Chapter 13 — The Throat of the World
— A Dragon's Game —
Reputation with the Companions increased by 10 (25)!
Affection from Aela the Huntress increased by 20 for impressing her during your proving (45)!
Reputation with Vilkas increased by 20 for impressing him during your proving (45)!
Reputation with Kodlak increased by 10 for helping him help Ria (35)!
Morning arrives, but I don't feel like getting up.
And that's got absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Lydia's still asleep. With my head on her belly. While she sleep-scratches behind my ears. Definitely not.
I'm not purring, you are purring!
Sadly, even a rest that comfortable can't last forever. Lydia's hand stills as she wakes up.
She feels slightly embarrassed to have been scratching behind my ears, but it'd be totally unacceptable for her to not do it, so I grab her hand and return it to its rightful place behind my ear.
Her belly slightly shakes as she softly laughs, but the scratching resumes and all is right with the world.
Nearly.
"We have to get up, Do'samma."
"Comfy."
"For someone who doesn't need to sleep, you seem quite happy to spend hours on it."
"Alchemy training might be useful, but enjoying life is important."
"If you don't get up, I might have to stop scratching behind your ear."
"No, you won't."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because that's evil, and you're not evil."
"Oh?" Her slight giggling moves her belly again.
"Ehm… as your thane I command you to keep scratching?"
"I swore to serve and protect you, not follow every command. Especially not if said command is to your detriment."
"Please?"
"No. Time to get up." She lifts my head up, and crawls out of the bed.
I look at her, pouting in displeasure at her absolute betrayal. She responds by throwing my pants on top of my face.
No loyalty at all, housecarls these days.
Still, I guess it's time to get up and prepare for our journey up the Throat of the World. Or at least, whatever height the Greybeards live. There're maps, of course, but whatever comes beyond those seven-thousand steps is badly mapped. I don't know how close to the summit that is.
The last preparations are more warm clothes, and then it's off on our journey.
Your bartering skill has increased by 2 (9)!
Oh, right. That was a thing. Maybe I shouldn't have let Lydia do all the earlier shopping in Whiterun.
We'll be traveling north of the mountain, past Valtheim Towers, up to Fort Amol. Directly beyond the fort, there's a way up the slope, straight towards Ivarstead. Well, it has some hairpin turns, but that counts as straight when it's that steep.
— A Dragon's Game —
The first part goes well. I know this road pretty well now, even discounting my previous caravanning. We pass the Meadery, the bridge, and then we run into the bandits of White River Watch.
Right, I hadn't cleared them out. And honestly, I don't feel like doing it now either. However, they don't plan on giving us a choice, and three of them block our road.
"Halt there. This is a tax road. Pay up." He leers at Lydia. "I want at least 500 each, and if you don't have that, I think we'll take some fun with her as part of the cost."
I sigh. Really? This is getting a bit cliché. I know Lydia's attractive, but could you have a bit more self-respect?
I charge up two Incinerates, one in each hand.
Upon seeing the flames, the bandits back off, but it's too late. They already ruined my day, so…
"Fire!" Yol!
I shout at the middle one as I send the Fire spells off. The nord on the left crumples as my spell hits him. The redguard in the middle is blasted backwards by my shout, charred, and doesn't get up. The dunmer on the right… burns for a few seconds before he collapses, as dead as the others.
Well, that was quick. Eh, I don't have problems with that.
"Aw, and here I thought I'd have some practice." Lydia remarks.
I shrug. "What else should I have done? Made them think they had a chance? Monologue at them? Hold back?"
"Hey, a bit of gloating is okay. It relieves stress."
I smirk as I waggle my eyebrows. "I thought I had you for stress relief."
She smirks even harder. "Who else'd scratch behind your ears?"
That wasn't what I meant, but she got me there. "Eh, whatever. Lets just continue."
"Shouldn't we investigate where they're from?"
"Probably White River Watch, right up the hill here, but I'm afraid it'd add another day to our journey."
"…It's strange to consider that to be the primary argument against, instead of it being doubt whether we survive."
I shrug. Bandits really are beneath me these days. "Meh."
"It'd be nice for the next travelers that pass here."
Hm, and in Valtheim Towers. Those were of the same band, if I recall correctly. "Okay, if you insist. Lets take them."
We walk up the path, heading towards the cave entrance. Some fifteen minutes, we spot it, with a few tables and such in front.
Apparently, even bandits don't enjoy being cooped up in the dark all day. Who knew.
They've got a few tables where they're sitting and drinking. Probably between jobs.
Well, easier for us.
"Lydia," I whisper, "Stay close to me. Engage any that charge towards us. I'll be handling their ranged capability."
"Understood."
"I'll make you some support." Because I finally have a good defensive conjuration spell.
Frost Atroanch
Hailing from the Oblivion plane of elemental frost, the Frost Atronach normally takes the form of a hulking brute, and excels in melee.
Level: 33
-Perks:
- Race: Frost Atronach
-Attributes (partial):
- Health: 1190
- Stamina: 1190
- Mana: 380
- Frost Resistance: 200
- Endurance: 119
- Strength 84
- Health Regeneration: 84
- Frost Affinity: 66
- Frost Damage: 66
-Abilities:
- A punch with fists of solid ice dealing 91 Frost Damage
- Ground Stomp: Stomp the ground, dealing 54 damage and staggering all others in 5.00 meters. Any targets hurt for more than 10% of their maximum Health are knocked to the ground instead.
- Frost Aura: While channeled, chill everyone coming in 3.00meters, damaging them for 8 frost damage every 0.52 seconds.
Mind Magic: Courage
For 60 (85) seconds, increase a target's Health and Stamina by 10 + [Intelligence * 0.1] (55) % on touch.
Perk: Eternal Influence
Mind spells can be sustained indefinitely. To do so, after the initial duration, you will need to pay a cost of [normal cost * 2] / [normal duration] every second.
"Oh, and don't let me forget…" I reach out, touching her shoulder, and I cast Courage.
Courage will cost me a third of my Mana Regeneration to maintain, but it's worth it. It just makes her that much harder to kill.
I really want to use Call Lightning now that I'm fighting outside. But it's only single target, and far too expensive to spam. Right now, at least.
Well, Fireballs it is, then. I charge one in either hand from cover, and fling them into the group of bandits eating. An alarm is shouted, but it'll be too late, and a split second later, I hear my Fireballs explode as they hit. However, I'm already conjuring my Frost Atronach, so I'm not looking.
When I finish it, I have it charge the group. It's tall enough that it breaks the sightlines between me and some archers, who're only now stringing their bows. Lydia stands in front of me, weapons out, and ready to take on any that'd get past the atronach.
Which is great, because it means I can focus on their mage, who's sending an Ice Spike our way. Lydia catches it on her shield, practically nullifying its damage. I return a Firebolt, but the enemy mage casts a ward.
Well, if you insist… I wanted to cast Call Lightning, anyway.
I gesture, and pull a lightning bolt from the clear sky, striking the mage. It hits his shield, but it's nowhere near potent enough to stop my spell, electrocuting the mage hard enough that he catches on fire.
The "Oh shit" look on the faces of the bandits is really shining through, now. A few of them attempt to run, but I strike those with Lightning Bolts.
An archer gets a sightline past my atronach. I shoot a Fireball at him. He dodges, which would have worked had it been a mere Firebolt. It explodes right behind him, tossing him forwards into a group of melee fighters surrounding the atronach, who happily smashes them.
