armour and weapons on my person?"
"Erm, no you didn't have any weapons or even armour on you when we found you," Doctor Miller replied. "Well, except one thing," he then said.
"And that was…?" the Dragonborn prodded.
"An old iron fork. Don't know why you had it in the first place, though," Doctor Miller said as he pulled out from his pocket a metal fork with a wooden handle. It had two prongs and looked to be made of steel.
The Dragonborn frowned as he took the fork from Doctor Miller and examined it. Giving a grunt, he said, "Seems like another trick Sheogorath has played on me."
"Did we still have our weapons and gear?" Kohta asked Doctor Miller who nodded and said, "Yeah, you were all pretty well armed for a bunch of kids. Not that I blame ya. Most kids learn to pick up a gun out in the Wasteland."
"Wasteland?" Triss echoed.
"It's what America is called these days after the Great War happened," Doctor Miller replied.
"There was a war?" Shizuka asked in interest.
"Yeah, happened around two-hundred odd years ago," Doctor Miller said to her.
"Two hundred years ago? Did we somehow travel through time?" Saya asked in disbelief. "What year is it now?" she then asked.
"The year is 2285 if that's what you're wondering."
"2285? That's impossible!" Kohta exclaimed. "How did that even happen?!"
"I can think of one reason," Triss said suddenly. "All of us are on another world, far from our respective worlds," she stated.
"That's ridiculous! How is such a thing even possible?!" Saya shouted in disbelief and confusion.
"Sheogorath," the Dragonborn said bluntly. "He brought us all here for some reason. This means magic is involved," he added darkly.
"Magic? You can't be serious!" Saya said derisively. "Magic doesn't exist!" she stated factually.
The Dragonborn gave a grunt before holding up his left hand, palm facing up and suddenly flames appeared, crackling and sending up sparks into the air.
"Cool!" Alice exclaimed in excitement.
Saya stared at the flames in the Dragonborn's palm before saying, "Magician's trick! Smoke and mirrors!" She seemed to say the words as a way of rationalising things.
"Believe what you wish," the Dragonborn said dryly before he looked at Triss Merigold and remarked, "I see no weapon on your person. Would I be correct in guessing you are a mage?" he asked.
"You would be correct," Triss confirmed as she held up a hand and flames appeared in her palm. "I was educated at Aretuza College of Thanedd Isle," she said with a small smile.
"That is good to hear that you have some training, but there is a small problem," the Dragonborn stated.
"What appears to be the problem?" Triss enquired.
The Dragonborn looked around, his nose wrinkling and his brow furrowing as if he was sensing something amiss before saying, "There is a… lack of magicka in the air. I doubt either of us will be able to cast spells or draw upon the ambient magicka easily."
Saeko then spoke up, "So, we're in a new world with seemingly no way home. It appears we will need to begin searching for a way home," she said.
"Might I suggest I take y'all to see the town's mayor?" Doctor Miller suggested. "I dunno anything about all this magic stuff, and I can't even say this town will be able to help out, but if you spoke with the mayor, he might be able to point you in a direction where you could find help," he said.
"It seems like the best option," Takashi said nodding his head in thought before he looked at the aged doctor and asked, "Could you take us your leader?"
"Sure thing. Right this way," Doctor Miller said as he gestured for everyone to follow him out of the room.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: There! First/Second chapter of this story is done and dusted! I hope you all enjoyed it because I'm not entirely sure about it myself.
Now clearly this story is set before the events of Fallout 4 and I'm using the Fallout Tabletop RPG's starter campaign With a Bang, or a Whimper as the setting, but there is room for creative freedom in this story and we may see the group travel to some of the more well-known locales of Fallout 4 and even do some of the side quests that were seen in Fallout 4. This story could potentially be an AU of Fallout 4. Who knows?
Anyways, not much more to say, so I'll leave this here and see you all in the next one.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.
