Thank you Kel Arumar for enjoying the story! I decided to rewrite some things about this story. It's mostly to deal with how I originally ended this chapter. Otherwise the rest of the chapter is the same.
"You'll die before you even reach the door!" a bandit said while gurgling on his blood.
Lars then swung his steel mace as the bandit's head and heard a sickly cracking sound as the mace connected with his head. As Lars looked out from Bleakfalls barrow's entrance as he remembered the conversation he had with Jarl Balgruuf.
As Lars pushed opened the doors to Dragonsreach, he was always astonished by the sheer size of it inside. On his left and right were 3 wooden pillars that reached all the way up to the ceiling with each having a back wall some meters away with windows that let in the warm natural light. In front of him was a medium stairway that led to a grand fireplace with two parallel tables with an assortment of cups, plates and utensils neatly lining them along with the light yellow and white table clothes that they sat on. There was a huge open doorway on the left that led to the kitchen of the building and on the right was another huge doorway that led to the court wizard's place of study and rest. Past the fireplace was where the Jarl sat and that was where Lars needed to go.
When he approached the Jarl's throne, a dunmer woman robed in leather armour approached him whilst drawing her sword.
"What is the meaning of this interruption, Lars! The Jarl's not receiving any visitors." the dunmer demanded.
This tone took the monk back a bit and replied with, "Woah woah. I am not here to hurt you, Ireleth or the Jarl."
Ireleth peered into his eyes for a second before softening them a bit and asking, "I apologize, I'm on edge a why have you come?"
"I have news on Helgen that the Jarls' ears need to hear." said Lars.
The dunmer woman sheathed her sword and said, "That explains why the guards even let you in the first place. Come. Jarl Balgruuf will want to speak to you personally then." as she took her place back by the Jarl's side.
As Lars stepped up and bowed to the Jarl and said, "My Jarl, I have come from Helgen with news on the Dragon attack."
The Jarl's ever serious gaze didn't falter as he asked, "So Lars, you saw this dragon with your own eyes?"
"Yes I did. I was making my way to Helgen because I was assigned by my teacher to be the retaining priest there." said Lars.
Balgruuf recoiled in shock as he said, "By Ysmir! Ireleth was right!"
The conversation pretty much ended with Lars and Baalgruuf speaking with the court wizard Farengar. He spoke about an ancient stone called the dragonstone that pointed out locations of dragon burial sites. Here was Lars now, at the entrance of Bleakfalls barrow to receive.
"You ready to go in?" asked a voice.
He turned to face Jenassa and replied back with, "Yea, ready when you are."
As the pair pushed opened the great, huge metal doors to the barrow, they were greeted with a waft of stale wind hit them as they entered the slightly colder room. Wondering why it was still cold, they noticed that the ceiling on the southwestern closest portion to them had collapsed which left a mess of stone, rocks, and wood all over the place. As the pair snuck their way towards a raised platform that held an ancient nordic table they saw two bandits, sitting next to each other on a bedroll near a fireplace, in the midst of a discussion.
"When do you think that milk-drinker Arvel is going to return?" questioned the female orc.
"I don't know and honestly don't care. That grey-skin has gone off the rockers about some secret power in this tomb." replied the breton male
"Well, If you think he's crazy then why are we still here?" retorted the orc.
"Well I'm only here because you're here Gorsha. We in this together remember?" said the breton as he snaked his arm around her back to her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.
Gorsha leaned into his touch and gave him a passionate kiss before pulling away and saying, "OK, ok not right now Janus. I think I heard fighting outside a while ago. We should at least check that out before we continue any further into our fun." seductively his neck to add after saying that.
"Oh alright," pouted the breton, "but we are having sex after we check, alright?"
"Of course sweetie," replying to his pout, picking up her orcish sword and heading towards the entrance of the barrow. The breton known as Janus soon followed suit and when they were both out of sight, the pair entered into the opening.
"I am so glad that they didn't have their fun while we were here…" Lars shuddering.
"That would've been a sight that I honestly would've preferred not to see either, Lars, because we all know your virgin eyes would be tainted." chuckled the Dunmer.
The breton priest blushed a deep red before spouting, "What does me having to be a Virgin have to do with anything!"
Jenassa chuckled to herself whilst continuing forwards to a set of stairs and replied with, "Nothing. I just really have a knack for teasing you."
Lars shook his head while sighing and continued after towards Jenassa.
As the pair made their way through the barrows ancient halls, they passed the decomposing remains of many skeevers and looted urns until they finally reached a room where a male nord bandit was. The fight was rather short and quick work for the pair of adventurers. Jenassa used her blade and magic to keep up a steady defense against the bandit while Lars peppered him with ice spears from his flank. When the fight was said and done, they took in account the room they were now in: ancient iron braziers were at their left and right sides whilst on their leftmost seemed to be 3 turnable stones that had the images of animals on them. Facing forward, they saw a stairway that leads to a second floor with more images with the central image having been collapsed on the first floor of the puzzle room.