It's not exactly doing a lot of damage. The melee warriors block the strikes with their shields. However, doing damage isn't its task, anyway. Still, let's give it some support.
I cast two Ice Storms at it, hitting those warriors standing too close, while healing the Frost Atronach back up a bit. It's showing some cracks.
I shoot some Lightning Bolts at those bandits who seem to do the best. Two warriors try to rush me, but one is already limping, and Lydia handles them with no trouble.
I knew she was good — better than me with the sword — but I hadn't really understood how much better than the average bandit she is.
Her sword is unenchanted, unlike mine, but she still takes them out faster than I could have with the enchantments.
And suddenly, the battle is over. There are two left, next to my atronach, and two more spells take them out.
A quick count later shows sixteen dead bandits. That's a great result for a few minutes of work.
Your Lightning Magic has been increased by 2 (54)!
Your Conjuration has been increased by 1 (25)!
Your Frost Magic has been increased by 2 (41)!
Lydia's Shield Proficiency has been increased by 1 (62)!
Lydia's Piercing Proficiency has been increased by 1 (61)!
And that's also nice. Still, I want to go check out their cave.
The Frost Atronach probably only has seconds left, so I loosen the spell, letting it return to Oblivion in a purple swirl.
— A Dragon's Game —
We first cross what looks like an abandoned watch post, probably because the guards had been eating outside with the others. The path goes mostly upwards, and it's easy to follow. There're magelights everywhere — probably cast by that mage we fought.
It's empty, even as we cross occasional places where a few bedrolls can be found. They're close together and tucked away in corners — I guess a cold wind blows here at night. Then we hear a voice again — whoever the owner is, they haven't heard the fight.
It looks like someone is attempting to train a wolf as if it were a dog, but that's just silly. It can be done if you take them as pups, but this one's fully grown. I kill the bandit, and then the wolf as well. It already had some open wounds from the bandit losing his patience.
Fifteen more minutes of climbing later, we see some daylight filtering in.
As we step outside again, we enter a small area straight in the middle of an unclimbable slope of the mountain. Apparently we're heard, as a huge nord stands up and looks at us.
"I don't recognize you. That means that either you've snuck in way over your heads, or you're trying to join up with the great Hajvarr Iron-Hand."
I tilt my head. "Really? And here I thought we were just clearing out the vermin. You're the last one, by the way."
Fury overtakes his face. "All that work building up this group… well, then I'll just have to kill you."
He draws a massive greatsword and makes to charge us.
I cast another Call Lightning, knocking him prone to the ground. But unlike the previous target of that spell, he seems to have survived it.
Can't feel good, with that smoke emerging from underneath his armor.
Well, the spell's paralysis only works for three seconds… but that's plenty. Lydia lunges forward, and stabs him in the neck, killing the great Hajvarr Iron-Hand before he can even get close enough to hurt us.
"That was mean." My housecarl chides me.
"My apologies for ruining that epic fight we were about to have, but even if I have healing spells, I'd rather not risk our health."
"That's fair, I guess. But do you've seen the Companions — what kind of epic song can you sing about this?"
"Me? I can't sing at all."
Lydia sighs as she gives me her best deadpan look. She's amazing at deadpan looks.
I step closer. "You really mind that I'd prefer you in good health?" Before she can respond, I lean in, kissing her on the lips. "Because after all that tension of the fight, I'd like to unwind by doing a few things that require you to be in good health."
She groans. "You're impossible, and far to horny. We did it this morning!"
"What, you disapprove of my Dibella worship? Because that'd be a first."
She melts against me, but doesn't verbally respond.
— A Dragon's Game —
Your Eromancy has increased by 1 (27)!
Not that it was about the increase, but it's a bit small. Probably because it was a real quick one.
Never mind, though. Having a look around, we find the bandit's stash of gold, and it also turns out that he had a pair of enchanted gauntlets.
Ironhand Gauntlets
Once in the possession of the great Hajvarr Iron-Hand, these gauntlets greatly increase effectiveness of melee combat by boosting Strength and Dexterity.
-Attribute Increases
- Strength: 25
- Dexterity: 25
I give them to Lydia — she'll probably have better use for them than me. I don't quite understand why my mind calls them Ironhand Gauntlets while the bandit was called Iron-Hand, but whatever.
He also kept a journal. It mostly contains whining, while also documenting a desertion of a few bandits after I slaughtered the crew at Valtheim Towers.
Good for "Eisa" and "Ra'jirr". I hope they quit the banditry life.
We head downwards again. While we spend an hour taking out the bandits, celebrating, and getting back, we should be able to make it to Valtheim by nightfall. Even if we take a few minutes to stack the corpses up and burn them.
And it turns out that we do. The corpses have been cleaned up in the weeks since I passed here towards Windhelm — which isn't strange, considering they were Iron-Hand's men. Those we just slew probably knew the ones I killed before.
But there's plenty of space for us to sleep.
At least, for Lydia. I don't exactly want us both to be unconscious at a location like this.
But since I stayed awake, of course nothing happens. And nothing continues to happen. Shortly before Fort Amol, we turn right. There's a cave here which we ignore, instead taking the path ascending the mountain.
I let Lydia sleep another night, and the day after we climb all day.
We chase a few wolves off the path, but under an overhang, there's a stubborn troll. So I burn it.
Burning people in general stinks. There's this sweet smell of charred meat, and I don't like it.
Well, trolls smell like that, but with a LOT of sewer mixed in.
Upside, we find that we're not the first travelers it attacked, as there's two dead stormcloak soldiers here, and a letter in one's pocket shows they were sent here about the troll.
An Incinerate is the best burial I can give them, and I'll return the letter with their orders to the first guard I see around, with information about what happened. It's the least we can do.
The stag that the troll hunted, though, is ours. Stag tastes delicious.
But it's getting late, and it's by the last rays of the sun that we finally enter Ivarstead.
The village is pretty small. A few dozen houses, a lumber mill, and an Inn. It doesn't even have walls, only a watchtower at both roads.
I handle the letter to the first guard I see with the explanation, and we're send towards Vilemyr Inn.
It seems half the town is there, but no strangers.
And it's not like it's just an Inn — it's also a tavern, and a place where the villagers meet when it's too cold to sit outside.
And even then, the owner also works on the fields along with the rest.
Still, he's got a room for us.
Your Eromancy has increased by 2 (29)!
The next morning, we set off on our climb. It's often called the seven-thousand steps, but that's not exactly accurate.
You see, the Throat of the World is massive. No, bigger than that.
We climbed the entire day yesterday, and those were just the foothills.
Luckily, it's not that steep. But we still have to almost circle the mountain entirely.
— A Dragon's Game —
Your Tracking has increased by 2 (6)!
Your Fire Magic has increased by 1 (71)!
It's evening on the day after we left Ivarstead, with the sun already hidden behind the very mountain we're climbing, by the time we see the stone structure of High Hrothgar appear in the distance.
The wolves were easily chased away. So was the sabertooth cat. The Snow Bear took a bit more effort to convince, but ran after a Firebolt.
That Snow Troll, though… I'm glad I trained my Fire Magic. Bastard almost knocked Lydia over the edge.
So between Push, the wind spell, and Unrelenting Force, I pushed the fucker over the edge after setting it aflame. See how it likes it himself.
Calm down, Do'samma. The Greybeards are pacifist monks. Entering while still angry will leave a bad impression.
I breathe out and square my shoulders. I glance at Lydia. She seemed to bear the dangerous moment better than I did.
Then again, she'd probably have had more issues with it if our positions were reversed. If there's one thing I found out fighting the wildlife with her, it's that both of us are more protective of the other than ourselves.
From up close, the monastery looks quite intimidating. It seems to be built as if carved from a single rock, though by its location, it can't be.
Shouts must have been used in its construction. Probably involving gol, the word for earth. But I have neither the words nor the comprehension to shout solid rock into a structure.
Reaching the door, I hesitate. Knock or open?
There's supposed to only be very few Greybeards. They probably don't have someone dedicated to watching the door for their yearly visitor. Because they don't get visitors that often.
I knock. A few second pass.
I hear someone Speak. "Open." Bex
The door in front of me opens, yet I see nobody. I enter, Lydia a step behind me. She's apprehensive as well, but that won't stop her from doing her duty and sticking by me.
Neither should I let my apprehension stop me from mine. I step forward, reaching what looks like an entry room. There're multiple corridors going multiple ways. I see something move…
An old man in long, grey robes with a grey beard appears, and approaches me.
What do I say? I skim over Mirmulnir's memories, to see if there's something… ah.
I Speak, my simple Words implying that I have peaceful intentions entering the Greybeards' domain. "Greetings." Drem Yol Lok.
He seems startled for a moment. Did I say something wrong? If so, I can't think of what.
Before I can say anything else, though, he responds.
"A Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of an age." aan dovahkiin bo, ahst daar tiid ko fin meyza do aan bok.
It feels like… he's talking with a funny accent. Whatever, my knowledge is probably spotty. "I am Do'samma. I'm here to learn about the voice." zu'u Do'samma. zu'u sivv mindokaan do thu'um.
"And we're here to guide you in that pursuit." The old man switches out of the Dragon Language again. "I am Arngeir, and I will speak for the Greybeards. I thought speaking dovahzul might make your companion feel left out."
"Ah, yes. This is Lydia, my housecarl. I… ask if she could remain with me."
"That is fine. After all, a housecarl is sworn to keep their masters' secrets."
"Will you teach me?"
"We teach everyone. But few are willing to invest the time it takes to learn. You, however, are dragonborn. You may learn faster. But it is late. Come, I will show you to a room. We will teach you tomorrow."
— A Dragon's Game —
The lesson is outside, early in the morning. If I'd still have needed the sleep, I'd have complained about the early hour. While all four of them are present, Arngeir is the one that approaches me.
"Welcome, Do'samma. First, we'd like to see what you already know. We've heard some… echoes, which we believe to have been your work. Which shouts do you know?"
"I can use two. I know the words for a lot of them, but the only two words I can use with confidence are fus and yol."
"Ah, splendid. I'm curious how the mere fact of being dragonborn influences how you Shout. Could you use yol on that pile of stones?"
I turn to the indicated pile and mentally prepare myself. I want to make a good impression here. YOL. Fire. Heat. Wood turning into smoke while releasing heat. And if wood can burn, why not stone? I Speak.
"Fire!" Yol
A burst of flame comes from my mouth. I see the snow melt where the blast comes too close, and it strikes the stones. I see it burst into flame, but it goes out as soon as my Fire Breath cuts out. The rocks faintly glow from the heat, but it dissipates quickly.
"Remarkable." Arngeir says. "You show incredible promise."
"Thank you. Why do you think that?"
"For most of us, we first learn the language, and then it requires meditation to unlock the actual shouting. This is because to use a shout, you need to understand the concepts behind the words. When you use it, you put something of yourself into it. You invest the word. That's why there's no burst of fire when you randomly use a word."
"So it's not really about power, but about understanding the specific shout." That would be contrary to what my ability says. I just need an amount of dragon souls to access the next word.
"That's true. For every shout we want to learn, we need to meditate on each word, and practice it. But according to the legends, you shouldn't need that. Instead, you should be able to absorb the knowledge directly from a slain dragon."
I nodded. "I am. That's how I found out I was dragonborn. I've only absorbed the soul of one dragon — Mirmulnir. It's from his memories that I know what a Dragonborn is, and that I am one."
"That might help you in your consideration of what shouts to learn. We're not exactly experts on dragon lore, but we know that the names of dragons are meaningful. They had to be earned. So this Mirmulnir might have had specialities worth investigating."
"That is a good plan. I will think on that."
"Good. Now, I want to see if you're able to learn a new shout swiftly. Often, the first word is easiest to learn, as you don't have to combine the understanding of multiple concepts to use it."
"I'm interested." And curious. I'd like to become a bit more powerful.
"As you might know, the greybeards live according to the way of the voice. We do not use our abilities for violence. Though I'm aware that through prophecy, you cannot be bound to that, we won't help you with violence, either."
Well, that's just disappointing. Though I should have probably expected that. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers, and all that.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Arngeir continues. "I think wuld might be a good word. It means…"
"Whirlwind." I interrupt him. "Only… not wind. A step as the wind?"
"Close. When used properly, the shout will propel you forward. Like this." He turns towards the other side of the courtyard, and I hear him Speak. "Whirlwind." Wuld
I can almost feel the winds pick him up, and he flickers across the courtyard, coming to a dead stop on the other end. He turns around, Speaks the same word, and suddenly stands next to me again.
"Now, imagine you are the whirlwind, traveling over the terrain as lightly and unhindered as one. As swift as a breath of air. And when you speak, the Voice will blaze a trail for you."
New shout learned: Whirlwind Sprint!
Wind: Whirlwind Sprint
Your voice blazes a trail, pulling you behind it for up to [5/25/100] + ([1/10/20] * [Number of Dragon Souls]) meters.
Wuld Nah Kest - Whirlwind Fury Tempest
Wuld - Whirlwind
- Attack Speed: 2 attacks per second.
- Base Strength: 5
- Bonus Strength: 1 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina
Nah - Fury
- Attack Speed: 1 attacks per second.
- Base Strength: 25
- Bonus Strength: 10 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina
Kest - Tempest
- Attack Speed: 0.67 attacks per second.
- Base Strength: 100
- Bonus Strength: 20 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina
Complexity: This shout requires 2 Dragon Souls for each word.
Arngeir continuous, ignorant of the rush of knowledge flooding into my brain.
"When you speak, be sure to concentrate on where you want to go, and you will not overshoot your target."
"I think I got it. Let me try." I focus on a certain point at the other side of the courtyard, and I Speak. "Whirlwind." Wuld
A torrent of moving air rushes from my mouth, picking me up and carrying me on. I don't feel the wind whip into my face, as it is the wind that carries me. It drops me, turning into a gentle breeze, as I am where I wanted to be.
This… is awesome.
I turn around. But before I can make a step, I realize… why? I can just let the wind carry me.
"Whirlwind." Wuld
Before I know what's happening, I land face first into the snow, not even halfway to my target.
Arngeir keeps his face straight, but Lydia makes no effort to hide her snickering. And she only laughs louder when I pout at her.
"Ah, I'm almost relieved to see that happen. It turns out that you may be able to learn something here after all." Arngeir opens. "First, I want to say that I am amazed by how fast you learn that new shout."
"Yeah, yeah, cut the praise. Tell me what I did wrong, so I can learn."
"If you insist. Your mistake was that you did not properly conceptualize what you wanted your Shout to do. Unlike a fireball, a Shout is not a concretely shaped piece of magic, it is the embodiment of the concepts you comprehend, of your will. Even using the same Shout, your wuld will always differ from my wuld."
"And… your point?"