"Ahh, an old puzzle room," exclaimed Lars.
"A puzzle room? I thought these old nordic tombs were cities at one point or another?" questioned Jenassa.
"Ah yes, some of them were old nordic cities but some of these ancient structures could've been made to house old kings, dragon priests, and much much more." Lars proudly said.
"Awww, aren't you just our little scholar," Jenassa teased whilst running her fingers through his hair.
Lars blushed and blurted out, "What? I like learning. What's wrong with that?"
"Oh nothing my sweet little Lars. Let's just get back to the task at hand, alright?" Jenassa chuckled.
After solving the quite simple puzzle, they made their way to a pesky spider chamber where a dunmer named Arvel laid caught in a web, through tomb rooms that held draugr in which they made quick work of, and soon found themselves inside a cavernous long chamber with an underground small river/stream running through it. At the end of this stream lead to a huge cliff drop about 25-35 feet down with a bridge appearing just before you hit the surface and on this bridge harboured a frost troll.
"Ok there's a frost troll just on that bridge Jen." whispered Lars.
"I can see L" replying back.
"You attack head on and I give it a good ol' shock?" asked Lars.
"Always energetic, aren't ya?" Jenassa sarcastically snarked.
"You know me too well Jen." replied back, smilingly.
As Jen rushed down the downwards ramp on their right towards the below bridge, Lars shouted," Hey! Ice Brain! Look up here," as he charged up a lightning bolt in his left hand and threw it at the troll. The lightning bolt impacted the troll in the shoulder as it stumbled back a bit before Jenassa meeting it head first with her own connecting wide swipe at its thigh. Marking the mage as his target, the troll batted Jenassa off of the bridge which caused her to plummet down.
"NO! JEN!" screamed Lars as he pelted the troll with repeated lightning bolts with both hands, now having his mace sheathed. The troll soon disappeared from sight as it made its way up the ramp towards his position and Lars readied his mace for the head-to-head combat. When the troll reached him, it took a wide left swipe at him which was easy for him to dodge out of the way before swinging his mace at his wounded thigh. The troll screamed in agony as the strike connected and retaliated by swiping at his face which knocked him back a few feet and with a claw cut across his face. He fell to one knee as the troll lumbered over to him, preparing to attack once again but before it could reach him a sword pierced through the chest of the frost troll. He looked up to the scene and saw when the troll fell, it revealed Jen with streams of blood flowing down her head.
"Fucking hell Jen, you gave me a fright," he sighed.
Jenassa chuckled while clutching the side of her bleeding, "Lars you know it takes much more than that to kill me."
Jenna proceeded to take out a potion but before she could drink it, Lars came over and laid his left hand on the side of her head and a warm,auburn glow glowed from his hand and her wounds started to close.
"Ahh by the divines that feels good. Thanks L" Jenassa responded while looking at him. His face was clawed up pretty bad by that troll and found herself unconsciously stroking the side of his face where the claw was.
"Yea it's pretty bad isn't it?" Lars said.
"Yea it is…" before pulling her hand back, realizing what she was doing, "shit sorry, uhh.. Let's continue yea?"
As they fought their way deeper and deeper inside Bleakfalls, they soon found themselves upon a 3 way entrance with one of the entrances being obstructed by soon old roots but with the adjacent doors from it left and right being open that lead into a partially collapsed entrance with spiraling pillars flanking both left and right and rubble and debris outline the floor with a singular armoured draugr with a sword and shield that hadn't notice them.
"This one looks a bit tougher than the others," Jenassa whispered.
"Aren't scared, are ya Jen?" Lars teased.
She scoffed and charged, "Just means this will be more enjoyable!"
Jenassa swung first with her first strike connecting with its shield and quickly unsheathing her dagger with her offhand and plunging it into the rotten flesh of this thing. It screeched and laughed at her as it battered her off with its shield and swung wide right at her side which she dodged quickly then disengaged and shouted, "Lars!"
Two quick lightning shots in succession hit the armoured bits of his armour which amplified the damage it would normally do. The draugr recoiled in shock and dropped its sword and with his hand, casted a fireball with it and flung it at Lars which caused the nord mage to quickly take cover behind a pillar. Jen took the opportunity to flip her dagger with her offhand and flung it directly at the draugr's eye but was shocked when the draugr quickly brought its shield up and battered it away, causing it to fly off somewhere in the room.
"This fucker thinks he's a clever bastard don't he?" Jen said before engaging in combat with it again.
The draugr taking notice tried to cast a fireball at her but was caught off guard by Lars's lightning bolt at his face which allowed Jenassa to swipe left and connect then flow through with a blow to its head. When the last strike connected, the blue glowing eyes of the draugr flickered until they misted away and it slumped to the ground.
Jenassa pulled her sword from its head and flung the mucusy blood away her sword before sheathing it.
"Whew that a fight huh?" Lars said.
"Yea hate the armoured ones. Always seem more smarter than the others." she replied
Lars clipping his mace to his belt responded to that with, "Well usually the magic users could be scourges or some of the restless ones. Although usually scourges are much more armoured than this one is so my guess is that this one was one of the restless ones."