"The Shout does not know where you want to go, or how fast, unless you invest it with your understanding and will. Your first use, you wanted to impress me, and therefore you paid proper attention to what you did. The second time, you just tried to step close with the shout as an afterthought. And that's just not how the Voice works. It requires proper attention and diligence."
I nod slowly. "I think I get it. I'd like to practice some more?"
Arngeir looks slightly taken aback. "You're not exhausted yet?"
"Nope. I think I can do this all day."
"Remarkable. When any of us learned the Voice, it always tired us out tremendously. But it seems like being Dragonborn has even more advantages than we anticipated."
"That's certainly nice to hear. So, practice?"
"Feel free, and try your other shouts if you feel like it. Meanwhile, I'll think of what next to try. I'd thought we'd be at this for at least a week."
— A Dragon's Game —
I practice until lunch. It turns out that while Shouting doesn't exhaust me like it does normal people, I can still run out of Stamina and Mana. So I slow down, and try to make my attempts count. But I just don't have the feeling of… progression that I normally have when learning new things. At least, not towards getting better at Shouting.
Your Wind Magic has increased by 3 (23)!
Your Fire Magic has increased by 1 (72)!
Turns out that focussing on how wind or fire works well enough to literally invest it into my words, also helps me comprehend the corresponding types of magic more.
I… sort of knew this? Of course, I'd noticed that I learned new facts and how-to's of magic even by unrelated practice, but I just hadn't made the link that it'd work the other way. It sounds stupidly obvious now, though.
Nevertheless, lunch just passed, and I'm ready for my second lesson. We're outside again. A wind has pulled up, and Arngeir said it would be good practice to keep myself warm.
Apparently, there are a lot of side benefits to knowing the Voice. Properly understanding the concept of yol actively helps to keep you warm.
In my case, I have a lot more benefit from the Frost Resistance I got from my Frost Magic knowledge, but the Greybeards don't know that.
Lydia is slightly less happy, but just does her own workouts while keeping an eye on me.
"So, I thought it might be good to teach you the second word of Unrelenting Force, and see how that goes." Arngeir opens. "Ro means balance. It will add precision to your shout. While the force will not increase, it will instead ensure that all of that force hits your target."
"That makes sense. I can see why that's important." It'd be awesome if I could do the same with a Fireball.
"Now, let me explain the concepts behind ro…"
Multiple-word Shouts
There are two ways to learn the additional words to a shout. The first is the Dragonborn method — you kill dragons until you have sufficient dragon souls to know and apply the concepts. The more difficult and powerful shouts will take more souls. The second method is that used by the Tongues of old and the Greybeards, but with different means. The Greybeards meditate on the meanings, and repeatedly attempt to find what works for them. The Tongues would travel the world to seek understanding — for Fire Breath, they'd set fires and study them, let themselves be burned to closely experience what fire was like. This direct method is faster than the meditation of the Greybeards, but for obvious reasons potentially much more harmful, depending on the concepts studied. Additionally, some concepts are simply out of reach for this method — an example is shul, sun, because mortals cannot touch it.
While Arngeir is talking, I feel how it works for me. But if meditation is "just like the Greybeards do", then it would also be as slow, and I simply don't have an entire lifetime to dedicate to this.
By the time I know enough to slay Alduin, he'll have eaten all of Skyrim. He is, after all, named Devourer.
But I'll give it an afternoon.
I focus on the same pile of rocks I used Fire Breath on this morning. Force… and focus? The word might be Balance, but it focusses it more sharply…
"Force Balance!" Fus Ro
The fus goes off as intended, but the ro does nothing.
I try again.
"Force Balance!" Fus Ro
The force leaves me, but launching it pushes back against me. The unexpected force topples me, landing me on my back.
"No, not like that." Arngeir remarks. "You're trying to just put more force in the Shout. That will never work. While you can make a stronger Shout, that merely requires a larger investment. However, that will not work for the second word."
"It doesn't want to for some reason." I try Shouting again, but to no avail.
" You cannot comprehend Balance by being restless. Come, sit down, and meditate on the meaning."
I settle down. I'm here to learn, so I should follow instructions.
— A Dragon's Game —
It did not work. No progression with Balance at all, for as far as I can tell.
Which means Meditation truly is the slow way. I'd just go bugging the Greybeards to introduce me to as many shouts as possible, but they're not that easily convinced.
At least, not for Shouts they don't want to teach me. They're pacifists, after all, so there're two Shouts I wrangled out of them.
Healing: Healing
Breathe out the very essence of life, healing for [200/400/600] + ([50/100/150] * [Number of Dragon Souls])
Haas Rii Mul - Health Essence Strength
Haas - Health
- Attack Speed: 2 attacks per second
- Base Strength: 200
- Bonus Strength: 50 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 60 Mana, 60 Stamina.
Rii - Essence
- Attack Speed: 1 attacks per second
- Base Strength: 400
- Bonus Strength: 100 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 60 Mana, 60 Stamina.
Mul - Strength
- Attack Speed: 0.67 attacks per second
- Base Strength: 600
- Bonus Strength: 150 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 60 Mana, 60 Stamina.
Complexity: This shout requires 3 Dragon Souls for each word.
Illusion: Phantom
Creates an illusory copy of yourself for [60/300/3600] seconds, which deals no damage and has [10/40/100] + ([0/5/10] * [Number of Dragon Souls]) health.
Fiik Lo Sah - Mirror Deceive Phantom
Fiik - Mirror
- Attack Speed: 2 attacks per second
- Duration: 60 seconds
- Base Strength: 10
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina.
Rii - Essence
- Attack Speed: 1 attacks per second
- Duration: 300 seconds
- Base Strength: 40
- Bonus Strength: 5 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina.
Mul - Strength
- Attack Speed: 0.67 attacks per second
- Duration: 3600 seconds.
- Base Strength: 100
- Bonus Strength: 10 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 50 Mana, 50 Stamina.
Complexity: This shout requires 4 Dragon Souls for each word.
Yep, that's right. One shout that lets me heal people, most of which I can also do just fine with magic, and another that lets me create a duplicate of myself to distract enemies so I can run away without harming them.
At least, that's their reasoning for teaching it to me. Out of pure spite, I want to consider ways I can use it to kill people, but I'm not having much success yet.
It doesn't help that a good sneeze is good enough to kill the copy. On the bright side, it's pretty accurate. It was definitely enough to fool Lydia, until she touched it.
Regardless of all that, it's time for me to go. Could I take on a dragon alone? I don't know, and to be honest, I'd rather not find out. However, I'm not aware of any other dragon aside from Alduin, so it's not like I can go ask another jarl for the help of his city guard against one. That's still my plan when I DO find out about one, though.
But now we travel down the mountain again, Lydia by my side. It's cold the entire day, but between her Nord-ness and my Frost Resistance, neither of us are really bothered by it, wearing the thick clothes we do. We walk in the sun the entire morning, but late in the afternoon it hides behind the mountain. When it gets dark, we find a place to sleep.
Lydia puts her bedroll down, then draws my attention with an exaggerated shiver. I turn around, as I'd been watching the sun set over Windhelm, so far in the distance that it's nothing more than a thin line. If even that, I might be wrong.
"Hm? What's up?" I ask.
"It's cold here."
I raise an eyebrow.
She sighs, then puts on a sultry smile that's so unlike her it's almost comical. "Come hug me warm?" She extends her arms for a hug.
Which lowers her bedroll enough to show that she's naked under there.
Oh.
Yeah.
Now that I think about it, hugging her warm is actually a fantastic idea. One that has nothing to do with those pale breasts inviting me in.
Now that we're no longer in High Hrothgar, I'm no longer hiding the less dragon-related parts of my abilities, and I inventory the mage robes and hood I have been wearing for a long time.
I hug Lydia, and she moans in pleasure at my touch.
Yes, I'm cheating. Enhance Pleasure is a great spell. Lydia knows and certainly isn't complaining.
I seek out her mouth, and she hungrily returns my kiss, pressing her body against me.
She didn't start out as an affectionate lover. But she figured out my preference for lots of physical contact, and has ever since indulged me.
In turn, I indulge her desire for a bit of primal, instinctual roughness. I squeeze her bare ass hard, and she presses into me as a response.
"Like this." She says.
"Like what?"
"Just like this. Nothing overly elaborate. Just fuck me."
And that's another new thing. I wasn't Lydia's first partner ever, and before me she never got off just by simple vaginal stimulation. But Enhance Pleasure takes care of that, and now that she can with me, she's taken a new liking to it.
She spreads her legs, and I obediently thrust right inside her, hilting right away. In response, she hugs me tight. I embrace her, and start thrusting into her vigorously.
She wants it rough, she'll get it rough.
I let the embrace goes, and she lets herself fall back against the ground. I reach out, grabbing and squeezing a breast.
She moans loud, thrusting her hips forward to take me deeper.
I speed up, and since we hadn't found an opportunity since we reached the Greybeards, I cum inside her.
She whispers, "that warmth…"
Your Eromancy has increased by 1 (30)!
Stud Stamina
If you are a male and your stamina is full when you climax, expend all stamina to immediately recharge.
I grin. "I can keep on going, you know."
Her eyes widen, and I resume thrusting, eliciting a loud moan.
She twists backwards. "Okay, then. You know you want to."
Yes, I know I do. I lean forwards, and take a nipple in my mouth, flicking it with my tongue. She moans, Enhance Pleasure making something feel good she otherwise wouldn't have cared for.
Even if she'd still have let me do it. She's great like that.
I grab her ass again, and let my nails come out just a little. She moans loud at the teasing, and I feel her insides squirm around my dick as she climaxes.
I hold still full depth inside to let her enjoy her orgasm, then resume thrusting as it ends.
She grabs me around my head, firmly pressing me into her magnificent breasts. "Fuck me, Do'samma. Make me yours."
I speed up more, and tease the side of her breast with the rough upside of my tongue.
She shivers, the idle threat of a painful lick on her soft flesh arousing her even more.
But she knows I'd never knowingly cause her pain like that, so she keeps hugging me tight to her chest.
I gently suck on a nipple, and grab her ass to hold her in place while I increase the force I pound her with.
And for the first time, we climax together. Having turned down my fertility to zero with Eromancy, I fill her up for the second time in our session, while I feel her pussy trying to milk me dry.
It leaves her panting, but she pushes me over, crawling on top of me.
"Stay with me tonight, even if you want to keep awake to keep us safe."
Well, how can I argue with that? I gently embrace her, and ten minutes later, she falls asleep on top of me.
Your Eromancy has increased by 5 (35)!
— A Dragon's Game —
The second day of our descent is a lot more relaxed than the first. But I don't want to just return to Whiterun straight away. Ysolda mentioned Witchmist Grove, so that's where we'll be heading next. It's on the north end of the volcanic tundra of Kynesgrove.
There's rumors of a word wall on that tundra. In the middle, there's a lone mountain called Bonestrewn Crest, and it's supposed to have one. Given how useful the other two were, we'll be taking a detour to get there first.
To get there, we'll head back the way we came to Ivarstead in the first place, but once down the slope, we take a right towards Darkwater Crossing. From there, we should be able to cross-country towards Bonestrewn Crest.
But tonight, we sleep in Vilemyr Inn again. Ivarstead might be a small village, but at least the inn is nice. It's there to cater to pilgrims, since it's a nord tradition for young adults to make a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar.
The reason we didn't see any is that it's still fairly early in the summer — the snow will melt more, which will make travel easier.
Your Eromancy has increased by 3 (38)!
A good nights' sleep later, we descend the slope again. You wouldn't be able to tell when you're in the Rift, but it's on the highlands. You have to go down quite far.
We take a right at the end of the slope. When night falls, Darkwater Crossing shows up. We cross the bridge, and find a group of citizens around a campfire, telling strong tales.
Man, if you could really handle a troll with your bare hands, you wouldn't be here digging up ore with a pickaxe.
We're welcomed around the fire, though they're a bit cagey with their supplies until we show them gold. It's not like we're poor, so I have no trouble leaving behind ten gold in exchange for food and drink.
It takes the overwhelmingly Nord group some time to get used to a Khajiit Thane (Lydia told them), but that Argonian by the name of Derkeethus seems to find it hilarious.
Throughout the evening, we learn that Annekke Crag-Jumper — the woman owning the inn at Shor's Stone — was the one to discover this mine back when she was an adventurer. Shor's Stone was offered a discount because of her, but they don't actually have a use for these amounts of corundum.
I tell them a bit about the early lessons in the sword I got from her, but looking back, I can tell how much she had to hold back for me to actually learn something from it.
I really should visit again. I'd like to meet her and her daughter Sylgja again.
They have little room, but we get a spot in the mine to roll out our bedrolls. Nearly half the population sleeps inside — sure, it's a bit cold, but that never stopped a Nord. On one hand, it means we don't truly gain the privacy we'd like. On the other hand, it's secure enough that I can sleep the night away instead of having to stay awake.
— A Dragon's Game —
The next morning we leave early for Bonestrewn Crest. We get a warning to avoid the Giants, but unless we wander into their camps, they should leave us alone.
While we have to watch our step not to fall into the foul-smelling hot water pools around the place, the journey is simple and straightforward.
Until Bonestrewn Crest comes into view, as we hear a might roar echo around the area.
Dragon
I don't know the name of this one straight away — Mirmulnir wasn't very social. But I cannot wait to measure my strength against it. I will defeat it in glorious combat and take its soul and power for myself.
"Do'samma!"
I turn around. Why is Lydia shouting?
"Good, you finally hear me. We should leave, find some allies to help us take it down. We can't do it with the two of us."
Running away? Not gonna do that. "We'll be fine. I'm pretty sure this one is weaker than Mirmulnir. I can take it."
"But you said we'd go find ourselves an army to put between us and a dragon if we met one!"
I consider that. "By the time we have one, this dragon could have gone anywhere. We should take it down." Well, it could leave. Perhaps. Not likely, but we shouldn't leave it to chance, should we?
Lydia rolls her eyes. "You just want to measure your strength against another Dragon, do you?"
I blink. "Yeah, well, of course. I'm the Dragonborn, after all. They're my responsibility."
She narrows her eyes. "This isn't about responsibility. This is your dragon soul wanting to establish dominance, to prove yourself."
Is it? Maybe? The dragon is dangerous, though. It might kill people if we let it live. Or is that just an excuse I'm coming up with? Is it still an excuse, even if it's true? "Listen, can we talk about this another time? We really shouldn't argue while we have a job to do."
"Fine, my Thane. But we WILL talk about this later."
I nod. I can handle that. Even if right now she scares me more than that dragon does. I scan the horizon, not finding it, and I decide to challenge it.
"I am Do'samma, Dragonborn and Champion of Skyrim!" zu'u Do'samma, dovahkiin ahrk kaalsekeizaal!
The roar sounds again. Getting closer.