"Ah, makes sense I guess. Not going to question you on that since you're the scholar boy here." she said.
Rolling his eyes, he walked forward and they proceeded through the doors and the barrow. They fought more and more lesser draugrs before they finally reached another room (more like sanctuary) that had a lit brazier to his right and several pillars; collapsed or standing, in his front view. On the floor were dirt and a broken up cobblestone path that led into an area with two waterfalls in the far back of the room and a bridge that led over a small river created by the previously mentioned. Over the bridge led up several stairways that led to a central staging area with an ancient nordic tomb and a mysterious wall with weird inscribings. As they got closer Jen spoke up, "Lars this looks like an old burial for some."
Lars inquisitively looked around the area and took in the note that this was indeed a burial area but something was off. He heard… chanting. Looking around he noticed on the mysterious wall was a glowing word and blue and orange tendrils spiraling towards him.
"Uhh Jenassa, do you see/hear this" Lars asked puzzlingly.
Jenassa lifted up her eyebrow as if to signal that she was straining her ears to hear and shook her head, "No I hear nothing Lars. why?"
Lars found himself drawn to the blue glowing word and unconsciously moving towards.
Jenassa saw this and grabbed him by his hand, "What are you doing?"
"I feel like it's calling me. I don't know? Trust me Jen," Lars answered.
She thought for a second before reluctantly letting go of his hand and giving him a firm nod of approval before Lars made his way towards the glowing letters. As he got close, his vision blurred for a second before words appeared before his eyes.
Fus
He had no idea what that meant or what language that was in but before he could ponder what just happened, he heard a lid of sarcophagus pop open and an armoured draugr, more armoured than the other one, sat up in his tomb and looked at the pair.
"Uhh Lars.. WE HAVE A PROBLEM!" Jen screamed.
Lars turned around quickly to notice a heavily armoured draugr climbing out his tomb. As the draugr planted his feet on the cold stone ground it uttered, "Tiid wah dir!" and strung with surprisingly quick speed as it hit Jenassa in her leather armour which pierced it and blood pooled around the wound.
Jenassa cursed before drawing her sword and faking a right swipe and uppercutting but the draugr with its greatsword parried off the attack and shouted, "Fus Ro Dah!" A ripple of force/wind echoed from its mouth and sent Jenassa back, slamming her into the word wall with a sickly crunch sound following after.
"Jen NO!" Lars shouted before charging the draugr with his mace and ward. He swung wildly left which the draugr deflected before riptosing and jabbing Lars straight through the gut. The draugr looked him in the eyes and just mockingly laughed as he pulled the sword out of him and followed through at him with a sidestrike and knocked him down. As Lars lied there bleeding on the ground, he saw the draugr get closer to him with his great-sword before his vision faded to black.
When Lars awoke he was greeted with an empty void that stretched seemingly endlessly and as he looked around he was greeted with the visage of an ancient golden dragon staring at him. This startled Lars as he reached to grab his mace before realizing it wasn't there. The dragon saw him struggling and spoke, "Don't fear human. I am not here to harm you. I know who you are but you, Shepherd of the Divines, do not know who I am."
Before he could speak again, the dragon was gone and an echo of a voice was heard, "Know that I'll be watching you my son and that you'll be under my protection."
He soon found himself suddenly falling before he fell back into his body and woke up panting. He looked frantically around and saw no one around him but noticed his mace and entire attire were completely drenched in blood.
Had he fought this draugr in blind/unconscious fury?
He thought he fought unscathed until the apparent adrenaline wore off and the pain hit him like a giant's club. He stared at his bloody hands and weapons before he snapped out of his trance with a groan heard next to him.
"Ughhh, fucking hell that hurt like a bitch."
"Jen you're alright thank the gods," saddling up next to her and helping her up.
"Yea that hurt like a fucking bitch, how you holding?" she weakly responded.
He checked his body and found that the gut stab he had was still prevalent and hurting like the flames of oblivion. He fished out a potion of healing from his bag and noticed all but one where broken.
"Fuck, whatever happen I killed that thing and all my potions are broken besides one," as he handed it to her. She pushed it back towards him saying, "you need it more than I do, you're the one bleeding after all. Me? i just have" wincing in pain. "few broken ribs many?"
He used the last of his magic reserves to heal his gaping stomach wound before handing her the potion, "No you need more than I do now. After all, I don't want to be hauling your ass back to Whiterun." he smiled cheekily
"Yea you're right." grabbing the potion and downing it before teasing with, "Daedra known that you couldn't resist grabbing my ass while I am defenseless."
Bleeding and in pain, his face still had blood left to blush a deep red and stuttered out, "Fucking hell Jenassa! Forgive me for trying to be nice." throwing his arms up in defeat before walking back.
"Hey! You know my ass is nice. I've caught you staring ya Virgin." Jenassa continued which made Lars only quicken his pace as Jenassa laughed in the background.