"I am Loyal-Ice-Frost, servant of Destroyer-Devourer-Master. Let us do battle!" zu'u miriisfo, aar do alduin. mu grah!
As it declares its loyalty, it appears from the far side of Bonestrewn Crest, which we were approaching.
"Frost Cold Freeze!" Fo Krah Diin
A lance of Frost jumps from the dragon's maw. Lydia jukes to the side, and I use wuld to get out of the way, while casting my magic. Dragons often have preferences for Fire or Frost attacks, using the element they have better understanding of. The lesser understanding of other elements should mean they'll be less able to bear their fury.
I Conjure a Flame Atronach. Fire support is always good. It launches a few Firebolts, but can't hit the flying dragon.
Sure, it's big, but it's also pretty fast, and very agile in the air.
Luckily, my magic can be faster. I use Call Lightning, and a huge streak of lightning is pulled from the crystal clear sky. I miss the center of mass, but apparently hitting the wing still hurts like a bitch, as the dragon falls down in a roar of pain. I cast again, hitting it halfway down it's fall, before it plows in the hillside.
It stabilized its fall with its remaining good wing, and stands up on all four of its legs.
This battle isn't over yet.
Lydia splits from me, so it cannot attack us both at the same time. The Flame Atronach splits the other way. I use a Ball Lightning, knowing it'll potentially do as much damage as a Call Lightning, at a much lower mana cost. The Atronach fires its Firebolts, while Lydia circles around.
It spits out…something… at my Ball Lightning, disrupting the spell and dissipating it. It then turns to the atronach and breathes in, and I can feel the shout coming.
So I use another Call Lightning.
"Frost-C—" fo-kr—
My lightning interrupts it, but it gets some cold off, which strikes the atronach, destroying it completely, causing it to disappear in a swirl of purple.
I charge it. Got to keep up the pressure enough that it can't think. And I add in a shout of my own.
"Fire!" yol
Miriisfo spreads its wings in intimidation as it braces for my charge. Right before my Fire Breath hits it, it speaks, faster than it did before.
"Frost Cold." fo krah
My eyes widen. It didn't breathe in extra deeply… of course it didn't have to. I don't either. I'm stupid.
Its shout impacts and overcomes mine, and it rushes towards me.
I brace myself, and the cold impacts me painfully. I haven't felt the cold this intense since before I could throw an Ice Spike.
It's not normal Frost, or even just Frost Magic. It's the very concept of frost and cold striking me.
It takes me a few seconds to find my bearings, and I rush towards Miriisfo again, when my eyes widen in fright.
It has turned towards Lydia, who only barely avoids getting bitten in half as she fights it.
Distracting it so that I can fight it. And it makes me realize one thing.
Why didn't I cast Courage on her before the fight started?!
I don't have the ranged spell available. Best thing I can do is to regain its attention.
I raise both hands, and cast Call Lightning. Twice.
It spams while roaring in pain, and it turns to face me. However, its tail whips out, catching Lydia in the middle by surprise, sending her flying.
I'm finally in melee range, and I strike Miriisfo with my sword, stabbing through its skin.
From the corner of my eye, I see Lydia cough up blood. That's bad…
Between attacks, I turn to her, and use this shout for the first time.
"Health," Haas
That should heal her for over four-hundred health, more than half of her total.
The dragon tries to stomp on me. I pull a shield from my inventory, and brace myself. I feel the ground crack under my feet, but I can do this.
I angle the sword to the side, and stab between the scales, deep in the meat. I can feel the enchantment working. I release the sword, and start casting Ball Lightning as fast as I can.
It tries to shout, but it gets interrupted by the pain. It tries to bite me, but I just toss one of the Ball Lightnings in its mouth.
Then I feel something click again.
Now knowing what it is, I pull as hard as I can.
Miriisfo gives one last roar as I pull its soul from its body.
No time to admire the light pulling away, though. Instead, I rush towards Lydia, who still hasn't gotten up.
— A Dragon's Game —
Lydia's all right. Well, still panting, and with far too many emotions running through her to truly make sense to. Relief, annoyance, lust, anger, exasperation, focus on the fight… she got everything.
I cast a bit more Healing magic, causing her to groan slightly while the few remaining aches disappear.
Her having to heal this much makes me worried about how close to death she was in the split second I was distracted and she bore the Miriisfo's full attention.
I asked, "you all right?"
The relief was visible on her face. She didn't answer, instead grabbing me by the neck and pulling my face down, kissing me.
"I'm alive." She whispered. "That was for saving my life. But this…" She grabbed me by the front of my cloak. "What in oblivion were you thinking, you stupid moron?!"
Okay, way out of my depth here. "That we could do it?"
"And it almost got both of us. He'd have gotten you if I hadn't distracted it, and he almost got me before you recovered. The only reason we're both still breathing is pure luck."
"Uhm…" I scratched the back of my head, which is awkward when someone's pulling your face down. "I'm sorry?"
That didn't seem to calm her down much. "You're sorry. You almost got us both killed, and you're sorry."
What does one say about that?
She deflates, sighing. "Next time, we stick to the plan, okay?"
"But I'm stronger now. I'll take it down faster."
Lydia looked me straight in the eye. "I might die if we just run in without a plan."
"Right. Follow the plan. Get allies."
"You moron." She pulled me in and kissed me again.
A minute later, she breathed calmly against my neck.
"My moron."
"I was scared I'd lose you. But I don't know if I can hold back next time. The dragon inside me is strong."
"Don't be stupid. There isn't anything inside you. It's just you, and this is your weakness." She pushed me away just enough to look me in the eye. "But I'm your housecarl. I've got your back, and I'll guard your weakness. Just listen to me."
I nod. "I can do that."
She smiled weakly. "Good. Know anywhere safe around? Cause I really want to call it a day."
"Bonestrewn Crest itself. Miriisfo nested there, and it'll have kept all animals at bay. It's about half an hour walking."
"That sounds good."
— A Dragon's Game —
Walking together with Lydia to the peak, I finally consider what I've learned from Miriisfo. Most importantly to me, I know I understand ro now. Balance. It's not about focusing the force exerted, that's just a side effect. It's the balance of force and counterforce. The aim of how to exert the force to maximum effect. To strike the weak point.
And I've learned its favorite shout. Frost Breath.
Frost: Frost Breath
Your breath freezes the air itself, dealing [100/200/300] + ([20/40/60] * [Number of Dragon Souls]) damage and slowing their movement speed by 50% for [10/15/20] seconds.
Fo Krah Diin - Frost Cold Freeze
Fo - Frost
- Attack Speed: 2 attacks per second
- Duration: 10 seconds
- Base Strength: 100
- Bonus Strength: 20 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 75 Mana, 75 Stamina
- Increases Frost Penetration by 20 while in use
Krah - Cold
- Attack Speed: 1 attacks per second
- Duration: 15 seconds
- Base Strength: 200
- Bonus Strength: 40 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 75 Mana, 75 Stamina
- Increases Frost Penetration by 40 while in use
Diin - Freeze
- Attack Speed: 0.67 attacks per second
- Duration: 20 seconds
- Base Strength: 300
- Bonus Strength: 60 * [Number of Dragon Souls]
- Cost: 75 Mana, 75 Stamina
- Increases Frost Penetration by 60 while in use
It's basically a mirror for Fire Breath. Slightly weaker in pure damage, but with the slow added in. A very good option to have. Because of my lesser understanding of Frost Magic compared to Fire Magic, it only deals 305 damage instead of 439, but still.
And that's not all…
Your Lightning Magic has increased by 2 (56)!
Your Conjuration has increased by 1 (26)!
Your Piercing Proficiency has increased by 2 (27)!
Your Blade Proficiency has increased by 1 (32)!
Your Wind Magic has increased by 2 (25)!
Lydia's Shield Proficiency has increased by 3 (64)!
Luckily, Bonestrewn Crest isn't actually that high. About two-hundred vertical meters, and that's it. We arrive at the top well before the sun goes down.
The day easily warrants turning in early, though.
"Stop that." Lydia says.
"Stop what?"
"Fussing over me. You healed me, and your magic is good. Just go have a look at your wall."
"I'm not fussing over you! And you're way more important than that wall."
Lydia has the gall to laugh at that.
"Okay, maybe I was fussing a little bit."
"I'm a big girl."
I can't help but glance down at her chest.
"I noticed."
She playfully slaps me up the back of my head. "Of course that's what you think about. Now go study that wall. I'll make camp."
"Okay."
I approach the wall. The runes are faded, but I can still make them out.
Here lies the beautiful Khajiit Anurassa, whose warmth cannot be extinguished even by COLD death.
het nok brit kaaz anurassa, faadii pruzaan krah dinok.
That's… actually very sweet. Even if that warmth is lost to us later generations. But the meaning that comes through to me is rather contradictory to the point….
Your Frost Magic has increased by 20 (61)!
Not that I'm complaining. More magic means more options.
I ruthlessly repress the thought 'More toys to play with'. Lydia almost died because I didn't take everything seriously enough.
I don't want to fear like that ever again.
— A Dragon's Game —
We take it easy in the evening, just sitting together and talking about non-consequential topics. But there is still an underlying tension I despise, but I don't dare break.
It makes me feel like a coward, but maybe I am. Lydia is just too important to me to risk screwing up bad enough she'll leave. What can I say, what can't I say?
I don't know. And I hate that.
At the end, she goes to sleep, crawling in her bedroll alone, and me in mine.
But I focus on her. She doesn't feel comfortable going to sleep like this.
And if I'm honest, neither do I. But right now it's about her.
Some fifteen minutes after we both pretend to fall asleep, I get up.
I move over to Lydia, and lie down behind her. I put an arm around her.
"I thought I said we'd sleep apart to night?" Lydia said. Because that really wasn't a question.
"You didn't do anything wrong, and you don't deserve to sleep alone."
"But you do."
"Is it about justice, or what's good for you?"
Lydia hesitated in confusion. "I… I don't want you to try that ever again." Contrary to her words, she burrowed into me.
"But holding your own happiness hostage as pressure is not exactly going to work."
"You're impossible, and I can't believe I love you."
"I love you to." I kissed the back of her head, the only part I had access to.
Relationship with Lydia increased by 10 (90)!
Your Eromancy has increased by 2 (40)!
New perk gained due to reaching level 40 in Eromancy: Dibella's Freedom.
Dibella's Freedom
Women you are not married to never become jealous over you or your actions.
What? Eromancy? But we didn't…
Ah, of course. Dibella isn't just about the sex. It's about the affection, for which sex is just the primary method of expression.
— A Dragon's Game —
The next day, we're doing better. I give her a hug in the morning and get one back. The affection I can sense in her says all that matters.
We set off to the north. Witchmist Grove shouldn't be too far. The easy descent is to the east, and it's not even noon when I see the… shack that is the center of Witchmist Grove.
It's built off the ground, probably to do with keeping the moisture out.
I'll be honest. I don't know what I'm walking into here. I apparently never told Ysolda much while drunk with Sam and Muiri.
I'm quite surprised to see a hagraven emerge from the hut. Her feathers are a shiny light brown, looking well kept.
Much like the other hagraven I met at broken tower redoubt, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Instead, the feathers covered her almost completely. Her face was still that of a human, even if it looked inhumanly perfect. Her breasts were definitely bigger than that of the other one I met. The feathers on her front look downy, softer than the others.
"Ah, there you are. Where have you been all this time? You said you'd return as fast as you could." She feels confused, and a bit slighted.
"I'm sorry. I was quite drunk, and I recall exactly nothing."
She tilts her head. "Huh. You really don't recall anything, do you? That's awkward."
"Please help me remember?"
A slightly sinister grin crawls onto her face. "Hm, perhaps. If you'll make it worth your while." She looks at Lydia. "Can I speak freely? You had another woman accompanying you last time…"
"I know. That must have been Muiri, but I trust Lydia here with everything. She's my housecarl."
She turns her head to Lydia. "Well, girlie, be ready to learn things about your Thane that you never suspected." She focuses back on me. "You promised to marry me. But looking back, I'm not sure why I accepted, only that I did."
I blink. That's… sudden. Well, perhaps the tried and true lines work? "Then I must apologize. I can see why drunk me would be physically tempted by your beauty, but I feel even drunk me can't have known you well enough to offer that."
She cackles. "Nice save, if somewhat obvious. You practiced that line?"
I pout at her. " I used it on the last woman I talked about regarding that night, and it worked. However, I never seem to have proposed to her."
"Hm, makes sense. Nords aren't likely to be quite as… insightful as I am regarding emotions. But no worries. We'll figure something out."
"So… where do you want to go from here.?"
She pouts. "You're no fun. You're supposed to offer everything to me now."
"Sorry, not stupid enough. I'm aware I'll need to own up to some of the things I did, but I'll first learn what I can before I make lasting decisions."
"Hah, smart boy. I knew there was a reason I ever agreed to it in the first place. But I won't hold you to that marriage proposal. IF, that is, you're willing to show me those bedroom skills you promised you had."
I raise an eyebrow. I'd like a little more time to process, even if it's just ten seconds. "So soon? And I don't even know your name."
"I suppose you don't. I'm Moira. And if you hadn't noticed, I'm a hagraven. You know, one of those women who sold her humanity and beauty for power."
"Nice to meet you for the first time again, Moira. And though I'm not an expert about humanity, I dare say whoever thought they'd taken your beauty got cheated out of their half of the deal."
Her laughter is definitely inhuman, and I can hear her part-bird nature making itself known, but it doesn't take away from the obvious mirth. "I see why I liked you, again. I'll let you go if you want, but I'm getting really curious now. I haven't felt the touch of a man in three decades, ever since I went through the transformation ritual."
"Hm, then I must admit I can't completely satisfy your curiosity. Soon after that night, I was blessed by Dibella. I'm much better then I used to be, and I know I won't be able to pretend to be that much worse."
She saunters over to me, a grin having crawled onto her lips. "I guess I can forgive that. And you're not exactly discouraging me."
I return her grin. "Wasn't trying to. Though I am surprised what would possess all prospective men to turn down a woman like you?"
She puts her hands on my shoulders, starting to gently knead my muscles. "Some were turned away by their silly worship of hagravens. Many were afraid of either my power, or the general reputation of Hagravens. But you… you care as little as you did while blind drunk."
I shrug, putting my hands on her sides. I gently caress along with her feathers. "I'm a Khajiit in a land of Nords. Bit hypocritical if I'd mind."
Already standing close, she suddenly rushes forwards, capturing my lips in a kiss.
I respond in kind, putting my arms around her. I let one arm caress the feathers along her back, while I grab a handful of feather-covered ass in the other. Once digging between those feathers, her ass is as soft as any other, so I knead it firmly.
She moans into my mouth, while pressing her body against mine. She enjoys the lustfulness in my movements. I'm pretty sure she can sense my emotions as well as she could tell whether I was speaking the truth earlier.
So I move the hand from her back, and grope a breast, my fingers trailing through her feathers. Pushing some aside reveals a nipple, and I squeeze it between my fingertips.
A lesser woman would have melted in my arms, but a sorceress this powerful has more self-control. She pulls back from the kiss, and looks into my eyes. "Fuck me."
Lydia interrupts. "For Mara's sake, at least fuck inside. I'll keep watch, but I'm not sufficiently attracted to girls to want to watch."
Moira looks aside at Lydia, then sighs as she focuses on me. "Inside, then?" She feels slightly uncertain, scared that I was caught up in the moment and wouldn't want to continue.
So I pick her up in a bridal carry, eliciting a very girlish squeak from a surprised Moira. "As a guest, I'd be rude to decline a selfless invitation like that."
When she processes my words, we're already inside, but she scoffs. "Selflessly, sure. Nothing selfless about seducing a young morsel like you."
"Can't seduce someone who wanted to fuck you since laying eyes on you for the first time. And if I'm correct about our first meeting, lusting after you from the first instant on seeing you twice."
She giggles as she pulls herself tighter to me. "You already used the 'twice' hint while sweet talking."
I smile unrepentantly. "Hey, if it works." And before she can respond, I kiss her on the mouth again, while I put my clothes into my inventory.
She kisses me back, her arms circling around my neck. It feels odd but pleasant, her feathers against my fur.
I drop her on the bed, slightly rougher than necessary.
"By Kyne, I missed this." She whispers. She spreads her legs wide, which would show her open pussy to be if there hadn't been small, delicate downy feathers covering it. "You gonna enter? I can see you want to."
And she's right, of course. My body is more than ready, and Moira is definitely done with foreplay. I stand between her legs, and lean forward, grabbing her breasts firmly, leaning on her while I line myself up.
Just as she's about to call me out for delaying, I enter her, slamming home.
Whatever the Hagraven transformation did, it had no ill effects on her pussy. It's as tight as a virgin's, despite her implication of having had sex before her transformation. The downy feathers lightly tickle at the base of my dick.
She moans loud as she feels me invade her. Her legs lock around my hips right away, and she grabs my wrists, pulling me onto her.
I couldn't let go of her tits even if I wanted. Which I don't. They're as soft as any other pair, and perkier than she has any right to.
"Whatever you do, just finish inside." She groans. "Part of the transformation is giving up the womb. All I can do is to extract a tiny bit of magicka from it, that's all. No child could result."
"Dibella's blessing on me would take care of that, anyway." I bend forward, looking her in the eyes from up close. Then I activate Enhance Pleasure on my hands and dick while I thrust deep.
Her eyes widen, and she moans loud. I grope her breasts rougher, and she pushes her hips against me as I feel her first climax.
She feels slightly embarrassed, but has been on a hair trigger since forever. And well, it's not like it means she's actually done, because she definitely wants more.
I speed up. While it hasn't been as long, something about fucking this powerful mage is totally doing it for me.
— A Dragon's Game —
Your Eromancy has increased by 6 (46)!
A few hours have passed, and it's basically evening.
We're finally too tired to continue, so Moira crawls on top of me for cuddling, and I got my arms around her.
She talks first, a slightly hoarse whisper. I thought she injured her throat earlier during our activities, but if so, she never let on. "I missed this."
I give a brief tightening of my arms as comfort. "Glad to be of service."
She snorts. "I'd say you performed up to expectations." She smiles up at me. "But you did much, much better. Best I've ever had."
"Nobody ever told you to not compare your bed partners aloud where another can hear it."
"Eh, previous guy isn't coming back. Hubby's been dead for twenty-five years now."
"Oh, eh, I'm… sorry to hear that?"
She shrugs. "You get over it. To be honest, it's much harder to see my daughters grow old and fragile."
"Hagravens are immortal?"
"Not really, but we get older. And no wrinkles." She challenges me.
I consider my question, and don't get a bad feeling about it, so I ask. "Dare I ask your age?"
"Dunno. Couldn't be fucked to count. Somewhere in my eighties, I guess."
"Wow. I really wouldn't have given you that. Then again, neither would I have the daughters, since you feel virgin tight."
I feel the grin on the cheek resting on my torso, and she basically exudes smugness. "Part of being a Hagraven."
"So now that we're actually talking about ourselves instead of fucking each other's brains out, what's a girl like you doing here in the middle of nowhere?"
She snorts at the parody of a pick-up line. "Studying magic, mostly. It's fascinating. My girls even got in on it."
"You mean your daughters?"
"Yup. Anise somewhere near Riverwood, and Silvia in Darklight Tower somewhere to the south. So, what're you doing with your time?"
"I'm an adventurer. Though I recently figured out I'm a Dragonborn, so according to legend, I'm the only one who can fight the dragons."
"Wow, a guy with a destiny." She looks up at me. "Sucks to be you." Then I hear a sprinkling of humor enter her voice. "You just contaminate me with your interestingness as well? Cause I don't want it."
I shrug. "Don't think so. Unless you still want to get me into marriage, that is."
She looks as if she's considering it, but Dibella's bullshit perk tells me she's faking it. "Well, you are good at this sex thing. I might just want to keep you…"
"And what would that have to do with marriage?"
"Point. So if you just come around to fuck me every time you're close, I guess you're off the hook."
"Works for me." I gently kiss the top of her head.
"I'm to old to get married, anyway."
A moment later, I can feel the mischievousness come off her.
"And get that housecarl of yours to join in next time. Threesome sounds great."
I grab her in the neck, firm but gentle. "Bad birdy. No making housecarls uncomfortable."
"Fine." She mock-pouts, before turning serious again. "But returning to something we discussed before… I study magic. And that sex magic of yours is new to me. What do I have to do to learn it from you?"
I frown. "I don't actually know if I can teach it to you. I got the… magic aptitude, so to speak, towards that magic straight from Dibella, and now just fucking makes me better at it."
"Worth a try. So, what… depraved things will you demand from poor old me for the attempt?"
I chuckle. "Actually, I think that WILL be the lessons already. But I think I can stay here for a week. I teach you, and you teach me other magic in return. How's that sound?"
"Veeery satisfactory. In all the right ways."
A/N: Do'samma is wrong about the Dragon language — his knowledge isn't spotty. The Greybeards speak dovahzul, but their sentence structure is reminiscent of [English, or whatever other language humanoids speak]. Comparing things like "The Song of the Dragonborn" to what we're actually told about Dragon Language, it uses far too much words. Dragon Language is all about context. So the explanation I'm going with is that the nords, while using dragon language, still wanted to make it their own. They tried to impose their own culture onto it. Therefore, they use far more words. Through Jurgen Windcaller, this concept was continued in the greybeards. It was mostly habit for Jurgen himself, and later this "conquering" origin was forgotten.
And Paarthurnax, despite being a pacifist just as much, doesn't correct them because he thinks it's hilarious. Hey, sue him. He doesn't get out much, and has to find his fun where he can.
A/N 1: I hate angst. That's why it's over with in a single chapter. I'd have avoided it all together, but Lydia decided she wanted to make an issue out of it, and to be completely fair, I can't blame her. She didn't want to start it with "relieved sex" either, despite my planning.
A/N 2: I always wanted to resolve the quest this way in the game. Preferable with a mod making Hagravens hot, though I never found one that did, so I had to headcanon it.
As you might guess, this is why Hagravens are hot in this fic. Instead of cartoonishly evil.
